The American Red Cross of Illinois River Valley is proud to announce that James M. Roolf will serve as board chair for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2019. He currently serves as vice chairman.

“Jim is an incredible leader who will help strengthen the presence of the Red Cross across our six-county chapter,” said Brian McDaniel, executive director of the American Red Cross of the Illinois River Valley chapter. “We are fortunate to have Jim in this role. He is the right person at the right time for the Red Cross.”

Roolf is the senior vice president and corporate relations officer for First Midwest Bank. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Roolf has more than 40 years of experience within the banking industry. Since 1984, he has served on the Illinois Bankers Association’s Government Relations Committee.

He currently serves on the board of directors of several organizations, including Silver Cross Hospital, Will County Center for Economic Development, Joliet City Center Partnership and Chicago Regional Growth Corporation.

The following members of the board of directors have been elected to serve another three-year term:

·  Robert Erickson, President of AMITA Health St. Joseph Medical Center

·  Brent Hassert, Brent Hassert Consulting

·  Dave Nagel, EMS System Coordinator at Presence St. Mary’s EMS System

·  Tricia Simpson, Midwest Public Affairs Manager at Exxon Mobil Corporation

Board members are selected based on their individual expertise as well as their commitment to the American Red Cross humanitarian mission.

About the American Red Cross of the Illinois River Valley:

The American Red Cross of the Illinois River Valley serves 1.1 million people in six counties in Northern Illinois including Kankakee, Will, Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle and Putnam. 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 visit us at www.redcross.org/ILRiver or visit us on Twitter @chicagoredcross.