Othram, a forensic sequencing laboratory for law enforcement, is pleased to announce the appointment of Brendan Belair as Chief Strategy Officer. In addition to serving on the executive team, Mr. Belair will lead Othram’s state and federal government advocacy engagements.
Mr. Belair, an attorney and seventeen-year Capitol Hill and political campaign veteran, most recently served as Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee. Mr. Belair was instrumental in the passage of historic criminal justice reform efforts including The First Step Act and has unparalleled experience working with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and key law enforcement stakeholders. While at the Judiciary Committee, he led efforts to conduct oversight of the billions of dollars that the DOJ spends every year partnering with local law enforcement.
“Othram’s technology represents the biggest advancement in forensic DNA testing in decades,” said Brendan Belair. “I’m thrilled to join the Othram team and lead advocacy and partnership efforts to advance justice and public safety and bring closure to the families of victims. While most in the technology community are running from law enforcement, Othram is leaning in, and I’m proud to join them at this pivotal time.”
Mr. Belair is the latest appointment to Othram’s executive team following the appointments of Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Singer, formerly the Vice President of Operations Sales and Global Marketing at BODE Technology and Chief Business Development Officer Kristen Mittelman.
“Othram has eliminated scientific and technological barriers to solving previously unsolvable sex assaults and homicides,” said Othram CEO David Mittelman. “With the support of state and federal agencies, we are poised to bring this technology to all cases so that justice can be accessible for all victims of violent crimes.”
Othram is the world’s only laboratory purpose-built to combine genome sequencing with advanced human identification applications. The laboratory, based in The Woodlands, Texas, is also the only facility in the United States or Canada offering end-to-end, in-house processing from forensic evidence to investigative leads. Over the last three years, this technology has helped law enforcement crack hundreds of cases at the local, state, and federal level, many of which had been unsolved for decades.