Meet Our Volunteers

Volunteer Spotlight and Member Highlights

Exciting news! AABB’s Professional Engagement Program will be showcasing all of the great work our members do for AABB and the world at large.

Our PEP Volunteer Spotlight will consist of a short Q&A with one of our members published each month in AABB News. Our members play an integral role here at AABB and we want to share their accomplishments.

Member Highlights can be any volunteer accomplishment directly involved with AABB and will change as new highlights are added. These highlights may range from publications, committee work, webinars and everything in between!

We are currently soliciting names of individuals to showcase for the coming year in either our Volunteer Spotlight or a Member Highlight capacities. If you or a fellow AABB member are interested, please email us at PEP@aabb.org.

Professional Engagement Program Volunteer Spotlight on Paula Jessup, MT(ASCP)

Before retirement-Manager of Transfusion Service at Grady Health System in Atlanta, GA

How long have you been an AABB member?

I've been a member for about twenty years.

In which AABB volunteer activities are you currently active? In which have you participated?

Currently active as AABB Assessor and AABB Mentor.

While I was a supervisor and later manager, I tried to attend annual conventions. This is so valuable, not only in all the learning from the sessions, but the information gained from posters and talking with vendors in the exhibition hall. Also, I tried to emphasize the value of networking with fellow blood bankers.

What motivates you to volunteer?

Now that I am retired, it is a way to keep active in a profession that provided such a fulfilling career. It is an adjustment because you have years of experience (in my case- 41 years) and you want to help others in this career path. The mentoring program is a wonderful way for me to share with a new manager helpful hints and talk through any challenges that they may have. I looked forward to talking with my mentee every time. We discussed some leadership books and some personnel challenges and shared good and bad outcomes from various inspections over many years.

How has your volunteer work impacted your professional work?

The reason that I became an assessor was to help me be a better supervisor or manager. I always learned so much and it kept me current with standards and checklists. One of my favorite reasons to be an assessor was the people I met both at the facility or if other assessors were assigned to help.

What have you learned from volunteering with AABB? And what advice would you give to someone interested in volunteering?

Having a quality transfusion service takes a team. Appreciate the members of your team from the collectors, technical assistants, Med Techs, SBB and your Medical Director.

Give back to your professional organization not only on the national level but also through regional Blood Bank organizations. Also, if you are involved in the computer aspect of blood banking, being involved in user groups is very helpful.

What is your favorite book?

It is hard to just name one but A Praying Life by Paul E Miller was very inspirational. I enjoy all Harry Potter books, mysteries such as PD James and Dick Francis, inspirational authors like Jan Karon, and leadership books by Stephen Covey and his son.