MMD Joins the AST Living Donor Circle of Excellence

Municipal Marking Distributors (MMD) is proud to announce that we have joined the American Society of Transplantation (AST) Living Donor Circle of Excellence. The program recognizes organizations who provide salary support and workplace protections for employees who choose to become living organ donors.

Supporting employees through major life events has always been part of MMD’s culture. In 2024, the company formally introduced an Organ Donation Leave policy that gives eligible employees up to 15 days of paid leave within a 12 month period following organ donation surgery. Employees do not need to use accrued or future PTO during that time, allowing them to focus fully on recovery.

“When I made the decision to become a living kidney donor, I understood how important support systems are during that journey. That is why we created an Organ Donation Leave policy that provides paid leave so employees can focus on recovery, not financial stress. Joining the Living Donor Circle of Excellence reflects who we are and how we lead.”

~ Kathryn Gordon, President & CEO, Municipal Marking Distributors (MMD)

For MMD founder and CEO Kathryn Gordon, this initiative carries deep personal meaning.

In 2024, Kat donated a kidney to a total stranger. Her decision was thoughtful, intentional, and grounded in empathy. The experience became a defining moment for many within the company and reflected the values MMD strives to uphold every day through service, compassion, and community support.

Kat’s donation reached far beyond the operating room. It demonstrated the profound impact one person can have on the life of another and highlighted the importance of supporting living organ donors throughout their journey.

Kat has shared that her experience would not have been possible without the exceptional care she received from Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplantation and her physician, Joseph R. Leventhal, MD.

This journey of altruism was inspired by someone close to Kat. Twenty eight years ago, Kat’s friend Laurie Lee experienced firsthand how organ donation can change a family forever when her father received a life saving liver transplant. That experience shaped Laurie’s lifelong commitment to advocacy and support for transplant patients and donors.

Today, Laurie serves on the board of Transplant Village and is the owner of Your Gift Works, an organization dedicated to donor and recipient education, advocacy, and support.

Laurie’s advocacy efforts and the ripple effect of kindness they created deeply influenced Kat. Motivated by that example, Kat chose to become the first link in a life saving chain of kidney donations. Through this “pay it forward” process, additional donors and recipients became connected through acts of extraordinary generosity and compassion.

Kat also recently shared more about her experience on the Donor Diaries podcast, Episode 25: “Discovering the Unexpected Rewards of Donating a Kidney to a Stranger.” Click here to listen.

In the episode, Kat and fellow donor Josiah Wolfson discuss the emotional realities of living donation, the misconceptions many people have about the process, and the unexpected sense of connection that can come from helping someone you have never met.

Today, more than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a life saving kidney or liver transplant. Financial concerns and time away from work remain significant barriers for many potential donors. Programs like the Living Donor Circle of Excellence encourage employers to create policies that support employees who choose to become living donors.

John Gill, MD, Founder of the Living Donor Circle of Excellence, shared:

“Living donors are heroes amongst us. Their gift is life saving for patients in need of a kidney or liver transplant and has a huge positive impact on society. Patients facing life threatening diseases are able to live normal lives, raise their families, and participate in their communities. By supporting living organ donors, we are also building stronger communities.”

MMD is honored to stand alongside organizations working to remove barriers to living organ donation and support employees making these extraordinary decisions.

The impact of organ donation is also explored in ABUNDANT, a documentary by The Alliance for Paired Donation. The film shares stories from kidney donors and recipients while exploring the lasting ripple effects of generosity and human connection.

About the American Society of Transplantation

Founded in 1982, the American Society of Transplantation (AST) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation and improving patient care by promoting research, education, advocacy, organ donation, and service to the community. The society is the largest transplant organization in North America, consisting of more than 4,000 professional members, and is recognized as the premier society for transplantation. AST members are sought out as transplant experts and advocates. Other transplant organizations, policy makers, regulatory agencies, payors, academic institutions, and the general public look to the AST for guidance, research, and resources related to transplantation. To learn more, visit: www.myast.org