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 Position | Candidate(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 1 | Reginald Gohh, M.D. Rhode Island Hospital |
| Region 2 | Emily Blumberg, M.D. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania |
| Region 4 | Michael Kwan, M.D. Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital |
| Region 7 | Bhargav Mistry, M.D., FRCSEng, FRCSI, FACS Sanford Medical Center Fargo |
| Region 8 | Andrew Kao, M.D., FACC, FHFSA St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City |
| Region 10 | Kenneth McCurry, M.D. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Region 11 | Christopher 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 Position | Candidate(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 |
| 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 |
| Immediate Past President (vote for one) | Matthew Cooper, M.D., FACS MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute |
| Regional Councillors (vote for five) | |
| Region 3 | Virginia McBride, RN, M.P.H. OurLegacy |
| Region 4 | Steven Potter, M.D., FACS Baylor Scott and White Health |
| Region 5 | Mark Barr, M.D., Ph.D. University of Southern California Medical Center |
| Region 6 | Willscott Naugler, M.D. Oregon Health & Science University |
| Region 9 | Nicole 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) |
| 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 |
| At Large (vote for one) | Daniel Yip, M.D. Mayo Clinic Nirav Raval, M.D. |
| At Large (vote for one) | Clark Andrew Bonham, M.D., FACS Stanford University Evelyn Hsu, M.D. |
| At Large (vote for one) | Lloyd Ratner, M.D., M.P.H. Columbia University Silas Norman, M.D., M.P.H. |
| At Large (vote for one) | Bryan Whitson, M.D., Ph.D. The Ohio State University Matthew Hartwig, M.D., M.H.S. |
| At Large (vote for one) | Candy Wells, B.S.N., M.M. LifeCenter Northwest Meg Rogers, B.S.N., CPTC |
| 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) |
| 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 Position | Candidate(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 Jerry McCauley, M.D., M.P.H. |
| Treasurer (vote for one) | Bradley Kornfeld, J.D. Kathy Schwab, B.S.N., RN |
| Immediate Past President (vote for one) | David Mulligan, M.D., FACS, FAASLD, FAST Yale New Haven Health System |
| Regional Councillors (vote for seven) | |
| Region 1 | Richard Formica, M.D. Yale New Haven Health System |
| Region 2 | Adam Frank, M.D. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
| Region 7 | Edward Hollinger, M.D., Ph.D. Rush University Medical Center |
| Region 8 | Clifford Miles, M.D., FAST University of Nebraska Medical Center |
| Region 9 | Maryjane Farr, M.D., M.Sc. Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Hospital |
| Region 10 | Jonathan Fridell, M.D., FACS Indiana University School of Medicine |
| Region 11 | David Gerber, M.D. University of North Carolina |
| Minority Transplant Professional (vote for one) | Errol Bush, M.D., FACS Irene Kim, M.D, FACS |
| 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. James Pittman, RN, M.S.N. |
| 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. Annette Jackson, Ph.D. |
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:
- Transplant hospital members (one vote per hospital)
- OPO members (one vote per OPO)
- Histocompatibility laboratory members (one vote per independent laboratory)
- Medical/scientific members (one vote per member)
- Public organization members (No more than 12, cast by public organization member electors)
- Individual members (No more than 12, cast by public organization member electors)