The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance, also known as ‘The Alliance,’ just announced their Class of 2026 40 Under 40 honorees! We are beyond proud to recognize that Nevada Donor Network’s Advanced Practice Clinician, Kelsi Kolle (AGACNP), made this year’s list. This recognition celebrates rising professionals who are shaping the future of organ donation and transplantation through innovation, leadership and a steadfast commitment to our shared mission to save lives. Kelsi’s work stood out to The Alliance’s adjudication committee who felt that Kelsi’s efforts illustrated a measurable impact and she also made meaningful contributions to the national community of practice. You can find all of the honorees here!
Kelsi is an acute care nurse practitioner who has dedicated more than seven years to organ donation and transplantation at Nevada Donor Network. Early in her nursing career, she cared for patients with end-stage liver disease and saw, up close, what the waitlist really meant. Kelsi’s experience during this time in her career ignited a relentless commitment to shifting the narrative around donation from ‘why’ to ‘why not.’ In 2023, Kelsi identified a critical gap in clinical practice support and proposed the novel role she now occupies as Nevada Donor Network’s first advanced practice clinician. Kelsi built the program from the ground up, and the team now includes four advanced practice clinicians, with Kelsi at the helm of future innovation. Known for her strong clinical judgment in complex donor management and advanced expertise in heart and lung optimization, Kelsi has helped drive increased organs transplanted per donor and lung utilization rates above 34 percent. She serves on the American Board for Transplant Certification exam-writing committee, the OPTN Region Five planning committee and actively mentors emerging professionals. Kelsi was nominated for The Alliance 40 Under 40 by Nevada Donor Network’s Manager of Quality and Regulatory Affairs, Angela Borror. Angela described Kelsi’s deep commitment to maximizing every gift including an example where Kelsi personally boarded a plane to transport an organ across the country. This is one small example of Kelsi’s tireless advocacy for accountability, outcomes and quality.
We thought this would be a perfect time to interview Kelsi more formally so you can get to know someone who exemplifies Nevada Donor Network’s unique culture.
1. Tell us more about your career and what led you to decide to work with the Nevada Donor Network team.
“I grew up in the beautiful state of Minnesota. In 2016, I earned my Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Marquette University. Eager to explore the West Coast, I moved out to Las Vegas to launch my career, eventually landing in a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) that specialized in the care of end-stage liver failure patients. Many of these patients were on the National Organ Transplant Waiting List, and it was easy to grow close to those who spent the rest of their lives on our unit hoping for that second chance. Two years into my nursing career, a good friend called and told me he had found the best job in the world as a Procurement Transplant Coordinator for Nevada Donor Network. I took his advice, and I am thankful every day that I did. He was right… This is the best job in the world!”
2. How do you feel about being able to serve Nevada Donor Network’s mission each day?
“Serving Nevada Donor Network’s mission each day can only be described as relentless, selfless and joyful. The hard days fuel my relentless spirit by pushing me to keep raising the standard of care provided to our heroic donors. I have dedicated my life to this work, but I could not sustain that commitment without the joy I share with my colleagues, both here at Nevada Donor Network and across the nation in the donation and transplantation field. Every day, serving this mission leaves me feeling inspired, renewed and certain this is exactly where I am meant to be.”
3. Share a memory which reminded you in that moment of the power of serving this mission.
“One story I will never forget involved caring for a heroic donor and their family under the added pressure of time. With recovery just hours away, we still had not found grateful recipients for their heart, liver and lungs. As a last thread of hope, I reached out to Transmedics. With the help of pump technology in the operating room, this gave us the ability to extend timing to find the perfect matches. The greatest challenge, however, was securing the equipment and specialized staff it took to manage the pump technology. Transmedics agreed to provide the resources for the liver pump despite the liver not yet having a confirmed recipient. I was elated, but then I thought, how about their heart and lungs as well? We made countless calls with Nevada Donor Network partners, perfusionists, surgeons and more. Ultimately, we made it happen and five lives were saved that day. This experience taught me the true power of serving this mission does not come from one individual. It comes from heroic donors and their courageous families, hospital partners, operating room staff, specialists, transplant surgeons, etc. working through the night to make life possible for those who desperately need a second chance. It is also a reminder that every life saved is the result of an entire network choosing to never stop searching for a way to say ‘YES.’”
4. What would you say to someone who is thinking about following your career footsteps?
“This truly is the best career in the world. My advice would be to come in with a big heart, stay adaptable to change and never lose your eagerness to ask questions. Always be ready to challenge the status quo. During your journey, give yourself grace when you make mistakes and learn from them. Do not be afraid to have a little fun along the way. I encourage you to approach this field with that mindset, and you will not just succeed, but you will thrive.”
5. How does registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor impact the lives of others?
“Registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor is one of the most selfless decisions a person can make. It's the gift of a second chance; often the gift of life itself. One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance over 75 more through tissue and eye donation, touching families and communities in ways that ripple far beyond the person who said yes. I've watched firsthand how a single “yes” can transform a family's deepest tragedy into someone else's miracle, whether that's a mother watching her child grow up or a brother seeing the world again after years of darkness. It's a legacy that outlives us, carried forward in the heartbeat, breath, and sight of strangers who become forever connected to that donor's story. Registering takes only a few minutes, but its impact lasts a lifetime.”
Are you inspired by Kelsi’s achievements? Would you like to give back to our mission through your career? Join us by applying here!