MTRI:  Not for Profit Research Institute for the Veterans Administration, Nashville TN

Middle Tennessee Research Institute (MTRI), based in Nashville, TN, is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing research and education for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

MTRI collaborates with the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System to enhance treatment and educational opportunities for veterans, employing a model established by federal legislation in 1988.

This organization is part of a nationwide network of 83 similar non-profit research organizations.

Executive Director Requirements

MTRI partnered with Life Science Partner to recruit its new Executive Director to drive growth and expand its non-VA funding sources. The key characteristics sought included: 

• Entrepreneurial leadership with proven skills in organizational management.
• Financial oversight experience with budgets up to $10 million.
• Strategic marketing with developing successful promotional campaigns.
• Management of teams, including recruiting staffing, planning, and budgeting capabilities to enhance research and patient care within the organization.

A Personal and Professional Project

This was both a professional and personal project for Life Science Partner’s Founder, Tom Callaway, MD.  He and his team worked closely with his first cousin, Dr. Carol Callaway-Lane, DNP, ACNP-BC. Callaway-Lane was Board President of Middle Tennessee Research Institute (MTRI), and his medical school classmate, Stokes Peebles, Jr, MD. 

Peebles is on the MTRI Board and is a Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is the Principal Investigator of The Peebles Lab, which investigates mechanisms regulating lung inflammation.

Tom Callaway commented, “It was a pleasure working with my alma mater and two very close friends to recruit Lori to lead this innovative partnership between the VA and external research funding sources to improve the healthcare of our nation’s veterans. Nashville-based MTRI is a leading not-for-profit research organization and will accelerate its rising status and funding under Lori Gould’s tested leadership and vision.”

Lori Gould Is Recruited to Lead MTRI

Lori Gould was the perfect fit. She was most recently Executive Director of the Veterans Health Research Institute of CNY Inc. (VHRI) in Syracuse, NY, and has demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment in her roles spanning over thirty years.  Gould’s career is marked by a continuous progression in roles with increasing responsibility, particularly in managing financial and operational systems.

Her leadership qualities, combined with a strong background in finance and technology, have contributed to the growth of the organizations she has worked with, setting a high standard in nonprofit management and operational excellence. Her career trajectory is a testament to her dedication, strategic vision, and capability to adapt and thrive in dynamic environments.

Lori Gould’s Leadership Spotlight

Since September 2010, Gould has led VHRI, a multi-site non-profit corporation (NPC) serving the Syracuse VA Medical Center and the Finger Lakes Health Care System. As Executive Director, she has effectively managed the overall operations, ensuring compliance with board directives and applicable federal and state requirements.

Her leadership spans various critical functions, including financial management, human resources, and grant administration. Gould’s ability to negotiate Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) terms and maintain a robust pool of research coordinators exemplifies her strategic foresight and operational excellence. She has represented VHRI at various significant meetings and has solidified the organization’s position within the community.

Before this role, from September 2006 to September 2010, Gould served as the Chief Financial Officer for the same institute. Her responsibilities included overseeing all accounting functions, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, and managing VHRI’s fiscal performance. Her strategic development of annual operating budgets and oversight of clinical trial and federal grant budgets highlight her adeptness in financial governance and resource allocation.

Between September 2005 and June 2006, Gould enriched her career portfolio as a Staff Accountant at the Diocese of Syracuse.   From October 2001 to June 2002, Gould was the Manager of Technology & Analysis at Agri-Services Agency LLC, East Syracuse, NY. She designed and implemented a new technology system to meet the company’s present and future needs, showcasing her foresight in technological integration and system management.

Gould’s contributions included revamping the accounting and billing systems and implementing collection procedures that notably reduced the receivable balance, reflecting her impact on streamlining financial operations.

Gould’s Early Career Highlights

Earlier in her career, from June 1996 to November 1997, Gould served as the Purchasing Manager at Applied Theory Communications, where she established a new purchasing department and significantly reduced expenses through strategic vendor agreements.

Her Financial/Budget Analyst role at Chesterton Company from June 1993 to November 1995 further highlights her expertise in financial analysis and budget management.

The early years of her career were spent as a Fiscal Manager at Broome BOCES – RIC in Binghamton, NY, from July 1986 to January 1993

Gould began her professional journey after graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration/Finance from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1986.

Life Science Partner – Recruiting Transformational Leaders Like Gould

Since 2002, Life Science Partner has combined scientific knowledge with business discipline to identify and recruit the brightest talent, provide strategic advice, and connect companies with the best candidates to make their enterprises more successful.

Our targeted, high-quality executive search services meet the specific needs of medical device, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and healthcare organizations.

How LSP Recruits Differently – Through Partnership

Life Science Partner has designed a unique and thorough approach to bringing our clients the transformational leaders needed to take their businesses to the next level.

Life Science Partner will work with your organizational needs, including the corporate culture and factors for success in the role, in order to:

• Create a job description that captures the opportunity to attract the best and most qualified talent.
• Strategically research, identify, and contact prospective candidates and sources.
• Assess our best prospective candidates via telephone, Zoom, and face-to-face interviews.
• Update you with continuous feedback on our progress in weekly meetings, written reports, and telephone calls.
• Provide you with candidate assessment letters that convey our recommendations and reservations.
• Conduct in-depth references on the leading candidates with a written report.
• Assist you in negotiating an acceptable offer, with a fiduciary responsibility to our client.
• Partner with you to ensure a successful transition into the new role, including a one-year search-again guarantee of success.

Happy Client and Its New Leader

With the recruitment of Lori Gould to lead the Nashville-based Middle Tennessee Veterans Research Institute, Life Science Partner again has demonstrated its proven formula can deliver results and provide organizations with transformative leaders. 

Congratulations to our client, Dr. Carol Callaway-Lane, DNP, ACNP-BC, Board President, and her new Executive Director, Lori Gould.