Ms. Linda Amper
Optimier Pharmaceuticals Inc
lamper@optimerpharma.com

Linda E. Amper, Ph.D. is an accomplished executive in the field of health care. In January 2011 she joined Optimer Pharmaceuticals as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources to help build a biotechnology company ahead of a promising drug launch.  Prior to this appointment, she served as a Senior Vice President at OSI Pharmaceuticals for 10 years before OSI was acquired by Astellas Pharmaceuticals. OSI Pharmaceuticals was a leading scientific research organization with sites in the United States and the United Kingdom.  The company discovered, developed and marketed new medicines and therapies designed to improve the quality of life for individuals with cancer, diabetes and obesity.  In her position, Dr. Amper oversaw a $35M operating budget and made significant contributions in the areas of corporate strategy, government compliance and business transactions.

Dr. Amper began her career at the New York Blood Center, the nation’s largest community blood collection organization.  The Blood Center also runs a clinical program as well as a world-renowned research organization.  At the time Dr. Amper was there, the Center also had a pharmaceutical arm. She joined the Blood Center as a laboratory Technologist in 1978 and went on to assume positions of increasing responsibilities, ultimately becoming Executive Director and Vice President for the Blood Center’s Long Island region in 1999. As Executive Director she was responsible for starting the first Blood Donor program in the nation to partner with the Jury System for regular blood collections and implemented the first mobile Donor Bus in this region. She remained in that role until moving to OSI in 2001.

Twice named to Long Island’s Business News’ Most Influential Women in Business (2007 & 2009), Dr. Amper holds two degrees from C.W. Post College, a B.S. in Medical Biology and an M.P.A. in Health Care Administration, and a Ph.D. in Health Administration from Columbia Southern University. She also completed the Energeia Partnership Regional Stewardship program at Molloy College.

For more than three decades, Dr. Amper has brought considerable business acumen to the organizations committed to improving health outcomes for all those committed to making Long Island a richer place to live and prosper.  She is a trustee for Long Island University and the Farmingdale State College Foundation truly dedicated to education for all.  She was trustee of OSI’s Foundation, which promoted employee volunteerism, provided support for cancer and diabetes patients and their families, and funded science education initiatives.  She is an active Board member on a number of local boards including The Long Island Works Coalition (a subsidiary of Good Will Industries), Chairperson; Friends of Karen, Chairperson of the Advisory Board on L.I.; Energeia Partnership and The Long Island Community Chest.  She also served as Secretary for the Long Island Association and sits on the First President Bush’s CEO Gold Standard on Cancer committee.

Dr. Amper also periodically teaches as an Adjunct Professor in the Business Department at Farmingdale State College.  She is the daughter of the late Hamilton S. Blum, a professor of mathematics at C.W. Post College for 34 years and the inaugural winner of Long Island University’s David Newton Award for Excellence in Teaching.  She has established the Hamilton S. Blum Endowed Scholarship in 2010 to benefit C.W. Post mathematics majors.
Dr. Amper has two grown daughters.

Other Board Member Bios

Ms. Linda Amper
Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc
llamper@optimerpharma.com

Mr. Jamie Austin
Austin Travel
a Protravel International company
jamie.austin@protravelinc.com

Mr. Jeffry Cohen
Birthright Israell
jeffry.cohen@birthrightisrael.com

Mr. Sandy Kane
Bernco Specialty Advertising,
sandy@thesquarepeg.com

Mr. Thomas Killeen
Farrell Fritz, P. C
tkilleen@farrellfritz.com

Mr. John Kominicki
Long Island Business News
john.kominicki@thedolancompany.com

Mr. Wayne Norbitz
Nathan's Famous Inc.
wnorbitz@nathansfamous.com

Mr. Mark Preiser
Walter F. Cameron Adv.
mpreiser@cameronadv.com

Mr. Paul J. Salerno
Pricewaterhouse Coopers
paul.j.salerno@us.pwc.com

Mr. Matthew Silver
Ultimate Class Limousine
matt@ultimateclasslimo.com

Executive Director
Ms. Cindy Mardenfeld
cindy@licommunitychest.com