Nelson Ballard
Nelson Ballard is an experienced executive leader with a strong record of improving tissue and eye recovery operations, guiding organizational change, and driving strategic growth in highly regulated healthcare environments. His career is built on a deep commitment to honoring the gifts of organ, tissue, and eye donors and ensuring that every donation has the greatest possible impact on patients and families.
Nelson currently serves as Director of Tissue Recovery for Mid-South Transplant Foundation in Memphis, where he leads the strategic redevelopment of the tissue department, family care program, and call center operations. His work focuses on improving performance, strengthening quality and consistency, and ensuring clear communication with the chief executive officer and board of directors.
Since 2022, Nelson has also served as Director of Tissue Recovery at Southern Legacy of Life in Little Rock. His leadership has resulted in significant improvements, including a sixty seven percent increase in donors and meaningful gains in authorization rates within the call center. Nelson also led the acquisition of the Arkansas Lions Eye Bank, which produced a two hundred ninety percent increase in ocular transplantation. He launched both the Birth Tissue Donation Program and the Research Program, expanding donation opportunities and strengthening service offerings throughout Arkansas.
Earlier in his career, Nelson held key roles at BioTissue and Lifeline of Ohio, where he built nationally recognized training programs, expanded birth tissue initiatives, and developed skilled recovery technicians.
Nelson holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Management and Leadership. He is certified as a tissue bank specialist, an eye bank technician, a paramedic, and a facilitator and instructional designer through Langevin Learning Services.