New Brunswick, NJ, April 5, 2011 — The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) today announced that Charles Grezlak, Ph.D., vice president of state government affairs and policy for Merck & Co., Inc. is the new chairman of HINJ’s steering committee.
Grezlak replaces Dean J. Paranicas, who was recently named HINJ’s president and chief executive officer.
Grezlak’s role at Merck includes management responsibility for state government affairs activities throughout the United States and working with the Merck Washington DC Office on health policy issues. He is a member of Merck′s Corporate Responsibility Council and a leader of the company’s public policy advocacy activities. Prior to joining Merck in 1989, Grezlak spent nine years at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
Before his tenure at PhRMA he held research positions at the Georgetown University Health Policy Center and a social science research firm in McLean, Virginia. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science at Princeton University and his doctorate in the same field at Georgetown University.
HINJ also announced that Wendy M. Lazarus, director of government relations and public affairs for Pfizer Inc., was appointed to the new position of vice chairman of its steering committee.
In addition to being responsible for New Jersey government relations, Lazarus is the liaison with Pfizer corporate tax on all state tax issues. In her previous role at Pfizer, Lazarus was the director of community relations and public affairs for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and Pfizer NJ. She began her career at Pfizer in 1992 as a finance cartier replica director in its worldwide pharmaceutical division. Prior to joining Pfizer, Lazarus consulted companies on investor relations and stock ownership. She has an MBA in finance from New York University and a BA in economics and Spanish from Binghamton University.
“Having Chuck and Wendy lead our steering committee is a great asset to both our organization and the state’s biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries,” said Paranicas, who became HINJ’s president and chief executive officer last month. “They are highly respected and bring vast knowledge and experience invaluable to us as we move forward.”
Founded in 1997, the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) serves as a unified voice for the state′s biopharmaceutical and medical technology industry in New Jersey. It seeks to expand public access to the latest and most innovative treatments for diseases and build awareness of the industry′s impact on New Jersey′s quality of life and economic well-being. It helps to advance the development and implementation of sound public health and business policies that support the interests of New Jersey, its people and its life sciences industry.