MDMA Leader Mark Leahey to Speak at SEMDA 2013 Conference

ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - Dec 20, 2012) - Mark B. Leahey, President and CEO for the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA), will speak at the SEMDA 2013 Conference. MDMA is a national trade association in Washington, DC, that represents hundreds of research-driven medical technology companies.

The seventh annual SEMDA Conference will be held on February 19-20, 2013, at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center. Applications for presenting companies and posters are being accepted through January 9, 2013, and early bird registration discounts end on December 31, 2012.

Mr. Leahey's responsibilities include advocating on behalf of the entrepreneurial sector of the medical device industry to Congress, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and other federal and state agencies. He has lobbied for a more reasonable user fee for smaller companies, worked to open access to the hospital marketplace by challenging the exclusionary and anti-competitive nature of certain large group purchasing organizations (GPOs), as well as ensure that medical device technologies are reimbursed adequately.

Mr. Leahey has been named one of the medical device industry's top lobbyists and sits on the Editorial Advisory Board of Medical Product Outsourcing. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and a graduate of Georgetown University, the Georgetown Law Center and Georgetown's McDonough School of Business.

The SEMDA Conference is specifically designed to meet the needs of the medical device industry and brings together professionals from throughout the Southeast. Other highlights will include:

• Presentations from some of the region's top existing and emerging medical device companies
• Workshops on a variety of topics including critical business issues
• Numerous networking opportunities plus structured 1:1 partnering

To register or learn more about the conference, sponsorship opportunities and presenting company applications, visit www.semda.net or contact admin@semda.net.

About SEMDA
The Southeastern Medical Device Association (SEMDA) is a non-profit trade association that supports and promotes medical device companies in the Southeast. Created in 2004, the association provides a unique resource and networking opportunity for medical device companies, inventors, physicians, and investors interested in accelerating the growth of the medical device industry in the Southeast. Through quarterly and members-only meetings, as well as its highly regarded annual Conference, SEMDA meets the needs of members of the medical device community. Learn more at www.semda.net.