PRINCETON, NJ, November 16, 2017 – American Red Cross New Jersey Region CEO Ana Montero is proud to announce Augusto “Gus” Penaranda and Rodric S. Bowman, DSc, MAS as new members of the organization’s regional leadership team. Penaranda joins the organization as Chief External Relations Officer, overseeing all government relations and communications activity within the region. Dr. Bowman joins the Red Cross as Regional Disaster Officer, overseeing all Disaster Services, including disaster preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery activity in New Jersey.
“I’m pleased to have Gus and Rodric on the leadership team,” said Ana Montero, CEO, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “I am confident that their skills and experience, together with the support of a strong team of committed volunteers and employees, will help them lead the Red Cross to deliver even better service to communities in New Jersey.”
Augusto Penaranda, Chief External Relations Officer
Gus Penaranda joins the Red Cross with more than eight years' experience with community outreach as a counselor at Passaic County Community College, where he also held a position as Adjunct Professor. Before that, Gus worked in Communications with the New Jersey Schools Development Authority and also served as Regional Outreach Officer with the Office of Diversity, Emerging Markets and Governmental Affairs.
"Gus brings a blend of communications and government relations experience which positions him to incorporate new ideas, perspectives and approaches to our external relations strategy.”
Penaranda is bilingual in English and Spanish and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Masters in International Relations/Public Policy from William Paterson University of New Jersey.
Rodric S. Bowman, DSc, MAS, Regional Disaster Officer
Rodric Bowman joins the Red Cross as a seasoned emergency manager with extensive experience developing and implementing comprehensive emergency management programs. Most recently, Dr. Bowman held the position of Senior Director for Emergency Management Operations at NYC Health + Hospitals, where he provided strategic guidance and tactical support to ensure the uninterrupted functionality of system-wide operations for the nation’s largest municipal healthcare delivery system. Prior to his role at NYC Health + Hospitals, Dr. Bowman served as the Deputy Chief of the Preparedness Bureau at the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP). In his role at NJOHSP, he led planning efforts intended to enhance New Jersey’s disaster resilience.
“Rodric has a wealth of knowledge and experience in emergency management,” said Montero. “He is a strong leader with real visibility and insight about how the Red Cross can continue to affectively prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters."
Dr. Bowman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Western Connecticut State University, a Masters in Administrative Science degree focused in Emergency Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Doctorate degree in Civil Security Leadership, Management and Policy from New Jersey City University.
About the American Red Cross:
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 redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
About the American Red Cross in New Jersey
The American Red Cross provides programs and services to a population of 8.8 million in New Jersey. The Red Cross trains and mobilizes more than 5,000 volunteers who support the delivery of services throughout the state. In New Jersey last year, the Red Cross responded to more than 820 local disasters, mostly home fires, helping nearly 1,900 displaced families; collected more than 90,500 units of blood through blood drives and Red Cross Blood Donation Centers; provided more than 4,180 military family case services with emergency messages, helping families find assistance and/or get counseling and referrals; and trained more than 113,200 individuals with life-saving skills in preparedness, CPR, AED use, first aid and aquatics. For more information, please visit redcross.orgJ and follow us on Twitter @NJRedCross.org.