Susan Gunderson, MHA

Chief Executive Officer

Susan Gunderson has served as the Chief Executive Officer of LifeSource, the Upper Midwest Organ Procurement Organization, Inc., since its inception in 1989. LifeSource is the federally designated organ procurement organization for Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and portions of western Wisconsin. LifeSource is also an AATB accredited tissue recovery agency.

Ms. Gunderson is a past president of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and has served as Treasurer and Board Director for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). In 2001 she was appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy G. Thompson, to the Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation. She serves on or has served on numerous other boards of national and state organizations including the Alliance for Organ Donation and Transplantation, the Minnesota Medical Foundation, the Gift of Life Institute Advisory Council and the Memorial Blood Centers. Since 1996 her international experience has included a faculty appointment with the University of Barcelona, Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) advanced international training course on transplant coordination. She has also served as a faculty member for the Organ Transplantation Breakthrough Collaborative.

Prior to her employment at LifeSource, Ms. Gunderson worked as an administrator at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She also has served as a consultant to the national health system in Sweden. Ms. Gunderson has an undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College and a Master of Health Services Administration from the University of Washington.