Ms. Mary Pendergast

Law/Policy Mentor

Mary Pendergast has served since 2002 as a member of the Board of Directors at Nuvelo, a biotechnology company in California which seeks to develop products for hematology and cancer uses. She is currently on the Boards of Directors for Child Trends, a research organization that focuses on research on children, and Johns Hopkins Genetics and Public Policy Center, an organization that studies and communicates to the public on gene testing and related topics.

Currently, she serves as president of Pendergast Consulting. Prior to forming her own consulting business, she served as executive vice president, government affairs at Elan Corporation, where she was involved in significant regulatory, strategic and government issues. From 1990 to 1998, Ms. Pendergast was the deputy commissioner and senior adviser to the commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Ms. Pendergast has served as associate chief counsel for enforcement at the FDA from 1979 to 1990 and as attorney, Office of the General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services from 1977 to 1979. She also is currently completing a term on the Board of Directors for the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society. Ms. Pendergast received her LL.M., J.D. and B.A. from Yale Law School, the University of Iowa College of Law and Northwestern University, respectively.