Jon Sullenberger
- Vice President of Donor & Patient Advocacy
Jon Sullenberger is a living kidney donor and leads the NKR’s donor and patient advocacy teams. His first contact with the NKR was in 2019, when he enrolled in the Voucher Program to get his wife off dialysis. During this difficult and challenging process, he identified significant opportunities for improvement and presented his ideas to the NKR executive team and Medical Board. Two years later, Mr. Sullenberger joined the NKR team to help fix the problems that he and his wife experienced in their donation and transplant journeys.
Mr. Sullenberger believes education is key for donors and patients. His focus is on achieving the best possible outcomes for both groups. He feels that donor mentors and microsite coaches must be well-versed in all donation options, the matching process, and the support and protections available to both donors and patients.
Mr. Sullenberger graduated from West Point in 1984 where he was an NCAA swimmer. After graduation, he was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army. He is a graduate of Ranger School, Airborne School, Air Assault School, Northern Warfare Training, Jungle Operations Training, and the Command & General Staff College. In addition to stateside assignments, he was deployed and assigned to Central America, the Korean Peninsula, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Guam. He retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2007.
After his first retirement, Mr. Sullenberger served as a Program Analyst, Clinical Analyst, and Data Analyst with the Defense Health Agency from 2007 to 2023. Mr. Sullenberger facilitated the continued care and rehabilitation of over 400 wounded and injured soldiers from active duty to the Veterans Health Administration. His expertise enabled Joint Commission Accreditation and elevated the medical center to a High Reliability Organization (HRO).
Mr. Sullenberger holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Master of Science in Management from the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, KS. Jon is a Donor Games champion in the 1-mile swim and resides with his family in Lacey, WA.
