PLAINSBORO, N.J., Feb. 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq:IART) today announced that the President and CEO of the National Urban League and former Mayor of New Orleans, Marc H. Morial, will be the keynote speaker at the Company's Plainsboro, NJ headquarters in celebration of Black History Month and Integra's Diversity Initiative. Mr. Morial will speak on Monday, February 23, at 4:00 p.m. EST. Integra will also celebrate African American heritage with a display of art and literature from Archivist, Leslie Willis-Lowry from Temple University's Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, musical selections from students of the NAACP ACT Program, and a taste of cultural desserts. This event is not open to the public. 

Leading the National Urban League since 2003, Mr. Morial has been the primary catalyst for an era of change and forward-thinking strategy for civil rights. His energetic and skilled leadership has expanded the League's work around an Empowerment Agenda, which is redefining civil rights in the 21st century with a renewed emphasis on closing the economic gaps among all Americans.

"We are extremely pleased that Mr. Morial will be speaking at our headquarters," said Padma Thiruvengadam, Integra's Corporate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Operational Excellence, and Chief Human Resources Officer. "Integra's Diversity Mission is to value diversity and seek to leverage our different thoughts, backgrounds, interests, values, and beliefs to limit uncertainty for busy surgeons and deliver the best products and service."

Under Mr. Morial's stewardship, the League launched a historic $100 million, five-year "Jobs Rebuild America: Educate, Employ, Empower" initiative in 2013 - a solutions-based, comprehensive approach to the nation's employment and education crisis that brings together federal government, business, and nonprofit resources to create economic opportunity in 50 cities across the country, through the Urban League affiliate network.   

His creativity has led to initiatives such as the Urban Youth Empowerment Program, assisting young adults in securing sustainable jobs, and the Entrepreneurship Center Program, which provides growth opportunities for small businesses. In addition, Mr. Morial helped create the Urban Empowerment Fund, which will lend to urban impact businesses, and the League's New Markets Tax Credits initiative, which has resulted in $1 billion in community investment via urban impact businesses, including minority business, through both debt and equity investments.

In addition to his role as President and CEO of the National Urban League, under appointment by President Obama, Mr. Morial has served as Chair of the Census Advisory Committee, a member of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability, and on the Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission.  He was also appointed to the Twenty-First Century Workforce Commission by President Bill Clinton. He has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by Ebony Magazine, as well as one of the Top 50 Nonprofit Executives by the Nonprofit Times and one of the Top 100 Black Lawyers in America.

Mr. Morial is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with a degree in Economics and African American Studies. He holds a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., as well as numerous honorary degrees, including Xavier University and Howard University.

Integra LifeSciences, a world leader in medical technology, is dedicated to limiting uncertainty for surgeons, so they can concentrate on providing the best patient care. Integra offers innovative solutions, including leading regenerative technologies, in specialty surgical solutions, orthopedics and tissue technologies, and spine hardware and orthobiologics. For more information, please visit www.integralife.com.

For more information about the event, please contact Gianna Sabella, Director, Corporate Communications, at 609-936-2389 or gianna.sabella@integralife.com.

CONTACT: Integra LifeSciences

         Media Contact

         Gianna Sabella

         609-936-2389

         Gianna.sabella@integralife.com