Technical Skills & Quality Assurance Workshop

Josh Galloway, CEBT, has been with Lions VisionGift since 2003 where he currently serves as the Vice President of Laboratory Services. Josh has trained surgeons and eye bank technicians from all over the world in EK processing. He is currently Chair of the Technician Education Committee, the Certification Board Chair, a faculty member of the Technician Education Seminar, and has been a primary and co-author on numerous presentations and articles.

Brian Hitt, MD, PhD, is an Instructor in the Behavioral Neurology section of UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics. He specializes in neurodegenerative diseases and conducts basic science and translational research aimed at better understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and developing new diagnostic techniques. Dr. Hitt earned his M.D. and Ph.D from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and completed his residency in Neurology and a fellowship in Behavioral Neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

Tina Livesay, CEBT, Chief Operating Officer at Saving Sight, has 28 years of experience in eye banking ranging from managing all aspects of recovery and lab operations to quality assurance. In her current role, she leads Saving Sight’s eye bank operations, focusing on improving organizational performance while building a team culture of excellence. Livesay is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University with a bachelors of science degree in Biology. 

Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT, is the Vice President of Logistics and Development and is responsible for the day to day logistical operations of both North and South Carolina. This includes the supervision and ongoing training of the Surgical Recovery Specialists who perform ocular tissue recoveries as well as the Professional Development Staff servicing the hospitals, Medical Examiners, Coroners and Funeral Homes of North and South Carolina. Ingrid served in the United States Army, HHC, 2nd Armored Division as the Commanding General’s Attendant. Prior to her career in eye banking she taught high school Spanish and English. Her degrees include MBA in Leadership, a BA in Psychology and a BS in Education. Currently, Ingrid serves on the EBAA Technician Education Committee and the Technician Education Seminar Staff

Troy Win’E, CEBT, is the Sr. Director of Recovery and Partner Relation at SightLife. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Cellular Molecular Biology from the University of Washington. Troy currently serves on the EBAA Technician Education Committee as Chair. 

Kristen Pereira, CEBT, CTBS, CQIA, CQA (ASQ), is the Manager of Quality & Compliance at the Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank and, has been a part of the organization's Quality Assurance Department for the past nine years. She has achieved a Bachelor's Degree in health care administration, along with the following certifications: Certified Tissue Bank Specialist (CTBS), Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT), Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA), and Certified Quality Auditor (CQA). She is involved in all aspects of quality; from implementing policies and procedures, to adverse reaction reporting, to handling various types of third party inspections.

Kristin Mathes, MA, started in eye banking in 2000 as a per diem recovery technician at Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank in Colorado. She spent a couple of years working for a medical device company before moving to Oregon and joining the Lions VisionGift team in 2008. At Lions VisionGift, she oversees the quality assurance and eligibility determination departments. Kristin earned her Master's in Science with a focus in regulatory science from Johns Hopkins University in 2018.