Day: January 23, 2024

What part of the organization and mission speaks most to you and why?

The Blood and Tissue Foundation and everything it supports has held our passion and support for the last fifteen years. 

We were initially drawn to the Foundation because of its initiatives and impact involving cord blood and stem cell research in our community. Cord blood is an invaluable resource for medical treatments and therapies. It is a proven treatment for more than 80 diseases, many of which we are so familiar with and touched by every day – cancer, immune system disorders, genetic conditions – and so many more. 

We wanted to learn and create awareness of what the Foundation has done with research and treatments and continue to gain knowledge of how we can help our community with fundraising and outreach efforts. 

What do you like to do?   

We love to spend time with our daughter, son-in-law and two wonderful grandchildren. We love to travel – mostly internationally – and learn about different countries, their culture, their food and wine, their history, and are grateful to travel with friends and family. 

What motivates you?    

Community needs motivate us.  We are involved in several non-profit agencies to support their missions and help whenever and wherever we can.   

Is there anything about your time on the board you would like to share? Most cherished moments, greatest accomplishments, something you are looking forward to? 

We have served in many areas of the Foundation – Membership, Champions for Charity, Red and White Ball, Executive Board, Foundation Chairs, Strategic Planning. We have enjoyed serving in all these areas and working with the most dedicated, passionate and wonderful Foundation members and Staff. 

Dear Board Members: 

Welcome to each of you and thank you for your time and commitment in agreeing to serve on the 2024 Blood & Tissue Center Foundation Board of Directors. 

2024 is a special year as we are celebrating 50 years of serving our South Texas communities through the South Texas Blood & Tissue organization. Our focus will be on how we move FORWARD by building a new, younger donor base to support the next 50 years of blood supply and delivery in the 48 counties we currently service.   

As we kick off the year there are a couple of housekeeping items:  

• Make sure your contact information for the pictorial directory is up to date and that you submit a photo to Adriana at adriana.vasquez@biobridgeglobal.org if you haven’t yet.  
• As board members, we ask that you join at least one committee. Mary Dial mailed a committee interest form a few weeks back. Please turn in your form or email Mary directly with your interest in joining a committee, project or program. Adriana will add this to the directory so we can better connect with each other and share our mission with our networks.  
• Brandi and Ryan Morkovsky are our 2024 Red & White Ball Chairs. Their enthusiasm and determination to make this year’s ball a success is infectious! Please consider joining one or more of the ball committees to help Brandi and Ryan achieve their desired success. 
• The need to increase our “social presence” continues to grow. Please be on the lookout for social posts or email info to share with your networks.  

In keeping with the theme of moving FORWARD, these are a few items we can all do to help increase our blood donation base as well as our financial base.  

• Review the 2024 Ways to Give list included in the 2024 Champions fore Charity Donation designation form in the January board meeting packet.   
• If possible, please make your financial commitments now through Champions Fore Charity – we receive an additional 7% of revenue, and donations through Champions increase opportunities for The Foundation to earn “bonus money” simply by driving donations through that program without any additional costs to The Foundation.   
• If you have contacts for possible philanthropic donations, please talk with Clay Howell about the best way to proceed. We are actively looking to broaden our financial donor base.  

Through your dedication and efforts, each of you have the ability to help us move FORWARD in making a significant impact on people’s lives and communities in which they live. Let’s move FORWARD in laying the groundwork for the next 50 years of South Texas Blood and Tissue success!  

With sincere appreciation,   

Elizabeth and Scott McMillian, 2024 Board Chairs