Board Members

Mr. Plooster has served as a director of KemPharm since March 2011 and as KemPharm’s chairman of the Board of Directors since January 2023. Mr. Plooster co-founded Bridgepoint Investment Banking, a division of Bridgepoint Holdings, LLC and Bridgepoint Holdings NE, LLC, where he has served as Managing Director since March 2012. Previously, Mr. Plooster worked as an investment banker at DeWaay Investment Banking from October 2010 to March 2012, Morgan Stanley from August 2009 to November 2009 and Deutsche Bank from 2004 to July 2009. Mr. Plooster received his Certificate in Business Excellence from Columbia Business School and his B.A. degree from the University of Chicago.

Mrs. Favorito has served as a director and audit committee chair of KemPharm since August 2021. She has served as compensation committee chair since January 2023. Mrs. Favorito has more than 30 years of life sciences industry experience including 20 years as a chief financial officer. Her extensive experience includes leading multiple private and public financings, M&A transactions as well as leading the finance, investor relations, human resources, administration and managed care functions.   She currently serves as a board member and audit committee chair of Artelo Biosciences, Inc. and Kintara Therapeutics, Inc., both publicly-traded clinical-development stage companies. Mrs. Favorito served on the Board of Directors of Beacon Discovery, Inc. from 2018 until their acquisition in March 2021. Mrs. Favorito was Interim CFO of Immunic, Inc., a publicly-traded clinical-stage drug development company in 2019. She served as CFO of Signal Genetics, Inc. (now Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.), a publicly-traded molecular diagnostics company, from 2014 to 2017, HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a venture-backed clinical-stage drug development company, from 2010 to 2014 and Favrille, Inc. (now MMR Global, Inc.), a publicly-traded clinical-stage drug development company, from 2001 to 2009. Earlier in her career, she spent eight years in public accounting with Deloitte & Touche LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Mrs. Favorito is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). She received an MBA, emphasis in Finance, from Georgia State University, and a BBA, emphasis in Accounting, from Valdosta State University.

Mr. Saluri has served as a director of KemPharm since January 2014. Mr. Saluri currently serves as the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of BlueAllele, LLC, a start-up biotechnology company located in Oakdale, Minnesota. Mr. Saluri previously served as general counsel and executive vice president for Calyxt, Inc. from June 2017 to March 2018. Prior to his employment with Calyxt, Inc., Mr. Saluri served as general counsel for Stine Seed Company and its affiliates from July 1999 to March 2017.  Mr. Saluri practiced as an attorney and solicitor at law with Nicholas Critelli Associates, PC, in Des Moines, Iowa and London, England from June 1993 to June 1999. Mr. Saluri served as a director of Newlink Genetics Corporation, a public biopharmaceutical company from May 2010 to July 2017. Mr. Saluri received his J.D. degree from Drake University Law School and his B.S.B.A. degree from Drake University.

Dr. Mickle is a co-founder of KemPharm and has served as a member of our board of directors since our inception in 2006 and chairman of our board of directors from November 2014 to November 2021. Dr. Mickle served as our president and chief scientific officer from 2006 to October 2010, and has served as our president and chief executive officer from October 2010 to January 2023. In January 2023, Mr. Mickle transitioned to the role of President. Prior to founding KemPharm, Dr. Mickle spent five years with New River Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company, where he was a senior research scientist from 2001 to 2002, the director of chemistry from 2002 to 2003 and the director of drug discovery and CMC from 2003 to 2005. Dr. Mickle received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Iowa and his B.A. degree from Simpson College.

Mr. Pascoe has served as a director of KemPharm since January 2014 and as KemPharm’s executive chairman from November 2021 to January 2023. In January 2023, Mr. Pascoe was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and remains a member of the Board of Directors . He served as lead independent director at KemPharm from November 2014 to November 2021. Mr. Pascoe served as the president and chief executive officer of Histogen Inc, a biologics company, from January 2019 to November 2021. From March 2013 to January 2019, Mr. Pascoe was the chief executive officer and a director of Apricus Biosciences, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company. From August 2008 to March 2013, Mr. Pascoe was the president and chief executive officer and a director of Pernix Sleep, Inc. (formerly known as Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), a specialty pharmaceutical company. Prior to Pernix, from 2005 to 2008, Mr. Pascoe worked for ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, where he was most recently senior vice president and chief operating officer. Mr. Pascoe also serves as a director of Seelos Therapeutics, Inc, a specialty pharmaceutical company. Mr. Pascoe received his B.S. degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Mr. Posner has served as director of KemPharm since November 2022. He served as the Cara Therapeutics President and Chief Executive Officer since November 2021 and has served as a member of its Board since August 2018. He has broad experience in commercial and marketing operations and product management at both large and specialty pharmaceutical companies, where he has focused on products for autoimmune, inflammatory and pain conditions, including Xeljanz® and Enbrel®. From July 2017 to October 2021, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of LEO Pharma, Inc. US, a subsidiary of LEO Pharma A/S, a global healthcare company specializing in dermatology and critical care, including such conditions as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Prior to joining LEO, he was the Head of Worldwide Commercial Operations at R-Pharma-US, LLC, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on oncology and chronic immune disorders, from 2014 until 2017. Previously, Mr. Posner held a variety of senior management positions in commercial and marketing operations at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pfizer Inc., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Endo International plc. Mr. Posner holds an M.B.A. from Fuqua School of Business, Duke University and a B.A. in Economics from Villanova University.

Dr. Tierney joined KemPharm’s board in March 2015. Since February 2020, Dr. Tierney has served as chief executive officer of Pharma Two B, Ltd., a privately held company developing innovative therapeutics based on previously approved drugs for Parkinson disease. From September 2019 until January 2020, Dr. Tierney served as president and chief executive officer of BiopharmX, a dermatology drug development company. From March 2014 until March 2018, Dr. Tierney was president chief executive officer of Icon Bioscience, Inc., a privately held ophthalmology company, which was merged into Psivida, Inc to form Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals. From January 2013 until March 2014, Dr. Tierney was a venture partner at Signet Healthcare Partners, a New York City based life science private equity fund. Dr. Tierney served as president and chief operating officer and as a member of the board of directors of Oceana Therapeutics, Inc., a private specialty pharmaceutical company, from its organization in 2008 through its sale to Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. in December 2011. Dr. Tierney served as the president and chief executive officer and as a member of the board of directors of Valera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, between August 2000 and April 2007, when Valera completed a merger with lndevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. From January 2000 to August 2000, Dr. Tierney served as president of Biovail Technologies, a division of Biovail Corporation, a Canadian drug delivery company. From March 1997 to January 2000, Dr. Tierney was senior vice president of drug development at Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation and from December 1989 to March 1997, Dr. Tierney was employed by Elan Corporation, a pharmaceutical company, in a variety of management positions. Dr. Tierney is also a director of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., BiopharmX and Bimeda, Inc., a private global veterinary pharmaceutical company. Dr. Tierney received his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland and was subsequently trained in internal medicine.