Bernard Siegel, JD

Founder and Director of Regenerative Medicine Foundation

Mr. Siegel first became involved with the scientific community when, in 2002, he filed a landmark case seeking a guardian for the alleged clone, “Baby Eve.” The cloning case was widely credited for exposing Clonaid, the so-called “human cloning company” as a sham. This case, and the media attention which ensued, allowed Mr. Siegel to meet with scientists and policy experts to discuss the need for legal and policy advocates for the scientific community. This led to Mr. Siegel’s founding of the Genetics Policy Institute (today Regenerative Medicine Foundation) and his commitment to advocacy work on behalf of patients, doctors and researchers involved with the regenerative medicine community.

In 2004, Mr. Siegel played a pivotal role in galvanizing a global movement that successfully lobbied the United Nations to reject a treaty that called for a prohibition of nuclear transfer, or therapeutic cloning. As a recognized policy expert on stem cell research, regenerative medicine and cloning, Mr. Siegel works with the world’s leading stem cell researchers and advocates. He works with grassroots activists throughout the United States, raising public awareness and educating lawmakers, the media and public on stem cells and regenerative medicine.

Mr. Siegel is a frequent panelist and keynote speaker on the subject of stem cells, public policy, patient advocacy and the societal implications of longevity. Among his many presentations, he has spoken at the United Nations, the Salk Institute, the German National Academy of Science (The Leopoldina), and others. He has lectured at more than 40 colleges and universities around the globe.

Mr. Siegel frequently works with the media as a policy expert. His media appearances include interviews with CBS Evening News, the CBS Early Show, CNN, MSNBC, Fox and Friends, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Wired News, The Scientist, New Scientist, The London Times, Le Monde, Pravda, The Peoples Daily and many other publications.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, he received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Miami (BA 1972, JD 1975). He is a member of the Florida Bar, since 1975.

Jerry Frenz brings more than 30 years of experience in accounting, budgeting and forecasting to the Genetics Policy Institute. Jerry has been a part of theRegenerative Medicine Foundation team since 2008, when he began serving as a financial consultant. In 2010, Jerry became the Chief Financial Officer and has recently expanded his role to include the duties of Chief Operating Officer.

Jerry’s experience includes accounting, budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning at a variety of diverse organizations, including large multi-billion dollar corporations, small corporations and nonprofit organizations.

As a CPA and auditor for a “Big 8” accounting firm, Jerry conducted international budget reviews for operations in Brazil, Australia, South Africa and throughout Europe. One of his projects included a $600 million acquisition. He moved to Florida in 1987, working for FPL Group in acquisitions and divestitures. In the early 1990s, he became the controller of a South Florida retail chain and was instrumental in taking the company public.

Over the past decade, Jerry has brought his expertise to the nonprofit sector. He has served as the CFO in three established and successful nonprofit organizations. He helped grow one organization from a $500,000 operation to a $5 million operation in eight years. Jerry has been a consultant for the Nonprofits First Agency Certification program, which promotes sound business practices in the areas of nonprofit governance, administration, board governance, human resources and financial management. He has provided training to more than 150 nonprofit organizations in South Florida on topics including financial management, budgeting, indirect cost analysis, and financial strategic planning.

In 2008, Jerry was nominated and became a finalist in the South Florida Business Journal CFO Awards. A member of Toastmasters International, Jerry has won several speaking awards.

Jerry earned his BBA in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Alan L. Jakimo advises companies in the life science and information technology sectors. These companies range in size from start-up to multinational. In life science, he advises companies along a spectrum that includes both pharmaceuticals and medical devices. In the information technology sector, he has been involved in many transactions lying in that sector’s intersection with life science and health care, with growing attention on the application to life science and health care of various types of artificial intelligence. From 2017 through 2022, he served as an investment banker; and prior to that, he spent three decades as a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and one of its predecessors, where his practice covered a range of transaction-oriented disciplines, including securities and venture capital finance, mergers and acquisitions, collaborative development of novel technologies, licensing and intellectual property, and pharmaceutical and health care regulation. He has authored and co-authored several articles relating to stem cell-based regenerative medicine and served as director of the Regenerative Medicine Foundation, where he has played various roles in connection with the annual World Stem Cell Summit. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, where he teaches courses on health care and how law affects the discovery, development, and commercialization of regulated medical products.

Melissa King is a passionate advocate for patients of chronic illness and disease as well as the medical research that can help reduce their suffering. An expert at engaging multiple stakeholders and communicating effectively with varied audiences, she has been a champion for the California stem cell research program since before it formally existed. 

Melissa was previously Executive Director of Americans for Cures, where, for the three years leading up to November 2020 she led the effort to lay the groundwork for Prop 14 and build the patient advocacy coalition needed to get the state ballot initiative passed. In 2020, she was Head of Field Operations for California’s Proposition 14 campaign, which secured an additional $5.5 Billion in funds for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). 

Long before her work on Prop 14, Melissa served as a senior member of the successful 2004 campaign for California’s Proposition 71, which created the CIRM and the California stem cell program. She hired the first several key employees at CIRM to become the very first pioneers of the new state funding agency. 

Melissa played a central role in the formation and building of CIRM, the unique $3 billion research funding agency created by Prop 71. During the first seven years of CIRM’s operation, she worked hand-in-hand with agency Chair and its founding 29-member governing Board responsible for setting the strategic vision for the agency, as well as developing the processes and policies by which CIRM stil operates.  

Melissa guided CIRM’s Board through its first 1500+ hours of public meetings, the sale of the first bonds to fund the agency, as well as the development and awarding of the first billion dollars in grants, which included the Facilities Grant Program that leveraged $271 million of CIRM’s funds to attract $880 million in other support which directly contributed to $1 billion in scientific research facilities in California. 

Having worked on both campaigns to create and obtain funds for CIRM, Melissa is now focused on the vision of improved healthspan for all. She works to support the continued success of the research, ensuring that access and affordability of treatments is fully addressed, and the need for more diversity in science, medical research and clinical trials. She serves as a volunteer mentor for SHE CAN, mentoring a young woman scholar from Libera now attending college in the US. She is a board member at Summit for Stem Cell Foundation, serves as Chair of Regions for Wellesley College Friends of Art and is a member and past Chair of the Wellesley Business Leadership Council. 

Melissa has a B.A. from Wellesley College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. 

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissajking1/