GNL Celebrates Outgoing Community Liaison Committee Members

The Galveston National Lab team works diligently to stay involved in the local community and solicits community input on a regular basis through a formal Community Liaison Committee (CLC), a nine-member committee made up of community and business leaders from Galveston Island.

Over the last 15 years, more than 45 local citizens have participated on the CLC, attending regular meetings at the lab to learn about the facility’s research, funding, and contributions to medicine.

Members are appointed by the UT System Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs after being recommended by Dr. Jochen Reiser, President and Chief Executive Officer of UTMB. They serve three-year terms, and they often elect to complete two terms before rotating off.

On Dec. 8, the CLC team celebrated the six years of service on the committee provided by Ms. Sally Byrom and Mr. Neil Nathan. Ms. Byrom is a therapist who recently retired as a mental health professional at UTMB, and Mr. Nathan is an active member of the Galveston community and owner of Nathan Insurance Agency in Galveston.

Both Sally and Neil have volunteered dozens of hours of their time through the years , getting to know the GNL team, learning about the research taking place in the facility, advising staff on issues of interest to the community, and sharing insights from around Galveston.

Dr. Scott Weaver, left in photo, Director of the Institute for Human Infections & Immunity, and Dr. Gene Olinger, right, Director of the Galveston National Lab, presented crystal trophies to the pair, commemorating their dedicated service to the committee.

The committee will reconvene in 2026 with two new community members. The CLC plans to host a community forum in the coming year to provide an opportunity for GNL scientists to share their research with a larger audience.