CKF Ambassadors

Who are our Ambassadors?

Our CKF Ambassadors are members of the donation and transplant community from all walks of life and across the country. They are living donors, donor family members, transplant candidates and recipients, recipient family members, caregivers, and CKF supporters.

CKF Ambassadors want to make a difference for those on the transplant waitlist, new transplant recipients, and donor and recipient families. They also encourage others to become organ, eye, and tissue donors. Our Ambassadors all exemplify an excellent quality of life in their own unique way and have incredible stories to share.

What do our Ambassadors do?

Our Ambassadors work hard to promote organ, eye, and tissue donation and inspire those in the transplant community. Our Ambassadors are our volunteer leaders and participate in all our programs and initiatives.

You will often see them speak on our CKF Webinar Series, where we discuss everything not discussed regarding donation and transplantation. Our Ambassadors are also invited to speak at our Patient Ambassador Tours, where we visit transplant centers and hospitals and speak with transplant recipients, candidates, and their families to inspire them to achieve their greatness post-transplant.

We also ask our Ambassadors to represent the transplant community and CKF at events in their area and ask them to promote the mission whenever possible. Schools and colleges are also our priority to educate young people to become organ donors. We often receive requests from these schools and colleges to have a Ambassador speak to a class; we will then enlist the help of our local ambassadors.

Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors!

GOLD SPONSOR

To Be Confirmed

SILVER SPONSOR

To Be Confirmed

BRONZE SPONSOR

Kathy Poncy

In Memory Of
James H. Niewold

Two women and two young girls playing with pink balloons indoors.
Three men in a hospital room, one lying in bed and two sitting beside him, engaging in conversation. The patient appears to be happy and is making a fist bump with the man on the right.

How to become an Ambassador?

Applying to be an Ambassador is as simple as filling out the form below and our team will reach out with more information and the application. Our team will then review your application and get back to you shortly.

Two people, a man and a woman, smiling and posing with their arms around each other indoors. The man is wearing a white long-sleeve shirt and plaid pants, and the woman is wearing a dark jacket with a patterned blouse underneath, along with green bracelets.
A young boy in a hospital bed with a laptop, engaging in conversation with a man sitting nearby in a hospital room.

Why become an Ambassador?

The CKF Ambassador program is a great way to give back to the transplant community and support and guide others through the process. You can also help tackle the wait by educating individuals on the importance of the gift of life.

Meet the Team

  • A man with blond hair and glasses smiling while standing in front of an abstract painted wall. He is wearing a white dress shirt, yellow tie, and dark pants.

    Ryan Pope

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Birmingham, AL

    Story Coming Soon
  • A man in a suit and tie smiling at the camera standing in a modern building with brick walls, concrete columns, and hanging lights.

    Zach Brooks

    Two-Time Kidney Transplant Recipient

    Green Valley, AZ

    Click Here
  • A woman with sunglasses and a baseball cap smiling while holding a donation box in an outdoor patio area with red umbrellas and heaters, with a pink and white building in the background.

    Jessie Boyd

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Mesa, AZ

    Click Here
  • Woman in sunglasses climbing or crawling on rocky desert terrain in outdoor setting.

    Tracy Wingo

    Kidney Transplant Recipient

    Phoenix, AZ

    Click Here
  • Close-up of a smiling woman with blonde hair and red lipstick outdoors.

    Valen Keefer

    Kidney & Liver Transplant Recipient

    Auburn, CA

    Click Here
  • Older man with white hair, white beard, and glasses, wearing a tan fedora with black band and a light-colored shirt, outdoors with blurred trees in the background.

    Randall Stafford

    Two-Time Kidney Recipient

    Mill Valley, CA

    Click Here
  • A woman smiling outdoors on a mountain overlook with lake and forested hills in the background, wearing a pink knit hat, white fleece jacket, and sunglasses.

    Samantha Rick

    Two Time Double Lung Transplant Recipient

    Quincy, CA

    Click Here
  • A smiling woman with blonde, wavy hair outdoors, wearing a dark floral blouse.

    Denise Redeker

    Heart Transplant Recipient

    Petaluma, CA

    Click Here
  • A smiling middle-aged man and woman taking a selfie with a coastal landscape in the background, wearing sunglasses and outdoor clothing.

    Jim Redeker

    Caregiver

    Petaluma, CA

    Story Coming Soon
  • Smiling man wearing glasses and a blue shirt outdoors with trees in the background.

    Phil Shin

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    South Pasadena, CA

    Click Here
  • A man with short light brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a light purple dress shirt, smiling slightly, with movie posters blurred in the background.

    Jason Argent

    Transplant Recipient Family

    Aspen, CO

    Story Coming Soon
  • Man trail running on mountain ridge with scenic views of green mountains and a lake in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

    Zephan Fischl

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Boulder, CO

    Story Coming Soon
  • Woman standing happily in sand dunes with mountains and blue sky in the background, holding a water bottle and a hat.

    Inka Nisinbaum

    Lung & Liver Transplant Recipient

    Highlands Ranch, CO

    Click Here
  • A man taking a selfie on a mountain peak, with a rugged, rocky terrain in the foreground and distant mountain ranges under a clear blue sky in the background.

    Matthew Randle

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Parker, CO

    Click Here
  • A man and a girl in winter snow gear, smiling and giving a thumbs-up, standing outdoors in a snowy mountain ski area. The man is holding a snowboard and wearing a helmet and goggles, while the girl wears a bright green headband and a purple ski jacket.

    Sara Millard

    Kidney Transplant Recipient

    Pueblo, CO

    Click Here
  • Smiling young man wearing ski helmet and goggles outdoors in snow-covered mountains.

    Jack Marshall

    Living Kidney Donor

    Naples, FL

    Click Here
  • Woman sitting in a green and black golf cart with a dog wearing a green bandana.

    Sherrell Gay

    X2 Heart Transplant Recipient & Kidney Recipient

    Keysville, GA

    Click Here
  • A woman and a man stand outside holding a framed document, smiling at the camera. Behind them is a table with informational material and a banner promoting organ donation.

    Kelly Duren

    Donor Mother

    Meridian, ID

    Story Coming Soon
  • Group of five people, including children and adults, at a donation event for transplant games, holding signs with messages for their moms, inside a photo frame with event branding, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

    Debra Stiober

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Frankfort, IL

    Click Here
  • A woman dressed in a black tank top, denim shorts, tan cowboy boots, and a tiara is dancing with a man wearing a blue plaid shirt, black cowboy hat, black pants, and boots, on a dance floor.

    Brian Barakauskas

    Transplant Family

    Louisville, KY

    Story Coming Soon
  • A smiling man wearing a blue Nike t-shirt and watch, standing outdoors against a stone wall.

    Dave Galbenski

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Gross Pointe Shore, MI

    Click Here
  • A man in a gray suit and light blue shirt standing in front of a banner.

    Brian Martindale

    Living Kidney Donor

    Bay City, MI

    Story Coming Soon
  • A man running on a paved road during a trail race, wearing a yellow shirt, yellow shorts, a hydration pack, and a race bib number 109, with trees and greenery in the background.

    Jeremy Nicolosi

    Donor Family

    Norfolk, NE

    Story Coming Soon
  • A man with a bald head and mustache smiling outdoors in a backyard, wearing a beige checkered shirt. Behind him are trees, a wooden fence, and a house with a sloped roof and garage doors.

    Brian Hinsley

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Sanford, NC

    Click Here
  • A woman with blonde hair and glasses taking a selfie indoors, wearing a black hoodie with a white graphic design of lungs with a rose and roots inside.

    Terri Pilawa

    Las Vegas, NV

    Double Lung Recipient

    Click Here
  • A woman smiling, wearing a colorful patterned dress, with a button pinned to her dress showing a laughing man's face, standing against a plain light background.

    Tracy Copeland

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Reno, NV

    Click Here
  • A woman with black, curled hair, hazel eyes, and light skin, smiling at the camera. She is wearing a black and white patterned top and standing indoors.

    Jen Lentini

    Heart Transplant Recipient

    Hicksville, NY

    Click Here
  • A woman with short black hair, glasses, and hoop earrings holding a microphone and a smartphone, standing indoors with musical instruments in the background.

    Katrina Fountain

    Donor Mother

    New York, NY

    Click Here
  • A young woman with long dark hair wearing an off-the-shoulder mint green top, smiling, with a pinkish-purple background.

    Lauren Shields

    Heart Transplant Recipient

    Stony Point, NY

    Click Here
  • A smiling older woman and man taking a selfie together, both wearing matching black shirts and glasses, with a blue background.

    George Cecere

    Caregiver

    Centerville, OH

    Click Here
  • A man wearing glasses and a light blue donate life t-shirt stands in a baseball stadium, holding a baseball, and smiling at the camera. Behind him, other baseball players in orange jerseys are leaning on the railing, and there is a crowd of spectators in the stands.

    Pat McEntee

    Heart Transplant Recipient

    Dayton, OH

    Click Here
  • A woman with black hair and glasses speaking into a microphone on stage in a venue with musical instruments and stage lighting in the background.

    Maria Fernada Filizola

    Caregiver

    Portland, OR

    Click Here
  • Family of five at a baseball game, wearing red team shirts, posing in the stands with the field visible in the background.

    Patrick Brett

    Heart and Liver Transplant Recipient

    Blue Bell, PA

    Click Here
  • A man with a shaved head and beard smiling, holding a microphone, dressed in a beige blazer and a light blue checkered shirt, speaking at an event.

    Derek Fitzgerald

    Heart Transplant Recipient

    Philidelphia, PA

    Click Here
  • Smiling young woman with blonde hair wearing a blue USA jacket and multiple medals at an indoor sports event.

    Joelle Atkinson

    Liver & Two Time Kidney Transplant Recipient

    Pittsburgh, PA

    Click Here
  • Smiling man wearing glasses and a light blue polo shirt with a logo that reads 'LIFE,' standing outdoors in front of green trees.

    Bill Soloway

    Heart Transplant Recipient

    Yardley, PA

    Click Here
  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing large glasses, a blue top, and a necklace, smiling at the camera.

    Kaye Dorsey

    Donor Mother

    Enoree, SC

    Click Here
  • A young man with dark wavy hair and a light smile, wearing a plaid shirt, standing outdoors with greenery and a stone wall in the background.

    Jake Ragland

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Johnson City, TN

    Click Here
  • A smiling couple standing outdoors in a wooded area, with the woman in a green sweater and the man in a beige long-sleeve shirt, both facing the camera.

    Abby Gray

    Caregiver

    Houston, TX

    Click Here
  • Man surfing on a blue surfboard in the ocean under a cloudy sky.

    Eric "Ace" Barshinger

    Liver Transplant Recipient

    Leavenworth, WA

    Click Here
  • A man crossing the finish line of a race with arms raised in victory, holding trekking poles, wearing a white shirt, black shorts, and a blue vest, with a race bib number 369.

    Derek Lindstrom

    Heart Transplant Recipient

    Grafton, WI

    Click Here
  • Young man standing outdoors in a red Adidas shirt with green trees and grass in the background.

    Josh Gerrits

    Heart Transplant Recipient

    Madison, WI

    Click Here
  • Portrait of a woman with long, wavy brown hair wearing a red dress with ruffles and large gold earrings.

    Andrea Weisman

    Living Kidney Donor

    Pewaukee, WI

    Click Here
  • Smiling man and woman posing together outdoors, sunlight, greenery, and sheer curtains in the background.

    Lynn Scotch

    Living Kidney Donor

    Plover, WI

    Click Here
  • A middle-aged man with glasses, wearing a grey blazer and white shirt, smiling and holding a can of alcohol in a bar or restaurant setting.

    Mark Scotch

    Living Kidney and Liver Donor

    Plover, Wi

    Click Here
  • An older man with a white beard wearing a Santa hat, glasses, a gray t-shirt with green text that says 'LIVELIFEGIVELIFE,' and beige pants standing next to a decorated Christmas tree with colorful lights and ornaments.

    Jerry Brien

    Living Kidney Donor

    Kaukauna, WI

    Click Here
  • An elderly man with white hair and a beard, wearing a blue dress shirt and a patterned tie, standing outdoors with trees in the background.

    Jim Brien

    Kidney Transplant Recipient

    Wausaukee, WI

    Click Here
  • Smiling man wearing sunglasses and a beige hat holding a fishing rod with a fish he caught, on a boat with a forested shoreline in the background.

    Lee Casati

    Kidney Transplant Recipient

    West Bend, WI

    Click Here

Apply to be a CKF Ambassador

Complete the form below and a member of our team will reach out with more information and the application.

Request a CKF Ambassador to Speak

Please complete the form below, and a member of the CKF team will reach out to discuss the possibility of one of our Ambassadors speaking at your event.

Sponsor Our Ambassador Program!

There are opportunities to sponsor our Ambassador Program at Gold, Silver or Community Levels. Click the button below to learn about sponsorships.

Learn more