Leadership

Board of Trustees Chair Bill Gates brings decades of public and private sector experience to this governing leadership position. A distinguished public servant, Bill has been involved with public-sector leadership roles for many years while practicing law in Arizona and serving on numerous non-profit boards. Bill holds a B.S. from Drake University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

David Green, has more than 30 years of experience in the blood services industry. As president and CEO, Green is responsible for Vitalant’s overall organizational strategy and success in service to its mission. Before being named president & CEO in 2017, Green led Vitalant’s blood services division, was president and CEO of Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center and served in various leadership roles with the American Red Cross. He also served as chairperson of Blood Centers of America, and president of America’s Blood Centers and AABB. He is an Army veteran and received a bachelor’s degree from Knox College and a master's degree from Central Michigan University.

Mary Beth Bassett has worked in the blood services and health care industry for more than 40 years. As chief quality officer, Bassett is responsible for Vitalant’s quality and regulatory compliance program, helping to ensure the safest possible blood products for patients. Before joining Vitalant in 1996, Bassett was president of the Gateway Community Blood Program and CEO of the St. Louis American Red Cross National Testing Laboratory. She has also served as president of AABB. Bassett has a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from South Dakota State University and a medical technology degree from St. Joseph Hospital School of Medical Technology.

Anthony Bobos joined Vitalant in 2017 with more than 30 years of information technology and program implementation experience. Before joining Vitalant, he served in chief information, chief security and chief technology officer roles at multiple healthcare organizations where he oversaw strategic technology transformations. Bobos served in leadership roles at Aurora Diagnostics, Versiti, Click Commerce, Inc., Tribune Media Company and System Software Associates, Inc. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Joseph’s College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Katie Cobb joined Vitalant in 2024 and oversees fundraising and philanthropic activities. Leading a national team of fundraisers, financial contributions support the safety and sufficiency of the blood supply, development of novel biotherapies and specialized laboratory services, and cutting-edge research. Before joining Vitalant, Cobb was president of the Barrow Neurological Foundation and held executive leadership positions at Great Hearts Academies and the Phoenix Symphony, among others. She was named one of Arizona’s 50 Highest Ranking Women in Business by The Arizona Republic and 48 Intriguing Women of Arizona by the Arizona Historical Society. She is also past board chair of Xavier College Preparatory and currently serves on the Catholic Charities of Arizona board. Cobb received her bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University and graduated from The Women's Leadership Forum at Harvard Business School and Executive Education Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University.

Dirk Johnson joined Vitalant in 2016. As chief of staff, he provides executive leadership for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, leader and employee development, supply chain, facilities and special projects. Prior to this role, Johnson held executive leadership positions within operations and led Vitalant’s Southwest Division. Before joining Vitalant, Johnson held executive roles with QualTex Laboratories and BloodSource. He has also served as past president of the California Blood Banking Society, and board member for America’s Blood Centers and Blood Centers of America. He earned a bachelor's degree from California State University, Chico, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Maureen Musselman joined Vitalant in 2020, bringing more than 25 years of diverse financial leadership experience, including many years with American Express, and most recently in an executive leadership role with a large Phoenix-based nonprofit. As CFO, she directs the organization’s financial strategies and oversees the accounting and finance functions, risk management, and internal audit. Musselman holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School in New York.

Manuel Ocasio joined Vitalant in 2024, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in the healthcare industry. As chief people officer, Manny oversees human resources, organizational development and DEIB functions. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He's held senior HR executive roles in hospitals, health systems, and senior services organizations.

Bhavi Shah joined Vitalant in 2014 and oversees the legal, compliance and risk management departments for Vitalant and its affiliates. Shah provides counsel to the executives and governing boards regarding mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, strategy, employment practices, regulatory compliance, risk management, intellectual property and litigation. Before joining Vitalant, Shah served as assistant general counsel at Phoenix Children's Hospital, associate counsel at Cold Stone Creamery and worked at the law firm of Snell & Wilmer, LLP. She received her law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law and belongs to the American Health Lawyers Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Arizona Association of Corporate Counsel.

Rob Van Tuyle joined Vitalant in 2017. As chief operations officer, he is responsible for blood operations, laboratory and clinical services, and marketing and sales. Prior to this role, Van Tuyle was president of Vitalant’s blood services, led the West Division and served as CFO and then president and CEO of BloodSource. A certified public accountant, Van Tuyle has more than 25 years of experience in executive management, and serves on the boards of America’s Blood Centers and the International Plasma and Fractionation Association, among others. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Santa Clara.

Becky Cap joined Vitalant in 2024 and oversees the creation and growth of innovative service lines to support the development of novel biotherapeutics for patient care. As senior vice president, she is responsible for Vitalant's portfolio of services for biotherapy developers, including product sourcing, processing, storage and management. Prior to joining Vitalant, Becky held executive, research and consulting roles in the life sciences industry. Becky holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Boston University Graduate School of Management.

Steve Ferraiuolo joined Vitalant in 2017 and has more than 25 years of experience in the blood services industry. He's held leadership roles in all aspects of operations, acquiring a broad understanding and essential knowledge to impart at Vitalant. As senior vice president, he provides executive leadership and support for Vitalant's blood services divisions, blood component manufacturing and hospital services. Steve earned a master's degree in health administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor's degree in biology from Santa Clara University.

Cliff Numark joined Vitalant in 2019 and is responsible for corporate marketing and communications, blood donor outreach and blood collection processes, to ensure hospitals have the blood products they need to help patients. Prior to joining Vitalant, Cliff led blood services operations in local, regional and national roles for more than 16 years at the American Red Cross, after working in business consulting and public affairs. Cliff received a law degree from UC Berkeley, Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University, Master of Science from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, and Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Pomona College in Chemistry and Public Policy.