Leadership and Governance
Building capacity and vision
Memorial Blood Centers (MBC) is a division of New York Blood Center, Inc. a not-for-profit corporation, and with world-renowned physician-scientists backed up by a stellar support network.
NYBC, along with its operating divisions Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Missouri (CBC), Innovative Blood Resources (IBR), Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD), and Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC), collect approximately 4,000 units of blood products each day and serve local communities of more than 75 million people in the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT), Mid Atlantic area (PA, DE, MD, VA), Missouri and Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Southern New England. NYBC and its operating divisions also provide a wide array of transfusion-related medical services to over 500 hospitals nationally, including Comprehensive Cell Solutions, the National Center for Blood Group Genomics, the National Cord Blood Program, and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, which — among other milestones — developed a practical screening method for hepatitis B as well as a safe, effective and affordable vaccine, and a patented solvent detergent plasma process innovating blood-purification technology worldwide.
MBC has been saving and sustaining lives since 1948 as an independent nonprofit blood center. In 2016, Innovative Blood Resources (IBR) formed strategic partnerships with New York Blood Center (NYBC) to create one of the nation’s leading blood centers, serving patients in the Northeast, Midwest, and nationally. Memorial Blood Centers, a division of IBR, will continue to build its local connections as a vital community resource that provides quality blood and biomedical services to our customers and partners.
Leadership
- Board of Directors, Innovative Blood Resources
Mark Schmidtlein
Chair
American Walnut CompanyAndrew Detlefsen
Wells Fargo BankChristopher Hillyer, M.D.
New York Blood CenterTimothy Kuck
Crest Healthcare SupplyScott Lynch
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MinnesotaElizabeth McQuail
New York Blood CenterRobert Schwartz
Beth Shaz, M.D.
New York Blood Center - Metro Advisory Board
Tom Whelan
Chair
Wheels Brewing CompanyRebecca Blaesing
VizientDamon Fitzgerald
Community LeaderSteve Heintze
Alpha Source, Inc.Phillip Kibort, M.D.
Children's Minnesota (retired)Timothy Kuck
Crest Healthcare SupplyErik Lindell
U.S. BancorpDeb Rodahl
M Health FairviewMadison Thelen
University of Minnesota, Class of 2021 - Northland Advisory Board
Gary L. Doty
Chair
Doty Development GroupJames Cherveny
Essentia Health System (retired)Sara Clark
Enbridge EnergyCarl Crawford
City of DuluthCourtney Edwards-Johnston
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community CollegeGreg Grell
WDSEMatt Harrold
Lamar AdvertisingJesse Hurtig
UnitedHealthCareMary Matlack
St. Luke’s HospitalShelly Moen
Essentia HealthJustin Pederson
Minnesota Judicial BranchGina Pudlick
University of Minnesota-DuluthBrandon Skaudis
Minnesota PowerStephanie Sklors
The College of St. ScholasticaGayle Taylor
LHBKeith Turner
Lake Superior CollegeRobert Unzen
Lake Superior Consulting - Leadership Profiles
Kathy Geist, MBA, Senior Executive Director
Bringing over two decades of experience in healthcare leadership and customer relations, Kathy oversees operations for Innovative Blood Resources and its divisions, Memorial Blood Centers and Nebraska Community Blood Bank. With a background in managing recruitment efforts, effectively maintaining lean processes, and forging collaborative relationships, her focus is on growing our presence in the community while expanding partnerships with businesses and organizations. She aims to ensure a positive experience for all who sponsor blood drives and donate at blood drives in the community. Kathy previously served as Director of Hospital Services for LifeSource, and held leadership roles with Hu-Friedy and Baxter Healthcare.Jed Gorlin, MD, MBA, Medical Director and Vice President, Medical and Quality Affairs
A leading authority in transfusion medicine, Dr. Jed Gorlin oversees Quality and Regulatory Affairs and Physician Services, provides medical education and transfusion support to hospital partners, and carries the organization’s mission and expertise to national blood centers, worldwide healthcare organizations, and prospective hospital and laboratory clients. He also serves as Medical Director of both Memorial Blood Centers and Nebraska Community Blood Bank, divisions of Innovative Blood Resources. In addition, he acts as a consultant for the Minnesota Department of Health and is Co-director of Transfusion Medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center and Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.Previously on the boards of AABB and the National Blood Foundation, Dr. Gorlin has been a consultant to AABB-PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) projects in Rwanda and Tanzania and to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on national blood development programs in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. He also has presented on a variety of topics in Armenia, Peru, China, and Korea.
Dr. Gorlin was formerly acting medical director for transfusion services at Children’s Hospital in Boston where he held various positions at Children’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Board certified in pediatrics, and blood banking and transfusion medicine, he received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, a doctor of medicine degree from Yale University, and a M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business.
Mark Janzen, Ph.D., Vice President, Laboratory Services
A member of the organization since 2003, Dr. Janzen is responsible for donor testing, manufacturing, and the organization’s industry-leading Immunohematology Reference Laboratory. Over his tenure, Janzen has overseen the redesign and relocation of the organization’s advanced testing laboratories, the transition to automated testing equipment, and the upgrade of the laboratory information systems. Prior to joining Memorial Blood Centers, he was with the National Marrow Donor Program. - Key Management
Wendy Capetz
Director, Marketing and DevelopmentAngela Engblom
Senior Manager, Duluth OperationsLindsey Garfield
Director, Component LaboratoryAelgifa Kehr
Senior Manager, Donor TestingKendra Reynolds
Director, Quality and Regulatory AffairsRick Teeter
Director, Finance and ControllerNancy Van Buren, MD
Associate Medical DirectorCheryl Warholoski
Director, Nebraska OperationsJen White
Director, Hospital Services