Melissa McQueen is Executive Director of Transplant Families who works with parents and caregivers of children being listed for or already have received a lifesaving organ transplant to help guide them to support, education, and assistance to help them through this very difficult time.

Melissa believes that education and support bring hope and healing for families.   She is honored to volunteer with the OPTN/UNOS in their Pediatric Committee and their Data Advisory Committee where she helped co-author “What Every Parent Needs to Know”.  She has also been selected as leadership with Quality Improvement Collaboratives ACTION Learning Network (pediatric cardiac QI based out of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital) and Starzl Learning Network (pediatric liver QI based out of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) to give input and help co-create materials for clinicians and families.  She worked on the spearheading committee that helped Donate Life America create National Pediatric Transplant Week (every year on the last week of every April).  She is the charter chair of the Heart Center Family Advisory Council and Alumni Family Advisory Council at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.   She is proud volunteer and editor of the newsletter for Transplant Community Alliance.

Melissa is a trained developer/engineer by trade who has worked at companies such as Honeywell – Aeronautics Division, APS, Wells Fargo, and Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  Most recently, she helped to develop “My journey with” applications covering patient education from diabetes to transplant for newly diagnosed families.  Melissa holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University.

When Melissa is not working, she loves hiking and traveling with her college sweetheart and husband, Brandon, and spending time with their three beautiful children: Alex, Maddie, and Dylan.  Dylan received his gift of life (heart) at 8 months old and is now a healthy and happy 12-year-old.