Agenda

Speakers

David Breedlove, ABLE Symposium Chair

David C. Breedlove is the Chief Executive Officer of United Tissue Network (UTN), a 501(c)(3) non-profit and AATB Accredited institution. With a BSE in Bioengineering and an MBA from Arizona State University, David founded UTN in September 2009 and has since led its growth in providing non-transplant tissue for medical research, education, and training. UTN operates two locations in Phoenix, AZ, and Tampa, FL. David previously managed cadaveric tissue recovery and distribution as Director of Laboratory Operations at Science Care. UTN operates two locations in Phoenix, AZ, and Tampa, FL. 

David is active in the Association for Bioskills Excellence (ABLE) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), and is committed to community service and global innovation in medical research and education.

Looking ahead, David envisions expanding UTN’s impact globally, enhancing technological integration in tissue management, and fostering collaborations that drive innovation in medical research and education. His unwavering commitment to excellence and his forward-thinking approach continue to set new benchmarks in the tissue banking and bioskills training industry

Kelley Bennett, ABLE President

Kelley is the Director of Clinical Partnership and Training& Education at GCMI. GCMI is a non-profit organization that accelerates the development of innovative medical products that improve quality based outcomes and delivery of healthcare for patients, through design & development, testing & training, and full life cycle product support. Kelley has 25+ years of experience in healthcare, research, and Bioskills. Experience includes 8 years at GCMI, 11 years in human transplant operations, 9 years as a surgical technologist and surgical first assistant, and 2 years in forensic science. Kelley holds a BS in Human Services Management (BSHS), a Diploma in Surgical Technology (CST), and a Certificate in tissue banking (CTBS) from AATB since 1996. She has been a member of ABLE since 2014 and serving on the ABLE board of directors since 2018.

Tonya Andrews, BS, CCFE, CTP, CGP

Tonya Andrews is a mental health therapist at The Counseling Den, a nationally certified counselor, a certified trauma professional, and a certified grief professional. She owns and founded Learning to Live Again, LLC, where she focuses on mental health education, organizational consultation, and program evaluation. Tonya holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University, where she is also nearing the completion of her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and works as a Professional Development Planner and a counseling faculty intern. Tonya is a proven educator, speaker, mental health advocate, and collaborative trainer in the healthcare industry with experience in organ and tissue donation. Tonya’s mission is to aid in identifying and preventing compassion fatigue and burnout of medical professionals while advocating for mental health access for all medical professionals, first responders, and veterans. 

Braxton Albritton

Braxton Albritton is the Vice President of Sales at Green Solutions Group. He is an alumnus of NC State University and spent 14 years at Globus Medical, where he was instrumental in starting the robotics program at Duke University. Under his leadership, Globus Medical became the largest vendor at the Duke Health System, growing from zero presence. Currently, Braxton is dedicated to making a global impact in medical education and surgical training with Green Solutions Group, which offers the most realistic cadaveric training modalities in the world. His mission is to eliminate the use of fresh frozen tissue and toxic chemicals in anatomy and surgical training labs worldwide.

Chris Lynch

Lifetime learner, sales leader, entrepreneur. 33 years as business problem solver and change agent. Believer in assessments; curious in discovery. Chris is an expert at uncovering the real problem and implementing the fix. Alignment, structure and communication are his code. CHRISLYNCH@CHRISJENNINGSGROUP. COM

Christina Strong, Esq., Dilworth Paxson LLP

Ms. Christina Strong is a health law partner at the law firm Dilworth Paxson, LLP, with offices in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware.  She is often engaged in issues surrounding organ, eye and tissue donation for transplant, education and research and has been closely involved in state and national law and policy development concerning anatomical donation and transplant. She was closely involved in the 2006 revision of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, as well as numerous other legislative and regulatory initiatives to save and enhance lives through "the gift of oneself". She is particularly interested in assisting anatomical donation, education and research organizations including nontransplant anatomic banks as they help to shape ethical public policy surrounding the altruistic gift of human bodies. A frequent speaker on legal and policy topics nationally, Ms. Strong endeavors to stimulate civil discussion on topics at the intersection of law, health care and bioethics. She has also taught at Rutgers University School of Law-Newark, as an Adjunct  Professor in Health Law. 

Dr. Aaron Ali

As a board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Aaron Ali has been in practice in the Austin area for over 20 years. He matriculated medical school in 2000 from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, TX and was then accepted into the anesthesiology residency program at Duke University from 2000-2004. He is the medical director of anesthesia for Pain Specialist of America and the CEO of Travis County Anesthesia Association. Dr. Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of MedtoMarket, Inc., a state-of-the-art medical innovation center with 37 bioskills stations, device design labs, and an event center. The ~32,000 SF facility located in southeast Austin has created a healthcare ecosystem leading to collaboration between academia, hospital systems, entrepreneurs and med-tech and med-device companies.

Over the last year, Dr. Ali has founded Life Tree Anatomical which is the first state approved Nontransplant Anatomical Donation Organization (NADO) in Texas. He serves as the chairperson for the newly formed State Anatomical Advisory Committee (SAAC) which serves to advise the Texas Funeral Services Commission on regulatory and policy formation for Texans who wish to donate their bodies to science. Dr. Ali served honorably in the United States Army Reserve with the 7th/6th Air Cavalry Apache Attack Helicopter Battalion for 6 years from 1990-96. He volunteers as a mentor for the M2M STEM program and a mentor for the Founders Institute of Texas. He currently resides in Austin, Texas with his family.

Robin Bozarth, A.A.S., CTBS

Robin Bozarth is a skilled medical professional with over 30 years’ experience within the industry.  Robin currently leads the Genesis Legacy Whole-Body Donation Foundation, as the Genesis Manager, for the Medical Education Research Institute (MERI).  She has held various leadership positions at the MERI, a nonprofit medical teaching institution/bioskills facility, since her start in 2003 after ten years’ service within orthopedic surgery.  Robin is committed to her profession and maintaining the highest levels of ethical responsibility within the non-transplant anatomical donation industry for medical education and research.
Robin was born in Memphis, TN and raised in DeSoto County, MS, where she graduated from Horn Lake High School.  Robin holds an Associates of Applied Science Degree and is a licensed Funeral Director in the State of TN.  She is a Certified Tissue Banking Specialist (CTBS) through the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) and CQA (Certified Quality Auditor) certified through the American Society of Quality (ASQ).  Robin is a professional member of many societies and involved in various community-based volunteer programs.  Robin is a proud mom to beautiful twin daughters and is blessed with three gorgeous grandchildren in her life.  Robin loves her family, her community and helping those around her.  Two rescue cats (Zoie and Cap) are lucky to have claimed Robin’s place as their own. 

Jessi Truett, BCBA

Jessi Truett is a board certified behavior analyst who fused her love for science and athletics to lead the Andrews Research & Education Foundation (AREF) as the Director of Research and Development. Jessi’s drive as a lifetime athlete brought her to AREF to further regenerative medicine innovations. She leads a cadaveric research and education laboratory for a team of orthopedic surgeons lead by Dr. James Andrews.

She applies her knowledge of behavior analysis to not only support AREF’s research efforts but also by serving as a professor at the University of West Florida’s Center for Behavior Analysis Graduate Program.

Jessi has been a member of ABLE since 2022. As a newcomer to the bioskills field in 2022, ABLE has been a fantastic resource to build her professional knowledge and share her experiences with others as they enter the Bioskills profession.

Amanda Varner

Amanda is an assistant researcher at Kansas University Medical Center. She previously engaged in a variety of research projects in a diverse number of labs from the Center for Neuroscience at New York University to the Trace Analysis KCPD Crime Lab in Kansas City. Currently she is assisting in bone cement research in orthopedic infection models to improve periprosthetic joint infection outcomes, as well as protocol development, experiment design and laboratory training of new researchers including graduate students, medical students, residents. Additionally, Amanda assists in coordinating and hosting Bioskills labs for orthopedic resident training workshops at KUMC.

Sherri Kohmuench

I am the lab manager at Paragon 28. I’ve enjoyed being in the medical field for over 15 years. Most recently in the bioskills laboratory realm with Paragon 28 since 2019, prior to coming on board I was with Science Care assisting in bioskills labs with numerous companies across the country. I have a passion for advancing medical education and research. My primary responsibilities include managing the Beast lab, as well as organizing and executing all off site labs utilizing cadaveric procedures for medical education, product development, and marketing. I work very closely with clinical, quality, engineering, marketing, total ankle replacement, and marketing materials departments. I strive to ensure that our lab is a world class training facility. At every lab it is my goal that surgeons walk away with a memorable educational experience.

Chris Bond

Chris Bond has been a part of the medical device industry for 32 years.  During that time, he has worked in marketing, sales force training, and medical education for spine surgery, ENT, orthopedic reconstruction, cranial neurosurgery, functional neurosurgery, and imaged guided surgery.  As an educator, he has spent over 400 days working in Bioskills labs helping surgeons learn new procedures, sales representatives support OR staff, and researchers develop solutions.  Chris is an advocate for the awareness of the donation process and the appreciation of the value that donation brings to society.  In 2018, his father contributed to the advancement of medicine through his gift of donation.

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