Philadelphian Leo Holt Elected Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees Chairman

Leo A. Holt of Philadelphia is the newly elected chairman of The Jackson Laboratory's Board of Trustees. He replaces New York investment executive Brian Wruble, who completed two terms as chairman.

Holt is president of Holt Logistics Corp., a marine terminal and logistics systems developer and operator, with facilities in Philadelphia and Gloucester City, N.J.

Holt has participated in the nonprofit biomedical research laboratory's governance since 2004. He was elected to Jackson’s Board of Trustees in 2007 and became vice chair in February 2011.

Leo Holt is deeply committed to The Jackson Laboratory's mission to improve human health, says Jackson Executive Vice President and COO Chuck Hewett. He is an established leader who will guide our institution to growth and national prominence.

An active member of the Philadelphia philanthropic community, Holt is a board member of Nazareth Mercy Hospital and the Philadelphia Beltline Railroad. He is a member of several international trade organizations including the Chilean American Chamber of Commerce and the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce. In November 2010 he received the Chilean American Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia “Friend of Chile” award. He also serves on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board, which advises the U.S. Agriculture Secretary.

Holt Logistics, like The Jackson Laboratory, was established in the 1920's. It has grown into an internationally recognized logistics enterprise that has helped develop the Port of Philadelphia into one of the most productive and modern ports in the world. Leo Holt is one of the third-generation stewards of this legacy, with a fourth already involved in the family business.

Like The Jackson Laboratory, we rely on our people for creativity, innovation and relentless pursuit of excellence, Holt said. The successes we enjoy today are best safeguarded by never resting in this search, whether that is for solutions to complex logistics issues, work opportunity for our employees or in the search for tomorrow's cures at the Lab.

Holt holds a B.S. from Villanova University.

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution and National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center with 1,344 employees in Bar Harbor, Maine, Sacramento, Calif., and other U.S. locations. Its mission is to discover the genetic basis for preventing, treating and curing human diseases, and to enable research and education for the global biomedical community. Its research staff investigates the genetic basis of cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, diabetes and many other human diseases and disorders, as well as normal development, reproduction and aging. The Laboratory is also the world's source for more than 5,500 strains of genetically defined mice, is home of the mouse genome database and is an international hub for scientific courses, conferences, training and education.