Gregory (Greg) R. Palen (Chairman)
Greg joined the Botanic Oil Innovations Board in 2006 and was appointed Chair in May 2007. Greg has enjoyed a long and successful career as executive, entrepreneur and investor in companies spanning several industries. Currently, Greg also is the chief executive officer of the Palen/Kimball Company; chairman/chief executive officer of Spectro Alloys Corporation; and a managing partner of Palen Property Management. In addition, also he serves on the board of directors of a number of corporations including Polaris Industries, Inc, Opus Northwest, LLC, Valspar Corporation and Fabcon, Inc.
Greg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John's University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota.
John S. McKeon (Vice Chairman)
John (Jack) S. McKeon joined Botanic Oil Innovations as vice chairman of the board after retiring in 2005 from ConAgra Foods where he served as president of the Venture Development Group. Jack joined ConAgra in 1993 as president of its Golden Valley Microwave Foods unit, a leading manufacturer of microwave popcorn, and went on to lead the consolidated ConAgra Snack Foods Group. Prior to joining ConAgra, Jack was a principal for seventeen years in an investment banking business that specialized in mergers and acquisitions in the food industry. Jack was also a founding partner of The Food Fund, a venture capital company.
An alumni of the University of Minnesota and General Mills, Jack also serves on a number of boards including that of Hawkins, Inc., a publicly-owned distributor of chemicals and pharmaceuticals in Minneapolis, where he is chairman.
Mark J. Mueller (President)
Mark Miller is a principal founder of Botanic Oil Innovations and has served as president since 2003. Mark has extensive experience in rural business innovation and technology programs. Prior to co-founding Botanic Oils, Mark served as executive director of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NWRPC) and the Wisconsin Business Innovation Corporation (WBIC) guiding the strategic direction and the development of a regional network of business enterprise centers. Mark is committed to helping people live healthier lifestyles.
Mark received his Master of Science degree in water resource management from the University of Wisconsin. In addition to his work with the NWRPC, he also provided counsel for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Center for Economic Development.
Michael P. Schall (Board Member and Business Advisor)
Mike Schall is president of Strategic Marketing Methods, a consulting firm that provides marketing and business development expertise to food companies. Mike was formerly Senior Vice President at Wise Foods Company, president/CEO of The B. Manischewitz Company and president/CEO of Guiltless Gourmet. Mike has extensive experience as a packaged goods executive with a strong track record in sales, marketing, operations and executive management of branded natural, specialty and snack food companies, from entrepreneurial initiatives to large national brands.
Mike holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Marshall School of the University of Southern California.
Arnold S. Leonard, M.D., Ph.D. (Medical Advisor)
Dr. Arnold Leonard is a respected, traditional physician who has made significant contributions to the advancement of modern medicine throughout his career. Currently, he conducts medical research as a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota focusing on biotherapy methods for treating cancer. Dr. Leonard's research identified the ability of potent antioxidant essential fatty acid botanic oils to enhance the immune system and is a key element in proving the effects of Immuno-Viva. His recent work has received two awards from American College of Surgeons and the University of Minnesota for innovative approaches in boosting the immune system.
As a renowned surgeon, Dr. Leonard focused on general thoracic and pediatric surgery from 1955-2004. During his distinguished career, Dr. Leonard was an innovator who paved the way for others. He conducted the first thorascopic surgical procedure and led the way to the development of advanced laparoscopic and thorascopic techniques. He developed several medical devices, including the most popular long-term central catheter used today in the United States for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer patients. His work, research and medical developments have been imperative to the development of treatments for cancer, scoliosis, cystic fibrosis and chest deformities.
Dr. Leonard earned all of his degrees from the University of Minnesota, including Bachelor of Arts (1952), Bachelor of Science (1953), M.D. (1955), and Ph.D. (1963). Dr. Leonard's work is internationally recognized: he has given more than 60 national and international speeches and has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications.
Daniel Saltzman, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. (Medical Advisor)
Dr Saltzman is the Chief of Pediatric Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, where he also holds the Arnold S. Leonard M.D. Ph.D. Chair in Pediatric Surgery. He is a practicing pediatric surgeon at University of Minnesota Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Saltzman is actively involved in medical research. He, along with Dr. leonard, runs the bioengineering lab at the University of Minnesota Surgery Department. He has authored numerous publications and presentations, and has won several prestigious awards including the American Surgical Association Foundation Fellowship Award. His research is focused on the use of attenuated salmonella vectors for the delivery of Interleukin-2 to unresectable tumors. This is a new and innovative cancer treatment modality, for which he has submitted an application to the FDA to begin the first phase of human clinical trials.
Dr. Saltzman has a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology, Ph.D. in surgical sciences, and his M.D. degree from the University of Minnesota.