TAMPA, Fla. (July 15, 2026) — The Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross celebrated a year of extraordinary service, volunteerism and community impact during its 109th Annual Meeting, recognizing outstanding volunteers and community partners, welcoming new board members and highlighting accomplishments from Fiscal Year 2026.

The annual meeting marked the chapter’s first full fiscal year as part of the newly formed North and Central Florida Region, following the historic realignment of Red Cross operations across much of the state.

“This year demonstrated the resilience and dedication of our volunteers, staff, board members and community partners,” said Mike Brown, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter. “While we navigated significant organizational change, our mission never paused. Every day, volunteers continued responding to home fires, supporting military families, installing smoke alarms, teaching lifesaving skills and helping communities prepare for disasters.”

Throughout Fiscal Year 2026, Tampa Bay volunteers responded to 542 home fires, helping 2,209 families begin their recovery. Volunteers also installed 2,458 free smoke alarms, made 2,260 homes safer through fire prevention efforts and reached 1,000 youth through preparedness education programs.Volunteer engagement remained strong, with more than 1,700 volunteers contributing approximately 57,000 hours of service across the Tampa Bay area. In addition to local responses, volunteers deployed to major disasters across eight states and two U.S. territories.

Recognizing Outstanding VolunteersThe annual meeting celebrated volunteers whose extraordinary dedication, compassion and commitment exemplify the Red Cross mission. These individuals have made a lasting difference in the lives of families and communities throughout Tampa Bay.

Fiscal Year 2026 honorees included:

• Volunteer Services Volunteer of the Year: Neyda Robinson
• Service to the Armed Forces Volunteer of the Year: Andrew “Andy” SeeleyBusiness
• Operations Volunteer of the Year: Carl Gingola
• Disaster Cycle Services Volunteer of the Year: Elaine Stevens
• Chapter Volunteer of the Year: Rudy Barrios
• Youth Volunteer of the Year: Ermal Gigolaj
• New Volunteer of the Year: Terri Vandegrift

Welcoming the FY27 Board of Directors

The chapter also recognized its Fiscal Year 2027 Board of Directors, whose leadership, expertise and commitment to community service help advance the Red Cross mission throughout Tampa Bay.

The board plays a vital role in strengthening community partnerships, supporting fundraising efforts and ensuring the Red Cross remains ready to respond when disasters strike.

FY27 Board of Directors
New members are designated with an asterisk.

• *Pamela Flannery, Chair — Professor of Health Administration, The Learning Guild
• Sharon Christian, Secretary — Accountant (retired)
• *Mohamed Ahmed — Health Care Executive (retired)
• Dave Armitage — CEO, MANKO Delivery Services, Inc.
• *Canaan Azzi — Chairman and CEO, Blue Lotus Corp.
• Amber Boes — Division Chief Nursing Executive
• Jenette Cruz — Senior Executive Assistant to the Managing Partner, New York Yankees
• Lorraine Dutkowsky — Registered Nurse and Former Owner, The Golf Club at Cypress Creek (retired)
• Brian Hassett — CEO, Nashville United Way (retired)
• Darren Impson — President, Paul Davis Restoration of Tampa
• Heather Koester — Disaster Resilience Director, Manatee and Pinellas Counties
• Shaun Kwiatkowski — Managing Director, Bellwether Beach Resort and The Beachcomber
• Ela Sulimirski Landegger — Community Volunteer
• Alyse Latour — Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
• Morgan Mills — Assistant Vice President, Wealth Management, Fifth Third Bank
• Janet Moore — Global Real Estate Advisor, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty
• *Greg Norman — Founder and CEO, Bath Masters
• Heidi Whidden — Vice President, Safety & Security, Tampa Electric Co.

Honorary Board Members

• Kevin Milkey — Grand Central Brewhouse
• Honorable Harry Thomas — U.S. Ambassador (retired)
• Cathy Smith — Vice President, PAR, Inc.
• Lea LeVines — Fifth Third Wealth Advisors
• Barbara Davis — President, Red Cross Angels of Tampa Bay
• Beverly Austin
• Dr. Stephen Dickey
• Sally Hill

Looking Ahead: Continuing the Mission

As the chapter looks toward another year of service, the Red Cross remains focused on strengthening disaster readiness, expanding volunteer engagement and building community partnerships that help families prepare for and recover from emergencies.

Community members can also support the mission by donating blood, volunteering or making a financial donation to help ensure the Red Cross is ready when help is needed most.

To learn more about the American Red Cross or become a volunteer, visit RedCross.org.