What makes your career in organ donation and transplantation special? What makes my career in organ donation and transplantation special is the opportunity to do work that directly impacts people at some of the most important moments in their lives. My background in public health is what led me here. I have always wanted to be part of improving health in communities, and organ donation is one of the most direct and meaningful ways to do that.
At its core, this field is about people, especially donor families who make incredibly selfless decisions during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Being able to honor those decisions and help represent them in my work is something I take seriously every day.
In my role, I work across the entire system, from organ procurement organizations to clinicians to national partners, while also helping tell the individual stories that bring this work to life. A big part of what I do is making complex, often misunderstood processes easier to understand. At a time when there is real confusion about how donation works, I see my role as helping people understand the process clearly and accurately and building trust through transparency.
Some of the work I am most proud of reflects that focus. I have helped build and enhance AOPO’s communications function to better support OPOs during both routine operations and high-pressure moments. I have also developed and led national initiatives focused on public education, member support, and creating meaningful opportunities to honor and engage donor families.
This work challenges you to balance accuracy with empathy every day. It requires clear thinking, but also compassion and the ability to listen. That is what makes it both challenging and meaningful. What makes this career special to me is that there are real people behind everything we do—people waiting, families giving, and lives that are changed because the system works. Being part of that has shaped and continues to motivate my career.
Jenny Daigle, MS, is a communications leader in the organ donation and transplantation community, serving as Director of Communications at the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO). She leads national communications strategy in support of 47 organ procurement organizations, strengthening public trust, advancing policy priorities, and elevating the voices of donor families, recipients, and frontline professionals.
Jenny has played a key role in modernizing and expanding AOPO’s communications function, building a comprehensive program spanning public affairs, media engagement, crisis communications, and national storytelling. She led AOPO’s rebranding efforts and founded AOPO’s Donor Remembrance Day, a national observance honoring donor heroes and their families. She has also served on the leadership team for the HRSA Workplace Partnership for Life DoNation Campaign and contributes through several advisory roles, including the Donate Life America Advisory Council and the ASAE Communications Professionals Advisory Council.
She was nominated for The Alliance 40 Under 40 by Steve Miller, CEO of AOPO. “Jenny doesn’t seek recognition; she seeks results. That’s precisely why she deserves to be recognized,” Miller wrote, describing her quiet, steady leadership and her ability to mobilize people and resources in response to any communications challenge.
