“I’ve always been a communicator,” says Kim Mailes, “I’m grateful the American Red Crosss took the time to really get to know me and to put me into a role that fits just right.”

Mailes became a Red Cross volunteer a little over a year ago and has established himself as a ready and reliable asset. He recently received the New and Outstanding Volunteer award for 2021.

Before joining the Red Cross, Mailes spent his career working at a decades-old family car dealership in his hometown of Neosho, Missouri.

“I really enjoyed the car business,” he said. “I like interacting with the public, and I was proud to continue the family tradition. During the first few years of my career, I worked every day alongside my maternal grandfather (who owned the business), my paternal grandfather (who was a salesman), and my dad (who was the general manager). Believe it or not, we all got along just fine.”

He eventually purchased the business outright and managed it for a number of years. But after both grandfathers passed away and his father retired, he realized it was time to start a new chapter.

“I sold the business to fulfill an old dream to finish college,” he said. Though a generation older than the typical college student, he completed an English degree, and then earned an MFA in creative writing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

“I know it sounds unusual for someone who spent his life as a car dealer,” he said, “but I’ve always loved literature and writing.”

After finishing his education, he devoted more time to writing and taught at a local university. But that still left him with hours and hours of idle time, a big change for someone from the “go-go” business world.

“Then one day I read an article in the paper about volunteering for the American Red Cross and applied, thinking it might be an opportunity to do some good in the world.”

Mailes gives a lot of credit for his success in the Red Cross to the Disaster Workforce Engagement team that welcomed him into the organization.

“They really gave me a warm hello, and took the time to find out what makes me tick, the things I’m good at. The Red Cross onboarding system put me in exactly the right spot where I can be most effective.”

During his first year as a volunteer, Mailes deployed to Texas in response to Hurricane Laura, and to the California wildfires disaster relief operation. While in California he served as public affairs supervisor, writing articles and taking photos for Red Cross publications. A big part of that responsibility was interacting with media and providing information and interviews for television, radio, and newspapers.

“The heart of the Red Cross is delivering services directly to those affected by disaster,” he acknowledged. “But it takes all sorts of other roles to make these giant relief operations run smoothly. It’s my job to tell the story, to keep the public informed, and to protect the organization from possible damage from false information.”

During blue skies, Mailes devotes his time to public affairs work in the region. His writing often appears in Red Cross publications and he supervises and mentors other volunteer writers, assigning and editing stories. He also serves as Community Volunteer Leader for two Missouri counties, and is part of the Disaster Workforce Engagement team, welcoming new volunteers and helping them find their place.

“It feels good to find exactly the right fit with a great organization,” Mailes said. “I look forward to being an American Red Cross volunteer for a long, long time.”