Organ Donation Association Elects New Leadership

Vienna, VA, June 27, 2014 --(PR.com)-- The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) recently announced its incoming leadership for 2014-2015. Jay Campbell will serve on the AOPO Executive Committee as President-Elect, Peter Farstad will serve as Secretary/Treasurer, and Nikole Neidlinger, MD will serve as Medical Advisor-Elect.

Jay Campbell, J.D. is currently the Vice-President, Organ and Tissue Services for the BloodCenter of Wisconsin, responsible for the Wisconsin Donor Network Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Campbell served as the Vice-Chair of the AOPO Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Committee for 2013-2014, has served on several workgroups and subcommittees since 2012, and has been directing Organ Procurement Organizations, Transplant Centers, and Tissue Banks since 1989. Campbell also serves on the Executive Committee of the Organ Donation Research Consortium (ODRC) and Chairs the ODRC Ethics Committee and the Ethics Committee of the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF) Donation Board of Trustees. Campbell intends to focus his presidency on strengthening the AOPO membership through clearer standards and improved practices. Campbell will serve on the Executive Committee for three years until 2017 as President-Elect, President, and then Immediate-Past President.

Peter Farstad serves as LifeSource’s Chief Administrative Officer in St. Paul, Minnesota, providing oversight in the areas of finance, human resources, information technology, quality & regulatory affairs, and other administrative areas. He began his career in the organ and tissue procurement field in 2001 and has held leadership roles in nonprofit organizations for the past 25 years. Mr. Farstad will serve a two-year term.

Since July 2010, Dr. Nikole Neidlinger has served as the medical director for the California Transplant Donor Network (CTDN). Her responsibilities include development of policies and protocols for donor management, staff didactics, teaching, and training as well as continuing education, and oversight of the research program and Medical Advisory Board. In addition to her role at CTDN, she is an abdominal transplant surgeon in San Francisco. Following her fellowship at Wisconsin, Dr. Neidlinger accepted an elective position for one year with the University of Wisconsin Organ Procurement Organization in which she worked full-time at the OPO, learning the regulatory, business, education, outreach, financial and infrastructure of a successful OPO. Dr. Neidlinger will serve for two years, finishing her term as Medical Advisor.

Returning Executive Committee members for 2014-2015 include: Kent Holloway who becomes President; Susan Stuart, Immediate-Past President; Anil Paramesh, M.D., Medical Advisor; and Steve Kula continues as Member-at-Large. AOPO also thanks Boyd Ward, Immediate-Past President, Diane Brockmeier, Secretary/Treasurer, and Tim Taber, M.D., Medical Advisor, for their invaluable work and years of service as they rotate off the committee.

About AOPO
AOPO is a non-profit, national organization representing all federally-designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs). The association represents and serves OPOs through advocacy, support and the development of activities that will maximize the availability of organs and tissues and enhance the quality, effectiveness and integrity of the donation process.

ABOUT OPOs
OPOs are federally-designated non-profit organizations that are responsible for coordinating organ and tissue donation across the United States, bridging the gap between the generous donation of organs and tissues and the thousands in need of these gifts.

Correction: Prior press release listed Jay Campbell as Executive Director of incorrect organization. This has been changed and accurate information is reflected above.