Molly Schmidt
Molly Schmidt joined the American Red Cross, Pacific Islands Region, as the Chief Operating Officer in 2024 and has recently stepped into the role as Regional Chief Executive Officer.
She has 21 years of experience working with international NGOs and community-based nonprofits on organizational development. Molly served in leadership roles with the Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi, Girl Scouts of Northern California, where she has led operations overseeing multi-department fiscal management, donor stewardship, volunteer recruitment and retention, team capacity training, monitoring and evaluations, risk mitigation and compliance, communications, IT and system support, and facility management. Her work in the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands champions culturally grounded, ʻāina-based approaches to resiliency, emphasizing sense of place in strengthening community preparedness and mitigating disaster impacts.
Her passions for service to communities in need during disasters were forged when she was with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Southeast Asia Regional Delegation for 4 years post Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. She worked alongside many Partner National Societies (PNS), including American Red Cross colleagues, focusing on health in disasters and capacity building of community-based first aid programs in RCRC national societies around the region. Disaster preparedness, response, and recovery were woven into the health emergencies work she led post SARS and during H1N1 Bird Flu that was rampant in Southeast Asia. At the IFRC, she coordinated an inter-agency collaboration communication network with all PNS, United Nations, WHO and other INGOs to share rapid developments.
Molly has had the pleasure of serving on two nonprofit boards where she helped them to scale and adopt nonprofit best practices and leadership training. Schmidt is active in the community as Secretary and President-Elect of the Windward Rotary Club of Oahu in Kailua and is a Cohort 9 graduate of the YWCA Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance. She is a Troop Leader for Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi’s Troop 193, serves on the grant review committee for the Women’s Fund Hawaiʻi and is a member of Hawaiʻi’s Organization of Women Leaders. She is a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, GA, a Hawaiʻi resident and lives with her partner of 22 years, 2 teenage kids, a black cat, and a golden retriever.
Sia Shinas
Sia Shinas comes to the American Red Cross, Pacific Islands Region as the Regional Chief Operating Officer after almost 3 decades in national security as an Air Force Reserve Logistics Officer. Most recently, she served as the Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Sia has served in various positions at the Joint & Air Force Headquarters levels and has deployed in support of multiple operations in the Middle East, South Korea, and Europe. She has directed logistics support to several natural disaster responses, including Superstorm Sandy and Typhoon Haiyan, and specialized in Defense Security Cooperation during crises.
She recently graduated from Tufts Fletcher School’s Global Master of Arts Program, and had previously earned a Masters in International Relations at Webster University and a Master of Business Administration at the University of Phoenix, in addition to her BA in Archaeology from Boston University. She was a National Security Fellow at the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, and is dedicated to answering the key question “how can I best serve?”
Zach Horton
Zach Horton serves as the Chief Development Officer for the American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region, leading fundraising strategy across individual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation support, and government grants. He is committed to thoughtful stewardship, clear communication, and building philanthropic partnerships that create lasting impact for local communities. In this role, he works closely with regional leadership, board members, volunteers, and the fund development team to advance a culture of philanthropy and secure the resources that sustain and expand Red Cross services across Hawaiʻi and throughout the Pacific Islands Region.
Zach brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit philanthropy, including leadership roles in Hawaiʻi and across the region with The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiʻi Land Trust, and the Coral Reef Alliance. His background includes major and principal gifts, capital and comprehensive campaigns, and developing high‑performing development teams across multiple islands and programs.
Zach and his family live in Hilo. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he earned a BA in English and Film.
Renise L. Haili Bayne
Renise Bayne is a seasoned disaster manager with the American Red Cross, marking 15 years of dedicated service this year. She has held key leadership roles, including Plans and Operations Officer for the City & County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management and CARE Coordinator for the State of Hawaii’s COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Program. She also contributed to the repatriation of American Samoa citizens after border closures in 2020.
For more than 13 years, Renise has volunteered with the Pacific Islands Region, serving as Direct Services Lead overseeing all client-facing activities such as sheltering, emergency supply distribution, feeding, health, mental health, spiritual care, disability integration, and client casework. With over 30 deployments—including the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, the Kauaʻi landslide, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires—her experience spans Hawaiʻi, the continental U.S., and across the Pacific. She is also an Advanced Instructor for Disaster Response Services (“Train the Trainer”) and a Community Disaster Education and Preparedness Presenter.
Born in Keaukaha and raised in Panaʻewa, Hilo, Hawaiʻi, Renise graduated with honors from Wayland Baptist University and The Kamehameha Schools – Kapālama. As a 1995 line-of-duty death surviving spouse, she has been a strong advocate for Public Safety Agencies, providing consultation and crisis preparedness classes locally, nationally, and internationally on supporting Law Enforcement and Public Safety Officers, their agencies’ personnel and their families in times of crisis.
Renise’s greatest joy is her ʻohana. She is the proud mother of six children, grandmother of 24 (with #25 and #26 on the way), and caretaker of four furry companions.
Jaylene Chee
With over 30 years of experience in volunteer management and nonprofit administration, Jaylene serves as the Regional Volunteer Services Officer for the American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region, overseeing programs across Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Her leadership journey includes roles with the Hawaii State Bar Association and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, where she helped strengthen community outreach and operational systems. In 2012, Jaylene established the region’s first Volunteer Services department, leading strategic development, implementing programs, building volunteer capacity, and ensuring alignment with national standards. Jaylene’s leadership is deeply rooted in her admiration for Red Cross volunteers—whose dedication and compassion continually inspire her. She remains committed to advancing the organization's humanitarian mission and fostering meaningful service opportunities across the Pacific.
Julie Greenly
Julie Greenly is the Regional Program Director for Service to the Armed Forces and International Services (SAF/IS) with the American Red Cross, Pacific Islands Region. She leads a dedicated team supporting active-duty military, veterans, and their families across Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Her team also provides support and outreach to the Compact of Free Association (COFA) nations, including the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Julie has over 20 years of emergency management experience and has directly supported over 20 Presidentially declared disasters. She has served in key roles within FEMA/State Joint Field Offices and on National preparedness committees. Prior to joining the Red Cross in 2022, she held leadership positions with the Hawaii State Civil Defense /Emergency Management Agency and the Pacific Disaster Center, supporting emergency preparedness and response efforts throughout Hawaii and the Pacific.
In her previous role, Julie contributed to Hawaii’s COVID-19 response as the CDC Foundation’s Hawaii Schools Team Operations Manager and as a part-time Public Health Advisor at the CDC’s Honolulu Quarantine Station.
Julie holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a graduate certificate in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance (DMHA) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She was named the American Red Cross SAF/IS Employee of the Year in 2024.
Mimi Teller
Mimi Teller is the Interim Communications Director for the American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region, overseeing media relations, storytelling and external communications for preparedness, response and recovery. She is on temporary assignment from the Los Angeles Region, where she serves as Development Communications Manager, supporting donor‑focused messaging, events and mission storytelling that strengthen volunteer and donor engagement.
Mimi has spent 11 years with the Red Cross, building a career shaped by disaster fieldwork and communications leadership. She began as a disaster response lead and caseworker while also photographing the mission. Her deployment experience includes national responses to wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and earthquakes. In 2016, she spent two months in the Philippines supporting long‑term recovery and business continuity following Typhoon Haiyan. She later served as the volunteer communications partner before joining the organization as staff in 2023.
Her background spans creative and emergency management disciplines. Mimi holds a master’s degree in communications from the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from UCLA. She is a credentialed Master Public Information Officer through FEMA, a certified PIO with the California Office of Emergency Services and completed FEMA’s National Emergency Management Advanced Academy.
A former Oahu resident, Mimi brings longstanding ties to Hawai‘i to her work with the Pacific Islands Region. Now based in Southern California, she serves on her homeowner’s association board and is a full‑time caregiver for her 99‑year‑old mother. She enjoys audiobooks, baking sourdough and engaging in the Palm Springs midcentury modern architecture community.
Ken Quintanilla
Ken Quintanilla serves as the executive director of the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross, bringing more than 17 years of experience in communications, community engagement and public service across media, government and the private sector. His work is rooted in building trust, strengthening connections and leading with kindness across the island he calls home.
Born and raised on Guam, Ken is a proud University of Guam communications graduate who has spent much of his career amplifying the voices and stories of the island’s communities. He began as a reporter with KUAM News, covering significant events from elections to typhoon response and recovery. He later served as Public Relations Coordinator at DOCOMO PACIFIC, where he helped share essential information during outages and emergencies and supported community connections throughout Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Ken also worked with the Guam State Clearinghouse under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, helping administer millions in federal grant funding during the COVID‑19 pandemic to support education, youth programs and critical community initiatives. Before joining the Red Cross, he served as Assistant Vice President and Community Relations Manager at Bank of Guam, leading partnerships with nonprofits and advancing local engagement programs across the region.
