Shaye Mandle, who has led Minnesota’s Medical Alley Association since 2014, is leaving the medtech trade group for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) in Washington, D.C.

Mandle will join BIO as COO on March 1 after nearly 10 years at Medical Alley, first as COO and VP of government relations and then as president & CEO.

Steffen Hovard, former chair of the Medical Alley board of directors, is returning to serve as the organization’s interim president & CEO. Medical Alley will conduct a national search to select Mandle’s successor, according to a news release.

Minnesota enjoys one of the largest U.S. medical device clusters, along with the greater Boston area, southern California and that state’s San Francisco Bay area.

“Under Shaye’s transformational leadership, the Medical Alley Association has become one of the most influential healthcare organizations in the nation,” said Medical Alley board chair James Rogers, chief business development officer of Mayo Clinic. “Thanks to his vision, Medical Alley is a well-established force in the field, and we wish him all the best as he continues to advance the innovation that benefits humanity. He will be a great addition to the BIO team.”

“Leading Medical Alley has been the most extraordinary professional experience of my life,” Mandle said in the release. “I’m so proud of the work we’ve done, the board we’ve assembled and the exceptional team that works every day to distinguish our community and organization. This is certainly bittersweet for me. I will forever be grateful for my time at Medical Alley and for the support and friendships I have received and built in Minnesota. I’m excited to see Medical Alley’s continued growth and impact.”

Hovard will take over immediately.  “Medical Alley is truly unique and I am deeply committed to this community’s success,” he said. “The organization will continue to drive healthcare transformation and execute on our key deliverables to our members as we transition to our next leader.”