Board of Trustees

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Chris Shay-Downer, MBA, BSN, RN, CCTC

Chris has been a transplant nurse for greater than 25 yrs. and is a  Nurse Clinical Analyst for CareDx.  She is an active ITNS and TRIO member, has spoken internationally, and is published on a variety of transplant topics.

Christine is currently in the role of Interim Transplant Administrator at University Hospitals Transplant Institute and enjoys being part of innovative new systems and processes to save more lives through transplantation.

Colleen Gerber 

Colleen has lived and breathed donation and transplantation for more than 35 years. As a young woman, she experienced kidney failure and dialysis, but was fortunate to receive a living kidney donation from her sister. Twenty years later, she required a second transplant and was surprised when a perfectly matched deceased donor became available. She has worked at Lifebanc, the area organ recovery agency for more than 24 years.   

Colleen holds a BA degree in Multimedia Communications and certification in Broadcast Communications. She has produced a local radio show for more than twenty years and is currently the host of the Lifebanc podcast, Let’s Talk About Life 

David Engeman

Dave is a heart transplant recipient who spent 6 months in the hospital prior to transplant on a Total Artificial Heart. After Transplant he spent another 3 months in rehab recovering from a difficult transplant. Dave feels that after receiving the gift of life that it is part of his mission as a transplant recipient to do all he can to bring awareness to Organ Donation and that Trio is a wonderful organization to forward that mission  He currently spend time spreading the word about Organ Transplantation by speaking at the local high school to provide awareness to sophomores before they apply for their drivers licenses. He also works with Life Connection of Ohio spreading the word at various events that they sponsor. Dave thinks his perspective on organ donation would bring a different voice to the organization. Dave is married to Rita and is the father of three daughters and grandfather of two. 

Sandra Purdue

Sandy is the manager of the heart and lung transplant programs as well as VAD program at University Hospitals.  She has been a transplant nurse for several years and has worked at Lifebanc as a Certified Procurement Transplant Coordinator as well as with those on their transplant journey at Cleveland Clinic and now UH.  She has cares for pediatric as well as adult individuals. She has also been involved with various quality improvement initiatives and is a resource for audits and surveys to assure hospital compliance with transplant regulations.  Sandy loves to spend time with her son, JC, and her dog, a white lab named Sport. They enjoy camping and spending time outdoors.

Lynda Corea PT, M.Ed

Lynda knows the joy of receiving and the bittersweet joy of giving. Her son, Mike, received a liver transplant at the age of 13. Nine years later, he was killed while riding his motorcycle. He became one of a handful of people in the U.S. to be an organ recipient and an organ donor. He donated his heart, lungs, corneas, skin, ligaments, tendons, and long bones. Mike’s passion became Lynda’s passion. Lynda volunteers for Lifebanc in several capacities. She has spoken for many organizations throughout the state of Ohio. When Mike passed, Lynda and her family established a scholarship fund at TRIO, awarding 14 $1,000 scholarships. They also established The Michael Allen Corea scholarship fund at Ohio State for organ recipients. 

Mary Penko

Mary is a liver transplant coordinator at University Hospitals and has been involved in transplantation for 29 years.  She has been on the Board of our local chapter of the International Transplant Nurses Society and a long-term volunteer for the American Liver Foundation serving on the Walk Committee, Team Captain for UH, and the Medical Advisory Committee.  On a personal note, Mary has 3 daughters and a cat!  

If elected, Mary plans to bring her experience to the TRIO Board because she has a passion for transplant, is excited to explore another local organization, and advocates to encourage patient involvement.

Melissa Zatek

Melissa has a master’s in nursing education and has been working in the transplant field for 15+ years.  She is a certified clinical transplant coordinator and certified case manager. She started her career at UPMC as a nurse on the abdominal transplant step down unit. Throughout her time as a transplant nurse, she has held transplant coordinator positions in intestinal transplant, pre-kidney transplant, post-kidney, and liver transplant at UPMC, OSU and UH. 

Melissa has also worked as a transplant case manager for an insurance care management company where she managed patients seeking bone marrow and solid organ transplants. Currently, Melissa is working as a pre/post-transplant coordinator for the pediatric liver and kidney transplant programs at UH.  Melissa is an active member of TRIO Greater Cleveland and was a participant on the Pre-Transplant Coordinator Panel for TRIO in October 2020.  . 

Pat Summers

Patricia Summers is the former Chairperson for the TRIO Akron/Canton Chapter, in addition to being a liver recipient. She spent many years on the board of the Akron/Canton Chapter and worked diligently to keep the chapter active. However, with a small membership, she had the forethought to initiate a merger with the Greater Cleveland Chapter.  Pat is a vital member of the board and we appreciate her dedication and discernment to better our chapter with her experience.

Kim Spohn, MSN RN CCTC 

is a visiting nurse and travels through Cleveland area  where she educates and cares for patients in their homes.  Kim was formerly a Post Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Coordinator at University Hospital Transplant Institute. Throughout Kim’s journey, she has interacted with families regarding end of life decisions and the option of organ donation as an ER and ICU nurse.  Later, as a care manager, she learned the importance of linking patients and families with community resources for support.  Kim has been an active volunteer with Kidney Foundation of Ohio (KFO) and served as Director of Nursing for the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a position she held for 15 years.  In these positions she gained experience with fundraising, recruitment, and community outreach.