Skip To The Main Content
background

PDA Southern California Chapter

Greg Mills

President: Greg Mills

AxR Tech
[email protected]

Overview

Welcome to the PDA Southern California chapter website! Here you will find information regarding all Southern California chapter activity. We encourage you to stay connected to your local industry community by participating in an upcoming chapter event or forum discussion. Chapter leaders welcome your question/comments and look forward to hearing from you. For a full list of chapter contact information please visit the Chapter Officers.

 

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Association Partner

Opportunities available. Contact us for more information.

 

Upcoming Chapter Events

 
 

2023 Annual Pass

Member $145.00
Non-Member $195.00
Purchase Now
 

PDA Signature Events

 
 

Officers

Chapter President

Greg Mills
Vice President
Acumen Technology

President, 2022-2024
President - Elect, 2020-2022
Treasurer, 2018-2020
Events, 2018-2020

Greg Mills is Vice President of Acumen Technology, and since 2009 working in the contamination control in life sciences and chemical processing, and over thirty-five years in the high technology field in chemical process engineering.

Greg holds an MS in Engineering Management from Santa Clara University and a BA in Chemistry from Illinois College. He has worked various fields in QA/QC engineering functions plus strategic product development and technical marketing, internationally and of course domestically, as development and profit centers. The bulk of his career has been in management and executive roles across several organizations in marketing and custom product development in close cooperation with Asian and European companies, as well.

Greg Mills is very active in his community with continuing Rotary International, city council, Elks, and special districts, to further enhance an even more rounded professional development for the benefit of local and regional organizations. Mr. Mills is keen to assist in expanding and continuing an exceptionally relevant, solvent and vibrant PDA for our entire SoCal PDA membership and region.

Chapter President-Elect

Amy Stanton
Quality Systems Specialist
Amgen, INC.

President - Elect, 2023-2025
Secretary, 2020-2022
Committee Member, Speaker Outreach & FDA Liaison, 2018-2020

Amy Stanton joined Amgen in 2003 in Thousand Oaks, CA. During her time at Amgen, she has held multiple positions within the Amgen Corporate Quality Compliance Department and External Affairs.

Amy helped develop and support the GxP Intelligence Program at Amgen and continues to enhance and manage the program over the years. As Vice Chair of Amgen’s RIVER (Recognition of Indigenous People, Values & Environmental Resources), she looks to connect the business to the current and historical importance of indigenous Peoples. She also co-founded the Regulatory Intelligence Discussion Group (RIDG), establishing a group of industry representatives to share and benchmark intelligence information and requirements. Currently Amy is Rapporteur Supporter/Content Manager for the ICH Q3E Guideline on Extractables and Leachables and Project Manager (PM) for the PDA Visible Particles Team (Technical Report No. 85). Previously Amy was the PM for the PDA Technical Report No. 74 on Reprocessing of Biopharmaceuticals which was published in June 2016. Amy currently sits on the Board for PDA Southern California. Prior to Amgen, Amy worked within the Compliance Department at Intel.

Amy holds a BS in Business Management and an MBA in Organizational Behavior and Management from California Lutheran University. In her spare time, Amy volunteers and sits on the Board for Honoring Our Fallen, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving our nation’s fallen and the families these heroes have left behind. She also enjoys spending time with her husband Scott and daughter Scottlyn and loves to stay active playing sports, hiking and working out. Amy is proud tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and is proud to share with friends, family and those who want to learn more about the traditions and culture so that it continues to live through her, her daughter and future generations to come.

Secretary

Jason Kerr
GXP Senior Specialist
Redica Systems

Secretary, 2023-2025
Treasuer, 2018-2020

Jason Kerr is an experienced quality and regulatory professional and has been a champion in engaging, connecting, and promoting regulatory compliance in the dynamic biopharmaceutical landscape. Driven by data, he takes pride in providing the best possible outcome while remaining compliant and efficient.

As a GXP Senior Specialist at Redica Systems, Jason's goals include enhancing the quality and regulatory knowledge and advancing key topics, such as data integrity, throughout the industry. He previously worked at Amgen where he monitored global regulatory intelligence and identified quality requirements to be triaged, assessed, and implemented to ensure compliance. This included designing and implementing a system to track changes being implemented and provide regular updates to key stakeholders. Jason holds a BS in Biochemistry from UCLA, a Master’s in Business and Science focused on Clinical and Regulatory Affairs from the Keck Graduate Institute, an MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology, and holds a certificate in Bioscience Industry Law and Practice from Southwestern Law School.

Treasurer
Coming Soon
Members-at-Large

Herb Matheson
President
Validation Technologies, Inc.

Member-At-Large
Chairperson, Vendor Outreach
Committee Member, San Diego Events & Program Committee

Mr. Matheson has been working within the Life Sciences industry for over 35 years after graduating from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Microbiology and Public Health. During that time, he has worked for both operating companies and service providers within the Engineering and Quality Assurance departments in positions mostly related to the commissioning and qualification of facilities and processes. 

For the past 23 years he has been the co-founder and President of VTI Life Sciences (formerly Validation Technologies) and has been responsible for providing commissioning and qualification services to companies within the FDA regulated life science industries both within the United States and internationally.

I look forward to bringing my experience as a service provider and as a business owner who recognizes the importance of professional development to employees, to assist the SoCal PDA to provide continuing education to professionals involved in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry.

Chapter Advisors

Bonnie Ward
President & CEO 
Quality Compliance Partners, Inc.

Past Chapter Board Member
Chapter Advisor, Events, Programs & Speaker Outreach

Bonnie Ward is President & CEO of Quality Compliance Partners, Inc., a quality and regulatory compliance consulting firm providing quality systems, quality assurance, audit, validation/qualification, training and regulatory support services. She has over 25 years' experience in the life science, high-tech and financial industries with both private and public companies. She is an active member of PDA and other industry and local organizations. Bonnie served on the PDA SoCal Board for 5 years, as well as serving as President of SDRAN (San Diego Regulatory Affairs Network) and on the Board for 5 years. Bonnie received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master of Science degree from University of Colorado – Denver.

Gerard Pearce
Executive Vice President at SQA Services, Inc
SQA Services, Inc..

Chapter Advisor, Communications, Marketing and Events & Programs

Gerard is a quality and supply chain expert with over 25 years of experience in combining the disciplines of quality, technology and supply management. His expertise spans a variety of quality-critical industries in a global manufacturing landscape. For the last 15 years, he has focused on defining the processes and infrastructure that provides managed supplier quality programs for numerous global leaders in the fields of pharmaceuticals, defense, medical devices, oil & gas, electronics, aerospace, consumer goods, and more. Central to this infrastructure is the technology required for effectively running global supplier quality operations by connecting all stakeholders in the supply chain. Currently the executive vice president and head of operations with SQA, Gerard is a regular industry commentator and contributor, and is closely involved in shaping and implementing the global supplier quality strategy for SQA's Fortune 500 clients.

John Holmgren
Director QA/QC and Validation 
Allergan, Inc.

Past Chapter President
Chapter Advisor, Events, Programs & Speaker Outreach

Stephanie Powers-Kurtz
Senior Business Development Manager;
Azzur Group, Cleanrooms On Demand

Chairperson, Student Chapter & Young Professionals, 2021-present
Treasurer, 2013-2018
Past Philanthropy Chair and Chapter Advisor

Stephanie Powers Kurtz is a Senior Business Development Manager with Azzur Group's Cleanrooms On Demand division. In this role, she assists life science companies with accelerating their clinical lifecycle by providing innovative manufacturing space and surrounding services. Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Villanova University, a Master of Science in Education from Saint Joseph's University, and a Master of Science from University of Pennsylvania. In her free time, she volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and animal welfare organizations. Stephanie has been a PDA member since 2011.

Tony Steinberg
Director of Validation
Quality Compliance Partners, Inc. 

Past Chapter Board Member
Chapter Advisor, Events, Programs & Speaker Outreach

About Us

The Southern California Chapter was formed in 1996 as a result of discussions between past PDA Chair Floyd Benjamin and former PDA President Edmund Fry. With Glenn Wright as their leader, a group of Southern California PDA members subsequently met to form the chapter. Since the 1996 chapter launch, we have hosted many successful events.

We are very pleased to be a part of PDA’s family of chapters and look forward to holding more successful scientific and technical events in the future. We welcome the active participation of PDA members as well as non-members as we chart our course for the future.

 

Get Involved

We welcome the active participation of PDA members as well as non-members as we chart our course for 2021 and beyond. If you would like more information about ways to get involved with the PDA Southern California Chapter please contact Greg Mills, Chapter President, at [email protected].

 

Sponsorship

2023 Sponsorship Program

All Sponsorships Include:

Exhibitor table at events and programs (except for networking events) with exhibitor logo recognition on SoCal PDA events, program communications, marketing materials, chapter web page, printed agendas, signage, and any event and/or program correspondences with chapter membership. List of attendees before an event or program as allowed by PDA.

Gold Sponsor

$5,000

Total Package Regular Value $6,500 includes the following:

  • 2 min elevator pitch at one virtual event
  • Banner ads in all newsletter/emails (5000 + contacts)
  • Post on LinkedIn Page & Group (200+ members)
  • Complimentary 4 Guest Passes to virtual marquis (paid) events
  • Logo listed on the PDA SoCal Website with hyperlink connection
  • Exhibitor workshop at Fall Symposium
  • PDA SoCal will advertise your webinar by newsletter, & LinkedIn
  • Post a 1-2 min video on our PDA SoCal Website
  • Vendor night Exhibitor and Sponsor (planned in person for 2 vendor attendees, but may become a virtual exhibit)
Contact Us

Silver Sponsor

$4,000

Total Package Regular Value $4,700

  • Banner ads in all newsletter/emails (5000 + contacts)
  • Post on LinkedIn Page & Group (200+ members)
  • Complimentary 2 Guest Passes to virtual marquis (paid) events
  • Logo listed on the PDA SoCal Website with hyperlink connection
  • PDA SoCal will advertise your webinar by newsletter, & LinkedIn
  • Vendor night Exhibitor and Sponsor (planned in person for 2 vendor attendees, but may become a virtual exhibit)
Contact Us

Partner Sponsor

$1,000

Sponsorship Includes: Logo Recognition Only No Sponsor/Exhibitor Benefits. Partner program is only for marketing and brand recognition and does not include sponsorship or exhibitor benefits; for those benefits an Annual Sponsorship or Exhibitor Only must be purchased. If an Annual Sponsorship is purchased, partner program benefits are included in each sponsorship level:

  • Recognition as a partner supporter
  • Logo listed on the SoCal PDA Website with hyper-link capability
  • Logo placement on all promotional materials and event handouts
Contact Us

Student Chapter Sponsor

$750

Sponsorship Includes:

  • Special name recognition as student chapter sponsor at all SoCal PDA chapter and student chapter events
  • Recognition as a supporter for student chapter scholarship program, poster competition, career day and related student chapter activities  
  • Ability to participate in Student Chapter Career Day
Contact Us

Table Exhibitor Only

$1,150

Exhibitor Only Fee Per Event Includes:1

  • Recognition as an exhibitor
  • Logo listed on the SoCal PDA Website as an exhibitor
  • Logo placement on all promotional materials and event handouts
  • First come first serve for exhibitor space at an event
  • (1) Vendor attendee pass
Contact Us

Event Add-ons

The following can be purchased at additional cost (per event):

  • Electricity - $50
  • Hyper-ink connection to logo - $100
  • Additional vendor attendee passes - $50-$150
  • End-user guest/customer passes - $50-$150
  • Special recognition and vendor announcement at event - $100
Contact Us
Sponsorship Application Form
 

Student Chapter

Established in May 2012 on the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) campus, the PDA Southern California Student Chapter was founded with a mission to develop future leaders in the applied life sciences, establish a culture of life-long learning and professional development, and foster stronger relationships between students and pharmaceutical/biotechnology professionals.

Located in the beautiful college town of Claremont, informally known as “the City of Trees and PhDs”, we are the first student chapter in Southern California. To carry out our mission, we set 2-year term goals, mirroring the length of a Master’s program at KGI, so as to ensure continuity in the pursuit of goals and overall organizational growth. 

Our chapter is best known for organizing semester learning/networking events each of which involves at least three industry speakers and the annual bio-facility tours which have been done at sites such as Baxter and Gilead Sciences. With three core project teams, motivated officers, and team members, we remain focused on professional development and organizational growth while aligning ourselves closely with the PDA SoCal regional chapter.

For more information about becoming a PDA Student Chapter Member and its benefits, contact Student Chapter President Indah Kusumawardhani, or visit PDA Southern California Student Chapter for more information.

Philanthropy

 

Giving Back

Are you interested in volunteering side-by-side with fellow PDA members to benefit our community?  As we build upon the Philanthropy arm of our chapter, we are asking members who are interested in participating in future philanthropic events to please contact us as we create a database of volunteers.

 

What We've Been Doing

2017AnnualMeetingWalkRun

On April 2, 2017 the Southern California Chapter participated in the PDA Annual Meeting Charity Walk/Run benefiting Global Genes of Aliso Viejo, CA, which is one of the leading rare disease patient advocacy organizations in the world. Global Genes promotes the needs of the rare disease community under a unifying symbol of hope – the “Blue Denim Genes Ribbon”

 
BigBrothers BigSisters 2017

In March 2017 the SoCal chapter presented Big Brothers Big Sisters Los Angeles with a check for $1,500 at the Aseptic Processing & Contamination Control Symposium (from left to right - John Holmgren (PDA Chapter Advisor), Laurel Hacche (PDA Chapter Program Manager), Randy George (PDA Chapter President), Daniel Rodriguez (Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator), Stephanie Kurtz (PDA Chapter Treasurer), Amy Stanton (PDA Chapter Volunteer), Ileana Ayala (PDA Chapter Secretary), Ruchika Raval (PDA Chapter Corporate Outreach).

 
San Diego Food Donations

2016 Food donation delivery in conjunction with PDA National to local San Diego charities (Mama's Kitchen, Father Joe's Villages, and The Salvation Army).

 
Pipeline to a Cure 2015

2015 Pipeline to a Cure, benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Volunteer of the Quarter

Stephanie Lee

Stephanie Lee

Project Manager, Process Development, Amgen
Member since 2019
Featured Volunteer, September
Read the Spotlight

1. What is your educational background?

I have a B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Master of Business and Science from Keck Graduate Institute (KGI)

2. What is your favorite part of your job?

Working with the cross-functional team members to complete deliverables so we can serve patients!

3. What is your favorite book/movie/podcast and why?

One of the books I've read recently is Bad Blood by John Carreyrou. I enjoyed reading about the rise and fall of the biotech startup, Theranos. Also, as a former phlebotomist, it was particularly interesting to read how they claimed they were going to revolutionize blood testing and technology with a single drop of blood.

4. What is one fun fact about yourself?

I've run 3 half marathons, and just completed the SF Marathon in July.

5. How did you get involved in PDA?

I joined the PDA SoCal Student Chapter at KGI during grad school and served as the President-Elect and President of the PDA SoCal Student Chapter from 2019-2021. Currently, I am on the Board of the PDA SoCal Chapter as a Communications Volunteer.

6. Describe your mentorship project?

My mentorship project is to create and streamline an Official PDA Guidebook. I am working with PDA Global and the local/regional chapters, with the eventual goal of providing a guidebook that chapters can look to for a template/reference. The anticipated guidebook will be readily accessible on the appropriate PDA platform upon completion, and will draw upon established principles, best practices, and lessons learned from PDA Global and the local/regional chapters. (Note: this is not meant to replace chapters' practices, it is meant as a guide to help developing chapters and provide a framework to enhance chapters if needed.)

7. What is one thing so far that you have liked or enjoyed about the PDA ECP mentorship program?

I've enjoyed getting to work with my mentor, Jason Kerr, and meeting/learning from various PDA leaders across the different chapters and PDA Global as I work.