“I look forward to working with our great team of volunteers and donors and to continue building strong relationships between the Red Cross and the community.”
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, (September 11, 2018) — The Coastal Bend Texas Chapter of the American Red Cross is pleased to announce that Alex Garcia has been named the new executive director. Debra Murphy-Luera, the previous executive director, will transition to regional chief operating officer. Garcia will be based in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he will oversee the strategic vision of Red Cross programs and services for over 580,000 people in 18 counties stretching along the Texas Gulf Coast from Hallettsville to Rudolph.
“Alex brings a great deal of experience and enthusiasm to the Red Cross,” said Henry Van de Putte, Regional Chief Executive for the American Red Cross, Texas Gulf Coast. “The Coastal Bend Texas Chapter and the communities it serves will benefit from his wealth of leadership experience and proven abilities to develop and maintain relationships.”
Garcia has been with the Red Cross for several years as a Corpus Christi Chapter board member and most recently, as chairman of the board. Prior to joining the Red Cross, Garcia, a career entrepreneur, owned and operated several businesses from the age of sixteen, including a chain of neighborhood grocery stores. He is a dedicated community leader serving on the Corpus Christi City Council and several South Texas and Coastal Bend boards.
Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Garcia graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Garcia and his wife Betty have five children and five beautiful grandchildren.
“It is an honor to join the American Red Cross here in Coastal Bend,” said Garcia. “I look forward to working with our great team of volunteers and donors and to continue building strong relationships between the Red Cross and the community.”
About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross is a United Way agency that 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 cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.