Southwest Transplant Alliance Announces New Executive Team
Dallas – Jan. 20, 2022 – Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) announced today a new executive team, anchored by tenured employees and industry professionals, that will help save more lives and serve more than 10 million Texans throughout its donor service area.
In late 2021, STA Chief Executive Officer and veteran leader Patti Niles announced that she will transition to retirement by the end of 2022 and that Brad Adams will be her successor. Adams will serve as the organization’s president this year and assume the CEO role at the beginning of 2023.
Together, Niles and Adams have hand-selected STA’s going-forward executive leadership team.
“The leaders we have cultivated over the past several years are stepping into new roles, ready to move STA into the future. Together, we are committed to serving our community – donor families, hospitals and transplant centers – through every step of the rapid-paced and complex donation and transplantation process,” Adams said. “As they say, ‘iron sharpens iron,’ and I can’t wait to see what this tenured group of professionals will accomplish as a team.”
STA’s executive leadership team includes:
Brad Adams, President
Adams joined the organization in 2015. As president, he will focus on strengthening the community of organ donation and transplantation to help save more lives and fulfill the organization’s lifesaving mission. Adams is a fierce advocate for the entire organ donation community and works with lawmakers to ensure the organ donation process is fair and equitable to inspire the community’s trust.
Sandi Lemons, Chief Operating Officer
Sandi Lemons continues in her role as chief operating officer, responsible for the people and processes that support successful organ and tissue donation programs. Lemons, a seasoned operational leader, has led STA’s successful relationships with hospitals and transplant centers in STA’s donor service area since 2018. Lemons is also focused on cultivating talent and developing teams of the best and brightest healthcare professionals in the industry.
Doug Butler, Chief Clinical Officer
In his new role, Doug Butler is responsible for all clinical operations of STA’s top-tier organ and tissue procurement programs. Butler is an accomplished organ procurement organization professional. He joined STA in 2019 and has more than 20 years of healthcare and organ procurement experience, both on the front line and in leadership positions. Butler is focused on driving innovative processes throughout STA’s clinical operation. He is an industry champion of donation after circulatory death (DCD) to help fulfill the wishes of more potential organ donors while saving more lives.
Stephanie Bowman, Chief Financial Officer
Stephanie Bowman brings her longtime tenure in the corporate environment to nonprofit healthcare as STA’s chief financial officer. New to the STA team, Bowman’s more than 20 years of experience spans the finance, retail and insurance industries. Bowman’s oversight includes the organization’s finance team and new corporate campus and facility operations, as well as inventory management and support for The Legacy Center – STA’s state of the art organ recovery center.
Dr. Geoffrey Funk, Medical Director
Dr. Geoffrey Funk is a tenured critical care and trauma surgeon. In his role as medical director, Funk will provide oversight of all organ procurement surgical procedures and ensure organ and tissue recovery processes uphold quality standards and best possible outcomes. He will also work closely with STA clinical employees providing education, training and mentorship as the organization works to maximize organ and tissue donation opportunities.
STA is a national leader in the organ procurement industry serving a diverse population across 89 counties throughout its donor service area. Anyone can support STA’s mission of saving lives through organ and tissue donation. There are several ways to record your decision:
Online at organ.org/register
When you renew your driver’s license or state ID through Texas DPS
On the MedID tab of the Health App on your iPhone or iPad
Through STA and Donate Life Texas representatives at special events
By completing a paper form by mail, available here
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About Southwest Transplant Alliance
Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) is a nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that saves lives by fulfilling the gifts of organ and tissue donation. Founded in 1974, STA has facilitated more than 35,000 organs for recovery and enhanced the lives of tens of thousands of people through tissue recovery. STA is among the largest of 57 federally designated, nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States and is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Established in 2018, the STA Foundation provides care for families, community education, and research in transplant science. STA serves communities in North Texas, Beaumont, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Galveston, Midland/Odessa, Temple, Tyler and Wichita Falls. For more information, go to ORGAN.ORG.