| BioBuzz has been connecting the life science workforce since 2009. We’ve built an expansive community in the Mid-Atlantic with a national readership that spans from Massachusettes to Florida, and New York to California. For our next chapter, we’re building a proprietary talent logistics model to help employers source and hire life science talent. Learn more. |
John Birkmire is a Partner with Barry-Wehmiller Design Group, a fully integrated architecture, engineering, construction, system integration, and consulting firm helping clean and regulated manufacturing clients realize their most critical goals from Strategy to Commercialization. With BW Design Group, he is responsible for developing business strategy, providing regional leadership, and executing projects across the firm. He was born, raised, and educated in Maryland and has supported the Mid-Atlantic manufacturing ecosystem for nearly three decades. John is also Chairperson for this year’s ISPE Mid-Atlantic Science and Technology Showcase (MAST) to be held at Martin’s West in Baltimore on May 7, 2024.
Tell us about your journey to ISPE.
Life has a funny way of happening. I got into consulting right out of school through no grand plan – I took the first offer I got and it turned out to be the perfect fit for me. I love the variety and the pace and the challenge. My path to Life Science was similarly out of necessity – the industrial clients I initially supported are now parking lots or distribution warehouses. Around that same time, Life Science was starting to launch in Maryland. While the underlying science is different, the transition was natural with my background in process safety and regulated industries.
One of the things I love about the Life Science Market Sector is the sense of community – everyone is connected to a common goal of making an impact on people’s lives. That is something that I hadn’t previously felt. Getting involved in ISPE and specifically the local Chesapeake Bay Area (CBA) chapter just made sense as an opportunity to be an active participant in the community. The CBA provides a platform to make connections, to stay current, and to cross-pollinate ideas. I also enjoy the opportunity to give back to the community that has given me so much and to share the few nuggets of wisdom I have gained over the years.
The DMV. The Chesapeake Bay Area. The BioHealth Capital Region. No matter what you call it, it’s a pretty incredible ecosystem. Can you give us a bit more context around ISPE and its role within?
Incredible is exactly how I would describe it. I have been a member of the ISPE-CBA chapter for well over a decade now and have witnessed and participated in the organization’s growth in parallel with the growth of the region. The chapter has never been more vibrant, uniting Life Science professionals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives through a shared purpose. I enjoy the community ISPE-CBA provides.
MAST is our signature event and pulls together all that ISPE is about – Mentoring, Informing, Networking and Developing. We are working on our official mission statement and don’t have a catchy slogan yet but maybe that’s it – MAST: Don’t MIND if I Do.
The event attracts a great cross-section of manufacturers, research institutions, equipment vendors, service providers, and sister organizations, all in support of ISPE’s mission to connect pharmaceutical knowledge.
Sustainability. Technology & Innovation. Operations. These are the three core Education Tracks for MAST, the Chesapeake Bay Area Chapter’s largest event of the year. What are you most excited about within each of those areas? Why are these industry trends so relevant?
ISPE’s vision is to provide solutions to complex pharmaceutical industry challenges. These three core tracks are central to this vision. We have some great speakers lined up and I don’t want to steal their thunder but it’s safe to say we will cover a lot of territory – from sustainable design to project delivery methodology to cyber security to deviation investigation.
These are highly relevant in today’s world, with the goals of improving yields/efficiency and reducing costs without impacting quality and safety, all in a sustainable environment. Piece of cake, right?
Here are some random musings on these topics:
I remember when sustainability was “important” but only when it was also convenient. That’s no longer the case – it’s ingrained in every project we do; however, there often aren’t easy answers and balancing competing considerations is often required.
With technology and innovation, our region is right in the middle of cutting-edge science, especially around cell and gene therapy. There continue to be challenges in “scaling out” with equipment designed for the laboratory environment. We must continue to innovate to address issues such as data management (and security of this data) from disparate equipment not designed to be networked in the sense of a traditional process control system.
Continuous improvement is critical to any manufacturing operation; deviations inevitably occur but are investigations truly getting to the root cause? “Human error” is rarely the answer. Effective investigations that dig deeper are imperative to ensure that appropriate corrective and preventive actions are implemented.
This backdrop led us to establish the educational tracks for this year’s MAST – join us to hear more.
Careers. We’re both buzzing about careers this year. Can you share how important this focus is within the ISPE organization and why it’s such an integral part of MAST’s programming?
We are keenly aware of the struggles and layoffs in the period coming out of the pandemic. ISPE, and MAST in particular, provides a great platform to connect job seekers with hirers. That is one of the key reasons why we have kept MAST as a free event for attendees and aligns with our mission to serve our members.
It’s important to continue attracting the talent shaping the future of Life Science, both to sustain the vibrancy of the region and to compete and win at the highest level. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with experts in the field, practice their interview skills, hone their resumes, and get a professional headshot. They will also have the opportunity to speak directly with manufacturers and service providers, BW Design Group included, regarding immediate openings.
Baltimore. The heartbeat of Maryland. MAST is in a new location this year. Why is Baltimore such an important part of the narrative for ISPE and the larger ecosystem this year?
I wear my Maryland pride (literally) on my sleeve, having spent virtually my whole life here. It has been awesome to see the Life Science scene emerge. Baltimore is at the epicenter of the state and is growing in its own right as a Life Science center of excellence with a strong research and development pipeline and investment in infrastructure.
This year represents a stepping stone for MAST. Just as we have grown to one of the largest Life Science clusters in the country, we have also outgrown our previous location. We are thrilled about the new venue for this year’s MAST Showcase at Martin’s West, right off the Baltimore Beltway. This location provides us the space to continue expanding the event and to locate all of our activities next to each other. We were also attracted to the convenient location central to our members and the opportunity to amplify the “buzz” about BMore Bio.
How or where can get people get involved?
The ISPE-CBA chapter is a vibrant organization driven by active participation and volunteering. The adage that you get out of it what you put into it rings very true for me. If you are interested in getting involved in the organization, the first thing to do is to be present – attend a networking or educational event, join a webinar and introduce yourself to new friends.
We also have several active committees from Membership to Women in Pharma to Emerging Leaders to Social Events. Specific to MAST, we are looking for “day-of” volunteers to help with areas such as registration, answering logistical questions, and directing traffic. Please reach out to me (john.birkmire@bwdesigngroup.com) or the ISPE-CBA Manager (manager@ispe-cba.org) if interested. I look forward to seeing you at what promises to be a lively, informative, and fun event! There may even be a special guest or two…
John Birkmire is the Head of the 2024 ISPE Mid-Atlantic Science & Technology (MAST) Showcase Committee. Hear more about ISPE’S Chesapeake Bay Area Chapter’s biggest event of the year by following BioBuzz’s or ISPE Chesapeake Bay Area Chapter’s LinkedIn and be sure to check out our What’s the Buzz?! with Lynne Cooper and articles from Scott Earley and Simone Ammons who will be expert presenters at this year’s event.
