ITASCA, Ill. (June 3, 2026) – Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is proud to announce President and CEO Harry E. Wilkins III MD, MHCM, FACS, has been named President-Elect of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) for the 2026–2027 term. Dr. Wilkins joins AOPO’s executive leadership team during a critical time for the nation’s organ donation and transplantation system, as organizations work to expand donation, strengthen public trust and navigate evolving healthcare and regulatory environments.
As President-Elect, Dr. Wilkins will help guide AOPO’s strategic priorities and support its mission to advance organ, eye and tissue donation nationwide. A nationally respected leader in donation and transplantation, Dr. Wilkins previously served as Medical Advisor to AOPO and led the organization’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Task Force, which established AOPO’s inaugural DEI committee.
“Dr. Wilkins has been a dedicated voice for organ donation and transplantation for many years,” said Steve Miller, Chief Executive Officer of AOPO. “We are incredibly proud to see him elected as AOPO President-Elect and know he will help guide the organization and the broader donation community through an important time for the future of the donation and transplant system.”
AOPO represents the nation’s organ procurement organizations (OPOs) and works to advance organ donation and transplantation by driving continual improvement of the donation process, collaborating with stakeholders and sharing successful practices with its member OPOs.
“I am honored to serve as President-Elect of AOPO and represent the dedicated professionals working every day to save and heal lives through donation,” said Dr. Wilkins. “Together, we will continue advancing innovation, strengthening collaboration and ensuring every opportunity for donation is realized for the patients and families we serve.”
A former trauma surgeon, Dr. Wilkins has decades of experience in organ donation and transplantation. He has served as President and CEO of Gift of Hope since 2020, providing overall leadership and guiding the organization’s mission to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation. Under his leadership, Gift of Hope has achieved multiple record-setting years in organ donation and transplantation, helping more patients receive life-saving transplants.
Prior to joining Gift of Hope, he held numerous clinical and leadership roles, including Medical Director for the Midwest Transplant Network in Kansas.
Dr. Wilkins was recognized with the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Medal of Honor for his work with the National Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative. Regionally, he was included on the 2022 Chicago Defender “Men of Excellence” list and named a 2023 Business Leader of Color by Chicago United.
Dr. Wilkins holds a Doctor of Medicine from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Master of Healthcare Management from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
About Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is the nonprofit organ procurement organization serving Illinois and northwest Indiana. As one of 55 OPOs nationwide, Gift of Hope partners with 180 hospitals and serves more than 12 million people. Since 1986, its work has saved more than 30,000 organ transplant recipients and improved hundreds of thousands more through tissue donation.