Shawn Schulze was named as Regional Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Gulf Coast Region in January 2024. Prior to this appointment, Shawn was the Chief Executive Officer of the Louisiana Region. Initially, Shawn joined the American Red Cross in 2018 as the Regional Chief Operating Officer for the Colorado and Wyoming Region and has served in interim roles as Executive Director for Southeastern Colorado as well as the Colorado and Wyoming Service to the Armed Forces and International Service Director.

His disaster deployments in the Red Cross include serving as the Chief of Staff for both the 2020 Oregon fires and the 2021 Kentucky Tornado response as well as numerous responses in Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas.

Shawn has a long history of professional, government and public service experience. Before joining the Red Cross, his past positions include serving as Deputy Director for the Southwest Region of AmeriCorps (National Civilian Community Corps), Government Contractor- Deputy Operations Manager at U.S. Northern Command, and retiring from the U.S. Army after 23-years of service. He has learned to cultivate partnerships that yield win-win scenarios, renewed confidence with elected and community leaders, and continual engagement of both internal and external stakeholders.

Shawn served in both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army during his 23-year military career. He received his commission through Officer Candidate School (OCS), graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate. Over the course of his military service, he held many leadership positions and deployed to combat zones numerous times. He served as commander of hundreds of troops and government civilians in 3 commands throughout Germany, Colorado, and Kansas.  Shawn served in the Special Operations Command, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Strategic Air Command, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, the 127th Aviation Brigade and the 1st and 4th Armored Division.

Shawn graduated, Cum Laude, from the University of Texas and holds a master’s degree in finance from Webster University in St Louis. He has been married for more than 34 years and together, he and his wife have three grown children and two grandchildren.

Susan joined the Red Cross in 2011, transitioning from volunteer to paid staff. In her current position, she serves on an Operations Team that services 47-counties in Central and Southern Ohio. She served an interim role with International Services and Service to the Armed Forces and her most recent roles include Interim Regional COO in Central and Southern Ohio Region and Interim Regional COO for our region. She developed a passion for serving when a major weather event hit her region and she was able to see the mission in action. Susan brings years of experience and knowledge to the Texas Gulf Coast Region, and she looks forward to joining the team.  With the support of our current operations team, Susan will support our workforce and ensure that our clients get what they need, when they need it.

Linda Bates is the Chief Development Officer for the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region, leading efforts to expand the organization’s capacity to deliver lifesaving services and support communities in times of need. With nearly 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, she has successfully built high-performing teams, directed multi-million-dollar fundraising campaigns, and developed transformational partnerships that fuel mission impact.

Before joining the Red Cross, Linda led major fundraising initiatives for organizations including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Pursuit Center, where she spearheaded the award-winning Pursuit Capital Campaign. Her leadership has contributed to campaigns exceeding $1 billion, with expertise spanning major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, planned giving, and strategic special events.

Linda holds a Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Texas A&M University. Passionate about community resilience and humanitarian service, she is dedicated to mobilizing resources that allow the Red Cross to continue its mission of alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies.

Brittney Rochell is the Regional Communications Director. Brittney serves the Texas Gulf Coast Region as well as is a member of the National Spokesperson team for the American Red Cross. Brittney is an energetic, creative, and innovative public relations professional with experience in media relations, internal and external communications distribution, and crisis communications. Brittney joined the Red Cross in April 2017 as the Regional Manager of Communications with a goal of helping raise the public’s awareness of the Red Cross and the mission. In August of 2017, she was promoted to the Regional Director of Communications and Marketing where she developed a strategy to increase the visibility of the Red Cross across Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas.  She comes to the Gulf Coast region with a wealth of knowledge and experience on brand management and creating a strong following and visibility for the Red Cross.  She obtained an associate’s degree in Interdisciplinary Sciences from Cameron University, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agricultural Communications from Oklahoma State University.

Edward joins the Texas Gulf Coast team after serving as the Regional Disaster Officer for New Jersey for the past three and a half years. Prior to New Jersey he served as the Deputy Disaster Officer with the American Red Cross in Northern New England, a region covering the States of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Edward began volunteering with the Red Cross in 2003 while working on his Eagle Scout project. He attended Community College of Rhode Island and Roger Williams Medical while beginning a career in fire service as a Fire/Medic. During his career, he rose to the rank of station captain, serving as the EMS coordinator, instructor coordinator, and a fire instructor. He also served in public office, on boards, and volunteered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to support youth training and education.

Edward became a part-time CPR instructor in 2005 and volunteered with Red Cross Disaster Services in Providence Rhode Island, where he deployed to help with disaster relief operations across the country. To date, Edward has supported more than 50 disaster relief operations, including work with Health Services following a 2015 typhoon in Saipan and as Operations Lead for a shelter in Houston in 2017, helping more than 11,000 people displaced by Hurricane Harvey.

Asekun Kuforiji joined the Texas Gulf Coast leadership team as Regional Volunteer Services Officer in March 2022. He started with the American Red Cross as volunteer in the Southwest and Rocky Mountains Division as the Divisional Volunteer Recruitment Lead in 2019. Before joining the American Red Cross, he was the Head of Talent Engagement at Diageo, where he spent 6 years of his career shaping and leading human resources initiatives. He also worked at Adecco as an HR Consultant.

Asekun started off his career in the non-profit sector in several student and graduate positions over 20 years ago. He is a Senior Professional in Human Resources, International (SPHRi) of the Human Resource Certificate Institute- HRCI. He was awarded a certificate in Entrepreneurship by the Harvard University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and Toxicology. Asekun loves to play chess and soccer, and currently resides in Richmond, Texas.

Angelina R. Garcia serves as the Executive Director of the Coastal Bend Chapter of the American Red Cross. Angelina (Angie) is a non-profit leader with over 26 years of experience. In her recent service to the community, Angelina served as Senior Director of Programs and Grants and Acting Executive Director during multiple periods of transition with Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi and Mother Teresa Shelter. As the Senior Director of Programs & Grants Angelina focused on sustaining essential services and oversight of the Long-Term Disaster response to Hurricane Harvey. Her professional experiences include serving as the Community Outreach Coordinator for CHRISTUS Spohn Health System, where she managed care teams comprised of Registered Nurses and Patient Navigators ensuring the continuum of care for patients discharging from in-patient care.

Angelina’s commitment to the community includes appointments to the Corpus Christi Mayor’s Fitness Council – Community Outreach/Special Events, West Oso School Health Advisory Council, Success by 6 Coalition – United Way of the Coastal Bend and recognized as LULAC Council #1, “2022 Outstanding Community Leader”. Angelina has a bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She is a life-long resident of Corpus Christi where she enjoys time with her two Children and three grandchildren!

Kayla Gonzalez serves as the Executive Director of the South Texas Chapter of the American Red Cross. Kayla is a non-profit leader with several years of experience. In her recent service to the community, Kayla served as the American Red Cross Volunteer Service recruiter for the South Texas Chapter. As the Volunteer Service recruiter Kayla focused on recruiting new volunteers to help us serve our communities in their time of need. Kayla’s commitment to the community includes working as the Branch Manager at a Staffing agency and served as the Interim Executive Director for the Boys and Girls Club of Los Fresnos.

Kayla holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix and recently received her certificate in Human Resources Management. She is a life-long resident of Harlingen where she enjoys time with her time with her husband and children!

Kimberly Cline serves as the Executive Director for the Southeast and Deep East Chapter of the American Red Cross. Kimberly (Kim) has built strong relationships within the Red Cross team and the broader Gulf Coast Region, leveraging her experience in sales, management, and community relations to grow the chapter’s volunteer base and donor participation. With a deep appreciation for the connections she has built over the years—ranging from elected officials to emergency management teams and local organizations—she is bringing people together in support of the Red Cross mission.

Recognizing that volunteers and funding are critical to sustaining disaster relief efforts, Kim is committed to implementing strategic outreach initiatives. She aims to engage the community through social media, events, and partnerships, ensuring that more people understand how they can contribute to the mission. Collaboration is key for her, and she has learned from regional leaders and successful chapters to bring best practices to the Southeast/Deep East Texas Chapter.