New Bend Research CEO Announced
 Bend,
Oregon--Rod Ray was named the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bend Research
Inc. by the board of directors Tuesday.
Ray will succeed Chris Babcock, who has headed the Bend-based research
company since 1989. Babcock will remain as Chairman of the Board and on staff as
an advisor.
Ray has served as the president of Bend Research since 2002 and Chief
Operating Officer (COO) since 1990. He has worked for the company since 1983.
The appointment, which is effective immediately, makes Ray the third CEO in
the privately held company’s 33-year history. The first CEO was the company’s
cofounder, Harry Lonsdale.
Ray and Babcock were among the original employees at Bend Research. As a Bend
High School student, Ray dug ditches and built fences at the company’s Tumalo
facility. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from
Oregon State University, he went on to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. in
chemical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Ray is a registered professional engineer in the states of Oregon and
Colorado, holds 15 U.S. patents and has 38 professional publications. He has
served on advisory boards for the chemical engineering departments at the
University of Colorado and Montana State University.
In addition, Ray is vice chair of the board of directors for the Volunteers
in Medicine (VIM) Clinic of the Cascades and serves on the board of directors
for the Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (MBSEF). He has also served on
the boards of the Family Resource Center and the Bend Metro Parks and Recreation
Foundation.
Babcock’s career at Bend Research spans more than three decades. He started
at the company as a research chemist in 1976 after earning his Ph.D. in physical
chemistry at the University of Oregon.
Babcock was named president of the company in 1987 and CEO in 1989. During
his tenure, he helped build the company from 67 employees to 170 employees. The
company, which specializes in the research and development of drug-delivery
technologies, operates three facilities in and near Bend, Oregon.
For more information, contact:
Ann C. Malkin, Director of Communications
Bend Research Inc.
64550 Research Road
Bend, Oregon USA 97701
Telephone: 541.382.4100
Fax: 541.382.2713
malkin@bendres.com
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