Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Free is a Medical Officer in CDC's Office of Blood, Organ, and Other Tissue Safety. She trained in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Preventive Medicine and is a graduate of CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Fellowship. She joined CDC in 2015 and has worked on the agency's Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19 responses. Her current research interests include infectious disease epidemiology, specifically as it relates to blood transfusion and organ and tissue safety.

Noah Schwartz is a physician and epidemiologist in the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination at CDC, where has worked since 2019 investigating TB outbreaks and epidemiology. He co-led CDC's investigation of the 2021 nationwide TB outbreak linked to a bone graft product.

Dr. Collins serves as a forensic pathologist with Newberry Pathology Associates and is a Medical Director for SharingHope SC, the Organ and Tissue Donation Services for South Carolina. After receiving her BS in microbiology, magna cum laude Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Georgia, Athens, Dr. Collins earned her MD from the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta. Following medical school, Dr. Collins completed an anatomic and clinical pathology residency at Wake Forest University/Bowman Gray School of Medicine. After residency, she completed a forensic fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina where she remained on faculty as a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Director of Forensic and Autopsy Pathology, and Chief Medical Examiner. Dr. Collins is a Diplomat of the American Board of Pathology, board-certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, and forensic pathology. She is a member of the College of American Pathologists and past Chair of the Autopsy Committee. She is past President of the South Carolina Society of Pathologists, and past Chair for the Pathology/Biology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She serves on the Board of Directors and is past-President for the National Association of Medical Examiners.

Emily L. Carter, CTBS, CEBT, is the Senior Account Manager for Donor Services at LeMaitre, Inc. Based in Salem, Massachusetts, she has steadily advanced her career in tissue recovery since 2015. Emily is an active member of the AATB community, contributing to the AATB RADE council and Education Committee, with a focus on providing diverse educational resources. Her current role spans the nation, where she oversees cardiovascular field training, tissue partner webinars, and serves as a vital link between tissue leaders and recovery teams. With a diverse medical background, Emily excels in communication with all stakeholders in the organ, eye and tissue donation industry.

Stefan Bernal is the Manager of National Recovery Network at LifeNet Health - he joined the team in 2018. Since his onboarding, his focus has been fostering healthy relationships with organizations and their front-line staff all throughout the United States. He has been an advocate for the highest standards and quality that LifeNet Health represents. Prior to LifeNet Health, Stefan worked at Nevada Donor Network, where he served as the Clinical Training and Development Coordinator. He is proudly from the Midwest, specifically a small town called Peru, Illinois. Stefan received his Certified Tissue Banking Specialist (CTBS) certification in 2016. He genuinely wants to change the world. Lastly, he likes long walks on the beach and gets frustrated writing his own bio.

Anna McDonald, M.D. - Medical Director Birth Tissue Recovery, LLC Winston-Salem, North Carolina Dr. McDonald completed her medical degree at Duke University Medical School prior to her training at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital (Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency), Harvard-affiliated Boston Children's Hospital (Pediatric Pathology fellowship), and the Boston Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (Forensic Pathology fellowship). She served as a staff Pediatric Pathologist at Boston Children's Hospital and a Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 2014, she joined the Wake Forest Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor of Pathology with specialty interests in forensic/autopsy pathology and perinatal/placental pathology. She was appointed as Medical Examiner for the State of North Carolina since 2014. She joined Birth Tissue Recovery, LLC as Medical Director in 2016, allowing her to integrate her expertise in placental/perinatal pathology and tissue and organ donor service experience. She is certified by the American Board of Pathology in Forensic Pathology, Pediatric Pathology, and Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.

Anna Tirrell is the President of Birth Tissue Recovery, LLC., in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Anna began her tissue banking career more than ten years ago, processing amniotic membrane allografts.  Since then, she has expanded her roles and responsibilities to include successfully guiding 510k medical device clearance, CE mark, and quality system design.  She has extensive experience with FDA and ISO, quality system build-up, and industry knowledge.  She is an AATB-Certified Tissue Bank Specialist and serves the Association as a member of the Standards Committee.  Anna is dedicated to, and passionate about educating others about the benefits of human tissue donation,

Dr. Bruce Rosenfeld is currently the Medical Director for LifeNet Health.  He attended Northwestern University as an undergraduate and received his MD from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, VA (Virginia Commonwealth University). Following two years of general surgery, he completed his urology training at SUNY Buffalo and is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He enjoys teaching at all levels and has been an Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine and Eastern Virginia Medical School. Most notably, Dr. Rosenfeld is a high school varsity basketball assistant coach where he enjoys teaching the game to young players emphasizing how basketball can prepare one for a future well beyond their time on the court.

Kimberly Monroe is the Business Development Manager for Tissue Services at South Texas Blood & Tissue, responsible for the strategic direction and growth of STBT’s Hospital Development program. Kimberly started her career in donation and transplantation in 2001 and has experience in donor screening, family consent and aftercare, hospital development, and community relations in the eye and tissue donation arena. She has served on the AATB Donor Family Services council since 2020.

Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Florida, a Graduate Certificate in instructional design from Rollins College, and an AATB Certified Tissue Banking Specialist designation.

Heather Hoog is the Donation Program Manager at the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research in Tampa, Florida. She manages a team that serves as donation educators and liaisons between the Lions Eye Institute ocular and musculoskeletal recovery teams, administration, and the partner facilities. Heather and her team partner with four different Organ Procurement Organizations, over 200 medical centers, 25 medical examiner and coroner offices, and numerous hospice and funeral home directors in multiple states. During the merger of RTI Donor Services and Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research in 2018, Heather was instrumental in combining two large Florida-based non-profit tissue banks with a seamless continuum of service. Previously, Heather was a career firefighter paramedic, a team member on multiple international medical and malnutrition clinics, and got her start as a CTBS certified recovery technician for Southeast Tissue Alliance, Regenerative Biologics, and RTI Donor Services. Heather's valued leadership style focuses on flexible communication with an emphasis on self-awareness. Credibility and the cultivation of relationships are earned through trust and respect - remain open to new ideas, inquiry, and constructive criticism. She believes an organization that values self-awareness gains the most respect amongst the community.

With more than 25 years of experience in grief support, Susan has worked with children, adults, individuals, and families in a variety of settings to include 2 children’s hospitals, a grief support center, a hospice liaison, and currently as a tissue donor aftercare specialist.  Susan joined the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center’s tissue services team in 2015 as the Grief Support Programs/Services Manager. She is responsible for overseeing the Grief Support & Life Legacies Program/Services for tissue donor families. 

Susan has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology from the University of California at Davis, and a Masters of Science in Child Development/Child Life from the University of La Verne in California.

Scott Fiddler is board certified in both labor & employment law and civil trial law, placing him among only approximately 25 attorneys in Texas board-certified in both specialties. As lead trial attorney, Scott has tried nearly 60 cases, including 40 jury trials and nearly 20 arbitrations and bench trials. Scott’s resume is one of the impressive wins in jury trials and published cases. He has obtained jury verdicts for clients in FLSA wage and hour cases, non-compete and misappropriation of trade secret cases, discrimination, executive termination, and sexual harassment cases. He has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2007 and as a Houston Top Lawyer by H Texas magazine every year since 2008.

Scott’s focus is on high-stakes employment litigation involving non-compete agreements and trade secret misappropriation, executive terminations, and wage and hour class and collective actions. He has successfully defended FLSA class and collective action cases across the country in bet-the-company litigation, and he is routinely either seeking or opposing applications for temporary and preliminary injunctions on behalf of companies in state and federal court in trade secret and non-compete litigation. In litigation, Scott has represented companies in the oil and gas, technology, software, staffing, insurance, food, medical, home building, hotel, industrial cleaning, and energy industries, among others.

Scott’s litigation experience is broad and has included representation of executives, physicians, and lawyers, as well as celebrities, professional athletes, and a professional basketball coach, among others. His versatility as a trial lawyer has been demonstrated by his having obtained one of the largest verdicts in Texas for a plaintiff in a race discrimination retaliation case, and having obtained one of the few attorney fee awards for an individual in Texas in defending a case under the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act. He is recognized for his work by his peers and publications alike and has been featured in the attorney profile sections of Forbes and Newsweek.

Brooke Willard is an attorney in the Labor and Employment section of Jackson Walker’s Houston and Austin offices. Brooke advises and represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law, including matters involving discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, wage and hour disputes, and compensation disputes.

Brooke also specializes in COVID-19 counseling and compliance. She takes pride in delivering practical advice to employers, empowering them to navigate the many issues presented by the pandemic.

Prior to joining Jackson Walker, Brooke gained legal experience in Texas and around the world. Brooke’s diverse legal background gives her a unique perspective when approaching clients’ cases. Brooke lived in Kolkata, India for a year assisting the International Justice Mission legal team in the fight against modern-day slavery, securing the freedom of young girls, and the conviction of human traffickers. She went on to intern for the Honorable David Hittner of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Brooke then interned at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, interviewing victims and witnesses, assisting prosecutors, and participating in plea negotiations.

Brooke was a Summer Associate with Jackson Walker in 2017.

Jami Otis joined AlloSource in May 2007.  She brings over 22 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with 15 years focusing on training/education.  Jami received her education from the University of Colorado Boulder in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.  Prior to joining AlloSource, Jami spent 13 years in the blood banking/cord blood industry, has experience in tissue recovery, and was an EMT-Intermediate for a rural ambulance service. Jami is currently the Donor Records Training Manager and runs the AlloSource Placenta Donation Program.

Stefan Bernal is the Manager of National Recovery Network at LifeNet Health - he joined the team in 2018. Since his onboarding, his focus has been fostering healthy relationships with organizations and their front-line staff all throughout the United States. He has been an advocate for the highest standards and quality that LifeNet Health represents. Prior to LifeNet Health, Stefan worked at Nevada Donor Network, where he served as the Clinical Training and Development Coordinator. He is proudly from the Midwest, specifically a small town called Peru, Illinois. Stefan received his Certified Tissue Banking Specialist (CTBS) certification in 2016. He genuinely wants to change the world. Lastly, he likes long walks on the beach and gets frustrated writing his own bio.

Carole Vaught began her career with CTS in July 1978 and has experience in blood and tissue banking phases.  The most recent 20 years of her career have been focused on developing and maintaining Recovery Partner relationships.  Carole has a BA in Medical Technology and a BS in Health Services Management.  For several years, Carole also taught the Tissue Banking Certificate curriculum at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio.  

Brian has always had an interest in basic scientific research and after completion of his graduate studies, worked in the Anatomic Pathology Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania as a Physician Assistant teaching and doing research.  In 1986 he answered a job posting for a Transplant Coordinator with what is now the Gift of Life Donor Program in Philadelphia.  There, he discovered his life’s calling of working to meet the needs of donor families and recipients.  After 12 years, he took a position with MTF Biologics, where he now serves as the Director of Technical and Education Services.  Through his almost 36 years of working in the field of donation and transplantation, he has been grateful to have been able to work with and alongside the many dedicated professionals in our industry.  He will be retiring this coming February and knows he will truly miss the many friends and colleagues he has made along the way.

Chris Sprott is the Manager of National Recovery Network Services at LifeNet Health. He has served in various capacities throughout his career, including MS processing, CV Processing, CV Production Manager, Process engineering, and Recovery Resource Manager. His current focus is working with recovery agencies across the country to ensure the safe and effective procurement of tissue in support of our shared mission: Saving Lives. Restoring Health. Giving Hope.

Mark is the Director of the Tissue Operations Center at New England Donor Services and is responsible for the 24-hour operations center. Mark has been with New England Donor Services for over fifteen years, he has served in the Quality Department as well as in the Operations Center determining donor eligibility and working with families to obtain authorization. Mark is the co-chair of the Membership Committee, he is currently the Secretary of the RADE Council as well a member of The AOPO Tissue Council. Mark  is a Certified Tissue Banking Specialist.

Brian is the Chief Clinical Officer of Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates and the current chair of the AATB Recovery and Donor Eligibility Council. 

Before joining KODA, Brian was the Vice President, Tissue Services and Communication Center Operations at LifeGift.Brian has also served as the Director of Tissue Services at Community Tissue Services (CTS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. In tandem with part of his tenure at CTS, Brian also served as the president of Donate Life Indiana, where he promoted the Indiana Donor Registry and worked with state legislators to keep legislation current and up to national standards. Before joining CTS, Brian held multiple leadership positions with LifeNet Health in Virginia and Florida. 

Brian obtained his Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, in Exercise Physiology at Chowan University in Murfreesboro, NC and his Master of Science in Strategic Leadership from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. He is also a Six Sigma Lean Black Belt Professional and Certified Tissue Bank Specialist through the American Association of Tissue Banks.

Dr. Bloor (CEO Videregen Limited) has over 30 years of experience in medical devices and regenerative medicine, with key expertise and leadership in strategic R&D, clinical compliance, and regulation specific to these areas having worked in US multinationals (J&J, Covidien/Medtronic) and UK start-up companies.

Formerly Chief Scientific Officer at Tissue Science Laboratories (TSL) plc., where Dr Bloor led the development of TSL’s unique regenerative tissue-based technology which was successfully commercialized in the EU, USA and Australasia. TSL listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) via IPO, and was subsequently acquired by Covidien/Medtronic where Dr. Bloor became Vice President of R&D.

After the integration of TSL technology into Covidien/Medtronic, Dr. Bloor founded Videregen with a spin-out of world-leading tissue engineering IP from UK research organizations. Via angel investment and regional VC’s leveraged by UK and European Horizon 2020 grants, Dr. Bloor has led Videregen through preclinical and manufacturing development, and regulatory approval with the first human clinical trial imminent.

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.