Staff Directory

Meet our Team

The Alliance team is a dedicated group of professionals committed to advancing the field of organ donation and transplantation. Reach out to us at any time - we are here for you!

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Karri Hobson-Pape

, MBA

Executive Director

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Karri Hobson-Pape serves as Executive Director of The Alliance and is a seasoned strategic executive with a strong track record of building unique brands that produce results. She is deeply committed to investments in professional development and learning solutions that drive broader industry innovation and transform an individual’s personal trajectory. Prior to The Alliance, Karri was Vice President of Marketing & Communications at the University of Georgia. Serving on the Cabinet and Senior Advisory Group, she was charged with sharing the flagship institution’s comprehensive story of research, instruction and service and assisted with the $1.45B capital campaign. Karri has held a variety of leadership positions throughout her career, including corporate, consulting and entrepreneurial roles. Previously, she served as Executive Director of External Affairs for Emory University, overseeing the Marketing, Communications, Corporate Relations, Development and Alumni Relations activities at the business school. In addition, for more than 10 years, she was Executive Director of the Sheth Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to serving the development of the marketing academy. Karri received her BA from Vanderbilt University and MBA from the Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. An active member of her community, she has authored two Arcadia Publishing local history books and other historic preservation publications, been active on multiple boards and served on numerous industry roundtables.

Corey Bryant

Senior Director, Strategic Development & External Affairs

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Corey Bryant leads The Alliance’s communications, marketing, and strategic efforts for unique national events, programming, partnerships, and business development. With extensive experience in corporate and non-profit sectors, Corey has held communications and public relations roles with Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney Cruise Line, and TransLife (now OurLegacy), the OPO supporting East Central Florida. He has been a member of the National Advisory Council for Donate Life America and has also contributed to the board of directors of Donate Life Florida, where he acted as state team leader for Driver License Outreach and DHSMV relations. Corey is a proud graduate of The University of Alabama and actively participates in several community-based non-profit organizations in Central Florida, including serving as a past Board President of Come Out With Pride Orlando.

Deanna Fenton

Senior Manager, Educational Program Development and Operations

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Deanna is a knowledgeable and versatile professional with diverse experiences in healthcare, client relations, marketing, project management and demonstrated skills in leadership and advocacy. Prior to joining The Alliance, she worked in Hospital Development at her local OPO in the state of New Jersey where she served as the clinical liaison to a number of Level 1 Trauma & Neuroscience centers as well as community hospitals. Her personal connection as a donor family and friend fuels her passion to support her colleagues across the donation-transplantation continuum through the development of valuable educational resources that ultimately boost performance and improve outcome measures. Deanna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor degree in Public Health from Montclair State University. In her spare time, Deanna enjoys visiting vineyards, spending time with her family, and traveling in hopes of visiting all seven wonders of the world.

McKinley Walsh

Program Manager

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

McKinley joins the Alliance with over five years of experience managing large-scale programs, national events, and developing public health programs. She began working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), first as a field assignee to the Mississippi State Department of Health in Jackson, Mississippi, where she worked with the Women and Children’s Health. She then joined the Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) program, where she managed 16 grantees over two years.

She graduated from Ithaca College with a B.S. in Public and Community Health, where she studied how to analyze the social, economic, and environmental factors that impact health and develop strategies to address key issues. She is excited to continue working through advocacy, education, and research with the Alliance.

Felicia Elizondo

Program & Operations Administrator

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Felicia joins The Alliance with more than 20 years of health care experience – 18 of those directly carried out in an organ transplant program. Throughout her time in transplant, she has served as a transplant financial coordinator, database administrator and transplant business office supervisor in both pediatric and adult kidney transplant, heart transplant and liver transplant programs. She has also been an active member of the Transplant Financial Coordinators Association. In her spare time, Felicia enjoys spending time with her family, fishing, coaching and serving on the board for a local youth organization in the San Antonio Area.

Laurie Santana

Program Assistant

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Laurie Santana joins The Alliance with almost 20 years of business experience. Holding an AS and BA from Johnson & Wales University (Providence), Laurie has served in leadership and administration roles for The Walt Disney Company, Disney Institute, and independently. She loves partnering with companies and non-profits focusing on leadership, customer service, and learning development. Non-profits and the healthcare industry are near and dear to Laurie; she is thrilled to offer her support and expertise to The Alliance team and their partners.

Janet Beckley

Communications & Creative Consultant

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

From multimedia presentations, print and digital design to environmental graphics and photo displays — from New York City to Athens, Georgia — Janet has worked for a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies, newspapers, non-profits, and universities using her experience and love of design to tell her client’s stories. She was named Georgia Illustrator of the Year by the Associated Press for her award-winning news designs at the Banner-Herald in Athens, Georgia and received a number of CASE awards during her 20-year career at the University of Georgia for print publications, environmental graphics and web design. Janet holds a BA in science education from the University of Connecticut and is currently enrolled in the graduate certificate program for non-profit leadership and management at the University of Georgia.

Hedi Aguiar

, RN, MSN

Founding Principal

- Fundamental Roots

Hedi was a critical care nurse for over 25 years, gathering experience in three different countries. After working as an ICU Educator, she transitioned into the organ, eye, and tissue donation field. She worked for two different Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs), initially as a coordinator and then in management. She then became the Senior Director of Programs for the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance, leading various national initiatives, councils and workgroups.

In 2018, she founded Fundamental Roots, offering speaking, consulting, and customized training on communication, human connection, trust building, cross-cultural fluency, and physician partnership for organizations nationwide.

(Fun Fact – she has lived in 7 different countries, this explains her ever changing accent!)

Brennan Fritts

Senior Operations and Communications Coordinator Intern

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Brennan Fritts, an incoming freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, plans to study Mathematical Economics. This is her second summer with the Alliance. She hopes to promote efficiency and connectivity with her technological expertise. She recently graduated from Midtown High School, where she was valedictorian and Editor in Chief of the school newspaper, the Southerner. In her free time, Brennan enjoys playing volleyball and spending time with her friends and family.

Natalie Hall

Educational and Collaborative Initiatives Intern

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Natalie Hall is a senior at Midtown high school, where she serves as Editor in Chief of the school newspaper, The Southerner, and as Student Body Class President. She joins the Alliance to support educational and collaborative initiatives, drawing on her experience leading a student publication and organization. Natalie plans to pursue a future in medicine and hopes this internship will deepen her understanding of the donation and transplant field. Outside of school, she plays and coaches soccer and enjoys balancing her leadership roles with these extracurriculars.

Vivian Xu

Health Policy & Communications Intern

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Vivian Xu is a Health Policy & Communications Intern at the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance. She is a rising sophomore at Cornell University majoring in Health Care Policy on the pre-med track. At the Alliance, she supports projects related to state organ donation legislation and educational resources. Vivian is passionate about the intersection of medicine and health policy and hopes to pursue a career in transplantation, with a particular interest in vascularized composite allotransplantation. She also aspires to contribute to health policies that improve equitable access to transplantation.

Lucia Olivera

Pediatric Transplant Program Data and Research Intern

- Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance

Lucia Olivera is a Pediatric Transplant Program Data and Research Intern at The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance. She is a second year at the University of Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. At the Alliance, she supports projects related to pediatric organ donation and transplantation by building research datasets and analyzing national transplant data into clear, usable insights. Lucia is passionate about pediatric healthcare and hopes to pursue a career in pediatric psychology in the future. In her free time, Lucia enjoys trying new coffee places and spending time with her friends and family.

Staff Directory

Meet our Team

Karri Hobson-Pape

Corey Bryant

Deanna Fenton

McKinley Walsh

Felicia Elizondo

Laurie Santana

Janet Beckley

Hedi Aguiar

Brennan Fritts

Natalie Hall

Vivian Xu

Lucia Olivera

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