4 honored as 2023 Champions of Donation by Indiana Donor Network Foundation
March 13, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS – Three individuals – including a state senator, educator and physician – plus a state association have been named Champions of Donation in 2023 by the Indiana Donor Network Foundation.
The honors were presented at Indiana Donor Network’s annual Angel Fund Gala on March 3 at the Biltwell Event Center in downtown Indianapolis.
The gala is the foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year to support the organization’s Angel Fund, which provides financial assistance for organ transplant recipients and support services for children and families of organ donor heroes.
This year’s honorees were Indiana Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen), Kathy Langdon of Indianapolis Public Schools, Dr. Luke White of Beacon Health Systems in South Bend and the Indiana Funeral Directors Association.
Indiana Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen)
Indiana Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen) represents portions of Elkhart and Kosciusko counties. Elected in 2016, he serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Pensions and Labor and as a member of the Senate committees on agriculture, commerce and technology, homeland security and transportation, natural resources, utilities, and veterans affairs and the military.
Doriot earned a bachelor’s degree in construction from Purdue University and is the owner of B. Doriot and Associates Land Surveying. He is also a Casa Elkhart County Caps member and a past grand knight for the Knights of Columbus.
He co-authored a bill that requires the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to ask all hunters, anglers and trappers applying for their licenses if they wish to become organ donors. In 2020, that bill was signed into law, resulting in more than 1,200 Hoosiers registering to become organ donors.
Kathy Langdon
Kathy Langdon is the district coach for physical education and health and wellness for Indianapolis Public Schools. Langdon is also an online educator for Indiana Online Academy for Health. She has led the updating of the federal wellness policy in Indianapolis, resulting in each school of the state’s largest district having a wellness team that continues to implement the district policy.
Langdon implements programs in her schools by partnering with organizations like Donate Life Indiana. She is a member of several professional organizations, benefitting her field and the IPS curriculum.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health from Marian College and a master’s degree in kindergarten through grade 12 administration from Indiana State University. Prior to her career at IPS, Langdon worked in operations for McDonald’s for 21 years. Additionally, she has worked in the school system as a coach, physical education instructor, athletic director and health and wellness program manager.
Langdon has written into the IPS curriculum that all high school health classes require a presentation from Donate Life Indiana to fulfill the organ donation education mandate, resulting in thousands of additional students receiving accurate and impactful education about organ donation.
Dr. Luke White
Dr. Luke White is the medical director for medical critical care quality improvement and control and intensivist for pulmonary and critical care at Beacon Health Systems. Previously, he was medical director of Beacon Medical Group pulmonary and critical care at Beacon Health.
Before joining Beacon Health, White completed a fellowship at the University of Southern California, where he was awarded chief fellow. He completed his residency at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West.
White earned a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana University and a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from Midwestern University.
He was instrumental in launching the Indiana Donor Network bridging language program at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, a program that aims to bridge the gap in care between end-of-life conversations with families of organ and tissue donors and the donation process, which has resulted in more families saying “yes” to donation.
Indiana Funeral Directors Association
The mission of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association was founded in 1880 and has more than 480 member firms. Headquartered in Indianapolis, IFDA provides membership services and continuing education opportunities throughout Indiana. IFDA is dedicated to recognizing critical issues within funeral service and providing appropriate solutions to those issues. It strives to be the preeminent funeral service advocate before governmental agencies, consumer groups and suppliers.
IFDA has amplified communication and collaboration with Indiana Donor Network to increase tissue donation. This collaboration has resulted in education and process improvement initiatives shared with 692 funeral directors across the state in 2022. As a result, 80 association members joined Indiana Donor Network’s Funeral Hope Partnership Program, which aims to increase donation from funeral home referrals.
David Andrew “Andy” Clayton is the executive director and CEO of IFDA. He is a past president of the organization, a current advisory board member of the mortuary science program at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis and past member of the governor-appointed Indiana State Board of Funeral and Cemetery Service.
In 2022, he was recognized as a Distinguished Hoosier by Gov. Eric Holcomb for service to all Hoosiers during the recent COVID pandemic. Before joining IFDA, Clayton was a funeral director with Flanner and Buchanan Mortuaries for 18 years. Clayton earned a mortuary science degree and political science degree from Indiana University and holds several professional funeral service certifications.
Despite age or medical history, anyone can sign up to be a donor at DonateLifeIndiana.org. Learn more about Indiana Donor Network.
Indiana Donor Network’s mission is to save and enhance the quality of life through organ, tissue and eye donation and transplantation. Its vision is to be a leader in organ and tissue recovery. Founded in 1987, the organization coordinates donation in 85 of the state’s 92 counties and serves transplant hospitals throughout the U.S.
About Indiana Donor Network Foundation
As a subsidiary of Indiana Donor Network, the organ recovery organization for 85 of Indiana’s 92 counties, Indiana Donor Network Foundation enhances the lives of those touched by donation through education, innovation, caring and support. The Foundation raises funds through individual contributions, special events and sponsorships to support transplant recipients and the families of donor heroes. For more information, visit Indiana Donor Network Foundation online.
About Indiana Donor Network
The decision to become an organ, tissue and eye donor is a decision to give the gift of life. Indiana Donor Network serves as the vital link between donors and patients waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, healing tissue and corneas to restore sight. The organization is a federally designated organ recovery organization and accredited tissue bank serving 85 of Indiana’s 92 counties. Its team of more than 285 dedicated professionals is committed to saving and healing lives through donation and transplantation, championing the cause through education and outreach and supporting donor families in their time of need. For more or to sign up as a donor, visit Indiana Donor Network online.
Indiana Donor Network® and the Indiana Donor Network Foundation® are federally registered trademarks.
About Donate Life Indiana
Since 1998, Donate Life Indiana has been the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the Indiana donor registry. Its mission is to save lives by creating opportunities for all Indiana citizens to sign up on the organization’s official state registry while striving to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation through public education. For more, visit Donate Life Indiana online.
