AOPO President’s Address: Meet the Moment

With gratitude, a powerful call to action, and a vision for the future, Jeff Trageser stepped into his role as AOPO President at the 2025 Annual Meeting ready to “meet the moment.”

Jeff, Executive Director of Lifesharing in San Diego, brings over 30 years of healthcare experience, including two decades on the front lines of the U.S. organ donation system, to his new role. As AOPO President and Chair of the Board, Jeff will drive innovation, lead efforts to save lives and guide the association toward achieving the national goal of 50,000 organs transplanted from deceased donors in 2026.

A Call to Leadership

Opening his President’s Address, Jeff invited attendees to step into leadership roles within AOPO.

“As daunting as it can seem at times, I am extremely honored to have this opportunity. I think there’s a lot of great things that have been done, and more that we can do. I hope I can do this role justice, as all the other Past Presidents have.”

He expressed appreciation to AOPO staff, past presidents, board and committee members, donor families, and community partners for their dedication and support in advancing AOPO’s mission to save lives.

A Career Shaped by Compassion

Jeff, a registered nurse with a Master of Science in Leadership from San Diego State University, has built a reputation for data-driven, patient-centered leadership. Under his direction, Lifesharing has achieved record growth through clinical excellence and strong community partnerships.

His path into donation began with an unexpected encounter in 2005.

“Jill Stinebring, an organ coordinator with Lifesharing, approached me in the ICU breakroom. She seemed to think I would be a good fit for Lifesharing. Apparently, I said things to a family that Jill thought were compassionate and helpful. And that I might make a good organ coordinator.”

That conversation set him on a remarkable journey in saving lives.

This Is Us

Reflecting on his early days in donation, Jeff painted a vivid picture:

“Back then, my role was to approach families for authorization. As well as managing the donor, managing all the new referrals coming in, allocating all the organs (over the phone), printing copies of the chart, obtaining x-ray films, rolling a TV on a cart into the OR to view the cardiac images on VHS, heading to a donor hospital in the middle of the night to provide an in service and review death records. All in the same 24-hour shift. And after all of that, we would go back to find the family of the donor to give them an update. We would sit with them to pray, hold hands, hug or just listen. Then we would drive home to get some rest before the next 24-hour shift. We have evolved a little since those days. I share this story, because this is us. This is the space we occupy as OPO staff.”

He noted how far the complex system has come, but reminded attendees that at its core, the work remains the same: helping people with end-stage organ failure get another shot at life.

“Look at this room. There are nearly a thousand people here. We’re a fraction of an army of people going out every single day on behalf of the recipients. And I know they appreciate us even if they don’t see us. And this is who we are. I’m so glad to be a part of this.”

What’s Next for Our Mission

Jeff highlighted AOPO’s ongoing work to lead, advocate, and improve:

• • • Committee & Task Force Engagement: 8 Committees, 4 Task Forces, and the Board, with more than 200+ members involved – volunteering their time –to share best practices and advance the mission.
    • National Advocacy: Leading voice of OPOs advocating for organ donation and transplantation with federal agencies and Congress, focused on system alignment, OPO performance measures, organ transportation “above the wing”, and implementation of automated electronic referrals nationwide.
    • Innovation in Practice: Maximizing opportunities for improvement through data-sharing and analysis, key performance indicators identified by the IMPACT program, and standardization in practices such as donation after circulatory death (DCD).

Stronger Together

Jeff closed with a challenge to all:

“When you’re asked to do something that might not be easy, step up. So, I’m going to ask each of you to consider that as well. Every day in your job, if you encounter a problem, some roadblock, step up. Be a leader. Even if that’s not your title, that’s what we all do. And AOPO is counting on all of you every day to step up and meet the moment.”

He emphasized the power of unity:

“Now I get to work with so many amazing leaders in the OPO community; people I looked up to all these years. We work with our hospitals to advance donation. We work with families in a time of crisis to advocate for those recipients. When we come together, we are so much stronger. Our voice is so much stronger, and our commonalities are way more powerful than anything that might be a little different between our OPOs. And that is our strength as an Association. I really want us all to remember that. What makes us strong is coming here, sharing and working out things together.”

And finally, a reminder that AOPO belongs to everyone:

“Sometimes people ask me, ‘What is AOPO?’ I reflect and I think about it, and really, AOPO is all of you. We are only as strong as all of you and your willingness to commit. So, I will ask each and every one of you once more, please. Step up. Volunteer your time, your expertise. We need you and we appreciate you all. And I just want to thank you once more for giving me this honor to serve.”

Thank you,
Jeff Trageser
AOPO President