Background
Laster, Richard was born on November 10, 1923 in Vienna, Austria. Arrived in the United States, 1940, naturalized, 1944. Son of Alan and Caroline (Harband) Laster.
consultant biotechnology executive
Laster, Richard was born on November 10, 1923 in Vienna, Austria. Arrived in the United States, 1940, naturalized, 1944. Son of Alan and Caroline (Harband) Laster.
Student, University Washington, 1942. Butyrylcholinesterase cum laude, Polytechnic Institute Brooklyn, 1943. Postgraduate, Stevens Institute of Technology, 1947.
With General Foods Corporation, 1944-1982, corporation research and development, Hoboken, New Jersey, 1944-1958, operations manager Franklin Baker division, Hoboken, New Jersey, Atlantic Gelatin division, Woburn, Massachusetts, 1958-1964, manager research development Jell-O division, White Plains, New York, 1958-1964, corporation manager quality assurance, White Plains, 1964-1967, operations manager Maxwell House division, White Plains, 1967-1968, executive vice president Maxwell House division, 1968-1969, president Maxwell House division, 1969-1971, corporation group vice president, White Plains, 1971-1973, executive vice president General Foods Corporation, 1974-1982, also director, research, development and food-away-from-home, 1975-1982. Board directors deoxyribonucleic acid Plant Technology Corporation, 1982-1994, chairman, 1988-1994, Chief Executive Officer, 1982-1992, president 1982-1991. Management consultant, 1994.
Board directors RiceTec.
Board directors, chairman WellGen, Incorporated. Member school board Chappaqua, New York, 1971-1974, president, 1973-1974.
Chairman, member board, 1st vice president United Way of Westchester, 1978. Chairman advising committee Polytechnic Institute Westchester, 1977.
Trustee Polytechnic Institute New York,1978.
Member college county State University of New York, Purchase, Purchase College Foundation, 1986. Member corporation New York Botanical Garden. Member subcommittee Export Adminstrn.Pres."s Export Council, 1995.
Chairman Westchester Education Coalition, 1992;chairman Westchester Holocaust Commission, 1994.
Chairman American Society of Plant Physiologists Education Foundation, 1995. Member New Castle Town Board.
Member School Board, Chappaqua, New York, 1971—1974, president, 1973—1974. Chairman, board directors, 1st vice president United Way of Westchester, 1978. Chairman advisory committee Polytechnic Institute Westchester, 1977.
Trustee Polytechnic Institute New York, since 1978. Member college council State University of New York Purchase, Purchase College Foundation, 1986—2007. Member corporation New York Botanical Garden.
Member subcommittee export administration President's Export Council, 1995. Chairman Westchester Education Coalition, 1992—2001, Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center, since 1994, American Society Plant Physiologists Education Foundation, 1995—2000. Member New Castle Town Board, 1996—2001.
Director Weizmann Institute, since 2007. Member American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (Food and Bioengring. award 1972), New York Academy of Sciences, American Chemical Society, American Institute Chemists, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Lambda Upsilon.
Married Liselotte (Schneider), October 17, 1948. Children: Susan Laster Rubenstein, Thomas.