Our board

Lance Black, MD, MBID

Chair; Senior Associate Dean of Innovation & Strategic Projects, Texas A&M University

Dr. Lance Black is a physician, biological engineer, and healthcare innovator with a diverse background spanning clinical medicine, medical device development, and strategic innovation leadership. After serving as a family medicine physician and U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, he transitioned into biomedical innovation, leading programs that bridge engineering and medicine to accelerate the development of transformative healthcare solutions. Currently, as the Senior Associate Dean of Innovation & Strategic Projects at Texas A&M EnMed, he drives interdisciplinary initiatives that integrate engineering and medicine to advance patient care and healthcare technologies through a unique approach in educating future physicianeers.

Dr. Black has played a pivotal role in launching and mentoring numerous health tech startups, leading strategic commercialization efforts, and fostering industry-academic collaborations. His previous leadership positions include Chief Clinical Strategy Officer at Prana Thoracic, Founder & Chief Medical Officer at XN Health, Senior Medical Director at 3ive Labs, and Associate Director at Texas Medical Center Innovation. With expertise in product development, clinical trials, and innovation strategy, he is committed to advancing biomedical innovations that address unmet clinical needs.

M. Adriana Valencia, CRPC

Treasurer; Financial Advisor, Keystone Wealth Management, LLC

As a Financial Advisor with Keystone Wealth Management, Adriana Valencia aims to help others gain more clarity and control over their financial lives. This rewarding career aligns perfectly with her commitment to family and education. She specializes in wealth management and the design and management of financial plans for high net worth individuals and small business owners. Ms. Valencia is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, which marks her as a specialist in retirement planning rather than a general practitioner. 

Fluent in English and Spanish, Ms. Valencia was born in Mexico City and moved to the United States in 1998. She previously enjoyed a career that spanned numerous upwardly leadership positions during the 16-year tenure within a world-leading publicly traded food service producer. 

Ms. Valencia transitioned into the financial services industry in 2003. She is a board member for LifeGift, and she is also a member of the International Women’s Leadership Association. She prides herself on her integrity and her friendly and helpful personality. Ms. Valencia has been married to her husband, Tommy, for more than twenty years.

George Mallory, Jr., MD

Secretary; Emeritus Professor, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Mallory is a retired pediatric transplant pulmonologist who came to Texas and Texas Children’s Hospital twenty years ago to start what has become the most active such program in the world. He intends to continue activity on LifeGift’s Board after stepping down from clinical practice while continuing a part-time presence at Texas Children’s Hospital and the Baylor College of Medicine.

Academic appointments include: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, 1983-1984; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, 1984-1990; Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Assistant, then Associate Professor of Pediatrics, 1990-1999; Locum Tenems, Medical Director of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK 2000-2001; Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, 2001-2008, Professor of Pediatrics, 2008-2021.

Dr. Mallory received his undergraduate at Harvard College, cum laude, Government major, class of 1970; medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, class of 1974, graduated AOA (honors); pediatric residency and pediatric pulmonology fellowship, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Mallory serves as Medical Director, Camp Blessing, Brenham, TX 2017-2021 and as Elder, First Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX 2016 – present

Dr. Mallory is the author of 99 refereed manuscripts, 20+ chapters and reviews. He joined the LifeGift board in 2014. Dr. Mallory is the father of two and grandfather of four. In his free time, he is an avid reader and cyclist.

Nancy C. Cychol

President/Chief of Hospital Services, Cook Children’s Medical Center

Nancy C. Cychol is President/Chief of Hospital Services of Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country. After joining Cook Children’s in 1984, Ms. Cychol held several leadership positions prior to her promotion to president in 2003. Before joining Cook Children’s, she was employed by Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, IN and Children’s Medical Center of Dayton in Dayton, OH.

As president, Ms. Cychol oversees operations of the 444-bed medical center and is responsible for more than 4,600 employees across 42 specialties and subspecialties. This includes a nationally respected Magnet® designated nursing staff ranked in the top three percent of all healthcare organizations nationwide. She directs a highly skilled staff of nurses, technologists, therapists, child life specialists, chaplains, teachers, social workers, translators, and more than 760 physicians, dentists, and advanced practice providers. Under Ms. Cychol’s leadership, Cook Children’s has become the home of a designated Level II pediatric trauma center, a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit and one of the largest pediatric transport programs in the country.  

Ms. Cychol received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing and a master’s degree in administration from Indiana University. She currently serves on the boards of the Cook Children’s Surgery Center/Hurst, Cook Children’s Surgery Center/Prosper, and MedStar Mobile Healthcare. Also, she is a donor mom and serves on the LifeGift board. Ms. Cychol and her husband John, who live in Colleyville, have two sons, Ryan and Nicholas. Their son John IV is deceased.

Nathan S. Deal, MD, MBA, FACEP

Chief Medical Officer, HCA Healthcare

Nathan Deal, MD, MBA, FACEP, joined HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake and HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland as the chief medical officer (CMO) in 2023.

Dr. Deal most recently served as executive vice president and administrator for Ben Taub Hospital as well as the Ben Taub outpatient specialty clinic tower, part of Harris Health System. During his five years with Harris Health, he achieved significant improvements in hospital throughput and efficiency, oversaw an expansion of the emergency department and operative suites, and enhanced a number of clinical services to address community needs.

Prior to his time with Harris Health, Dr. Deal served on the medical staff of Baylor College of Medicine, first as an emergency physician, then as medical director for the Ben Taub emergency center and finally, as associate chief of operations for the department of emergency medicine.

Dr. Deal received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Rice University in 2005 and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 2009. He completed his residency training in emergency medicine at the University of Chicago before returning to Houston. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He has a Certificate in Healthcare Management from Rice University and is currently working towards his Master of Business Administration.

Matthew Girotto

Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Texas Children’s Hospital

Matthew (Matt) Girotto currently holds the position of executive vice president, chief operating officer of Texas Children’s Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, responsible for the Department of Anesthesia, Food and Nutrition, Pathology, PT/OT, Radiology and Surgery. This includes physician services organization activities, transplant, trauma, educational programs, division and departmental administration and departmental research. Girotto has held a variety of positions since joining Texas Children’s Hospital in August 2002. 

Mr. Girotto’s responsibilities include leading a senior leadership team of three executives and over 1,600 staff while partnering with Medical Chiefs and a medical staff of over 700 medical doctors and advanced practice providers.  

Mr. Girotto earned his B.B.A. in Finance and Management from Texas A&M University; his M.H.A and M.H.R. from Washington University; and his Certificate in Health Care Management from Rice University. 

Mr. Girotto’s board involvement includes LifeGift; St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School; and Nora’s Home.

In his free time, Mr. Girotto enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his kids’ sports teams, hosting friends and families, cooking, skiing, fishing, almost any sport and live music.

Jenifer Jarriel, MBA

President and CEO, DePelchin Children’s Center

Jenifer Jarriel was raised as one of seven sisters who learned early the values of working hard to achieve goals, helping others and giving back. She truly believes in making the world a better place and her role as President and CEO of DePelchin Children’s Center presents that opportunity to her every day. A nonprofit organization, DePelchin Children’s Center is an accredited foster care and adoption agency. DePelchin’s approach to caring for children integrates prevention, foster care, adoption services and residential care programs. 

Prior to Ms. Jarriel’s position at DePelchin Children’s Center, she served in senior information technology leadership positions in Academic Medical Centers within the Texas Medical Center. Jarriel has held numerous board leadership positions in professional organizations, and she holds an undergraduate degree from University of Houston Central Campus and an MBA from Houston Baptist University.

Ms. Jarriel devotes her time and talent to other organizations in Houston as board member of The Periwinkle Foundation and LifeGift. In addition, she serves on the board for the Texas Alliance for Children and Families, representing DePelchin and serving as a voice for Texas’ most vulnerable children and families.

Bradley T. Lembcke, MD

President of Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center

Dr. Bradley Lembcke is President of Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, the flagship academic medical institution of the St. Luke’s Health System in the Texas Medical Center.

Prior to joining CHI, Dr. Lembcke started work at Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) in Dallas, TX in July of 1997 as an Internal Medicine Hospitalist. Over his 21 years at BUMC, Dr. Lembcke kept a clinical practice, and built and led a large Hospitalist group, ultimately caring for over 400 patients per day. He held administrative leadership positions in Case Management, Utilization, Quality, Patient Safety, and Informatics. Dr. Lembcke also served as BUMC Chief of Staff for 3 years and was Chief Medical Officer from 2013-8. He also helped start and grow an accountable care organization and later served as the Chair of the Quality Alliance Board. Dr. Lembcke has extensive experience in Medical Staff Affairs, Peer Review, CMS and Joint Commission regulatory standards, and documentation integrity.

Dr. Brad Lembcke was born in Houston, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University and graduated in 1990 with a B.S. in Biochemistry. He then attended the University of Texas Health Science Center Medical School in Houston, TX, graduating with honors in 1994. After a one-year internship in Internal Medicine in Phoenix, AZ, Dr. Lembcke completed his Internal Medicine training at UTSW/Parkland Hospital in Dallas, TX in 1997. In 2011, Dr. Lembcke attended the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University where he graduated with honors with a Masters of Business Administration. And he is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Chase L. Lesane-Brown, PhD

Director of Experiential Learning for the School of Social Sciences Rice University

Dr. Lesane-Brown is a lecturer in the Psychological Sciences department and the Director of Experiential Learning for the School of Social Sciences at Rice University. She is also Affiliated Faculty in the Center for African and African American Studies. Dr. Lesane-Brown earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside; her M.S. in Counseling Psychology from California State University, San Bernardino; and her Ph.D. in Personality Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 

Lesane-Brown teaches core courses in the Psychological Sciences department, such as Health Psychology, Multicultural Psychology, and Research Methods, with a strong focus on service- and active-learning teaching strategies. She serves as a faculty representative on the Committee for Undergraduate Curriculum, and in the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry. Dr. Lesane-Brown also serves on the Social Policy Analysis Major Advisory Board. 

Dr. Lesane-Brown’s research focuses on two areas: the process, content, and consequences of race socialization among black children and adolescents; and the process of parent-child communication about health, coping mechanisms used by children with a chronic illness, and health care access among young adults diagnosed with sickle cell disease during their transition from pediatric to adult health care.

Stuart Levin, JD

Partner, Levin & Atwood, LLP

Stuart “Stu” Levin is admitted to practice law in the states of Texas and Connecticut and before various federal courts. He is a 1971 graduate of Syracuse University (A.B. with honors and magna cum laude) and received his juris doctor’s degree from the University of Connecticut (1974, with honors and law review associate editor). Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Levin served on active duty as a U.S. Air Force Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, where he was responsible for military and civilian prosecutions.

After being honorably discharged from the Air Force (with an Air Force Commendation Medal), Mr. Levin was employed as an in-house attorney by the Panhandle Eastern Corporation (now a part of Duke Energy). He later served Mitchell Energy (now a part of Devon Energy) as Manager of Regulatory Affairs- Gas, and later worked for the Coastal Corporation (now part of El Paso Energy) as a senior staff attorney. Mr. Levin established the firm that evolved into Levin and Atwood in 1989.

Mr. Levin is married to Carol Reiss Levin and they have two sons, Jason and Todd, three grandchildren, Hayley, Addison and Parker. He is also active in numerous community and professional organizations, including Katy Bar Association (Charter President), the Westside Shrine Club (Secretary), Katy Rotary Club, the Breath of Life Children’s Center, the Katy YMCA (former director), Board of Directors-Houston Methodist West, and the Epilepsy Foundation of South Texas/Gulf Coast (former President). Mr. Levin’s areas of practice concentration include merger and acquisition, real estate, business and commercial law, corporate law, wills, trusts and estates.

Roberta Levy Schwartz, PhD, FACHE

Executive VP & Chief Innovation Officer Houston Methodist Hospital

Roberta L. Schwartz is the executive vice president and chief innovation officer of Houston Methodist Hospital, one of the Texas Medical Center’s founding institutions. She is responsible for overseeing all operations at the 952-bed hospital, which has been named by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 hospital in Texas for nine straight years and has also been named to the publication’s prestigious “Honor Roll” of America’s best 20 hospitals four times. In her role as chief innovation officer, Dr. Schwartz is responsible for advancing and expanding Houston Methodist’s digital innovation platforms, including telemedicine, artificial intelligence and big data. 

Prior to joining Houston Methodist, Dr. Schwartz worked as director of business development for Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, as a consultant and project manager to several academic medical centers for APM/Computer Sciences Corporation, and for CMS (HCFA).  

Dr. Schwartz earned a master’s in health science from Johns Hopkins University and an honors undergraduate degree from Barnard College at Columbia University. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Texas School of Public Health. Dr. Schwartz has been recognized nationally for her professional and non-profit work. She was most recently recognized by Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders as one of its 10 Women to Watch. Dr. Schwartz is also involved with LifeGift, Robert M. Beren Academy and the UOS Synagogue, Young Survival Coalition and many breast cancer organizations.

Michelle K. McNutt, MD, FACS, MHA

VP and CMO, Memorial Hermann TMC; Professor of Surgery, UT Health

Dr. Michelle McNutt is a Professor of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UT Health and Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Memorial Hermann Hospital Texas Medical Center, where she serves as executive director of Transplant, Life Flight, Pharmacy, Medical Staff and Credentialling, Ethics, and Risk Management. She is the Medical Director of the Memorial Hermann System Trauma Service Line, which is comprised of ten designated trauma centers, and prior Trauma Medical Director at Memorial Hermann Hospital Red Duke Trauma Institute for eight years.

Dr. McNutt is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin and received her Doctor of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed her General Surgery residency and Surgical Critical Care fellowship at McGovern Medical School in 2009 and 2010. She obtained her Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2024.

Dr. McNutt’s research interests include blunt cerebrovascular injury, blunt bowel injury, venous thromboembolic disease, and performance improvement activities related to expedited hemorrhage control in trauma. She is Certified in Medical Quality from the American Board of Medical Quality and actively participates in various committees at McGovern Medical School at UT Health, Memorial Hermann Hospital, and regional trauma committees.

Kristyn Sorensen, JD, PhD

Associate Vice President, Research Integrity Officer, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Sorensen currently serves as the Associate Vice President, Research Integrity Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Prior to this role Dr. Sorensen served in the Office of General Counsel for the university and practiced law with the private firm of Crenshaw, Dupree & Milam. Prior to law school, she obtained her Master’s in Pharmacology (specializing in cardiothoracic perfusion) and her PhD in Toxicology. During this time, she also worked at the University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center and Duke University in the areas of cardiothoracic perfusion and organ donation and procurement. It was in these roles that she became dedicated to the cause of organ donation, including volunteering, research and educational outreach programs. Dr. Sorensen currently lives in Midland, Texas with her family: her husband, Dr. Grant Sorensen, MD, PhD and their three children. Dr. Sorensen is humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Board of LifeGift.