Nuclea Biotechnologies Taps New CFO

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Nuclea Biotechnologies has hired Bern Whitney as its chief financial officer.

Whitney brings more than 30 years’ experience to his position at Nuclea. He has served as CFO, and as senior financial management, in numerous fast-growth companies ranging in size from pre-public entities to billion-dollar multinationals. During that time, he raised over $650 million of capital in initial public, follow-on, and debt offerings.

Highlighting the depth of his experience, Whitney’s previous responsibilities have included controllership, treasury, manufacturing and site operations, business development (mergers and acquisitions), corporate communications, information technology, legal affairs, and human resources.

He is currently a partner at FLG Partners, a leading CFO advisory firm, and has served on both public company and private entity boards.



“Bern brings a wealth of experience to Nuclea’s team,” said Patrick Muraca, president and CEO of Nuclea. “He will provide critical support for us as we continue on our path to commercialization. I want to thank Bob Pierce, our previous CFO, for his dedication and service to Nuclea."

“I believe Nuclea is poised for success and I look forward to supporting them in their move from a R&D development organization to a commercial operation," Whitney said.

Nuclea Biotechnologies is headquartered in Pittsfield with additional operations in Worcester and Cambridge, Mass. Nuclea has developed and is commercializing unique diagnostic tests for colon, breast, leukemia, lung and prostate cancer, as well as for diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. Nuclea also performs research leading to novel molecular oncology companion diagnostics for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

 

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EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Ward 4 Councilor James Conant requested the meeting be held at Herberg Middle School as his ward will be most affected. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric have a preliminary plan to remediate polychlorinated biphenyls from the city's Rest of River stretch by 2032.

"We're going to implement the remedy, move on, and in five years we can be done with the majority of the issues in Pittsfield," Project Manager Dean Tagliaferro said during a hearing on Wednesday.

"The goal is to restore the (Housatonic) river, make the river an asset. Right now, it's a liability."

The PCB-polluted "Rest of River" stretches nearly 125 miles from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river in Pittsfield to the end of Reach 16 just before Long Island Sound in Connecticut.  The city's five-mile reach, 5A, goes from the confluence to the wastewater treatment plant and includes river channels, banks, backwaters, and 325 acres of floodplains.

The event was held at Herberg Middle School, as Ward 4 Councilor James Conant wanted to ensure that the residents who will be most affected by the cleanup didn't have to travel far.

Conant emphasized that "nothing is set in actual stone" and it will not be solidified for many months.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup was signed by the U.S. EPA, GE, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

Remediation has been in progress since the 1970s, including 27 cleanups. The remedy settled in 2020 includes the removal of one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and floodplain soils, an 89 percent reduction of downstream transport of PCBs, an upland disposal facility located near Woods Pond (which has been contested by Southern Berkshire residents) as well as offsite disposal, and the removal of two dams.

The estimated cost is about $576 million and will take about 13 years to complete once construction begins.

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