Steven G. Anderson, Founder and Executive Chairman of CryoLife, Inc. and Frank McDaniel, founding partner in the law firm of McDaniel Law Group, PC, are the recipients of the 2015 Georgia Bio Industry Growth Awards.

The Industry Growth Awards are the highest honors bestowed each year by Georgia Bio. They recognize individuals in the public and private sectors who have made extraordinary contributions to the growth of Georgia’s life sciences industry.

Steven Anderson is being honored for his dedication to the implantable medical device industry in Georgia.

Mr. Steve Anderson is a founder of CryoLife and served as President and CEO from the company’s inception in 1984 to September 2014. He now serves as Executive Chairman. Over the past 30 years, CryoLife has grown from 6 employees to 520 employees and generates approximately $145 million in annual revenues. CryoLife’s initial public offering was in 1993 and the company was added to the New York Stock Exchange in 1997. The Company does business in over 70 countries worldwide and has offices in London, England, Freiberg, Germany and Singapore.

Initially, CryoLife’s business consisted of preserving human heart valves and vascular tissues used in complex cardiac and vascular reconstruction. Over the last 15 years, it has expanded its product offerings to include surgical adhesives and sealants, kidney dialysis catheters, cardiac and vascular patch and graft materials as well as catheters for arterial venous access. The company estimates that its implantable devices and preserved human tissues have been used in about 1.2 million surgical procedures worldwide.

Prior to CryoLife, Mr. Anderson was the Senior Executive Vice President of Intermedics Pacemakers, a company now owned by Boston Scientific. He has specialized in the sales and marketing of implantable medical devices since 1967, when he joined Medtronic as a sales representative in Milwaukee.

Steve is a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.

Frank McDaniel is being honored as a successful, attorney and leader of Georgia’s bioscience community. He is currently the founding partner in the law firm of McDaniel Law Group, PC.

Mr. Frank McDaniel is the founding shareholder in McDaniel Law Group, PC. He has over 32 years’ experience in the practice of corporate, securities and taxation law and has dedicated the vast majority of his career to supporting clients within the biosciences and healthcare industries.

Mr. McDaniel is currently a member of the board of directors for Georgia Bio and chair of the board of directors for Bio/Med Investors Network, Inc., a biosciences and healthcare-focused angel network. He is the founder of the Georgia Life Sciences Summit, for which he served as the chair for three consecutive years. His other leadership roles have included serving as a founding board member and second board chair for the Atlanta Bar Association, Taxation Section and co-founder of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's "Healthcare Heroes" annual event. Mr. McDaniel has served as an adjunct professor in the Masters of Taxation Program at Georgia State University and Masters of Healthcare Program at Mercer University and as a frequent speaker for local, state and national forums on topics relating to strategic alliances in the biosciences, mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, federal and state taxation and other healthcare-related transactions.

In 2004, Mr. McDaniel was awarded the BioMedical Community Award by the Georgia Biomedical Partnership. He has also been recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the "Top 25 Names to Know in Biotechnology" and "Who's Who in Health Care" in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Mr. McDaniel is also the author of three publications: “The Life Sciences Industry – Surviving the Toughest of Times Through Venture Funding and Strategic Alliances” – Health Law Handbook, Spring 2003; “The Emerging Field of Biotechnology: Investigating The Legal Issues” – Health Law Handbook, Spring 2002; “Integrated Delivery Systems in the Healthcare Industry” – Research Institute of America Tax-Exempt Organizations, Spring 1995.

Mr. Anderson and Mr. McDaniel will be honored at the Georgia Bio Annual Awards Dinner, January 22, 2015 6 pm to 9 pm, at the Atlanta Fox Theater. Other leading companies, executives, researchers and dedicated individuals will receive Georgia Bio Awards. Learn more and register at www.gabio.org/awards.