Susie Trotochaud, 2025 Tiffany Circle Summit co-chair and founding member of the Tiffany Circle of Georgia, introducing Gail McGovern, former Red Cross president and CEO, attending her first summit as Chairman of the Board of Governors, at the Saturday Night Salute to Services dinner.
By Allison Flexner, Development Communications Manager
When more than 250 Tiffany Circle members and guests gathered in Washington, D.C., for their 2025 Summit, there were inspiring stories, speakers and sessions filled with energy, compassion and purpose.
“Beyond the inspiration is that women felt connected to each other and that’s what made it a successful summit,” said Susie Trotochaud, 2025 Tiffany Circle Summit co-chair. “I think we’ve shown that women want to make those connections and be part of something bigger than themselves.”
The Tiffany Circle is a powerful network of women philanthropists committed to advancing the mission of the American Red Cross through leadership, service and giving.
Red Cross of Georgia women at the summit’s Friday night dinner. From left to right: Asra Sasmaz, Kelley Baron, Rachel Maree, Trinita Patton, Angelyn Liu, Linda Stueber, Meredith Sidewater, Natalie Batchelor, Caroline Weeks, Susie Trotochaud, Letty Ashworth, Kim Cross, Rosalie Clough and Dee Dixon.
Trotochaud, a founding member of the Tiffany Circle of Georgia and summit co-chair, and Tonya Roth, from the Kentucky Region, wanted women to engage with the Red Cross mission, capturing the spirit of the event under the theme: “Be the Spark: Ignite. Inspire. Act.”
“This summit is a celebration of who we are,” said Roth. “One spark becomes many. A moment becomes a movement.”
“Our strength lies not just in what we’ve done,” added Trotochaud. “But in what we will do together.”
Tiffany Circle members from across the nation on the steps of the American Red Cross national headquarters.
That collective strength raised more than $1.3 million for disaster financial assistance, helping over 1,700 families recover from emergencies with dignity and care.
The summit featured powerful speakers, including journalist Norah O’Donnell, who moderated a fireside chat with Veronica Beard co-founders and Lt. Gen. Nadja West, who shared her lifelong connection to the Red Cross. Former Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern, attending her first summit as Chairman of the Board of Governors, honored Gold Star Families and service members during the Salute to Service program.
Caroline Weeks, board member of the Red Cross Greater Atlanta Chapter, telling her story of receiving a teddy bear from the Red Cross after a fire at her family home when she was a teenager as Laura Linger, the Tiffany Circle national council co-chair, presents our goal to raise more than $1 million toward disaster financial assistance.
Breakout sessions focused on urgent issues such as disaster response, public health, youth preparedness and support for military families, reflecting the reach of Red Cross humanitarian work.
For Trotochaud, her spark is personal and deeply rooted in her belief in women’s leadership. Long before joining the Tiffany Circle, she was inspired by her mother, who regularly donated blood to the Red Cross while raising 11 children after her husband passed away when Trotochaud was young.
The youngest of her brothers and sisters, Trotochaud gave blood and platelets for years. Later, her mother was diagnosed with a rare blood disease and was told she had two to five years to live. She spent five quality years with her family, helped by regular blood and platelet transfusions.
“I remember sitting with her, waiting for platelets to arrive because they needed to be collected and used within five days,” Trotochaud recalled. “That experience really hooked me into the lifesaving role the Red Cross plays.”
After her mother passed away, Trotochaud decided to honor her legacy with the money she left her by joining the Tiffany Circle of Georgia and she continues to give in her memory.
The Red Cross is about helping people in need, at all levels.
“The Red Cross wants to bring more women into the fold through their time, talent and treasure,” Trotochaud said. “If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, the Red Cross is the place to come. If you want to give blood, you can become more involved with the Red Cross. If you want to give of your treasure, if you are at a place where you can donate, give to the Red Cross. No matter where you are in your stage of life, we want women to start making those connections and grow those relationships.”
Two Tiffany Circle of Georgia members, Natalie Batchelor and Meredith Sidewater, standing up to pledge above and beyond their Tiffany Circle commitment to support families receiving disaster financial assistance.
She believes the power of the Tiffany Circle lies in its collective giving, sustained support that makes a difference in the Red Cross every day, not only when there’s been a disaster. But just as importantly, the Tiffany Circle opens doors for women to do more within the Red Cross organization, offering opportunities to grow as leaders.
For Trotochaud, the 2025 Tiffany Circle Summit was more than an event, it was proof of what happens when women unite in purpose. And it’s just the beginning.
As she said: “Our strength lies not just in what we’ve done. It’s in what we will do together.”
About the Tiffany Circle:
The Tiffany Circle is a community of women leaders who advance the American Red Cross mission through a focused investment of time, talent and treasure by engaging women locally, nationally and internationally.
The Tiffany Circle takes its name from the historic stained glass windows in the Board of Governors Hall at Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C. Installed in 1917, the windows were commissioned from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios. The windows cost $10,000 and were jointly purchased by women of the north and women of the south, as an act of reconciliation and hope. Tiffany Circle members from across the country, each donate $10,000 or more annually to support the American Red Cross.
Learn more about this powerful network of women philanthropists and how to get involved: https://www.redcross.org/tiffany-circle/about-tiffany-circle.html
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