Executive Leadership

Joseph Ferreira

President & Chief Executive Officer

Joe Ferreira is a nationally and internationally recognized healthcare executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience in organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation. He is known for building high‑performing organizations in highly regulated healthcare environments and for advancing donation and transplant systems through innovation, operational excellence, and inclusive leadership. 

Ferreira serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Donor Network, a newly established multi‑state nonprofit enterprise overseeing organ procurement organizations, including Nevada Donor Network and South Florida Donor Network. Prior to the formation of The Donor Network, he served as President and CEO of Nevada Donor Network (NDN) beginning in April 2012. In that role, he led one of the most significant organizational and systemwide transformations in the organ procurement field. 

Under Ferreira’s leadership, Nevada Donor Network evolved from one of the lowest‑performing organ procurement organizations in the country into a nationally recognized leader in donation outcomes, regulatory performance, and organizational culture. He built a culture centered on accountability, transparency, and inclusion while aligning clinical excellence with operational discipline and long‑term strategy. 

While serving as CEO of Nevada Donor Network, Ferreira led the creation of several first‑of‑their‑kind initiatives to expand access to transplantation and strengthen Nevada’s healthcare infrastructure. He founded the Nevada Transplant Institute, a collaborative network established in partnership with Renown Regional Medical Center to bring the first kidney transplant services to Northern Nevada. He also initiated development of a Southern Nevada transplant clinic, designed to reduce travel burdens, costs, and barriers for patients and families who previously had to seek care out of state. 

Ferreira further guided the establishment of Nevada’s first tissue processor, the first on‑site infectious disease laboratory dedicated to donation and transplantation, and the first histology testing laboratory supporting donation, now undergoing certification to perform transplant‑level testing. He also led the development of the state’s first Donor Care Unit, currently under construction, representing a major advancement in honoring donors, improving clinical efficiency, and increasing lives saved. 

In 2019, while leading Nevada Donor Network, Ferreira founded the Nevada Donor Network Foundation and launched the $35 million “End the Wait” capital campaign, a bold, long‑term effort to expand in‑state donation and transplantation services. This initiative aims to increase organ, eye, and tissue recovery, provide more Nevadans access to lifesaving transplant care without leaving the state, and strengthen support for donors, recipients, and their families. 

Before joining Nevada Donor Network, Ferreira spent 14 years at the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency at the University of Miami, where he served as Director of Clinical Operations for seven years. His professional experience spans the full continuum of organ, eye, and tissue donation and recovery, including clinical operations, hospital partnerships, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. 

Ferreira has played a significant leadership role at the national level, serving as President of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) from 2020–2021 and later as Past President. He has also served as a Member‑at‑Large on AOPO’s Executive Committee, Chair of AOPO’s Procurement Council, and as the Inaugural Chair of AOPO’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. In addition, he has served as a Member-at-Large and on four committees within the OPTN/UNOS system.  

A Forbes Books® published author, Ferreira wrote Uncomfortable Inclusion: How to Build a Culture of High Performance in Life and Work, drawing on his experience leading organizational turnaround in healthcare. He is an internationally sought‑after speaker and consultant, advising organizations and governments on the development and improvement of organ donation and transplantation systems based on the U.S. model. 

Ferreira’s achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Kruger Award for Outstanding Professional Transplant Services from the Transplant Foundation in Miami. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology and an MBA with a specialization in Healthcare Administration and Policy, both from the University of Miami. 

Jason Mahfood

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Jason Mahfood is a healthcare finance executive with extensive experience leading financial strategies and operations across complex healthcare organizations. He is recognized for building sustainable financial models, strengthening governance, and aligning fiscal performance with long‑term organizational growth in highly regulated environments. 

Mahfood serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Donor Network, a newly established multi‑state nonprofit enterprise overseeing organ procurement organizations, including Nevada Donor Network and South Florida Donor Network. In this role, he leads enterprise‑wide financial strategy, including budgeting, forecasting, capital planning, and revenue management, with a focus on supporting operational integration and long‑term financial sustainability across regions. 

Prior to the formation of The Donor Network, Mahfood served as Chief Financial Officer of Nevada Donor Network (NDN) beginning in 2014 and was later promoted to Executive Vice President. He initially supported the organization as a member of its Governing Board, serving as Board Treasurer before transitioning into executive leadership.  

Mahfood plays a key role in strengthening the organization’s financial infrastructure and supporting sustained growth and operational expansion. His focus is on implementing best practices in financial management and aligning financial strategy with evolving organizational priorities in the organ procurement and transplantation field.  

Prior to joining Nevada Donor Network, Mahfood held senior financial leadership roles across multiple healthcare systems and hospitals. He served as Associate Vice President of Finance for the University of Miami Hospital, where he oversaw financial operations in a large academic medical center environment. He also served as Chief Financial Officer for Town and Country Hospital in Tampa and Wuesthoff Health System in Melbourne and directed financial operations as Assistant Controller and Controller for Capital Regional Medical Center and Coral Gables Hospital.  

Mahfood served as Finance Chair for the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) for two years, supporting financial strategy and collaboration across the organ procurement field.  

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Florida State University and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Tyre Gray

Chief Administrative Officer

Tyre L. Gray, Esq. is an executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across law, public policy, nonprofit management, and regulated industries. He has led organizations and advised clients through complex regulatory environments, with a track record of building coalitions, shaping policy, and advancing operational strategy at scale.

Gray serves as Chief Administrative and Legal Officer for The Donor Network, a multi-state operator of organ procurement organizations, including Nevada Donor Network and South Florida Donor Network. In this role, he oversees legal affairs, compliance, and enterprise strategy, helping guide initiatives that expand organ donation and transplantation. His work focuses on aligning regulatory requirements with operational performance, strengthening hospital and community partnerships, and supporting measurable improvements in donation systems across the regions served.

Previously, Gray was President and CEO of the Nevada Mining Association, where he became the first African American to lead a major statewide trade association in Nevada. As the chief spokesperson for a $14 billion industry employing more than 40,000 people, he directed government relations and public policy strategy, representing industry priorities before state and federal lawmakers and regulatory agencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he played an active role in Nevada’s 2020 special legislative sessions, advocating for the designation of mining as an essential industry, addressing taxation and economic stability measures, and coordinating with state officials to maintain operations while meeting public health requirements.

Earlier in his career, Gray practiced law at Fennemore Craig, P.C., where he represented Fortune 5, Fortune 100, and Fortune 500 companies in government affairs, regulatory compliance, and legislative strategy. His work involved direct engagement with local, state, and federal legislative bodies and regulatory agencies, with a focus on taxation, policy development, and coalition building in highly regulated sectors, particularly pharmacy, liquor distribution, and natural resources across the Western United States.

Gray began his career as an educator at an at-risk learning academy, an experience that informs his approach to leadership and public service. He later worked in hospitality and resort operations, including involvement in the opening of The Palms and roles with Caesars Palace, gaining operational experience in large-scale service environments.

He earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he graduated at the top of his class, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies, cum laude, from Purdue Global. He is admitted to practice law in California, Arizona, and Nevada, having passed all three bar examinations within a one-year period.

Gray’s connection to organ donation is personal. After being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in his mid-20s, he received a kidney transplant in 2012 through Nevada Donor Network, now part of The Donor Network. That experience informs his work to expand access to transplantation and support donors and recipients.

He has served on boards and committees including the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee, the Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow, and Opportunity Village.

A native of San Diego, Gray splits his time between Henderson, Nevada, and Miami, Florida, and is the father of two children.

Elizabeth Shaller

Chief Operating Officer

As the Chief Operating Officer , Elizabeth Shipman is responsible for overseeing, directing, and managing family, clinical, surgical and hospital services operations for the nonprofit organization. She has been leading NDN’s Organ Services team since 2021 as NDN’s Director of Organ Services.

As a native Floridian, she began her career in transplant at Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency in 2013. She found her passion for serving others through organ donation and transplantation. Shipman joined Miami Transplant Institute (MTI) in 2016 and continued to grow in her career advancing into management roles including the development of the in-house organ intake center and organ perfusion program at MTI.

Shipman serves on the Vascularized Composite Allograft Transplantation (VCA) Committee for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. She is also very involved within Region 5, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). 

Shipman obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Florida State University and a Master of Business Administration, specializing in Health Care Administration from Florida International University.

Miles Lanning

Chief Quality Officer

Miles Lanning is a healthcare quality and performance executive with more than two decades of experience in clinical quality systems, regulatory oversight, and operational performance improvement across highly regulated healthcare environments. He is recognized for building and sustaining robust quality‑ systems that support patient safety, regulatory readiness, and continuous improvement in organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation. 

Lanning serves as Chief Quality Officer of The Donor Network, a newly established multi‑state nonprofit enterprise overseeing organ procurement organizations, including Nevada Donor Network and South Florida Donor Network. In this role, he leads enterprise‑wide quality strategy, performance improvement, regulatory alignment, and risk management, with responsibility for ensuring consistent standards, accountability, and continuous improvement across regions. 

Prior to the formation of The Donor Network, Lanning held senior leadership roles at Nevada Donor Network (NDN), where he was responsible for advancing quality systems across clinical, laboratory, and operational functions. His leadership has focused on developing integrated performance improvement frameworks, strengthening regulatory relationships, and embedding quality as a core organizational discipline. 

Lanning began his career in healthcare as a paramedic in the Denver metropolitan area, an experience that shaped his commitment to patient care, safety, and service. Since 2004, he has specialized in quality assurance, regulatory oversight, and performance improvement within blood, tissue, and regulated donor testing environments, building deep expertise in compliance frameworks, laboratory systems, and industry standards. 

Throughout his career, Lanning has led the implementation and maintenance of comprehensive quality systems that support accreditation readiness, regulatory alignment, and operational performance. He has developed strong partnerships with regulatory bodies and industry organizations, ensuring that systems remain responsive to evolving standards and best practices. His work emphasizes alignment between quality expectations, clinical execution, and organizational outcomes to better serve donor families, healthcare partners, and transplant recipients. 

In addition to his operational responsibilities, Lanning is actively engaged in the broader donation and transplantation community, maintaining relationships across clinical, regulatory, and quality networks to support knowledge sharing and industry advancement. 

A Colorado native, Lanning holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology from the University of Colorado. 

Outside of his professional role, he is an avid cyclist and spends much of his time supporting his children’s activities and interests. 

Gordon Prouty

Foundation President

Gordon Prouty joined the Nevada Donor Network team as the Nevada Donor Network Foundation President in October 2024

Formerly the Vice President of Public Relations and Community Affairs at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, he oversaw media relations, publicity and community and government outreach for this iconic property, the home of Legendary Vegas Fun since 1969.

Gordon is active in the Las Vegas community as an emcee at various charity/awards events and has served as a board member for United Way of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas Business Academy, Cultural Diversity Foundation and most recently, Nevada Donor Network Foundation. He is also a member of the Vegas Chamber’s President Club, American Cancer Society’s CEO’s Against Cancer, Tech Impact Las Vegas Advisory Board and the Nevada Donor Network’s Gala committee.

Sara Levinson

Vice President of People, Culture + Development

Sara Levinson has been leading Nevada Donor Network’s (NDN) People, Culture + Development team since 2014 with oversight of the human resources, education and development functions. She started as the Director of Human Resources, and was promoted the Vice President of People, Culture + Development in 2023. Employee retention and a positive culture are two areas Levinson is most passionate about.

Prior to NDN, Levinson spent ten years in private medical practice and hospitals in employee relations and labor relations roles. Prior positions afforded her the opportunity to be involved in union contract negotiations for three hospitals and two separate unions.

Levinson still cheers on all Arizona State University teams as she graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in family and human development. She also holds two master’s degrees. One in human resources management and most recently, she earned her MBA through WGU-Nevada in 2019. Levinson also obtained her Professional in Human Resources from the HRCI in 2011, and her Senior Professional in Human Resources in 2020.

Levinson enjoys vacationing to any beach location with her husband and two younger children.

Leadership Roles:

2015-2016: AOPO Vice Chair -Human Resources Council

2016-2017: AOPO Chair – Human Resources Council

2020-2021: AOPO Annual Meeting Faculty

Current: AOPO Membership Committee Member

SHRM: 2010 Certification Vice President

Board Member of the Doral Academy of Nevada

Chris Johns

Vice President of Tissue Operations