Jane Sheehan, Esq., joined FBR in 1996 as Vice President for Administration after a long career in state government. Mrs. Sheehan began her working career in 1971 as Health Careers Coordinator for the Maine Department of Human Services (DHS). She left DHS to obtain a teaching degree from the University of Maine and briefly taught U.S. History and Government in Maine schools. In 1981, she accepted a position as Executive Director of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association. Exposure to the practice of law was of such interest to her that she entered Vermont Law School, graduating in 1987 with both a law degree and a master's degree in environmental law. In 1989, she was appointed by Governor John McKernan to serve as Maine's first Child Welfare Ombudsman.

This was one of several appointments she held in the McKernan administration. She later served as a Legislative Aide in the Governor's office, as Bureau Director of Child and Family Services, and, in 1992, was appointed the first woman Commissioner of the Department of Human Services, Maine's largest state agency. In that position, she was responsible for 2700 employees, a $1.2 billion budget, and management of the state's Medicaid program, public health laboratory, child protection and foster care, nursing home and hospital regulation, food stamps, and aid to dependent families. It was during this time that, under Jane's leadership and with the support of the Governor and DHS, Maine became the first state to enforce the collection of child support by revoking driver and professional licenses.

The initiative not only generated national recognition and duplication but it was also successful in collecting $11.5 million from approximately 10,000 delinquent parents with only 8 actual revocations. Also during her term as commissioner, she participated in the early planning for major changes in health care and social service programs through welfare reform and managed health care. At the end of the McKernan administration, Jane opened a general law practice, specializing in family law. She also was hired by the Maine State Bar Association to represent their interests in front of the Maine State Legislature. Availability of the administrative position at FBR provided Jane with an opportunity to return to a management position in the health field.

Along with helping to support and enhance FBR's scientific growth and the development of its research and education activities, Jane acts as public spokesperson and personal liaison to health care organizations and institutions locally, regionally, and nationally. She is FBR's representative to the Association of Independent Research Institutes. She serves on the boards of the Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company, Maine Biomedical Research Fund, and Maine Biomedical Research Coalition, the Biotechnology Association of Maine, the Center for Innovation in Biotechnology, and is a member of the Kennebunkportside Rotary Club. For two consecutive years, she served as chair of the Maine State Employees Combined Charitable Appeal and is a recipient of an Outstanding Young Women of America Award and of an IBM Harvard Fellowship Award.