Texas Organ Sharing Alliance CEO Named AOPO Foundation Board President
5/4/2023
San Antonio, TEXAS - The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) has named Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA) Chief Executive Officer Joseph Nespral, MD as its first Foundation President.
Nespral has over 35 years of experience in the organ donation and transplantation field, with an extensive background in OPO leadership operations, restructuring, policy analysis, business development, and quality improvement.
He earned his degree in Medicine at Central East University in the Dominican Republic and is Board Certified as a Procurement Transplant Coordinator.
Nespral has also served on various national committees throughout his career, including the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) OPO and Patient Affairs Committees and the Executive Committee of the Texas Transplant Society.
Currently, Nespral leads Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, the organ procurement organization (OPO) providing organ donation and recovery services to Central and South Texas. Nespral will serve a two-year term in his leadership role on the Board of Directors, setting up the Foundation's strategic plan and research efforts to advance organ donation and transplantation.
“I am honored to lead the AOPO Foundation to bring new knowledge and innovation to the community of practice,” said Joseph Nespral. “Our focus is on OPO advancement, addressing challenges in facilitating the organ donation process, and finding solutions to help our community save more lives.”
Additionally, AOPO named Tasha Flowers, CPA, Director of Finance and IT at ARORA, as the Foundation's Secretary-Treasurer. Flowers also serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the AOPO Board, acting as an intermediary leader to align finances between the two organizations.
She earned a master's in business administration from Harding University and is a certified public accountant with over 18 years of experience in not-for-profit financial management.
AOPO announced the Foundation's Board of Directors in December 2022 and the Board recently finalized the Foundation's mission statement as “Advancing research to improve the outcomes of organ and tissue donation”.
The Foundation will prioritize and fund research in the field of organ donation and transplantation to facilitate innovation and help OPOs save more lives.
“We formed the AOPO Foundation as a way to support our commitment to reach 50,000 annual organ transplants in 2026,” says Steve Miller, AOPO Chief Executive Officer. “Research, innovation, and the sharing of knowledge are critical to increasing donation and maximizing the number of organs transplanted across the United States. We are confident these new leaders are equipped to carry out our Foundation's mission”.
The AOPO website features a page for the Foundation and profiles of each Board member.