LOPA

Earlier this week, Louisiana State University brought home first place in the National Organ Donation Awareness Competition at the PRSA ICON Conference! Our Baton Rouge Community Educator, Lori Steele, joined LSU’s Sadie Wilks, APR and alum Tori Termini in California to receive this remarkable award. This past April, five LSU PR/Campaign students, known as Paradigm Public Relations, hosted a full day of #MakingLifeHappen events across campus, increasing donor registrations and raising awareness. Special shoutout to Tori, Madeline, Collin, Broty, and Maddy for their outstanding work, and to Sadie Wilks for her continued partnership! Team Lead Tori shared that she worked so hard to spread awareness because her good friend, Aliye Ringe, is a donor hero. It’s a beautiful coincidence that they received the award on Aliye’s birthday.

Of course our Team LOPA staff are registered organ,tissue and eye donors! As an OPO, we’re passionate about our core purpose of #MakingLifeHappen starting with us!

This week, we hosted an internal ‘Skills Day’ for all of our staff across the state to come together, refresh skills, and gain valuable knowledge from different departments. With a fun ‘Around the World’ travel theme, we transformed our office into an airport, with each department/gate leading to a different destination! The theme reminds us that our journey of learning and growth never stops, helping us continue #MakingLifeHappen together.

We are accepting applications for a General Counsel and Compliance Officer. General Counsel and Compliance Officer If you are interested in a rewarding career with a core purpose of #MakingLifeHappen explore this opportunity and others at lopa.org/careers

Last week, our President & CEO, Brett Gordon, along with multiethnic community educators Kristie Gauthreaux and Shai Williams, attended the 32nd annual Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation conference in San Diego, where the theme was “Empower, Engage, Elevate: Fostering an Inclusive Donation and Transplantation Community”. Our team gained valuable tools and knowledge to enhance their expertise and further empower the diverse communities we serve throughout Louisiana. #MakingLifeHappen

Last week, the 2024 Trauma Symposium hosted by St. Tammany Health System was held at our main office. This daylong educational event for medical professionals featured insightful lectures, and a wide range of hands-on skills training. We are always delighted to connect with our healthcare community and contribute to their ongoing education and development. #MakingLifeHappen

For our staff, #MakingLifeHappen often means providing hope in the midst of tragedy for our donor families. We're proud to support and uplift those in need, turning loss into a legacy of love. A career at LOPA is truly rewarding. Visit lopa.org/careers to explore our job opportunities and apply.

Yesterday, we held our second quarter town hall meeting with staff from across the state. We kicked off with a moving message from Caprice Ieyoub, wife of donor hero Richard Ieyoub, who served as Attorney General for the state of Louisiana and played a pivotal role in establishing our Louisiana Donor Registry. We also had the pleasure of welcoming our new CEO, Brett Gordon. We’re excited to have his leadership and vision guiding us forward. While we eagerly welcome Brett, we must also extend our gratitude and appreciation to Diane Brockmeier for her dedicated service as interim CEO over the past several months.

We are proud to offer another opportunity for Louisiana residents to save lives! Yesterday Governor Jeff Landry signed SB 411 by Senator Caleb Kleinpeter, allowing people to join the Louisiana Donor Registry when they renew their hunting and fishing licenses. The legislation, referred to as Willie's Law, is named in honor of Willie McKenzie, who is currently waiting for a heart transplant. It was a pleasure to join Willie, his wife Emily, and their family in the signing ceremony yesterday. #MakingLifeHappen

Many of our employees have deep, personal connections to donation, fueling their passion for #MakingLifeHappen. We are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals on our team. Discover career opportunities with us at www.lopa.org/careers.