Lab Manager Announces 2023 Leadership Excellence Awards Winners

Now in its second year, Lab Manager’s Leadership Excellence Awards recognize individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership and management skills within their scientific organizations. This prestigious international program celebrates those who have gone above and beyond to ensure the success of their staff and their organization’s mission.

Participants can nominate themselves or a peer and explain why the nominee is passionate about their role and why they excel as a lab manager and leader. This year, approximately 250 submissions were received and evaluated by an external panel of judges.

Following the completion of the submission and judging processes, Lab Manager is proud to announce the winners of its Leadership Excellence Awards competition:

Overall Lab Manager Excellence Award: Leanne Davey, senior director, clinical assay development & PMO, Waters Technologies Ireland Ltd

Excellence in Lab Leadership: Jeremy Koscielecki, global analytical sciences manager, FMC Corporation

Excellence in Lab Management: Natalia Johnson, environmental bioassay lab manager, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions

Honorable Mention—Excellence in Lab Management: Leticia Ramirez, forensic supervisor, Fullerton Police Department

Young Lab Manager Excellence Award: Amanda LeBlanc, laboratory manager, Arizona State University

Influential Impact Award: Stephanie Whitehead, MBA, MPH, MLS (ASCP), executive director, pathology services, University Health

The Leadership Excellence Awards program was launched by Lab Manager in 2022. The competition invites industry professionals to nominate themselves or their colleagues, to recognize the hard work and dedication to their role as a lab manager. Entrants were asked to demonstrate the success of their staff and organization, and how the nominated lab manager plays a starring role in that success. A panel of industry leaders consisting of laboratory managers and leadership personnel analyzed each entry and selected the six that offered the best evidence of an effective lab leader.

Because of the high quality of so many submissions this year, the judging panel elected to add two awards to the program. The first is the Influential Impact award, which recognizes the winner for their ability to promote collaborations, inspire new generations of leaders, and leave a lasting impact across a large network through their passion and dedication. The second is an honorable mention under the category of Excellence in Lab Management, with the winner being recognized for their talents in improving a variety of processes and methods in the lab, and successfully advocating for business needs.

The winners will be honored during the 2023 Leadership Summit in College Park, MD, on April 24-26, where they will accept their awards in front of a community of their peers. The Leadership Summit will also offer educational sessions on lab management challenges and solutions, a panel discussion where attendees are invited to ask their pressing questions on leadership, and numerous networking and socialization opportunities. For more information and to register for the Leadership Summit, please visit summit.labmanager.com/leadership

Profiles of each of the Leadership Excellence Awards winners will appear on LabManager.com. Congratulations to all the honorees!