Oddly enough, Foery’s interest in science was initially sparked by sports. A “short and heavy” freshman, he had the ideal build to play football, but an injury early in the season resulted in the placement of two pins between his hip and femur and a short hospital stay. Since he wasn’t sixteen, he was required to spend his nights in the pediatric wing—a requirement that encouraged him to seek alternative forms of entertainment. “While looking through stacks of books, I found Understanding Chemistry by Isaac Asimov. It was a quick read for me,” he said. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be a chemistry major.”
True to his word, Foery earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, just ninety miles from Rochester, his hometown. He earned his master’s degree at Providence College in Rhode Island and his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa while completing his post-doctoral study at the State University of New York at Buffalo. After graduation, he accepted a two-year fellowship in clinical biochemistry and toxicology at the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center. His first job after school was starting and running an analytical chemistry program for West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. After ten years, he took a sabbatical from teaching to obtain diplomat status with the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. He also broadened his professional scope with additional post-doc work in clinical toxicology. “By that point, I’d lost my enthusiasm for teaching. I wanted a job that dealt more with the business end of science,” he explained. “Plus, you know that old saying, ‘Those who can’t do, teach?’ Well, I wanted to prove them wrong.”
Foery’s moment of opportunity came in the form of a technical directorship for Reference Laboratory, a division of Damon Medical Laboratory in Newbury Park, California. During his four-year tenure, he restructured the company’s scientific processes so dramatically that business actually quadrupled. A difference in opinion regarding the lab’s need to pursue certification with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)—he thought it beneficial, the owner didn’t—led to Foery’s voluntary resignation and eventual job placement with International Clinical Laboratories (ICL). At first, he was hired to manage the research and development team in Nashville, Tennessee, but a shift in company priorities resulted in his promotion to vice president of operations for a struggling sister lab in the Boston area and a directive to revitalize profits. However, only three months into his new venture, ICL was purchased by SmithKline, who in turn closed the Massachusetts branch to eliminate competition with its own local facility. Foery was in charge of managing the close-out/relocation process. He was also invited to stay with the company on one condition. “They told me I could either work for one of their labs in Pennsylvania or work for one of their labs in Pennsylvania. Not much of a choice,” he laughed. Foery didn’t want to work in Pennsylvania. So, once again, he moved on.
Foery’s next professional undertaking would prove to be one of his most significant:
Moving to Memphis, Tennessee to launch a brand new laboratory, MedExpress, and serve as its vice president of technical operations, which he did for almost seven years. “That was a truly great experience. There was a good management team in place, and everyone worked well together. We were able to grow the lab from practically nothing to a sample output of 3,500 a night,” he said.
Near the end of his run, a familiar pattern emerged as Foery’s employer was once again purchased by lab giant SmithKline, which by then had merged with the Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp). Foery stayed on with LabCorp for another year before opting to consult on a freelance basis. However, it wasn’t long before he was involved in yet another Memphis start-up, the creation of Advanced Toxicology Network (ATN), which was owned by Texas-based Concentra Health Services. As chief operating officer, Foery supervised the lab’s physical construction and its certification through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After only two years, though, Concentra had a change of heart and let go several of Foery’s colleagues, including the CEO, to make room for some of its own people. Foery himself was laid off two days before his birthday, four days before Christmas.
The New Year witnessed Foery’s return to the lab end of science, serving as a forensic toxicologist for DrugScan in Warminster, Pennsylvania, for five years. The job, he said, required an extensive amount of training, but it was training he was happy to take on. “All I did was human toxicology, while my last few lab jobs had focused on employment drug testing. This was definitely more challenging, but I liked it,” he said. “I just wanted to stay in toxicology and learn new things.”
As part of his work, Foery was frequently summoned to provide expert testimony in the lab’s pending court cases; a typical week might include two or three days’ worth of travel. Meanwhile, his wife had remained in Memphis to care for her ailing mother, so that’s where Foery spent his weekends. Eventually, the commute was enough to put him on the hunt for another job.
Enter AIT President Michael Evans, Ph.D.
At the time Foery interviewed for AIT, his plans were to return to Memphis to look for work. However, the position involved everything he loved doing at DrugScan—case interpretation, expert testimony, client education—without the grueling travel schedule. Today, Foery works exclusively from Memphis but stays in constant contact with his colleagues in Indianapolis.
“I spend a lot of time working with the sales team to educate our customers about our testing and lab operation. Getting in front of 300 people who don’t know me and encouraging them to ask questions? It’s that teacher part of me coming back. I love it,” he said.
And if you were to ask him his greatest life lesson?
“Don’t get overwhelmed by the big picture. Tackle one problem at a time, solve it, and move on.”
Good advice.
DRUGOGRAPHY