Susan Hassmiller Devotes 50 Years Service to the Red Cross – And She’s not Done Yet!

By Roger Lowe

“I remember going to their huge and extensive basement [in Poland] where they keep all the paper files of the people from the Holocaust that the Red Cross has worked over all these decades to link family members – from the time of the horrible death camp releases to very recently.”

Sue Hassmiller decided to devote her life to the Red Cross when she was 20 and the organization helped her find her parents after a Mexico City earthquake. It was the beginning of a Red Cross journey that would last 50 years and include roles at every level of the organization, nearly every part of its service, disasters of all sizes and national leadership. 

“I have loved every minute and consider it all a privilege to be part of this family,” she said.

Sue has been a member of the Board of Governors, chair of several local boards, a founding member of the Tiffany Circle in the New Jersey region and a longtime member of the National Nursing Committee. She has responded to disasters such as the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Only two of her 50 years have been as a paid staffer, the rest have all been volunteer roles.

She gives out two national awards each year to deserving volunteers. The American Red Cross Susan Hassmiller Nursing Award was established in 2007 to enhance Red Cross local service delivery capacity through the increased engagement of nurses and nursing students in policy, leadership and service delivery positions. 

The Bob Hassmiller Excellence in Disaster Services Award is named in honor of her late husband of 37 years, who was a longtime disaster volunteer.  

Proudest Red Cross moments 

When asked about her proudest moments, she lists serving on the Board of Governors and chairing the 9/11 fund, which raised more than $1 billion. Sue said that serving on national disasters is probably where she gets the utmost satisfaction: “I have such a heart for people in need (I totally channel Clara Barton on this one), and representing the American Red Cross after the tsunami in Thailand was extraordinary.”

She also spoke movingly about representing the American Red Cross in Poland for work to link family members separated during the Holocaust. “I remember going to their huge and extensive basement where they keep all the paper files of the people from the Holocaust that the Red Cross has worked over all these decades to link family members – from the time of the horrible death camp releases to very recently,” Sue said. “It is heartbreaking to see and hear all the stories, but what the Red Cross has done to reunite families is amazing.”

One of her many Red Cross memories is from a tornado in Alabama: “There was a young girl, maybe 18 or 20, who was separated from her family when people and property were blown all over the region. She did not have a nickel to her name, but I was able to locate her family members and get her on a bus with some cash to reach them.” 

Continuing to Serve on Climate Change

Sue serves as a national co-chair of the advisory committee for the Red Cross Community Adaptation Program (CAP), which works to strengthen local partner networks in areas at high risk for extreme weather and existing barriers to resilience. 

“Climate and its effects on disasters and people is probably the most important issue of our times now,” she said. “As a Red Cross worker and a health professional, I see the effects every day. I am stunned with all the evidence we have that there are some calling this a hoax, so I work even harder on this issue because of that. I even published a book in April because I feel so strongly about this: Taking Action: Top Ten Priorities for Nurses to Protect Health in a Changing Climate. 

In addition, Sue and her husband of five years, Dr. Lewis G. Sandy, have invested in a large multi-state climate initiative designed for doctors and nurses. The Sandy-Hassmiller Climate & Health Initiative features grants and support for early-career researchers, funding for climate and health challenges, and networking opportunities.

Fun and Family 

Sue and Lewis live in North Carolina near her two grandchildren and love to travel. In September, they did a biking history tour of the Brittany and Normandy areas of France.

“I am highly active; my mother claims I started walking at 7 months of age and have not stopped since,” she said. “So, for fun, I bike, hike, swim, travel, whatever else my grandkids want me to do.”  

Sue proudly created and leads a tour every two years called Following in the Footsteps of Clara Barton. The tour in September 2026 had 44 participants. 

“I am a teacher at heart and love teaching endlessly about this organization, its history and all the great things we do,” she said.

The Red Cross published a story about Sue in August that includes a nice video interview, here: https://www.redcross.org/local/north-carolina/about-us/news-and-events/news/-a-lifetime-of-service--sue-hassmiller-s-50-year-red-cross-journ.html?srsltid=AfmBOor0KQ2wwSGF8xMtsBrgdRIYd8_F5mm4yjmDfCrR0MRCMku1kgrV

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