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Management Team

 

Our Corporate Officers

Mercedes Walton

Mercedes Walton, Chairman & CEO

Ms. Walton has served as Director of Cryo-Cell since October 2000, and as Chairman of the Board since June 2002. Prior to joining Cryo-Cell, Ms. Walton served as CEO of Ralston Hill Consulting LLC, a privately held business development and strategic management consulting practice. Ms. Walton previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Applied Digital Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSX) in Palm Beach, Florida. She was responsible for corporate restructuring and guiding the company's strategic planning and launch of Digital Angel (AMEX:DOC), an advanced wireless corporation. Prior to joining Applied Digital Solutions, she was corporate Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at AT&T (NYSE:T). During her 24-year tenure with AT&T, Ms. Walton held positions in business and consumer operations, global network operations, engineering, marketing & sales and product management. Ms. Walton holds a BA degree from Smith College and Master’s degrees from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Prior to its acquisition by Black Box Corporation (NASDAQ:BBOX), Ms. Walton served on the Board of Directors of Norstan, Inc (NASDAQ:NRRD), where she served on the Audit Committee and chaired the Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Walton currently serves on the Board of Directors for SAVVIS, Inc. (NASDAQ: SVVS) where she is a member of the Corporate Governance and Business Development Committees.

Jill Taymans

Jill M. Taymans, Vice President,
Finance & Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Taymans joined the Company in April 1997, serving initially as Controller, and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in May 1998. Ms. Taymans graduated from the University of Maryland in 1991 with a BS in Accounting. She has worked in the accounting industry for over 10 years in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining the company, she served for three years as Controller for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, MD.

Jill Taymans

Julie G. Allickson, PhD, MS, MT(ASCP)
Vice President of Laboratory Operations and R & D

Dr. Allickson is the Vice President of Laboratory Operations and R & D at Cryo-Cell International, Inc., an AABB accredited, and Florida based Family Cord Blood Bank. As Vice President of the Laboratory Dr. Allickson is responsible for all technical aspects of Operations to ensure a safe and high quality product produced in a cGMP-compliant cell processing environment. She is also responsible for all Research and Development activities associated with adult stem cells. Dr. Allickson serves as a member of the Cryo-Cell Medical Scientific Advisory Board. Prior to this position, Dr. Allickson worked for the University of Miami – School of Medicine, Diabetes Research Institute as the Laboratory Manager of the cGMP Cell Processing Facility where she was responsible for Hematopoietic Cell Processing Operations to include processing of vertebral body marrow as well as other hematopoietic cell types. She was also responsible for the design and implementation of the State Licensed Clinical Flow Cytometry Laboratory. Dr. Allickson was the lead in Regulatory Affairs for the cell processing laboratory of Islet and Hematopoietic Cell products which included oversight of all Investigational New Drugs (IND) and all external regulations. Prior to working for the University of Miami she worked for the American Red Cross managing the Hematopoietic Cell Processing and Platelet Serology Laboratory. During her tenure at the American Red Cross she served as a member of the National Stem Cell Task Force and participated in the preparation of national protocols developed for Hematopoietic Cell Processing Laboratories. Dr. Allickson was part of the team to perform the very first Bone Marrow Transplant at the University of Miami in 1990. Dr. Allickson has 20 years of laboratory experience and 17 years in Cellular Therapy Processing. She is board-certified as a Medical Technologist by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and is licensed in the State of Florida in all areas of the Clinical Laboratory. She has a Doctorate in Health Sciences along with a Master’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences. She is one of the founding members of the International Society of Cellular Therapy in 1992 and has been a member of the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) for 17 years. She has presented at national and international meeting related to adult stem cells. She is an inspector for ISCT and for AABB and is currently a member of the AABB Standards Committee for Cell Therapy Product Services.

Our Senior Management

Merri Buff Mair, M.D.

Buff Mair, M.D., Medical Director

Dr. Mair is the Medical Director and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Florida Blood Services in St. Petersburg, Florida and is also the Medical Director for Cryo-Cell International in Oldsmar, Florida. Dr. Mair attended medical school at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine where she was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She completed her residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the University of South Florida and is Board Certified in Clinical Pathology and Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine. Dr. Mair is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University Of South Florida College Of Medicine and has been the author of numerous scientific articles published in transfusion medicine and clinical chemistry peer review journals. She serves on the transfusion committee at six of the major hospitals in the Tampa Bay Area and has also been a member of national committees including the Membership and Process Improvement Committee for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and the Transfusion Medicine Resource Committee for the College of American Pathologists (CAP).

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