George Gutierrez has been selected as the new Red Cross disaster program manager for southwest Idaho.

Prior to joining the American Red Cross, Gutierrez was the deputy administrator for Policy and Innovation at the Idaho Division of Medicaid, where he was responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations and for implementing new initiatives for Idaho Medicaid.  

He worked extensively with stakeholders, community leaders, beneficiaries and the public to gather feedback on program design and quality of services.  

He also worked as the bureau chief for the Crime Victims Compensation Program for the State of Idaho, where he administered a health care plan and support services for victims of violent crimes.  

Prior to his time at the State of Idaho, Gutierrez worked for several nonprofit organizations, where he managed multiple vocational rehabilitation services for people with disabilities.  He also was responsible for recruiting and cultivating volunteers to support services, fundraising, board administration and agency initiatives.

Gutierrez received his master’s degree from Pepperdine University in clinical psychology and his bachelor’s from UCLA in psychology, with a business emphasis.  He has received formal training in crisis response, trauma response, mediation and process improvement.

He has lived in Boise for more than 26 years.  He enjoys playing softball and golf, and many outdoor activities, including camping, fishing, hiking, snowshoeing and soaking in hot springs.  George has been a martial arts instructor in karate and jujitsu at Kiyo-Ju Martial Arts for more than 25 years.