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N.C. Biotech Center exec Steven Burke takes president's role at Biofuels Center

Steven Burke

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W. Steven Burke is taking over full time as president of the fledgling Biofuels Center of North Carolina.

Burke, who has worked at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center since 1985, is the founding chairman of the Biofuels Center in Oxford. He also has been its acting president since August of last year.

“North Carolina’s biofuels endeavor will in coming years benefit so much that is important to us across our landscape: our employment and economy, our forests and fields, our farmers and future, our environment, and in time, every one of us,” Burke said in a statement. “How very smart of the state to set up a vision, a commitment, and a Biofuels Center to bring it all about.”

Norris Tolson, chief executive officer of the Biotech Center, will replace Burke as chairman of the Biofuels board.

“As the new President of the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, Steven brings capable leadership and far-sighted strategy,” Tolson said. “I’m excited to succeed him as the Chairman of the Board for the Biofuels Center. Working together with the staff and the community, I know we’ll continue to develop resources, promote growth, and create jobs in the biofuels sector.”

Burke will leave the Biotech Center as of April 3. He currently is senior vice president at the Biotech Center, which he joined as its fifth employee. Burke has served as senior vice president for corporate affairs since 1996.

The Biofuels Center, launched in 2007, is funding by the North Carolina General Assembly. Its purpose is to help the state develop and deploy an alternative fuels industry. It is a private nonprofit corporation.

Burke also is co-chair along with former Gov. Jim Hunt of the Growing North Carolina’s AgBiotech Landscape project. The group is preparing a plan about how the state’s biotechnology and agriculture sectors can work more closely and drive economic growth.

As governor, Hunt led the drive to create the Biotech Center.

“It’s been my pleasure to work with Steven Burke over many decades,” Hunt said in a statement. “When the North Carolina Biotechnology Center was founded back in 1984, we had a pretty good idea of the potential of biotechnology. But it took a team of leaders like Steven to turn that potential into reality.”

Goals for the Biofuels Center programs include:

• By 2017, 10% of liquid fuels sold in North Carolina will be grown and produced in the state
• Accelerate biofuels technology, science and research
• Develop appropriate agricultural feedstocks
• Build capacity along the value chain
• Attract capital to the biofuels sector
• Promote jobs and prosperity by growing the biofuels industry
• Educate North Carolina consumers about the benefits of biofuels

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