ATCC Bolsters Senior Management Team in Federal Solutions Division

ATCC, the world's premier biological materials management and standards organization, today announced it has promoted Dr. Joseph Leonelli to senior vice president of ATCC Federal Solutions. Since joining the company in 2015, he has served as a pivotal member of AFS's executive leadership team, responsible for its programs' overall strategy, management and growth, including products and services for emerging infectious disease, biodefense, and medical countermeasures and global health security. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Leonelli led the ATCC team to play a pivotal role in getting the proper biomaterials into the hands of public health laboratories and authorized private-sector researchers. The team responded quickly to meet urgent requests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to help fight the global pandemic. 

"Joe's well-deserved promotion reflects the success he has achieved for our business and the importance of his role in continuing to oversee the general management and business growth of AFS' programs," said Raymond H. Cypess, D.V.M., Ph.D., chairman and CEO of ATCC. "We look for Joe to continue to lead the team to support the government's role in combating the pandemic by providing a range of tools and resources to contain the impact and investigate the long-lasting effects of the coronavirus disease." 

Before joining ATCC, Leonelli had a distinguished 30-year career in the federal contract research and development market segments. He was the vice president for National Security Systems and Solutions for Engility, where he managed three business units providing systems and software engineering to the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and intelligence community customers. Leonelli also held leadership positions at various entities within the Raytheon Company, Applied Signal Technology, General Dynamics, Battelle and SRI International. He holds a doctorate in inorganic chemistry from Indiana University. His research and development experience includes chemical and biological warfare agent detection, remote sensing and the forensic analysis of chemical and biological warfare agents from environmental samples.

ATCC is a premier global biological materials and information resource and standards organization and the leading developer and supplier of authenticated cell lines, microorganisms, and associated data for academia, industry, and government. With a history of scientific contributions spanning nearly a century, ATCC offers an unmatched combination of being the world’s largest and most diverse collection of biological reference materials and data, and is a mission-driven, trusted partner that supports and encourages scientific collaboration. ATCC products, services, partnerships, and people provide the global scientific community with credible, advanced, model systems to support complex research and innovations in basic science, drug discovery, translational medicine, and public health. ATCC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with headquarters in Manassas, Virginia, and a research and technology center of excellence in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

Contact: Kim Testa, senior director, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, ATCC, [email protected]