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Board of Directors

Slate of nominees and election results

Members of the national organ donation and transplantation community have elected 19 people to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Board of Directors, including the following officer positions; President, Vice President/President-Elect, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, and Minority Transplant Professional Representative. Seventy-three percent of voting members* returned a ballot, which sets a new record for election participation.

All board members are volunteers and serve terms ranging from one to three years, depending on the office to which they are elected. Their terms of service begin July 1, 2023.

Board of Directors election was Jan. 18 through Feb. 1, 2023. Read the election results news post.

2023 nominee roster
Board PositionCandidate(s)
President
(vote for one)
Dianne LaPointe Rudow, APN-BC, DNP, FAAN
Recanati Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital
Vice President/President-Elect
(vote for one)
Maryjane Farr, M.D., M.Sc., FAST, FACC
University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterRichard Formica, M.D.
Yale New Haven Hospital
Treasurer
(vote for one)
Andrea Tietjen, M.B.A., CPA
Saint Barnabas Medical CenterJeffrey Orlowski, M.S., CPTC
LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma
Immediate Past President
(vote for one)
Jerry McCauley, M.D., M.P.H.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Minority Transplant Professional Representative
(vote for one)
Amishi Desai, D.O.
Northwestern Memorial HospitalSilas Norman, M.D., M.P.H.
University of Michigan Medical Center
Regional Councillors
(vote for seven)
 
Region 1Reginald Gohh, M.D.
Rhode Island Hospital
Region 2Emily Blumberg, M.D.
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Region 4Michael Kwan, M.D.
Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital
Region 7Bhargav Mistry, M.D., FRCSEng, FRCSI, FACS
Sanford Medical Center Fargo
Region 8Andrew Kao, M.D., FACC, FHFSA
St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City
Region 10Kenneth McCurry, M.D.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Region 11Christopher Jones, M.D., FACS
Jewish Hospital
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
George Surratt, B.S.
3MKenny Laferriere, B.S.W., CTBS
New England Organ Bank
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
Kelly Willenberg, DBA, B.S.N., CHRC, CHC, CCRP
Kelly Willenberg, LLCJulie Spear, B.S.
Peakview Environmental, LLC
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
Jennifer Lau, B.A.
Transplant FamiliesStephanie Little, M.S.W., LMSW
Minot State University, College of Health Sciences
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
Laura Butler, MMHC, FNP-BC
Montefiore Medical CenterCynthia Forland, Ph.D.
Forland Consulting
Medical/Scientific Organization Representative (ASHI)
(vote for one)
Luis Hidalgo Ph.D., F(ACHI)
Histocompatibility Laboratory, University of Wisconsin
Medical/Scientific Organization Representative (NATCO)
(vote for one)
Erika Demars RN, M.S.N., CCTC
Henry Ford Hospital
Medical/Scientific Organization Representative (AOPO)
(vote for one)
Colleen McCarthy, RN, B.S.N.
Versiti Wisconsin
2022 nominee roster
Board PositionCandidate(s)
President
(vote for one)
Jerry McCauley, M.D., M.P.H.
Thomas Jefferson University
Vice President/President-Elect
(vote for one)
Dianne LaPointe Rudow, APN-BC., DNP, FAAN
Recanati Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital

Laura Stillion, M.H.A., FACHE
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Vice President for Patient and Donor Affairs
(vote for one)
Robert Goodman, M.B.A.
The Mansfield Group, LLCValinda Jones, M.S.N., RN
Transplant Education Connection
Secretary
(vote for one)
Linda Cendales, M.D.
Duke University Medical Center

Simon Horslen, M.B., Ch.B., FRCPCH
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Immediate Past President
(vote for one)
Matthew Cooper, M.D., FACS
MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute
Regional Councillors
(vote for five)
 
Region 3Virginia McBride, RN, M.P.H.
OurLegacy
Region 4Steven Potter, M.D., FACS
Baylor Scott and White Health
Region 5Mark Barr, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Southern California Medical Center
Region 6Willscott Naugler, M.D.
Oregon Health & Science University
Region 9Nicole Hayde, M.D., M.S.
Montefiore Medical Center
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
Colleen Reed, Ph.D.
ConsultantHeather Hunt, J.D.
New England States Committee on Electricity, Inc.
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
Carolyn Light, M.P.A.
UCSF Health

Kelley Hitchman, M.S., Ph.D., F(ACHI)
UT Health San Antonio

At Large
(vote for one)
Maryjane Farr, M.D., M.Sc., FAST, FACC
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Shelley Hall, M.D., FACC, FAST, FHFSA
Baylor University Medical Center

At Large
(vote for one)
Daniel Yip, M.D.
Mayo Clinic

Nirav Raval, M.D.
Advent Health Transplant Institute

At Large
(vote for one)
Clark Andrew Bonham, M.D., FACS
Stanford University

Evelyn Hsu, M.D.
University of Washington School of Medicine

At Large
(vote for one)
Lloyd Ratner, M.D., M.P.H.
Columbia University

Silas Norman, M.D., M.P.H.
The University of Michigan

At Large
(vote for one)
Bryan Whitson, M.D., Ph.D.
The Ohio State University

Matthew Hartwig, M.D., M.H.S.
Duke University School of Medicine

At Large
(vote for one)
Candy Wells, B.S.N., M.M.
LifeCenter Northwest

Meg Rogers, B.S.N., CPTC
LifeSource Upper Midwest OPO

Medical/Scientific Organization Representative (AST)
(vote for one)
Stuart Sweet, M.D., Ph.D.
Washington University in St. Louis
Medical/Scientific Organization Representative (ASTS)
(vote for one)
Alan Langnas, D.O.
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Medical/Scientific Organization Histocompatibility Representative (ASHI or CAP)
(vote for one)
ASHI: Brett Loehmann, CHT, CHS, B.S.
Mid-South Transplant Foundation

CAP: Manish Gandhi, M.D., FCAP, A(ACHI)
Mayo Clinic

Medical/Scientific Organization Representative (NATCO)
(vote for one)
Wendy Garrison, M.B.A, B.S.N., CPTC
Lifesharing, A Donate Life Organization
2021 nominee roster

Board of Directors election was Jan. 13-27, 2021. Read the election results news post.

Board PositionCandidate(s)
President
(vote for one)
Matthew Cooper, M.D., FACS
MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute
Vice President/President-Elect
(vote for one)

Christie Thomas, M.B., FASN, FAST
University of Iowa

Jerry McCauley, M.D., M.P.H.
Thomas Jefferson University

Treasurer
(vote for one)

Bradley Kornfeld, J.D.
Kornfeld Real Estate LLC

Kathy Schwab, B.S.N., RN
Mayo Clinic

Immediate Past President
(vote for one)
David Mulligan, M.D., FACS, FAASLD, FAST
Yale New Haven Health System
Regional Councillors
(vote for seven)
 
Region 1Richard Formica, M.D.
Yale New Haven Health System
Region 2Adam Frank, M.D.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Region 7Edward Hollinger, M.D., Ph.D.
Rush University Medical Center
Region 8Clifford Miles, M.D., FAST
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Region 9Maryjane Farr, M.D., M.Sc.
Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Hospital
Region 10Jonathan Fridell, M.D., FACS
Indiana University School of Medicine
Region 11David Gerber, M.D.
University of North Carolina
Minority Transplant Professional
(vote for one)

Errol Bush, M.D., FACS
Johns Hopkins University

Irene Kim, M.D, FACS
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

OPO Representative
(vote for one)
Jan Finn, RN, M.S.N., CPTC
Midwest Transplant Network
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
James Sharrock, J.D.
Ted Gordon, M.B.A., J.D.
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
Kelly Willenberg, D.B.A., RN, CHRC, CHC, CCRC
Laurel Avery
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
Melissa McQueen
Nikita Patel, CISSP
At Large Patient and Donor Affairs Representative
(vote for one)
Christopher Woody
Stephanie Little, M.S.W., LMSW
At Large Transplant Administrator Representative
(vote for one)

Andrea Tietjen, CPA, M.B.A.
St. Barnabas Medical Center

James Pittman, RN, M.S.N.
HCA Healthcare

Transplant Coordinator Representative
(vote for one)
Gail Stendahl, DNP, APNP, CCTC
Children’s Wisconsin
Histocompatibility Representative
(vote for one)

Chang Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
HLA Laboratory, Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Annette Jackson, Ph.D.
Duke University

How are nominees selected for the Board of Directors?
Anyone who wishes to serve on the Board of Directors must first apply by completing a Volunteer Interest Form each cycle they wish to be considered. Once your form is submitted, there are three ways to become a nominee to the Board:

  • Through the Board’s Nominating Committee: The Board Nominating Committee selects nominees for Officer, At Large, and Patient & Donor Affairs positions. These nominees compete in the national election on contested ballot positions.
  • Through your Regional Nominating Committee: Each OPTN Region’s Nominating Committee selects nominees to participate in a regional election for Associate Regional Councillor/Regional Councillor-Elect. Associate Councillors serve a two-year term to the MPSC before participating in the national membership election on an uncontested ballot position for Regional Councillor to the Board of Directors.
  • Via a Medical/Scientific Society: Five professional transplantation societies select nominees from their membership to participate in the national election on uncontested ballot positions.
    • The American Society of Transplantation (AST)
    • The American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)
    • The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO)
    • The American Society for Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics (ASHI) or The College of American Pathologists (CAP)
    • NATCO

For more information about the OPTN Board of Directors, visit https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/about/how-to-get-involved/.

Who may cast a vote in the election?
Only designated voting representatives of OPTN members with voting privileges and member electors may cast a vote in the annual Board election. Complete details on voting privileges are outlined in OPTN Bylaw 1.1.B. You may request the name of your organization’s designated voting representative by contacting [email protected].

Membership categories with voting privileges are:

  1. Transplant hospital members (one vote per hospital)
  2. OPO members (one vote per OPO)
  3. Histocompatibility laboratory members (one vote per independent laboratory)
  4. Medical/scientific members (one vote per member)
  5. Public organization members (No more than 12, cast by public organization member electors)
  6. Individual members (No more than 12, cast by public organization member electors)
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