2022 Living Donor Council Officer Slate

Bill Cassarly
Regenerative Biologics, Inc.

Bill Cassarly is Director of Operations with Regenerative Biologics. Having over 25 years of experience in the tissue bank landscape, Bill has managed all facets of tissue bank productions with strong project management and decision-making skills. Prior to joining RBI, he spent many years in Recovery Operations at both RTI Donor Services and Southeast Tissue Alliance while supervising large teams and increasing donation rates. Bill has also collaborated with medical examiners in the development of new and improved best practices for donation.

Bill holds his CTBS designation and is an active member of the AATB Living Donor Council, currently serving as Vice-Chair. He also serves on the AATB Standards and Program Committees as well as previously serving on the AATB Recovery and Donor Eligibility Council.
 

Janice Whaley, PhD
Donor Network West

Dr. Janice F. Whaley is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Donor Network West and Donor Network West Foundation, the third-largest Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) in the United States. She joined the organization in January 2019, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a proven track record in organ recovery performance. Under her leadership, the organization has substantially increased organ recovery across multiple metrics, saving hundreds more lives. Her dedication to advocacy, operational excellence, and leadership in Northern California, Northern Nevada, and nationwide is a testament to her passion for the field.

Before assuming her current role at Donor Network West, Dr. Whaley held leadership and clinical positions in three other OPOs, achieving similar successes. As Chief Operating Officer of LifeShare of Oklahoma, she doubled the number of organ donors early in her five-year tenure. Before that, she served as Managing Director of Clinical Operations at LifeGift in Houston, Texas, where she successfully managed the complex processes of working with five transplant centers and 24 transplant programs, leading the region to record-setting numbers of donors recovered.

A staunch advocate for organ donation, Dr. Whaley has served in multiple roles on national boards and committees related to donation and transplantation. She has been President of the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT), which later awarded her the Dr. Oscar Salvatierra Vanguard Award for Multicultural Leadership. She was appointed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a faculty member for the 2012 National Learning Congress (NLC). She served on the Secretary of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Advisory Council on Transplantation (ACOT). In addition, she was appointed as the Co-Chair of the Organ Recovery Collaborative Network (ORCN) ASTS/UNOS/AOPO Taskforce by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS). In 2021, the San Francisco Business Times recognized Dr. Whaley as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business. Dr. Whaley serves on the governing board of directors for Access to Healthcare Networks (AHN). This non-profit organization provides access to healthcare services to help individuals, families, and organizations manage healthcare effectively and affordably. Most recently, she was elected to serve on the Organ Donation and Transplantation board of directors.

Dr. Whaley holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership, a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a postgraduate certificate from the Harvard Business School's Executive Management Program. Additionally, she is dual-certified in organ and tissue recovery by the American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB).

Heather Cummins
Reprotech, LLC

Heather Cummins has been a Site Director with Reprotech, LLC since 2005. Prior to her role at Reprotech, she was the Manager of Patient Response and Laboratory Administration at Genetics and IVF Institute in the Cryobank Division. Her involvement with AATB includes Secretary of the Living Donor Council from 2020-present, as well as Secretary of the Reproductive Council from 2006-2006. She has also served on the AATB Education and Communications Committees.

Jaree Knopp
Birth Tissue Donor Services

Jaree Knopp grew up in East Tennessee and graduated from East Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2005. She started her career as a Neuro/Trauma ICU nurse and was recruited by Tennessee Donor Services (TDS) in 2010. During her career at TDS she held the roles of Organ Recovery Coordinator, Manager of Clinical Services and Manager of Quality Compliance. In February 2019, Jaree joined the Birth Tissue Donor Services team and was later promoted to her current role, Quality Systems Director. 

During her career, Jaree was named Nurse of the Year and has earned certifications as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), Certified Procurement Transplant Coordinator (CPTC), and Certified Tissue Bank Specialist (CTBS). She has previously served on multiple committees in area hospitals and with the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO).

Jami Otis
AlloSource

Ms. Otis joined AlloSource in May 2007 and started the AlloSource Placenta Donation Program in 2017. She brings more than 25 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 banking industry, has experience in tissue recovery, and was an EMT-Intermediate for a rural ambulance service.