Kurt Kroemer
Kurt Kroemer is the Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona, New Mexico and EL Paso Region where he works with his staff and volunteer colleagues to deliver on the amazing American Red Cross mission. It is the second time in his career that he has had the privilege of working for the Red Cross as he held several executive positions from 1999-2008. Prior to his current role he served as the VP, Operations for Fathom Travel Ltd. where he helped create Carnival Corporation’s 10th cruise brand. He also served as the Chief Operating Officer at Humanity United, an organization dedicated to ending human trafficking and mass atrocities and as the Chief Operating Officer of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. He holds a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of International Service, American University.
Merydth joined the American Red Cross mission in August 2022 and serves as the Regional Disaster Officer.
She leads a highly dedicated and skilled team of staff and volunteers in the delivery of Disaster Cycle Services across Arizona and New Mexico. She manages Preparedness, Response and Recovery programs related to natural and man-made disasters including wildfire, flood, house fires and mass casualty incidents.
Merydth has a 20-year background in emergency management. A wildland firefighter for 17 years, Merydth is familiar with working with the Red Cross as a partner agency during her years spent managing fire preparedness, suppression and recovery operations for government land management agencies. She has extensive operational and Incident Management Team experience locally and overseas, serving in Australia for many years in Section Chief and Incident Commander positions before moving to Arizona.
Merydth holds a Master of Science in Leadership with Emphasis on Emergency Management and Homeland Security from Grand Canyon University, as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Ballarat.
Jose Rodriquez
Jose Rodriguez was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Served in the US Navy and retired after 20 years of honorable service. Service includes three different nuclear fast attack submarines and seven years as a recruiting manager.
After retiring from the Navy, he joined the Boy Scouts of America where he served the AZ community for eleven years in various roles to include fundraising, volunteer development, program delivery, and membership growth. He holds a Bachelors's in Marketing from American Military University. Enjoys playing racquetball, mountain biking, golf, hiking, and all outdoor activities.
Helene Flaxbeard
Heléne joined the Arizona – New Mexico Region as the Chief Development Officer in June 2021. In this role, she leads a team of fundraisers and volunteers to engage financial donors in the mission of the Red Cross. She has a passion for connecting the community with the many ways the Red Cross helps create more resilient communities and alleviates human suffering during times of need.
Heléne began her Red Cross journey in August 2014, where she served on the fund development team in the Indiana Region. Following that experience, she was selected for the inaugural class of the Rotational LEAD Program, which develops and grows leaders through strategic 12-month job rotations. As a part of this program, she held positions in Fund Development - National Fundraising Initiatives, Human Resources –Biomedical Services Collections Strategic Initiatives, and Volunteer Services – National Engagement Strategy. She is a member of the 2017 LEAD Class and spent two years participating in formal learning and intentional development of leadership skills with this cohort of Red Cross leaders. Most recently, she served as the Regional Volunteer Services Officer for the North Texas Region.
Heléne holds a B.A. in Communication from Hastings College and an M.A. in Philanthropy from Indiana University, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She is from Omaha, Nebraska, and loves to spend time with her cat, Maisy.
Patrick H. Hodgkins
Patrick Hodgkins is the Chief Operating Officer of the Arizona, New Mexico and EL Paso Region. He is very excited to be a part of the Red Cross mission having first worked with the Red Cross as an instructor for CPR, First Aid, and Lifeguarding during his college years. He is a native of California but moved to Arizona with his family in 2009.
Patrick has 25 years of business operations experience ranging from mid-sized national to large international corporations. Most recently he has focused on hunger relief and food security internationally and domestically working with non-profits Feed My Starving Children and Midwest Food Bank.
Away from work, Patrick enjoys DIY projects, geocaching, live theater, and time with his family. He still instructs CPR with his wife, Kris.
Ashley Fairchild
Ashley Fairchild has been the Regional Volunteer Services Officer in the Arizona, New Mexico, El Paso Region since November of 2016. She started as a volunteer in April of 2011 and since that time has worked as the Regional Disaster Workforce Engagement Manager, the Regional Recovery Manager for the Arizona, New Mexico, and El Paso re-gion, and as the Recovery Specialist for the Grand Canyon Chapter.
Ashley enjoys traveling and hiking but spends most of her free time chasing around her toddler.
Ashley has a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Psychology and a bachelor’s in Psychology from Arizona State University.
Melody Birkett
Melody joined the Arizona - New Mexico team in July 2021 as the Regional Communications Director. An award-winning journalist at Phoenix radio and TV stations, Melody is very familiar with the fantastic work of the Red Cross, having covered many disasters in Arizona. She’s highly competitive, loves mentoring journalism students, and frequently is asked to judge for the Southern California Golden Mike Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Awards.
Melody has a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Arizona State University. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with family and friends.
Courtney Slanaker
Courtney Slanaker joined the American Red Cross in March 2018 as Executive Director. Prior to her current role, she worked closely with the local Southern Arizona Red Cross chapter on numerous disaster responses through Community Organizations Active in Disasters from 2015 to 2017. She previously served as the Executive Director of local non-profit, World Care. She led World Care through many organizational transitions and coordinated large-scale disaster relief efforts. Courtney is a Tucson native and earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a minor in Spanish from the University of Arizona in 2014. Courtney is committed to advancing the health and safety of all people and she is dedicated to empowering volunteers and donors to carry out the incredible mission of the American Red Cross!
Kathy Segura-Salas has served as the New Mexico Executive Director since 2012. She began her American Red Cross career in 2001 and has spent 17 years serving her community by providing help and resources to those affected by disaster.
With deep family roots in New Mexico, Kathy's focus is on her community - the safety and success of its people. In collaboration with community partners, she works to identify and implement opportunities to improve and strengthen disaster services to the residents of New Mexico as well as providing support to the selfless volunteers committed to the Red Cross mission.