Sacramento, CA…After 11 1/2 years in various roles in the American Red Cross, five of which were spent leading the Gold Country Region, Kathleen Weis will be stepping down as the Chief Executive Officer effective June 25, 2015. “After more than a decade of service it is time for me to dedicate myself to another mission,” said Kathleen Weis, CEO of the American Red Cross Gold Country Region. “I was always inspired by the Mission and the unwavering dedication of the volunteers and staff who answer the call because of the belief that everyone deserves help in times of need.”

Weis was responsible to oversee Red Cross services in the Gold Country Region, a territory consisting of 24 counties throughout Central and Northeastern California. With nearly 4.5 million residents across a broad territory, volunteers are called to respond to an emergency – on average – once every 11 hours. A workforce of over 2,491 volunteers and 40 staff ensure the Red Cross fulfills its mission within the Gold Country Region.

“I will miss the wonderful community that welcomed me five years ago,” said Weis. “My new adventure will be to serve as the CEO for the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation, a group that focuses on patient education and research funding for a set of rare bone marrow failure diseases.”

The Interim Regional CEO will be Teresa Caver. Teresa has been with the Red Cross since 1973 and hails from Atlanta, Georgia where she spent much of her Red Cross career. She has held a wide range of roles over her long career with the American Red Cross, including General Manager in Atlanta, before she took on a role with the Southeast Service Area. She most recently served as Interim Regional Executive in San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles, Orange County, CA and Central New York. Teresa is a veteran disaster responder, serving in Operational Management for Hurricane Andrew in Miami, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico, among many others. A search will soon begin for a permanent executive to lead the Gold Country region.

“We are thankful for the years Kathleen dedicated to the American Red Cross Gold Country region,” said Justin Matheson, Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross Sierra-Delta Chapter. “Kathleen conveyed a tremendous experience in creating resilient and self-sustaining community, a passion for volunteers, and the thoughtful approach of a well-tested leader, she definitely helped us advance the Red Cross mission within our community.”

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Gold Country Region serves a twenty-four county territory including Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba counties. For more information, visit www.redcross.org/GoldCountry or follow us on Twitter @RCSierraDelta.

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