Colleen joined Versiti in 2010 and has worked in the field of organ and tissue donation since 2003. She has always had a passion for service and was called to organ donation more than 20 years ago while working as a critical care nurse at a Level I Trauma Center in Denver, Colorado. Colleen’s experience as a nurse, taking care of her first organ donor and his family, was a deeply impactful moment and inspired her to begin her career in organ and tissue donation. 

In this role, Colleen is responsible for the performance of Versiti’s tissue bank and organ procurement organization (OPO) in Wisconsin, which is one of 57 federally designated OPOs in the United States.  Versiti’s OPO is responsible for facilitating deceased organ and tissue donation within throughout eastern Wisconsin by supporting donor families through their grief and loss, coordinating the medical management of organ donors, allocating organs to transplant centers across the country, supporting our referring donor hospitals and medical examiners, and engaging our community to enhance awareness and support for organ and tissue donation.

Colleen earned her nursing degree at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Colleen serves on various national organ and tissue donation committees and advisory boards and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She grew up on a small farm in northern Wisconsin and still has a love of the outdoors. In her free time, Colleen enjoys the mental and physical challenge of ultramarathon trail running. Colleen lives in Wauwatosa, WI, with her husband Randy and their two teenagers.