Meet the Team

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Our Team

Meet the team behind the programs, partnerships, and innovations that make BioConnect DE a launchpad for success. Together, we work to create opportunities for Delawareans, foster partnerships within the industry, and empower individuals to thrive in the life sciences sector.

Board of Directors

Michael Fleming
  • Chairman

Michael Fleming

  • Chairman

Michael Fleming

Chairman

Michael Fleming is President and CEO of the Delaware BioScience Association. Prior to joining Delaware Bio in 2020, he spent two decades in senior strategy, marketing, communications, consulting and corporate responsibility roles in the global biopharmaceutical industry, including 18 years at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where he was also president of the GSK Foundation.

Under Fleming’s leadership, Delaware Bio has grown more than 50 percent and launched multiple new initiatives to spark industry expansion and workforce development including the state’s first bioscience conference, creation of BioConnect DE and establishment of the Delaware Life Science Caucus.

Fleming began his career as an aide to the late US Senator William V. Roth, Jr., first as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill and then as the senator’s Wilmington state office director. He has or is serving on multiple boards and committees with organizations including the Delaware Technology Park and ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute. Fleming was a member of the Delaware State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights and was appointed by the Chief Justice of Delaware to the citizen panel reviewing allegations of judicial misconduct. He is a recipient of the New Castle County Volunteer Service Award.

Fleming is an award-winning writer on history, culture and politics and together with his wife Christy, founded TownSquareDelaware.com, Delaware’s first community-focused digital media company, which they sold in 2020. In 2012 the Flemings were named United States Tennis Association Delaware District and Middle States (DE-NJ-PA) Tennis Family of the Year.

Fleming is a graduate of Salesianum School, the University of Delaware and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He and his wife have three children and live in Wilmington.

Executive Team

Katie Lakofsky
  • Executive Director

Katie Lakofsky

  • Executive Director

Katie Lakofsky
Executive Director, BioConnect DE
Associate Director, Bioscience Workforce, Delaware Biotechnology Institute

Dr. Katie Lakofsky is at the forefront of workforce development for the region’s bioscience sector. She serves as the Executive Director of BioConnect DE, leading efforts to build a strong talent pipeline for Delaware’s thriving life science ecosystem. In this role, she develops and implements strategic workforce initiatives, collaborating with industry partners, educational institutions, and community organizations to connect job seekers with high-demand bioscience careers.

Additionally, Dr. Lakofsky holds the position of Associate Director, Bioscience Workforce, a role established through a partnership between the Delaware BioScience Association and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute at the University of Delaware. She works to align workforce strategies with industry needs, ensuring that education and training programs effectively support the growth of the life sciences sector.

Prior to her current roles, Dr. Lakofsky held leadership positions at Delaware Technical Community College and the University of Delaware, where she designed and implemented educational programs and built strategic partnerships to address workforce training needs. She also brings private-sector experience, having worked as a project manager for a biotech startup before transitioning to higher education.

Dr. Lakofsky earned her B.S. and M.S. in Plant Biology and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, all from the University of Delaware. Through her work, she remains dedicated to expanding access to bioscience careers and strengthening Delaware’s life sciences workforce.

Life Science Careers Start Here

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