Published Feb. 2026
Philadelphia, PA – Thousands of Philadelphians are waiting for a life-saving transplant, the majority from communities of color. Working to address this urgent need, Gift of Life Donor Program is welcoming returning members of its Community Advisory Board (CAB) for a second term and announcing three new members who will help advance community-driven solutions to increase awareness about organ donation, transplant and health, reduce barriers and strengthen trust across Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Launched in April, National Donate Life Month, 2024 as part of Gift of Life’s 50th anniversary commemoration, the CAB was established to help decrease barriers to organ donation in Philadelphia – particularly in communities with high transplant waitlist needs and historically low donor registration rates. It plays a critical role in strengthening community trust and raising awareness about organ health, donation and transplantation.
More than 100,000 people in the U.S. are currently waiting for a transplant, and in Gift of Life’s region alone, nearly 4,500 children and adults need a lifesaving organ. In Philadelphia, Black residents represent more than 70 percent of the transplant waitlist, underscoring the urgent need for culturally responsive outreach and community-led engagement.
As they begin their second term, current CAB members will continue serving as trusted advisors: providing guidance, community perspective, and lived experience to help Gift of Life address misinformation and advance access to organ donation and transplantation. Members serve as volunteers for two-year terms, meeting regularly with ongoing communication and collaboration throughout the year.
“We launched the Community Advisory Board because listening to our communities — and acting on what we hear — is essential to saving lives,” said Richard D. Hasz Jr., MFS, CPTC, President and CEO of Gift of Life Donor Program. “Our CAB members bring lived experience, professional expertise and deep community roots in support of our mission, and their guidance is helping us break down longstanding barriers to donation. As we welcome new voices, we are reaffirming our commitment to advancing our vision of providing a second chance at life to every person – in every neighborhood – in need.”
Gift of Life is pleased to welcome the following new members to the Community Advisory Board:
Angela D. Brooks, FAICP
Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer, City of Philadelphia
Angela Brooks brings more than 25 years of experience in urban planning, affordable housing, and community development. A nationally recognized leader in housing policy and zoning reform, Brooks previously served as Director of the Illinois Office of the Corporation for Supportive Housing, spent a decade at the Chicago Housing Authority during the nation’s largest public housing redevelopment, and is the immediate past national president of the American Planning Association. A kidney donor herself, Brooks is a passionate advocate for increasing minority organ donors and believes stable, affordable housing is foundational to health and well-being.
Marie C. Sánchez Smith
North Philadelphia Resource Hub Supervisor, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
Marie Sánchez Smith brings more than 30 years of professional experience across public health, community engagement, emergency preparedness, higher education, clinical, and nonprofit settings. Currently serving as the North Philadelphia Resource Hub Supervisor for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, she is deeply committed to advancing health equity, immigrant and migrant health, food access, and culturally appropriate health education. Marie is a donor mother and a long-standing advocate for organ donation, bringing both professional and personal insight to the board.
Evon Burton
Associate Director of Consumer Marketing, Bristol Myers Squibb
Evon Burton joins the CAB with a strong background in health equity, consumer marketing, and community storytelling. A Philadelphia-based advocate for health literacy and the arts, Evon is committed to addressing systemic barriers to healthcare access in Black and Brown communities. “Organ donation is an act of community care,” Burton said. “It has the power to save lives and restore hope—and we all have a role to play.”
As the Community Advisory Board enters its next chapter, Gift of Life will continue expanding partnerships with young adults, faith leaders, public health professionals, and community advocates to strengthen education, understanding, and trust around organ donation and transplantation. Learn more about the CAB at donors1.org/communityboard.
Gift of Life Donor Program, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Philadelphia, is the federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) for the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware serving 11.3 million people. It works with 123 acute care hospitals and 12 transplant centers in its region, as well as hundreds of transplant centers throughout the country, to provide the most comprehensive array of services available in the U.S. to the donation and transplantation community. Thanks to the generosity of its community, Gift of Life has coordinated 15,586 donors and 43,108 organs for transplants, the most of any OPO in the country since the start of our national donation system in 1988. In addition, Gift of Life has coordinated more than two million tissue transplants. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and a tissue donor can improve the lives of 100 others. Learn more and sign up at donors1.org.