A production of the public affairs firm Ballard Partners, 13th & Park is a popular digital show that features conversations with some of today’s savviest leaders. Along with politicians, government officials, journalists, and entertainers, its guests include business leaders, the following three of whom recently sat down with host Adam Goodman.
David Meek
David Meek leverages more than three decades of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to serve as the CEO of Genetix Biotherapeutics. Formerly known as bluebird bio, Genetix Biotherapeutics works to deliver life-changing genetic therapies for people with chronic conditions, including sickle cell disease.
Meek joined 13th & Park in February to discuss sickle cell disease. The conversation, which also included accomplished pediatric hematologist Stacy Rifkin, DO, focused on a treatment breakthrough that has the potential to transform the lives of people with the condition.
Along with his responsibilities at Genetix, Meek serves as a board member with Nuclidium AG; Cullinan Therapeutics; uniQure; and Sobi, the latter of which he leads as chairman. In addition, he is on the board of councilors of the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Prior to joining Genetix, he served as the CEO of Mirati Therapeutics, an oncology-focused biotechnology company that Bristol Myers Squibb acquired for $5.8 billion.
Chris Jahn
Chemistry is a foundational part of the US manufacturing industry, according to Chris Jahn. The president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Jahn joined 13th & Park for a conversation about how chemistry is integral to the United States maintaining its leadership position in the world. The interview, which was released in December, saw Jahn explain how AI, semiconductors, defense systems, clean energy, and other innovative technology are all powered by chemistry.
Jahn has been with ACC since 2019. The former president and CEO of the Fertilizer Institute, he has developed a reputation as one of the country’s top government relations professionals, having been recognized by both the Hill and Washingtonian magazine for his effective advocacy. As part of his mission to keep the United States at the forefront of the chemistry field, Jahn has guided initiatives to support STEM students and to enhance the chemistry industry’s environmental, health, safety, and security code.
Jahn possesses an MBA from the University of Maryland and a BA in political science from Columbia University. A former chief of staff to Senator Craig Thomas of West Virginia, Jahn launched his career on Capitol Hill, where he established connections that he continues to leverage today at ACC.
Brian Ballard
Brian Ballard has been the president of Ballard Partners since founding the public affairs firm in 1998. Under his leadership, Ballard Partners has grown from a single office in Tallahassee, Florida, into a firm with locations across the country and around the world.
Like fellow 13th & Park guest Chris Jahn, Ballard has been recognized as one of the country’s leading government relations professionals by the Hill and Washingtonian magazine. He has also been singled out for praise by Vanity Fair, Politico, and Florida Trend, the latter of which named him as one of the state’s most influential business leaders.
Ballard began his career in Florida, where he served as the chief of staff to Florida governor Bob Martinez. After establishing Ballard Partners and making his name as a political insider, he was selected to chair the Florida Finance Committee for the presidential campaigns of John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Donald Trump.
Ballard, who continues to maintain close ties with Trump today, discussed this relationship with the current president on a November episode of 13th & Park. The conversation also saw him recount his unexpected journey to becoming the leader of one of the nation’s most successful public affairs firms.
