The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) has elected Richard D. Hasz, Jr., MFS, CPTC, to its Board of Directors. Hasz is the President and CEO of the Gift of Life Donor Program, one of the oldest and largest organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States. Elected in November to a three-year term, Hasz brings decades of experience in the organ and tissue donation field to the Board.

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Rick Hasz, Jr. (Photo: Business Wire)

“It is a privilege to welcome Rick as a member of the NDRI Board of Directors,” says Bill Leinweber, President and CEO of NDRI. “He is a respected member of the OPO community, with more than 30 years of life-saving work in the industry. Rick has also played a vital role in NDRI’s work on a variety of NIH-supported complex research initiatives. We look forward to working with him as a Board Member.”

Hasz, who joined Gift of Life in 1993, is nationally respected for his expertise in organ donation and transplantation. As Gift of Life President and CEO he oversees clinical operations for one of the most active OPOs in the U.S., setting standards for best practices resulting in some of the most successful donation and transplant outcomes in the nation. Hasz has spearheaded strong, innovative partnerships throughout the Gift of Life network and with medical leaders across the country. He became Gift of Life president and CEO in 2022, continuing the program’s long history of leadership and excellence.

“Gift of Life has championed medical research from the start of our program 50 years ago and we have proudly partnered with NDRI since it began in 1980. NDRI has enabled us to provide donors and their families with the opportunity to create a lasting legacy through research and medical innovations that can benefit countless others. After collaborating with NDRI throughout my career, I look forward to expanding my contributions as a board member to advance its vital research mission,” says Hasz.

For years, Hasz has continued to provide valuable input as a member of many national donation and transplant organizations and committees. He serves on the boards of the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance and the Association for Organ Procurement Organizations. Hasz is a member of the OPTN Membership and Professional Standards Committee. In addition, he is a National Faculty Member of the CMS/HRSA End Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Learning Collaborative.

Dr. Mary J.C. Hendrix, Ph.D., Chair of the NDRI Board and President of Shepherd University, shared, “We are thrilled to welcome Rick to the NDRI Board of Directors. His deep understanding of organ and tissue donation and the organizations that facilitate this important work will enhance our mission and provide real benefit to our nationwide network of researchers, donors, and sites.”

About NDRI

NDRI is the nation’s leading source of human tissues, cells and organs for scientific research. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1980, NDRI is funded in part by the NIH, public and private foundations and organizations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporations. NDRI is a 24/7 operation that partners with a nationwide network of over 130 tissue source sites, including organ procurement organizations, tissue banks, eye banks, and hospitals. As the liaison between procurement sources and researchers, NDRI supports breakthrough discoveries that can advance the treatment and cure of human diseases.

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