New York, NY - February 15, 2008: The New York Organ Donor Network, the nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization that serves the greater New York metropolitan area, and which marks its 30th anniversary this year, has approved the following slate of officers for a two-year term (2008 and 2009):

Peter Hutchings is the Donor Network's chairperson. He replaces Dale Distant, MD, the director of the division of transplantation at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, who will continue to serve as a Donor Network board member.

Mr. Hutchings, who joined the Donor Network board in 2003, retired at the end of 2001 as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Guardian Life, one of the largest mutual life insurance companies in the United States. He was also president and chief executive officer of Park Avenue Life Insurance Company, a reinsurance company wholly owned by Guardian, and its subsidiary companies. Mr. Hutchings joined Guardian Life in 1987.

Prior to that, Mr. Hutchings was a partner at Kwasha Lipton, at the time an independent benefit consulting firm that has since become part of Mellon Bank. Before joining Kwasha Lipton, Mr. Hutchings spent 10 years at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Greater New York, where he rose to the position of senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Jean Emond, MD replaces Mr. Hutchings as the board's vice-chairperson. Dr. Emond is the Thomas S. Zimmer Professor of Surgery, and the vice chairman and chief of transplantation at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. He previously served as the secretary of the Donor Network's board of directors. Dr. Emond's specialties include hepatobiliary surgery, liver transplantation in children and adults, and living donor liver transplantation.

Prior to joining New York Presbyterian, Dr. Emond was the director of pediatric liver transplantation at the University of California in San Francisco; a transplant surgeon at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco; and a consultant in liver transplantation at Northwestern University Medical Center and the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Sally J. Rogers will serve as board secretary. Ms. Rogers is the senior vice president for communications and development at the United Hospital Fund of New York. She has served as a Donor Network board member since January 2003, and she will continue to chair the agency's public and professional education committee of the board. Ms Rogers joined the United Hospital Fund in 1978 as coordinator of special events and public relations staff associate, and rose through the ranks to her current position.

The United Hospital Fund is a health services research and philanthropic organization whose mission is to shape positive change in health care for the people of New York.

Robert Markowitz will continue in the capacity of board treasurer. Mr. Markowitz is president emeritus of the FOJP Service Corporation, risk management advisors and insurance administrators for UJA-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies.

Mr. Markowitz joined FOJP in 1982. He retired in 2001. In that same year, he also retired as the president of HANYS Insurance Company, which provides excess medical malpractice insurance for physicians.

In addition to the executive board announcement, the New York Organ Donor Network has also named Milan Kinkhabwala, MD, FACS to its medical advisory board. Dr. Kinkhabwala is the chief of the division of transplantation and director of abdominal organ transplantation at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. Dr. Kinkhabwala joined Montefiore from New York Presbyterian Hospital in April 2007.