Joanne Nowlin joined the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region in July 2020. Previously, she spent three years as CEO of the South Florida Region where she led both the region and division workgroups for diversity and inclusion with measured results. Joanne also successfully led the team through several major disaster responses including Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Dorian and the Parkland Shooting. She currently oversees a team of staff and volunteers serving LA County and it’s more than 10 million residents across five chapters.

Joanne has spent her entire career in nonprofits. Crucial development and leadership skills were built at Florida Atlantic University, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Gilda’s Club South Florida and Kids In Distress. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida State University.

She is excited to call Los Angeles home, celebrate its diversity and lead the Red Cross in its mission to alleviate human suffering.

Gerald currently serves as the Regional Chief Operating Officer for the Los Angeles Region. He joined the Los Angeles team in 2021 following his role as Regional Chief Executive Officer for the North Florida Region of the American Red Cross. Prior to that role, Gerald served as the Director of Strategic Planning and Program Management for Service to the Armed Forces at the American Red Cross. In this role, he ensured the alignment of Service to Armed Forces’ strategic goals and initiatives that support military service members and their families worldwide.

Prior to joining the American Red Cross, Gerald served as the Managing Director of Community Solutions’ Brownsville Partnership which engaged residents and partner organizations from many sectors in measurably improving the health, safety, and economic prosperity of the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. In 2010, Gerald served as a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care & Transition Policy. Prior to his time in the Office of Secretary of Defense, he worked as a Military Legislative Assistant for a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

During his military service, Gerald was an Infantry Officer in the United States Marine Corps. In addition to leading Marines in two combat theaters, Gerald’s 21 years of service was highlighted by other tours as a Congressional Fellow, Marine Corps’ Liaison to the Joint Staff and Deputy Director of the Marine Corps Congressional Liaison Office to the U.S. House of Representatives. Gerald is a two-tour combat Veteran and Bronze Star with “V” recipient for actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Erica Frausto-Aguado maintains a diversified background that has given her a broad understanding of communication principles, including community and government relations, marketing, event coordination, as well as program management and small business development. Prior to joining the American Red Cross, Erica served as the Executive Director for the Pomona Chamber of Commerce for 4 years. In her role she collaborated with the business community, local government, non-profit agencies and stakeholders to work towards a thriving Pomona Valley economy.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Communications from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 2005, she began her pursuit of a career in economic development working for a non-profit community development corporation in Los Angeles that focused on the growth of the minority small business community. Seeing the need for advocacy and support in the business community, she was able to use her education in public relations to network with local stakeholders and politicians.

As her interest in economic development grew, she became the Business Development Specialist for the City of Pomona under the former Redevelopment Agency. Soon after an opportunity to serve as the Business Improvement District Manager for the City of Huntington Park provided her an arena to work with over 400 businesses.

Erica currently serves as a member of the following organizations and committees: Kiwanis Club of Pomona, Rotary Club of Pomona Valley, Moms Club of Diamond Bar/Walnut and Board Member of the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation. Erica was born and raised in the city of El Monte and spent most of her upbringing in the San Gabriel Valley. She currently resides in the city of Diamond Bar with her husband and 2 young children.

Angel Sauceda has always been driven by a passion and drive for making a meaningful impact in the community. With over eight years of experience in marketing and strategic communication, she has developed expertise in leading creative strategies for top entertainment brands.

Angel joins the Red Cross team with a deep commitment to helping others. In her new role, she will execute strategic communication plans aligned with organizational marketing efforts, supporting service delivery and revenue generation. She is excited to leverage her background in managing campaigns, media relations, and digital marketing to enhance the Red Cross’s mission.

Before joining the Red Cross, Angel worked at The Walt Disney Studios for Disney+, where she led high-impact marketing initiatives that boosted viewership and engagement for popular movies and series. Her dedication to creativity, leadership, and community engagement has been a constant throughout her career.

When she’s not making waves in the marketing world, Angel can be found spending quality time with her family, exploring the latest marketing trends, and actively contributing to her community.

Diana Boyd rejoined the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region in May 2022 as Regional Service to the Armed Forces and International Services Director overseeing two Red Cross lines of service. Diana manages a dedicated team of regional Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteers that help members of the military, veterans and their families prepare for, cope with, and respond to, the challenges of military service. Diana’s team of regional International Services volunteers educate future humanitarians on International Humanitarian Law and work to reconnect families separated by armed conflict, natural disaster, migration, and other humanitarian crises through our Restoring Family Links program.  

A former AmeriCorps member, she served the Los Angeles Region in 2012-2013, she first became involved with the Red Cross after taking classes one summer to become a Certified Lifeguard. She always knew she wanted to help others and has served the Red Cross mission in various capacities including previously as a Senior Account Manager in Blood Services for more than 8 years. 

Diana has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego and minors in French and Communication Studies.  Diana lives in Torrance with her husband and two children.

In the Spring of 2021, Bee Kong rejoined the Los Angeles Region as Regional Volunteer Services Officer (RVSO). Bee first came to the Red Cross as a youth volunteer in 1998 at the then-Greater Long Beach Chapter and became a full-time employee in 2005 after graduating from UCLA. During the past 24 years, Bee has served in various roles on the Los Angeles Region team from managing volunteers to organizing youth programs. He also worked on the national Volunteer Services team from 2017 to spring 2021 as a recruiter, actively searching for highly skilled volunteers to support our corporate departments.

Courtney is a fundraising veteran with over 25 years of non-profit development and sales experience. She joined the LA Region in September 2020 as Director of Individual and Foundation Giving and successfully increased fundraising results while managing the Region’s dynamic Tiffany Circle Philanthropic Society.  

Courtney started her non-profit career in corporate development at the American Heart Association. She progressed to an Executive Director role leading the Association’s Silicon Valley Division and then to Senior Vice President, Field Operations where she oversaw six division fundraising campaigns. She then transitioned into a lead role in the Major Gifts program.  

Following American Heart Association, Courtney worked for KIPP SoCal Public Schools where she led a multi-million-dollar fundraising campaign via major gifts, foundation and corporate sponsorships. With her focus on elevating existing donor relationships and cultivating new funders, she helped establish new department structures and protocols for long-term campaign success.  

Courtney graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University and is a proud mom. 

Sean Inoue is Executive Director of the American Red Cross serving Western Los Angeles. In this role, Sean directs the tireless efforts of over 1,500 volunteers and staff as they turn compassion into action every day. Under Sean's leadership, the Western Los Angeles chapter has improved key relationships in underserved communities, expanded key areas in mission delivery, and implemented life-saving programming such as the Sound the Alarm campaign, which has installed over 35,000 new smoke alarms locally and saved 1,500 lives across the nation. Sean's strategic priorities for the chapter, informed by over a decade of nonprofit leadership experience, include cultivating increased resiliency in our most underserved communities, instilling a culture of volunteer empowerment, and championing the constant need for blood.

Prior to his service as Executive Director, Sean held key leadership roles in Red Cross’s Biomedical Services department, where he forged new partnerships and increased blood collections to ensure patients and hospital partners have a robust and healthy supply. Sean is dedicated to making a positive impact on the world and continues to inspire and lead the American Red Cross’s Western Los Angeles Chapter towards even greater success.

Elise has spent the majority of her career in both the healthcare and nonprofit world. Early in her career she worked in medical offices, specializing in Ophthalmology. From there she worked at Blue Shield of California implementing and managing a grant funded volunteer program of several hundred Medicare aged volunteers helping other seniors. Most recently she was the Associate Director of Healthcare Training Programs at JVS SoCal overseeing a nonclinical healthcare training program as well as a CNA training program.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in both Liberal Arts and Gerontology from Mount Saint Mary’s University and a Master’s Degree in Gerontology from the University of Southern California. She recently earned a certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from the University of South Florida and is a certified case manager and certified life and happiness coach.

She has been on the boards of the California Alliance of Information and Referral Services, the Alumnae Board of Mount Saint Mary’s University, The American Association of Ophthalmic Executives and most recently was a Board Member of the Northern Valleys Chapter of the Red Cross. She volunteers as a Senior Shift Supervisor of the Los Angeles Mayor’s Crisis Response Team and is part of a philanthropic family foundation (The Jewel Levine Foundation) which raises money for families in the Conejo Valley who are dealing with crisis.

Elise was born in Queens, NY but grew up in the San Fernando Valley and now lives in the Westwood area with her partner.

Amy Papageorges brings an extensive history with the American Red Cross, spanning 17 years of service in the Biomedical Division. Much of her experience has been spent working alongside the Greater Long Beach & South Bay Chapter Communities. She is passionate about furthering the American Red Cross Mission and being a personal extension of American Red Cross Values.

Throughout her tenure, she has played an active role as a spokesperson for the American Red Cross in various leadership capacities. These roles include Senior Account Manager, District Manager, Local Market Manager, and Area Booking Manager. She has enjoyed working on lifesaving blood collection competitions such as Battle of the Badges, City Blood Challenge, and the National Cesar E. Chavez and Migrant Student Foundation Blood Challenge. She has managed numerous special projects such as the prominent KLOS Radio Station Annual Blood Drives, Dodgers vs. Angels Blood Drives, the Leukopack Research Program, and COVID-19 Response Community Based Planning Initiative.

Amy was born and raised in Sioux City Iowa, is a graduate of Azusa Pacific University, and resides in Seal Beach, CA.