I graduated St. Louis University School of Medicine. My anatomic/clinical pathology residency program was University of Missouri, Kansas City. I completed fellowships in Transfusion Medicine and Cytopathology at the University of Colorado. I have been an Associate Medical Director at AlloSource for approximately 2 1/2 years. I am CTBS certified. I am a member of the AATB Physicians Council and I served on the Monkey Pox Physicians Council Work group.

I graduated St. Louis University School of Medicine. My anatomic/clinical pathology residency program was University of Missouri, Kansas City. I completed fellowships in Transfusion Medicine and Cytopathology at the University of Colorado. I have been an Associate Medical Director at AlloSource for approximately 2 1/2 years. I am CTBS certified. I am a member of the AATB Physicians Council and I served on the Monkey Pox Physicians Council Work group.

David Staley serves as the vice president of human resources and organizational development at LifeGift. He began his career at LifeGift in 2015 after serving as director of human resources at LifeNet Health, based in Virginia Beach, VA. Previously, Staley served as a human resources executive for Fortune 50 companies, privately held organizations and non-profit organizations. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Staley has a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and is a Senior Certified Professional through the Society for Human Resources Management.

As a dynamic executive coach, educator, and transformational change catalyst, Laura Walling-Sotolongo uses her experience in various aspects of Tissue Banking including leadership development, employee training, donor screening, tissue authorization, recovery, processing, distribution, and quality systems to produce impactful bottom-line results. in her current role as the Sr. Director, Talent + Optimization at New England Donor Services, Laura brings high energy, positivity, and consistent results to organizational & talent development, leadership coaching, and learning design.

She graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Molecular Biology and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and CTBS certified.  She is driven by operationalizing strategies with tactics that engage, align, empower, and develop NEDS' employees and leadership team to help them cultivate their strengths and support positive change that maximizes their potential.

David Staley serves as the vice president of human resources and organizational development at LifeGift. He began his career at LifeGift in 2015 after serving as director of human resources at LifeNet Health, based in Virginia Beach, VA. Previously, Staley served as a human resources executive for Fortune 50 companies, privately held organizations and non-profit organizations. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Staley has a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and is a Senior Certified Professional through the Society for Human Resources Management.

As a dynamic executive coach, educator, and transformational change catalyst, Laura Walling-Sotolongo uses her experience in various aspects of Tissue Banking including leadership development, employee training, donor screening, tissue authorization, recovery, processing, distribution, and quality systems to produce impactful bottom-line results. in her current role as the Sr. Director, Talent + Optimization at New England Donor Services, Laura brings high energy, positivity, and consistent results to organizational & talent development, leadership coaching, and learning design.

She graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Molecular Biology and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and CTBS certified.  She is driven by operationalizing strategies with tactics that engage, align, empower, and develop NEDS' employees and leadership team to help them cultivate their strengths and support positive change that maximizes their potential.

Dr. Rose has nearly 8 years of FDA experience and served as the Assistant Director for the Division of Restorative, Repair and Trauma Devices in CDRH’s Office of Orthopedic Devices where she led a large and diverse team of engineers, clinicians, and scientists. She brings a comprehensive understanding of FDA regulations, guidance, and decision-making, as well as a wealth of knowledge about regulation of devices and combination products for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. She signed multiple Substantial Equivalence (SE) letters for Restorative & Repair orthopedic devices and combination products, including bone void fillers and allograft-based products. Dr. Rose is an Engagement Partner with Bruder Consulting Venture Group (BCVG)

Dr. Rose has nearly 8 years of FDA experience and served as the Assistant Director for the Division of Restorative, Repair and Trauma Devices in CDRH’s Office of Orthopedic Devices where she led a large and diverse team of engineers, clinicians, and scientists. She brings a comprehensive understanding of FDA regulations, guidance, and decision-making, as well as a wealth of knowledge about regulation of devices and combination products for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. She signed multiple Substantial Equivalence (SE) letters for Restorative & Repair orthopedic devices and combination products, including bone void fillers and allograft-based products. Dr. Rose is an Engagement Partner with Bruder Consulting Venture Group (BCVG)

Josh Brennan spent six years as an EMS professional and was an educator for the Red Cross. Josh has been with New England Donor Services since 2008 in various roles in the Tissue Operations Department. He is currently the Director of Tissue Operations. He has published three abstract articles with the American Association of Tissue Banks and was part of the creative development team for the Hopes Heroes - Donor Family Program. He has been invited to speak at multiple workshops/conferences/webinars on various topics, including Electronic Tissue Authorization, Call Center Scheduling, Algorithmic Tissue Screening, Electronic Tissue Allocation, DRAI competency & training, and Grief Concepts. Josh is currently serving on the AATB Education Committee and was the project co-manager on the development of the Sepsis Education Online Learning Tool for the RADE Council.

Jonathan has worked in the tissue banking and donation field for 15 years holding roles in tissue recovery and leadership. Jonathan is currently the Associate Director of Tissue Acquisition at Lonza where he supports Lonza’s various divisions engaged in research and clinical applications utilizing human organs, tissues, and cells. Prior to joining Lonza, Jonathan served as the Director of Education at AATB where he led the development of educational programming and webinars just like this one.

Jonathan is an active member of the AATB Recovery and Donor Eligibility Council, International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners Board of Directors and Advocacy Committee, and the National Association of Medical Examiners Ad-Hoc Organ and Tissue Procurement Committee.

 Jonathan earned his undergraduate degree in communications, a master’s degree of science in management, and is a Certified Tissue Bank Specialist and a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Alyssa Harrison serves as the VP of Tissue Operations at LifeShare Network. She has been in the donation industry for over 10 years, starting at United Tissue Network, a non-transplant domination organization.  In her current role, she oversees all aspects of Tissue Recovery and Donation Services, including day-to-day management, donor assessment and evaluation, organization policy, procedure protocol application, training, strategic planning, and administrative duties. She reviews and evaluates all performance metrics and key performance indicators with a primary focus on identifying opportunities for improvement and growth for both departments.  She works as an executive leader to develop and execute strategic plans and annual operative and capital budgets.

Alyssa is a Certified Tissue Banking Specialist and is an active member of AATB, having served on numerous committees, councils, and the Board of Governs. 

She has earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Adult Education and a Master of Business Administration.

Noella Manalili, MD, CTBS is a Quality Assurance Supervisor at LifeNet Health in Virginia Beach, VA. She joined LifeNet Health in 2013 and currently supervises the donor review coordinator team, which reviews tissue suitability for all donors and works closely with the Medical Director team. Prior to this role, she served as Tissue Recovery Supervisor for LifeNet Health NW in Renton, WA and Donor Center Supervisor at LifeNet Health’s corporate campus. She brings a unique perspective to the Quality Assurance team with a wealth of medical knowledge, tissue recovery experience, and tissue donor screening background. Noella obtained her Doctor of Medicine from De La Salle College of Medicine, has a BS in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is a Certified Tissue Bank Specialist.

Dr. Slawski is from Gift of Hope in Itasca, Illinois. He is a Clinical Trainer at The Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network. He has over 18 years of experience within the organization encompassing tissue recovery, quality assurance, and training. Most recently in 2014, Gregory joined the newly instituted Research & Development Department within Gift of Hope. Gregory received his doctorate from Scholl College of Podiatric medicine in Chicago and his bachelor's degree in biology from Loyola University in Chicago.

Darrel joined MTF Biologics in 2001 as an Education Director.  In this capacity, Darrel has worked with a number of tissue banks and organ procurement organizations throughout the United States providing tissue recovery, screening, and regulatory education.  Darrel has developed a number of education and training materials including the production, direction, and editing of two tissue recovery training videos.  In addition to these duties, Darrel has been involved in many specialized tissue recovery development assignments and research projects for major universities.  He has maintained his CTBS since 1992 and has been an AATB member since 1993.  Prior to joining MTF, Darrel was Assistant Manager of Tissue and Eye Procurement at Midwest Transplant Network in Westwood, Kansas. Darrel received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Webster University in 1998 and an MBA from Avila University in 2005.

Louis Jares is an Education Director with the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF). Having been in the tissue banking industry for over 23 years, he began his work in the field of donation at the Mile High Transplant Bank in Denver in 1996 and has since also worked for Donor Alliance and The Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank. Louis has a Bachelor of Science in biology and is also a Certified Tissue Bank Specialist (1998), a Certified Eye Bank Technician (2003), a Registered Diplomate with the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (2006), and an affiliate member of the National Association of Medical Examiners (2009). He has participated in several committees and projects over the years including the AATB Accreditation and Education Committees, the Donor Alliance Mortuary Resource Committee, tissue banking consultation in the Republic of Colombia, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands. As part of his international work, he has had the honor of presenting at the European Association of Tissue Banks in Brussels, Belgium in 2014. Louis was a co-founder of the MTF Medical Examiner and Coroner Advisory Committee which he helped co-found in 2006 and kept active until the Committee’s dissolution in 2017. He is also a member of the NAME Ad Hoc Organ and Tissue Committee since 2015. His personal interests in research and Forensic Anthropology came together with a recently published journal article entitled Transplanted Allograft Bone in Forensic Anthropology published in the Journal of Forensic Radiology and Imaging in March 2017. Louis hails from Denver, Colorado but currently resides in South Texas, between San Antonio and Austin.

Walter began working with LifeCell in 2003. He currently holds the position of Sr. Regional Field Manager. In this capacity, Walter works with a number of tissue banks and organ procurement organizations throughout the Central and Southern United States. He is responsible for the coordination of tissue procurement, on-site training, technical and material support, and manages and oversees the LifeCell National on Call Coordinators.  Walter is a Certified Surgical Technologist, Certified Tissue Banking Specialist, and an active member of the American Association of Tissue Banks.

Jeff began with CryoLife in 1989 as a tissue processing technician. Following a year of processing of cardiovascular allografts, he then took a position as a Tissue Recovery Trainer conducting workshops throughout North American teaching recovery techniques to organ and tissue recovery personnel. In addition to his training responsibilities, Jeff has also managed several regions throughout North America as Donor Services Account Manager. He also managed the Donation Support call-center for five years. He is a Certified Tissue Bank Specialist (CTBS) through the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). Jeff graduated from Mercer University with a BA in Biology.

Michael E. Gilbert, MBA, CTBS is a Technical Trainer, Donor Services with CryoLife. He is a 2010 graduate of Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor Degree in Sport Management, and a 2012 graduate of Shorter University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Michael obtained his CTBS designation in 2006, and is also certified as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. 

Michael began working at CryoLife in 2004, after transitioning from a career in the Fire/EMS industry. He started as a Donor Services Coordinator in the Donation Support center where he would screen donors with the Recovery Partners. After about a decade in the role (with increasing responsibilities) he was promoted to his current position as a Technical Trainer. As a Trainer, Michael has held workshops with Recovery Partners across the country, focusing on cardiovascular tissue recovery techniques. 

Kelly Stevens is the Director of Quality Assurance at DCI Donor Services Tissue Bank, where she plays an integral role in the direction of the quality assurance program, including the management and guidance of the quality assurance team. Kelly has over 10 years of quality and regulatory compliance experience in the tissue banking industry. She is actively involved in quality improvement initiatives,  has experience in both leading and participating in audits by regulatory and accreditation agencies, such as the FDA and AATB, as well as entities at both state and international levels. Kelly serves as a member of the AATB Quality Council and is a Certified Tissue Bank Specialist. She is a Certified Quality Improvement Associate with the American Society for Quality and holds a Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University.

In 1971, while working as a Surgical Technician, Dr. Powers had his first exposure to tissue donation. He later received a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Old Dominion University and trained further in blood banking and HLA immunology. This training allowed him to work closely with the kidney transplant program at Eastern Virginia Medical School. A DDS was earned at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1987 followed by a General Practice Residency at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. Ralph has over 40 years exposure to all facets of transplantation. The last 25 were focused on allograft use in dentistry. Currently, he has “the best job in the world” – retirement. However, he stays active as a medical writer and consultant focused on health communications and non-profit management. Ralph actively supports the American Association of Tissue Banks in their educational efforts.

Emmitt A. Savannah, III serves as the Manager of Tissue Recovery and Research Training at LifeGift Organ Donation Center, where he provides leadership, supervision, development and implementation of training programs for LifeGift in all its Texas regions that reinforce accepted industry practices and comply with organizational operating procedures, AATB standards, and FDA regulations. Emmitt has worked in the donation industry for over 14 years, and is passionate about leading, training, educating and developing people and teams as well as developing the programs in which they work to achieve goals efficiently.

Jeremy Benavides, Medical Examiner Liaison and Forensic Outreach Coordinator at Lifeshare Network. Before Lifeshare, I was at the Office of The Chief Medical Examiner Oklahoma(OCME). I served in many capacities starting in the autopsy lab as a Pathologist Assistant. I then transferred to Death Investigations before being appointed Chief of Death Investigations for the state of Oklahoma(OCME). I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in microbiology. 

Amanda Abbott joined Indiana Donor Network April of 2009 as a Tissue Recovery Coordinator with CTBS certification, then picking up Organ Surgical Recovery Coordinator shifts before transitioning to the Forensic Outreach Coordinator April 2021. She has been a certified Mediolegal Death Investigator since 2009 serving 8 years as an elected Coroner IN Indiana. She has also worked as a forensic pathologist assistant for 3 years.  She has served her community as a certified EMT/ firefighter, 911 Dispatcher and Funeral Director.