Dr. Gregory Ray is a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist with more than two decades of experience in tissue banking and donor eligibility. He has served as Medical Director for Evergen since 2022 and previously served as Medical Director for Artivion (formerly CryoLife) for 19 years. Prior to entering the tissue banking industry, Dr. Ray was Laboratory Medical Director and Staff Pathologist at four community hospitals in the Atlanta metropolitan area. He also serves as Laboratory Director for the Eurofins DPT Laboratory in Atlanta.

 Dr. Ray earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed his residency training in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. He has been actively involved with the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) for more than 20 years, serving on the Physicians Council, Board of Governors, Standards Committee, Accreditation Committee, and Credentialing Committee.

After earning a BS in microbiology from McNeese State University and finishing up 6 years as a special operations forward air controller in the Louisiana Air National Guard, Kip Hanks began employment with the FDA as a field investigator in 1997. After a few years as a generalist covering multiple FDA-regulated products, he became a district biologics specialist and then the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) biologics national expert. In this role, Kip was responsible for providing regulatory and guidance interpretation and application to ORA staff, training and mentoring new investigators, serving on policy and document workgroups and advising ORA senior leadership on biologics-related matters. In July 2021, he joined the American Association of Tissue Banks as its first director of regulatory and governmental affairs. In this role, Kip establishes and communicates the AATB official position regarding regulatory issues that may impact AATB member organizations to the FDA and other applicable governmental and standard-setting organizations. He provides expert interpretation, guidance, strategy and counsel on existing laws, regulations, standards, and guidance that impact AATB members.

La Dra. Astrid Malagón es una experta con más de una década de trayectoria en la Dirección técnica, implementación y certificación de Buenas Prácticas en bancos de tejidos, abarcando componentes oculares, piel, membrana amniótica, dermis acelular y tejido osteomuscular. Además la Dra. Astrid Malagón ha liderado proyectos de investigación, desarrollo e innovación en medicina regenerativa y terapias tisulares. Su perfil combina liderazgo técnico, experiencia regulatoria y una sólida contribución académica, que la ha llevado a ser consultora internacional en normativa y buenas prácticas para bancos de tejidos en Latinoamérica.

 Actualmente es la vicepresidenta de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Bancos de Tejidos ALABAT, La Dra. Astrid Malagón ha sido reconocida con el premio Make a difference otorgado por la WUTBA World Union of Tissue Banking Association. Cuenta además con una amplia experiencia en la industria farmacéutica, especializada en la implementación de Buenas Prácticas de manufactura y Sistemas de Gestión de Calidad.

La Dra. Astrid Malagón es Bacterióloga (Universidad Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca), Magíster en Ciencias y Microbiología (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) y cuenta con posgrados en Gerencia de la Calidad (Universidad Santo Tomas).

Kevin Wheeler is a Research Microbiologist at AlloSource.  He has over thirty years of experience in microbiology and microbial ecology.  He earned his undergraduate degree at DePauw University and a Master of Science at the University of Dayton.  Kevin worked in clinical and environmental laboratories before joining the tissue banking community.  Kevin has been at AlloSource for over 19 years working on environmental monitoring, clean room design, microbial detection strategies and the development of novel methodologies for improving tissue quality.  He has collaborated with numerous private and university institutions with multiple publications.  He is a Certified Tissue Bank Specialist from AATB and a NRCM Pharmaceutical and Medical Device specialist from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).  He is a member of the NIST Rapid Microbial Testing Methods consortium and volunteers time training high school teachers and students through the Colorado Biosciences Association (CBSA).  He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hikes, kayaking and the cool stuff growing on rocks and rotting wood.

AJ Gardener (they/them) serves as the Culture and Employee Experience Coordinator at the Center for Organ Recovery & Education in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With a professional background spanning health education, LGBTQ+ advocacy, community engagement, and organizational diversity initiatives, AJ has spent more than a decade helping organizations build more inclusive and equitable environments. They have presented nationally on topics including health equity, trans-inclusive care, and creating empathy-centered workplaces. AJ is passionate about creating meaningful connections, fostering belonging, and advancing health equity in both workplace and community settings.

Lindsay has over 20 years of experience in the tissue processing and medical device industries. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology. She was initially drawn to the field of microbiology through her strong interest in science and medicine, as well as her fascination with the unseen world. Lindsay interned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before beginning her career with Artivion as a Microbiology Lab Technician. Lindsay spent many years in the lab supporting cardiac and vascular tissue processing and medical device functions through various testing and organism identification methods. She held several positions beyond Lab Technician while in the Microbiology department, including Microbiologist I, II, III, Team Leader and Supervisor. She recently transferred to the Donor Quality Assurance department at Artivion as the Central Region Supervisor, in which her focus revolves more around tissue donor eligibility and the quality review of donor charts. Lindsay currently holds two certifications – Technologist in Microbiology and Certified Tissue Bank Specialist.

Alyce received her BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, MS with an emphasis in Immunology, and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with an emphasis in tissue engineering and cell biology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.  She has been performing research for LifeNet Health since 1996 and has been employed by LifeNet Health since 2001. She currently holds the title of Scientific Liaison, Quality VP providing companywide consultation on a wide variety of scientific and quality topics, inclusive of leading corporate wide compliance projects. Previously she was responsible for global regulatory affairs, compliance, submissions, clinical trials, risk management, labeling and promotional review.  Before that role, she was Director, Cardiovascular Research and Product Development, overseeing decellularized cardiovascular allograft development and market launch. She has various publications and book chapters in the field of cardiovascular tissue engineering and processing and well as multiple patents. During her career, the use of standards has played an integral role in successfully bringing new products to market and successfully obtaining market authorizations globally.  Alyce has been an active member of ASTM since 2001, chairing F2529-13, “Standard Guide for In Vivo Evaluation of Osteoinductive Potential for Materials Containing Demineralized Bone.” She has also served on multiple ASTM workgroups developing new standards for Tissue Engineered Medical Products, TEMPS, over various disciplines such as cardiovascular, cell biology, microbiological, osteobiologic, and skin substitutes.  Alyce is also a member of the American Association of Tissue Banks Scientific and Technical Affairs Committee, Standards, previous Chair of the AATB Ethics and Bylaws Committee, and a co-author of the AATB Microbial Surveillance Guidance Document. She was the recipient of the 2015 George W Hyatt Memorial Award for Outstanding Scientific Contribution to the Field of Tissue Banking.

Michael E. Gilbert, MBA, CTBS, is the Manager of Donor Services at Artivion, where he has more than two decades of experience in tissue donation and partner collaboration. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Kennesaw State University, his MBA from Shorter University, and has held the Certified Tissue Banking Specialist designation since 2006.

Michael began his career with Artivion (formerly CryoLife) in 2004 after transitioning from the Fire/EMS field. He started in the Donation Support Center as a Donor Services Coordinator, working closely with recovery partners to evaluate and screen donors.

As a Technical Trainer, Michael led hands-on workshops across the country, helping recovery partners refine cardiovascular tissue recovery techniques. He later served as an Account Manager, where he managed key partner relationships and supported collaboration between organizations.

In his current role, Michael leads Donor Services initiatives, leveraging his deep operational knowledge and field experience to support partners and advance best practices across the industry.

Julie A. B. Bly, M.P.S., is a seasoned association professional with more than two decades of experience turning membership programs into engaged communities. As Director of Membership for the Association for Advancing Tissue and Biologics (AATB), a role she has held since 2018, she focuses on membership growth, retention, and engagement, leading initiatives that help strengthen connections and deliver value to members.

Her career reflects a deep commitment to the power of professional communities. Before joining AATB, Julie held roles with the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) and the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), where she supported membership and exhibitor programs. Known for her ability to translate goals into meaningful member experiences, she has consistently delivered measurable gains in engagement, retention, and revenue.

Julie holds a Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, and an Associate’s degree in Legal Studies from Central Penn Business College. Outside the office, Julie enjoys spending time in the kitchen trying out new recipes, working in her garden, and getting outdoors for camping trips, especially when it means unplugging, touching trees, and relaxing with family and friends.

Aaron Pan is the Director of Tissue Services at Solvita responsible for the tissue recovery operations in the state of Oregon, Southwest Washington, and Southwest Idaho. With a background rooted in operational management, Aaron focuses on building high-performing teams to drive sustained growth and maximize community impact. Having navigated the shift from passive event sponsorship to active community engagement, Aaron is passionate about sharing realistic blueprints that help teams justify, build, and scale dedicated outreach infrastructure.

Hayley Resk is the Community Outreach Coordinator at Solvita Portland. Hayley started out as a Recovery Coordinator at Solvita in 2023 but as she spent more time at Donate Life community events, outreach and education pulled her attention, so it seemed like a natural fit when a position for outreach was born. Hayley is a two-time liver recipient (2007 and 2024) and a Donate Life Northwest board member, and her lived experience informs her work every day. Educating people on organ, eye, and tissue donation is her lifelong passion. She is also an avid birder and enjoys travelling around Oregon and adding to her life list.