Matthew’s career in the organ donation field began at Indiana Donor Network, where he climbed the ladder from Organ Recovery Coordinator to Manager of Organ Services. He then moved on to Nevada Donor Network as the Vice President of Clinical Affairs, where he was responsible for northern Nevada operations, family services, hospital services, organ recovery, tissue recovery, the call center and the birth tissue program that he created. In December 2019, Matthew was named Life Connection of Ohio’s President &amp; CEO. In that role, Matthew leads Life Connection of Ohio’s efforts to serve families and save lives through organ donation.
Matthew earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Wright State University and a Master of Business Administration from Ohio University. He holds a certificate in health care management from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and a graduate certificate in human donation science from the University of Toledo – Health Science Campus. In 2021, Matthew was named one of Dayton Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Award winners, which honors the region’s brightest young business leaders whose demonstrated success make a profound difference in the community. In 2023, Matthew was named one of Dayton Business Journal&#8217;s Health Care Heroes, which recognizes leaders who make an impact on health care through their management skills, concern for patients, innovative programs, community engagement and service.
Matthew serves on the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation Board of Directors; the American Society of Transplantation Organ and Tissue Preservation Advisory Board; the Community Tissue Services Board of Directors; the Kettering-Moraine-Oakwood Chamber of Commerce; and the University of Toledo Masters in Transplantation and Donation Sciences Program Advisory Board.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve as the President and CEO of Life Connection of Ohio,” Matthew said. “Life Connection of Ohio’s designated service area covers my hometown, and I have a deep pride for the area that I grew up. I consider it an honor to be able to serve our community in this capacity.”

Matthew Wadsworth

Christi’s career in the organ donation field began at Indiana Donor Network, where she served as Vice President of Finance &amp; Administration. In 2021, Christi was named Life Connection of Ohio’s Chief Financial Officer. In that role, Christi provides strategic financial management, leadership and advisory services to meet organizational goals and maximize the resources required to save lives through organ donation. She leads the teams responsible for finance, human resources, information technology, and training and development.
Christi earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Purdue University and a Master of Professional Accountancy from Indiana University. She is a certified public accountant.
“I am passionate about working at Life Connection of Ohio because I believe the opportunity for organ donation and transplantation to radically evolve and save exponentially more lives exists,” Christi said. “The team at Life Connection of Ohio is the ideal combination of ingenuity, passion and tenacity required to achieve the incredibly important mission of saving and enhancing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.”

Christi Steinberg

Darren’s career in the organ donation field began at Indiana Donor Network, where he served as a Certified Procurement Transplant Coordinator. He then moved on to Nevada Donor Network, where he climbed the ladder from Manager of Organ Services to Director of Organ Services to Vice President of Clinical Affairs. In 2021, Darren joined Life Connection of Ohio. After transitioning from Life Connection of Ohio&#8217;s Chief Operating Officer to Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Darren was named Chief Clinical Officer in 2022. In that role, Darren provides leadership and vision for the teams privileged to maximize the gifts of organ donation, including clinical affairs and research, family services, hospital services, innovation, quality systems and recovery services.
Darren earned a Bachelor of Science in respiratory care from Boise State University and a Master of Business Administration from Ohio University.
“Life Connection of Ohio’s vision is to foster a community where everyone is inspired to donate life and each donation opportunity is fulfilled. I am so incredibly proud and inspired by the efforts of our community, our partners and the team at Life Connection of Ohio to provide such a critical and necessary service to those in need,” Darren said. “I am grateful to be surrounded by a team so passionately committed to honoring each precious gift from every heroic donor and donor family.”

Darren Lahrman

Kara began her career at Life Connection of Ohio in 2006 as a Community Relations Representative, where she focused on building the organization’s high school education program and community partnerships. In 2010, Kara was promoted to Director of Community Services. In that role, Kara oversees the Community Services Department, which is responsible for promoting the life-saving message of donation in the public and for providing donor family aftercare. Prior to her roles at Life Connection of Ohio, Kara worked as Staff Writer/Copy Editor/Designer/Photographer at The Crossroads Chronicle in North Carolina.
Kara earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, and she is pursuing a Master of Science in organizational leadership from Johns Hopkins University. She serves as Donate Life America State Team Leader; United Network for Organ Sharing’s Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award Selection Committee Member; Second Chance Trust Fund Advisory Committee Chair; Donate Life Ohio Past President and current Council Member; Team Ohio Transplant Athletics Board of Directors Secretary; and Donate Life Ohio Marketing/PR Committee Member.
Kara’s passion for Life Connection of Ohio’s mission resonates on a personal level. Her father, Harvey J. Steele, received a life-saving liver transplant, and her cousin, Michael Grady, and uncle, Ken Howard, gave the gifts of tissue donation.
“I have witnessed the power of donation as a donor family member and as a recipient family member. Those experiences feed my passion for my work at Life Connection of Ohio, where serving families and saving lives is always at the forefront,” Kara said. “My dad was gifted 20 additional years of life because someone said ‘yes’ to organ donation, so I blame him for my career in the best possible way. I am forever grateful for the donor hero and his family who allowed me to have those extra years with my dad.”

Kara Steele

Kate joined Life Connection of Ohio in 2021 as Manager of Family Services in the Dayton Regional Office. In that role, Kate managed the Family Services Department, which is responsible for offering the opportunity for donation to potential donor families and providing on-site support to families. Later in 2021, Kate was promoted to Director of Hospital Services. In that role, Kate oversees the Hospital Services Department, which is responsible for creating a positive culture for donation in hospitals. Prior to her roles at Life Connection of Ohio, Kate served as Nurse Manager of Miami Valley Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Intensive Care Unit.
Kate earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and a Master of Health Administration from Ohio University. She is a registered nurse and a certified critical care registered nurse.
“I enjoy supporting our community in a new way by inspiring others to save and enhance the lives of others by finding a light of hope during grief,” Kate said.

Kate Bagienski

Dave’s career in the organ donation field began at Indiana Donor Network, where he climbed the ladder from Organ Recovery Coordinator to Manager of Family Services. After his time in Indiana, Dave served as Regional Director of Clinical Services at New England Donor Services and then Director of Hospital Services at Tennessee Donor Services. In 2022, Dave joined Life Connection of Ohio as the Director of Family Services. In that role, Dave oversees the Family Services Department, which is responsible for offering the opportunity for donation to potential donor families.
Dave earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from MedTech College – Fort Wayne Campus and will soon be pursuing his Master of Business Administration.
“I am excited to join a top-tier team in their efforts to save lives while honoring and supporting donor heroes and their families,” Dave said.

Dave Mattox

Rachael’s career in the organ donation field began at Nevada Donor Network, where she climbed the ladder from Procurement Transplant Coordinator to Organ Services Supervisor to Manager of Organ Services. In 2021, Rachael was named Life Connection of Ohio’s Director of Innovation. In that role, Rachael oversees the Office of Innovation, which is responsible for translating ideas into reality.
Rachael earned a Bachelor of Arts in zoology from Miami University and a Master of Science in biomedical science from the University of Toledo. She is pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Ohio University.
“I am excited to be a part of Life Connection of Ohio because of the organization’s people, ideas and core values,” Rachael said.

Rachael Wulf

Lisa’s career in the organ donation field began at Nevada Donor Network, where she served as Quality Auditor. In 2020, Lisa was named Life Connection of Ohio’s Manager of Quality Systems, and in 2021, Lisa was promoted to Director of Quality Systems. In that role, Lisa oversees the Quality Systems Department, which is responsible for ensuring readiness for audits and regulatory inspections. Prior to her roles at Life Connection of Ohio and Nevada Donor Network, Lisa spent 20 years with the American Red Cross Blood Services, where she served as Director of Blood Collections in Illinois and Nevada.
Lisa earned a Bachelor of Science in clinical laboratory science from Illinois State University and a Master of Science in management and leadership from Western Governors University. Lisa is a certified quality auditor from the American Society for Quality.
“It is an honor to work for an organization where all of us are committed to the mission of Life Connection of Ohio,” Lisa said. “My passion for both the life-saving work of organ donation and integrating and teaching others about quality principles has led me to the fortunate position of being able to work in the service of saving and improving lives while sharing my knowledge and understanding of a system-wide organizational approach to quality.”

Lisa Mott

Melinda joined Life Connection of Ohio in 2021 as Director of Human Resources. In that role, Melinda oversees the Human Resources Department, which is responsible for maximizing the potential of Life Connection of Ohio staff. Prior to her role at Life Connection of Ohio, Melinda worked in the human resources field for more than 25 years with experience ranging from talent acquisition and employee engagement to benefits and performance management.
Melinda earned a Bachelor of Science in organizational studies and business administration from Northern Kentucky University and a Master of Science in organizational leadership from Mount St. Joseph University. She earned a professional human resources certification from the Human Resource Certification Institute and she is a Society for Human Resource Management certified professional.
“My team’s mission is to foster an environment where team members are provided with the resources and opportunities for continuous growth and development, which translates into an outstanding experience for those we serve in support of the organization’s mission to save and enhance as many lives as possible through organ, eye and tissue donation,” Melinda said.

Melinda Amrein

Sonja’s career in the donation field began at SightLife, where she served as Manager of Donor Operations. She then moved on to Nevada Donor Network, where she served as Director of Donation Services. In 2021, Sonja was named Life Connection of Ohio’s Director of Training and Development. In that role, Sonja oversees the Training and Development Department, which is responsible for collaboratively building, maintaining and supporting departmental training programs and organizational development programs.
Sonja earned a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Texas at El Paso, and she is pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Ohio University. She is a certified tissue banking specialist.
“Working in donation, we get to come to work and literally change lives every day,” Sonja said. “I’m incredibly excited to work at Life Connection of Ohio because this is a team that believes in harnessing our collective fire, passion and talent to change the entire landscape of donation strategy for the country. Our crew is here to do big things, save lives and have a lot of fun while doing it!”

Sonja Barlow

Amy’s career at Life Connection of Ohio began in 2008 as a Senior Accountant. In 2017, Amy was promoted to Director of Finance. In that role, Amy oversees the Finance Department, which is responsible for financial operations and organizational performance.
Amy earned a Bachelor of Science in individualized studies from the University of Toledo and an associate degree in accounting from Owens Technical College. She serves as The Foundation for the Science of Human Donation Treasurer.
“Life Connection of Ohio is continuously innovating to ensure organizational growth and to provide excellent service to the community. The organization truly values all donor heroes and their families, community partners and staff members,” Amy said. “The staff at Life Connection of Ohio is passionate about the organization’s mission and strive to achieve it every day. We have a hardworking team that works together to honor donors and their families for giving someone else a second chance at life.”

Amy Varner

Kevin joined Life Connection of Ohio in 2023 as the Director of IT. In that role, Kevin manages the IT Department, which is responsible for aligning technology initiatives with business goals. Prior to his role at Life Connection of Ohio, Kevin worked for more than 13 years in guiding IT strategy, operations and vision for high-profile healthcare organizations.
Kevin earned a Bachelor of Arts in organizational communication from Assumption College.
“I love helping organizations grow by supporting teams, developing strategic plans, and executing integrated IT solutions to achieve business goals. What’s most exciting about joining Life Connection of Ohio is that our business goals are so vitally important – saving, extending and enhancing lives. I understand how critical a robust and sophisticated IT Department is to the mission of saving lives, and it’s an honor to be brought in to lead this work. I bring IT experience from many industries, including leading large scale IT infrastructure and system integration work at a nationally ranked academic medical center. I look forward to learning from everyone in the organization about how IT can best support work at all levels and in all roles to achieve the mission of Life Connection of Ohio,” Kevin said.

Meet The Leadership Team