Leadership and Governance
Building capacity and vision
Memorial Blood Centers has been saving and sustaining lives since 1948 as an independent nonprofit blood center and is a vital community resource that provides quality blood and biomedical services to our customers and partners.
- Metro Advisory Board
Tom Whelan
Chair
Wheels Brewing CompanyRebecca Blaesing
Past Chair
VizientDamon Fitzgerald
Community LeaderSteve Heintze
Alpha Source, Inc.Phillip Kibort, M.D.
Children's Minnesota (retired)Timothy Kuck
Crest Healthcare SupplyErik Lindell
U.S. BancorpMadison Thelen
University of Minnesota, Class of 2021 - Northland Advisory Board
Gary L. Doty
Chair
Doty Development GroupDave Beattie
CenovusJames Cherveny
Senior Community RepresentativeSara Clark
Enbridge EnergyCarl Crawford
City of DuluthCourtney Edwards-Johnston
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community CollegeGreg Grell
WDSEMatt Harrold
Lamar AdvertisingJesse Hurtig
United HealthcareShelly 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 College - Leadership Profiles
Kathy Geist, MBA, Senior Executive Director
Bringing over two decades of experience in healthcare leadership and customer relations, Kathy oversees Midwest Operations for New York Blood Center Enterprises, including Innovative Blood Resources and its divisions, Memorial Blood Centers, Nebraska Community Blood Bank, and Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City. 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 serves as Medical Director for Memorial Blood Centers, Nebraska Community Blood Bank, and Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City. 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
Medical DirectorCheryl Warholoski
Director, Nebraska OperationsJen White
Director, Hospital Services