FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Puget Sound Blood Center Names Linauts, Geyer Executive Vice Presidents

New EVPs join Blood Center’s top management team

OCTOBER, 15 2007, SEATTLE — The evolution of one of the region’s most revered organizations continues at a brisk pace as Puget Sound Blood Center today named two new executive vice presidents: management veterans Sandy Linauts and Maria Elena Geyer.

The latest promotions closely follow last month’s announcement that D. Michael Strong, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief operating officer, will step down Oct. 31 after nearly twenty years at the Blood Center. With the new EVP title, Linauts and Geyer in November will team up to oversee the retiring Dr. Strong’s areas of responsibility.

In May 2005, both became vice presidents -- a newly-created position at the time -- and headed multi-department groups. Previously, they each served as department directors.

Puget Sound Blood Center President Richard B. Counts, M.D, noted that the elevation of Linauts and Geyer to the executive circle was a natural progression of their careers. “These promotions are well-deserved reflections of the outstanding achievements Sandy and Maria Elena have been responsible for – both individually and organizationally,” he said.

Sandy Linauts, MT(ASCP) SBB, oversees the laboratory functions of the Blood Center as EVP, Blood Service Laboratories. She is responsible for the Donor Testing Laboratory, Component Production Laboratory, Transfusion Service, Clinical Laboratory Services, and Transportation.

Over the past 30 years, Linauts has served in a variety of capacities at Puget Sound Blood Center, Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank, and the American Red Cross. After earning a B.S. in Medical Technology from Ohio State University, she joined the Blood Center for three years, and then returned in 1993. During her current 14-year tenure at the Blood Center, Linauts has overseen the implementation of lifesaving nucleic acid testing (NAT), bacterial screening, and new methodologies for infectious disease testing as well as for serology testing in Donor Testing and Transfusion Service laboratories.

Additionally, laboratories under Linauts’ oversight conduct clinical trials and independent research, serve as the reference laboratory for area hospitals, provide testing support for the area transplant programs, perform donor testing services for four other blood centers, are active in developing genomic testing methodology, and through the world’s largest centralized transfusion service, provide transfusion support to over 70 hospitals throughout Western Washington.

A member of AABB and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), Linauts has participated in various working groups and task forces for the America’s Blood Centers (ABC), is currently a member of the ABC SMT and Vendor/Supplier qualification committees, and has presented at ABC Technical Director’s and AABB meetings.

As EVP, Marketing and Community Relations, Maria Elena Geyer, E.M.B.A, is responsible for Puget Sound Blood Center’s overall marketing strategy and brand development, as well as oversight of Blood Collection Services, Communications, Donor & Volunteer Resources and Northwest Tissue Services.

In more than 18 years with the Blood Center, Geyer has successfully developed and implemented many key initiatives by applying proven research principles to donor recruitment and marketing strategies. Her innovative approaches have resulted in many awards, including the prestigious AABB Chapman-Franzmeier Memorial Award and Lectureship, which distinguished her as an exceptional leader in donor recruitment, and early this year, an honor as one of Northwest Asian Weekly’s “Women of Science.”

Geyer is actively involved in AABB (formerly America Association of Blood Banks) and ADRP (Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals), serving as board member and speaker. Recently, she delivered the keynote address at the Florida Association of Blood Banks.

About Puget Sound Blood Center
Puget Sound Blood Center is an independent, community-based blood center with a long and unique tradition of blending community volunteerism, medical science and research to improve patients’ lives. Patients with leukemia, cancer, burns, hemophilia and traumatic injuries depend on the breakthrough discoveries made by Blood Center scientists. Internationally recognized as a leader in transfusion medicine, the Blood Center operates the world's largest transfusion service, serves patients in more than 70 hospitals and clinics in 14 Western Washington counties and provides tissue and transplantation support to 185 hospitals across the Northwest.

If you have any questions please contact Michael Young at 206-292-6589 or pager 206-540-6189.

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