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[San Francisco, CA – July 27, 2017] The Board of Directors of the American Red Cross of the Bay Area held its annual meeting in June and elected five new members to the board. Also, the Board of Directors elected a new chair of the Board, Jonathan Velline, Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo & Company.

“The American Red Cross responds to help families affected by a disaster every 18 hours in the six counties of the Bay Area Chapter,” Velline said. “I’m honored to serve the Red Cross with this distinguished and dedicated board of directors, who work tirelessly to further the critical mission of the Red Cross.”

The new board members bring diverse experiences to this leadership body, including decades of experience in the philanthropy and financial communities of the Bay Area. The new members began their terms effective July 1. The newly elected board members are:

•  Jeff Block, Philanthropist 

•  Diana Bryggman, Chair, Solano County Leadership Council

•  Alexandra Pastor, Managing Director, Franklin Templeton Investments

•  Sharon Seto, Philanthropist 

•  Gary Zellerbach, Philanthropist 

In addition, three youth representatives were elected a one-year term:

•  Zoe Ferguson, youth member from Cal Berkeley Freshman

•  Jonathan Ho, youth member from Shasta Summit High School

•  Mallika Pajjuri, youth member from Dublin High School

“We are wrapping up an amazing year," said Trevor Riggen, CEO, American Red Cross of the Bay Area. "Our volunteers helped more than 1,400 local families faced with disasters that ranged from small home fires to large disasters like Ghostship Warehouse Fire; installed more than 1,200 smoke alarms to make families safer; taught lifesaving skills like first aid, CPR and AED to more than 49,000 residents; and assisted nearly 1,600 members of the armed forces."

Riggen also thanked the board's outgoing chair, Kelly Murphy, for providing effective leadership that was “key to this success,” and he said the new board is poised to build on these accomplishments.

Here is a complete list of the American Red Cross of the Bay Area Board of Directors as of July 2017: redcross.org/local/californiaorthern-california-coastal/chapters/bay-area/leadership

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About the American Red Cross of the Bay Area
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please call 888-4-HELP-BAY (888-443-5722) or visit redcross.org/local/californiaorthern-california-coastal/chapters/bay-area to learn more. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter.