PRINTER'S NO. 2871
No. 512 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY SCAVELLO, K. SMITH, CARROLL, PEIFER AND SIPTROTH,
NOVEMBER 19, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
NOVEMBER 19, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the life accomplishments and extraordinary
2 contributions of David J. Williams to the vaccine industry in
3 the United States.
4 WHEREAS, David J. Williams, born in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
5 earned an accounting degree from the University of Scranton in
6 1973 and joined Connaught Laboratories in 1978 as the manager of
7 financial services; and
8 WHEREAS, As a member of the executive team, Mr. Williams
9 distinguished himself as a leader, willing to make courageous
10 decisions to build the vaccine industry, and as such, was named
11 chief operating officer of Connaught Laboratories in 1989; and
12 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams has successfully steered the company
13 through several mergers and acquisitions, increasing the
14 organization from 100 employees and sales of just over $5
15 million in 1978, to the creation of today's sanofi pasteur, the
16 world's largest vaccine manufacturer with 11,000 employees and
17 more than $4 billion in sales in 2007; and
18 WHEREAS, Under Mr. William's guidance, more than one billion
1 doses of sanofi pasteur's lifesaving vaccines are administered
2 to more than 500 million people around the world each year,
3 representing more than 25% of the global vaccine market; and
4 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams has encouraged innovation and has been
5 at the forefront of the development of many of the world's
6 vaccines, including the world's first licensed conjugate and
7 combination vaccines, vaccines to protect against meningitis and
8 Haemophilus influenza type b, and most recently, a vaccine to
9 combat avian influenza; and
10 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams recognized his company's ability to
11 address current and future public health needs by investing in a
12 robust research and development program and an ambitious
13 production plan for pandemic preparedness in the event that a
14 public health emergency strikes the United States; and
15 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams has been a visionary in the vaccine
16 industry, building the domestic infrastructure necessary to
17 protect millions of Americans from deadly diseases and showing a
18 commitment to vaccines that goes beyond his own company to the
19 broader industry and to public health around the world; and
20 WHEREAS, In 1986, Mr. Williams served as a passionate
21 advocate for the survival of the vaccine industry, which was
22 being diminished by lawsuits, and as the industry point person
23 for negotiation of The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of
24 1986, which established the Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust
25 Fund; and
26 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams, in his dedication to the larger
27 immunization community, created the Vaccine Policy Committee of
28 the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and is
29 a founding member of the Partnership for Prevention, a leading
30 organization of public and private sector representatives who
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1 focus on preventative health care policies; and
2 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams served as the first liaison member of
3 the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the United
4 States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which sets
5 immunization policy in the United States; and
6 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams has also served on the board of
7 directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, Blue Cross
8 of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Hospital Service Association
9 of Northeastern Pennsylvania and on the Board of Regents of the
10 University of Scranton and is one of the founding board members
11 of the Medical Education Development Consortium; and
12 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams has cultivated a culture of community
13 involvement at sanofi pasteur and demonstrated a commitment to
14 philanthropy through the company's contributions to United Way
15 and donations of vaccines through UNICEF, the GAVI Alliance, the
16 World Health Organization's Global Polio Eradication Initiative
17 and various humanitarian relief efforts; and
18 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams has been committed to the economic
19 growth and development of this Commonwealth and to expanding the
20 campus in Swiftwater to maintain a domestic manufacturing base
21 for many vaccines, including influenza; and
22 WHEREAS, Under his guidance, sanofi pasteur has grown to be
23 the largest private employer in Monroe County and is a purchaser
24 of more than $145 million in goods and services from
25 Pennsylvania-based vendors; and
26 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams is a true champion not only of sanofi
27 pasteur, but also of the vaccine industry and the public health
28 benefits of immunizations across the globe; and
29 WHEREAS, On January 16, 2008, after 30 years of service,
30 David J. Williams will retire as the chairman, president and
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1 chief executive officer of sanofi pasteur; therefore be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend David J.
3 Williams for his distinguished career and extraordinary
4 leadership as chairman, president and chief executive officer of
5 sanofi pasteur and for his tireless efforts toward the
6 advancement of immunizations and the eradication of vaccine-
7 preventable diseases.
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