Category: Resume

Resume

American Red Cross of Illinois

Interim Regional Executive, October 2024 – February 2025

Selected to be Interim RE of the second largest region of the American Red Cross, serving 88 counties and more than 1225 million people in 5 chapters.

  • ABC7 Great Chicago Blood Drive collected 2,804 units and the CBS2 Telethon raised $3.9 million.
  • Fostered a culture of inclusivity and collaboration.
  • Maintained and supported a strong board.

American Red Cross of Illinois

Chief Operating Officer, Chicago, IL, 8/2018 – Present

  • Provides strategic leadership, board and relationship management by facilitating two key Greater Chicago Board of Directors committees: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Biomedical Services.
  • Managed five Chapter Executive Directors through a complex territory realignment, ensuring seamless transitions and sustained performance.
  • Serves as Chief of Staff to the CEO to establish and drive accomplishment of regional goals and strategies, including Regional Leadership Team accountability and organization.
  • Performs forecasting and manages fiscally responsible budgeting decisions and planning for a $12.3M regional budget.
  • Leads and motivates the work of a 10-person operations team. Created systems and processes for workflow management that other Regions have adopted. Asked to join a working group to rewrite the national Emergency Action Plan.
  • Deployed as Chief of Staff for the Louisiana Hurricane response in September 2021 and managed complex conflict resolutions with the National Guard as well as the Baton Rouge police department.
  • Served as Interim Chief Operating Officer for the Indiana Region in 2024, leading successful completion of the Facilities Refresh Project and FY25 Budgeting Process across both Indiana and Illinois Regions.
  • Instrumental in steering the creation and implementation of Embark, the innovative North Central Division professional development program.
  • Spearheaded comprehensive COVID-19 risk management strategies, ensuring the safety and well-being of Red Crossers and blood donors while maintaining operational continuity.

American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois

Regional Marketing Programs Manager, Chicago, IL, 8/2016 – 8/2018

  • Contributed to strategic direction and fundraising success of Heroes Breakfast, including writing the script and interviewing Heroes for the impactful videos.
  • Led the Employee Giving Campaign, infusing a culture of philanthropy among staff members.
  • Trained as a media spokesperson, serving as key voice for the organization in on-air interviews: Sound the Alarm; Hurricane Harvey.
  • Developed and implemented communications strategies in the third largest media market for the American Red Cross. Produced written, video and social media content.

Kinship Foundation

Communications Associate, Chicago, IL, 1/2012 – 8/2016

  • Established marketing and communication strategies, including a crisis communication strategy for a leadership transition within the first quarter of employment, social media and community management
  • Coordinated complex events (Kinship Fellows: $47.5K budget; Searle Scholars: $100K budget) attended by high-level stakeholders and valued clients, including supervising a summer assistant during the month-long training program in Bellingham, Washington
  • Responsible for budgets throughout a project’s life cycle including: negotiating and executing vendor contracts, tracking ongoing program purchasing in real time, reporting project budget to actuals, and providing estimates for future planning
  • Designed layouts for Foundation-generated reports, hard copy collateral, and web ads including the Annual Report and Kinship Conservation Fellows recruitment campaign

Various NGOs and communities

Communications Consultant, Palestinian Territories, 7/2010 – 6/2011

Completed MSJ and relocated to the West Bank for one year of storytelling, workshop facilitation, and community building.

  • Lived and worked autonomously in three West Bank towns, establishing new local relationships and contacts each time.
  • Taught video and radio journalism courses at An Najah University and refugee camps, created websites and media strategies, produced videos in collaboration with community members. Samples: Introduction to CPT Palestine; Local Farmer discusses life in Iraq Burin.

Cara Chicago

Career Resource Manager & Volunteer Manager, Chicago, IL, 10/07 – 5/09

  • Supervised 50+ volunteers and an intern; recruited for and facilitated monthly trainings for new volunteers
  • Taught classes for adult learners and coordinated department monthly training schedule
  • Empowered students by redesigning curriculum to establish a student-led portfolio creation process

Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

Young Adult Volunteer, Kerala, India, 8/06 – 7/07

  • Taught Spoken English and created/facilitated need-based workshops in village of Mavelikara
  • Edited publications for local economics-focused non-profit, Vichara, and maintained blog
  • Lived in community with teachers and students associated with a local college in a small, rural town

John Felice Rome Center

Service Learning/Study Trips Coordinator, Rome, Italy, 8/04 – 7/06

  • Supported service-learning volunteer program and organized/chaperoned 8+ study trips annually in Italy, Africa, The Balkans, the Torino Olympics and Northern Ireland. Volunteered at the Jesuit Refugee Service in Vatican City. Interned at McDermott, Will & Emory
  • Teacher’s Assistant for Human Rights in Rome course

EDUCATION

Medill Northwestern University, 2010

Masters of Science in Journalism

Business Reporting & Interactive Storytelling concentration

Editor-in-Chief of Medill Innovation Project

Loyola University Chicago, 2004

Bachelors of Arts in English, minor in Peace Studies

Gannon Scholars Woman Leader Award, 2004

APPOINTMENTS AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, 2025

  • Chicago Foundation for Women West Side Giving Circle Member, 2024 Grant Cycle

  • COO Forum Steering Committee Member, 2022 – 2024

  • FBI Chicago Citizen’s Academy Graduate, 2022

  • Inclusive Leadership Compass Accredited Coach, 2022 – Present

  • Public Narrative Board Treasurer, 2020 – 2021

  • Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Leadership Institute Fellow, 2015

  • One Million Degrees Coach, 2016 – 2020, 2023 and Associate Board Member, 2016-2017

  • Palestine/Israel Delegate – Interviewed and met with Palestinian and Israeli organizations to learn about the conflict; facilitated by the Christian Peacemaker Teams. Israel & Palestine, March 2009.

  • Jesuit Refugee Services International Office – Edited the three main publications of the international office. Vatican City – 2007-2008.

  • McDermott, Will & Emory Law Firm Intern – Edited documents, including honing language in translated documents (legal and administrative) for attorneys. Rome, Italy – Fall 2006.

  • Youth Organizing Institute, Discussion Leader – Facilitated reflection groups among Eastern European youth activists and community organizers at an annual conference sponsored by The University of Bologna. Vukovar, Croatia – October 2004

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

  • Co-Facilitated “What Do Pizza and Saving Lives Have in Common,” a presentation on psychological safety for the Chicago Chapter of COO Forum with Nick Sarillo, September 2024.
  • 3 Hard Leadership Skills That Pay Off Forever Breakout Session Facilitator for Red Cross North Central Division Meeting, May 2024.
  • Facilitated Building Trust through Psychological Safety for the Greater New York STAR program in May 2024, the Minnesota-Dakotas All Staff in April 2024 and for the NC Division Leadership Team in February 2024.
  • Facilitated Calling Out Non-Inclusive Behaviors in a Productive and Effective Way for Jennifer Warga’s Consumer Marketing & Fundraising Team, November 2023.
  • Guest Panelist for MPS 508 – Introduction to Nonprofit Management taught by Lisa Dietlin at DePaul University annually since 2020.
  • Wrote “Migrants in Disaster Risk Reduction: American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois,” Published in 2017 by the International Organization for Migration.