A Q&A with Cheryl Searcy
“In Afghanistan I stood and counted the number of vehicles that left the base on mission at night – and counted them again when they returned in the morning… hoping they all made it back. Deploying with the military was, without a doubt, the most meaningful work I ever did.”
Cheryl Searcy on her deployment to Poland, October 2022 to March 2023.
What paid positions did you hold with the American Red Cross, and when?
1991 - 1993 Ozarks Blood Region (Springfield, Missouri)
- donor recruiter, Apheresis
1993 – 2004 Greater Ozarks Chapter (Springfield):
- Emergency Services specialist,
- director of Emergency Services (SAF and Disaster),
- director of development,
- chapter executive director
2004 – 2008 West Service Area (Las Vegas, Nevada):
- chapter solutions officer
- director, Chapter Operations and Support
2008 – 2011 American Red Cross National Headquarters
- director, Chapter Operations
2011 – 2018 American Red Cross National Headquarters
- division chief operating officer
What can you tell us about your deployments with SAF?
My SAF deployments were the highlight of my 27-year career with the Red Cross… and that’s saying a lot considering I had many amazing experiences with the organization! I deployed to Afghanistan in 2013, Iraq in 2017, and post-retirement, to Poland in 2022. What an adventure! I lived and worked with our service men and women; same accommodations – a wooden shack, a container unit, a tent. And the latrine and showers were separate from living quarters… hopefully not too far away. None of that mattered… sometimes inconvenient, but never an issue... it was an adventure!
The amazing thing was, we were providing 24/7 mission delivery to the U.S. military; delivering emergency messages from home… mostly really tough news for the service member, but occasionally, the official announcement of a new baby; organizing recreational activities like poker tournaments, holiday parties, movie or game night; providing canteen services… everything from cookies/candy to toothpaste and shampoo. Honestly… we just tried to provide an atmosphere that felt a little like home. When I returned back to the states, it wasn’t the big events that I remembered the most… it was the one-on-one conversations I had with individual service members when they were having a tough day, or the first day I baked cookies in Iraq and two soldiers commented that it “smelled like home” when they walked in, or the soldier who came by to thank me for getting his emergency message to his commander, allowing him to get home before his mom died, or in Afghanistan when I stood and counted the number of vehicles that left the base on mission at night – and counted them again when they returned in the morning… hoping they all made it back. Deploying with the military was, without a doubt, the most meaningful work I ever did.
What is one of your most memorable Red Cross experiences, and what made it memorable?
It’s hard to top my Service to the Armed Forces deployments, but other memorable experiences were my chapter’s response to 911; a six-week assignment supporting Katrina and my three-week assignment to the devastating Joplin, Missouri tornado in 2011; all memorable because of the great work the Red Cross did to serve people in unimaginable circumstances.
What experiences did you bring to the Red Cross when you first joined?
This won’t be your typical answer…
I was a stay-at-home mom for 20 years before I went to work for the Red Cross. I’d like to think there were special skills and experience that I learned in that “job”, that helped me be successful in the Red Cross
What was it like to move to another organization midway through your Red Cross employment?
In 2003 I left the Red Cross and took a job with the local Boys and Girls Club… a big decision for me, but I was excited about the chance to be part of an organization that focused specifically on children. That said, fate intervened eight months later when Jane Weathers called and said, “How would you like to work for me in the new West Service Area structure in Las Vegas?” My first reaction was, “Las Vegas, are you crazy?” But I couldn’t resist the opportunity of a new Red Cross adventure, so three months later, I pulled up stakes and moved from the “Bible Belt” to “Sin City”
What advice would you give staff that have left American Red Cross recently?
Whether you retired from Red Cross or left for another job/career, always keep your options open… you may find your way back to the Red Cross some day! Keep growing and learning; don’t limit yourself just because someone told you that you were too old or too young, or too inexperienced or whatever. And always, always keep your eyes open for your next adventure!
What do you do for fun now?
- Garden/work in my yard
- Hike Arizona trails
- Read
- Bake pastries for my niece’s coffee shop
- I’m a member of our American Legion’s Auxiliary, helping with projects and events
- Serve on several national Red Cross committees… yes, I consider that fun
Tell us about your family and close friends. What do you like to do together?
- I have three kids and four grandkids scattered from coast to coast
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- Trips to see each of them plus family vacations… Disney World last year
- Bunko once a month with a group of fabulous friends here in Arizona
- Annual “ladies’ weekend” with three of my favorite Red Cross retirees
- 2021 – I hiked about 115 miles of The Camino de Santiago in Spain with my sister and Joan and Steve Pankey… it was amazing – best trip ever!
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- More hiking with my sister when she comes to Arizona for the winter
What makes you laugh?
- My grandkids
- My Australian Shepherd, Charlie
- Old sitcoms from the 60’s and 70’s
What are you looking forward to doing next?
Well, since you asked… I’m selling my house here in Arizona and moving to (of all places) Las Vegas, to be near my youngest daughter’s family. That’s code for moving to be closer to my grandkids. Another adventure for sure!
