Barbara Suflas Noble has been appointed vice president for advancement at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.
Noble will be instrumental in developing and implementing the institute’s strategic plan for future growth and will contribute to the scope of its external relations efforts. Noble will also serve as president of the Max Planck Florida Foundation, which supports the institute’s scientific research as well as its education programs through private philanthropic support. She will also oversee all of the foundation’s fundraising programs.
“As the Max Planck Florida Institute continues to establish itself as a world-class research center, Barbara joins us at a pivotal time,” said George Elmore, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees. “Her extensive fundraising experience and skills, exemplary reputation and network of professional and personal relationships in South Florida are key to achieving major scientific advancements here in the future.”
Noble was previously with the Scripps Research Institute, where she led the establishment of that organization’s expansion into Florida. Most recently, she served as the director of external affairs for Scripps Florida and worked extensively with faculty and philanthropic leadership to achieve fundraising goals and build relationships.
Prior to Scripps, Noble was the president of BSN Enterprises, a consulting firm for nonprofit organizations, public services providers and governmental agencies, and served as chief operating officer and director of marketing services for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council.
Noble is well known in the area and has been honored numerous times for her volunteerism and leadership. She has been named one of the Most Influential Business Women of South Florida by the South Florida Business Journal, received the Woman of Distinction Award for Volunteer Service to Women and Children by Soroptimist International and was a finalist for Woman Volunteer of the Year by the Junior League of the Palm Beaches.
Noble is currently the president and founding board member of Western Academy Charter School, a board member and former chairman of the Citizen Advisory Council for the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, board member of the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches and a long-time member of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County.
“We are delighted to have Barbara join the Max Planck family and look forward to having her exceptional experience and leadership at the helm of our fundraising campaign and spreading the word about the important work being done at the Institute,” said Dr. David Fitzpatrick, scientific director and CEO of the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.
The new facility is the first institute outside of Europe for the Max Planck Society, Germany’s most successful research organization. It has more than 80 institutes, each focused on a different scientific theme.
Located adjacent to Florida Atlantic University’s MacArthur campus in Jupiter, the 100,000-square-foot facility opened in December 2012. There are currently 112 employees and nine distinct research groups that are investigating the many remaining mysteries of the brain. Scientists are focused on neural circuits, the complex synaptic networks of the brain that hold the key to developing effective treatments for a host of neurological and psychiatric disorders and diseases.
For more information, visit www.maxplanckflorida.org.
ABOVE: Barbara Suflas Noble
