One of House Speaker Joe Hackney's two senior policy advisors has a new job with the N.C. Biotechnology Center.

Mike Wilkins will lead the center's new Statewide Operations and Economic Development Division, which is tasked with growing the biotechnology industry across the state. He is a former three-term state House member from Roxboro who later became former Speaker Jim Black's chief of staff, Dan Kane reports.

As a senior vice president, Wilkins, 62, will oversee the center's five regional offices, five regional biotechnology advisory committees and worldwide economic development activities. His salary was not disclosed in a news release from the center. Barry Teater, a center spokesman, would only say that the salary is between $116,549 and $171,393.

A spokesman for Hackney said he does not have immediate plans to fill Wilkins' position, which paid roughly $145,000 a year.

More after the jump.

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