Where Are They Now?
A Q&A with David Morikawa
“There seems to be an automatic bond when stepping into a room filled with Red Cross colleagues, regardless of their volunteer and paid role or their active or retired status. I think someone called it human compassion... It’s the million little things that give me and others a smile and pride when remembering our Red Cross years.”
David Morikawa has served Red Cross as a volunteer and employee in many locations, mostly throughout the Western states. See if you recognize a few of them. Also read about his avid hobby as a collector of rare seashells in the Q&A that follows.
Q. What was and is your role at the American Red Cross; where and when did you serve?
A. I started volunteering for the Red Cross in high school after attending a Red Cross Youth Leadership Development Camp in Summer 1973 followed by various volunteer positions including branch and district board member for the Los Angeles Chapter areas. I sponsored the first blood drive in my high school and served as a youth counselor for Red Cross Leadership Centers from 1974-79, finishing off as camp program leader.
I started my Red Cross career in 1979 with Rio Hondo Chapter (Whittier, CA) as Youth, Safety, Disaster Services director and then assistant manager, followed by chapter manager in West San Gabriel Valley Chapter, and Programs and Service Centers director for San Gabriel Valley Chapter. I served on numerous national committees as well as management fellow to senior vice president Gil Tills.
Later I accepted the national deputy regional executive officer position in the Mountain West Region (Denver, CO) from 1994-1997 supporting eight states with rechartering and mergers. In 1997 I moved back to chapter leadership positions for Pikes Peak Chapter (Colorado Springs), American Red Cross of Montana (Great Falls, MT) and finally ending in 2005 with American Red Cross of Wyoming (Cheyenne, WY).
In 2009, I returned as a volunteer and served a one-year full time volunteer coordinator assignment for the Sacramento Valley Chapter (Sacramento, CA) and received the chapter’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Currently, I’m a member and board member of the American Red Cross Southern California Network and a member of the American National Red Cross Alumni Network.
Q. What can you tell us about your career?
A. As a Red Crosser, I was so fortunate to turn my compassion into a career. I got to meet many people, travel to Washington, D.C. and many states, and learn and grow with the organization. The gained Red Cross skills, knowledge and experiences were a strong foundation in my future career endeavors and into my retirement hobbies and adventures.
Q. Why did you join ARCAN and what membership benefits do you enjoy?
A. Many of my closest friends are from my Red Cross years. Joining ARCAN, both nationally and locally, helps extend my connections with both new and old friends. There seems to be an automatic bond when stepping into a room filled with Red Cross colleagues, regardless of their volunteer and paid role or their active or retired status. I think someone called it human compassion.
Q. Have you reconnected with any of your former Red Cross friends through ARCAN or ARCRA, and if so, do you have any stories to share about that?
A. I have reconnected with numerous Red Cross colleagues through ARCAN and ARCRA. The reminiscing and stories are great to remember. And being able to locate and hear about others from years past is truly rewarding. I know that I would not have been able to renew and grow my friendships with many of them without the alumni organization.
Q. You have an extremely interesting life as seen on Facebook. What can you tell our readers about your hobbies?
A. When I was working at the Red Cross, most did not know that I was an avid seashell collector. I started out collecting shells off the beach at age 3 and did my first seashell display and show in elementary school. My collection did not really take off seriously until my retirement. I currently buy, sell and trade specimen shells from around the world (but mostly buy), and go shelling whenever I can get close to the ocean.
Other interests and hobbies include staying active and connected with friends, traveling, reading and family (including four grown children and two grandchildren).
Q. Is there anything you’d like to share about your family and family background in the U.S. or elsewhere?
A. Three of my children are in the Denver, CO, area and one is in Portland, OR. I have two grandchildren in Portland. My father passed away last year and was part of the U.S, Army’s highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team composed primarily of Japanese Americans during World War II. My mother is also Japanese American and was interned at Heart Mountain Internment Center during World War II. Family and our Japanese culture are important to us.
Q. You’ve worked so many places. Where do you spend most of your time now?
A. I have spent most of my time in the Los Angeles area since 2020 and COVID, caring for my parents.
Q. What is one of your most memorable experiences at the American Red Cross?
A. I assume many would mention a disaster assignment, saving a life or some major project but for me it’s a million small things like teaching someone first aid, helping serve meals at a shelter, donating blood, recruiting volunteers and donors, and helping Red Cross staff and volunteers work together. It’s the million small things that give me and others a smile and pride when remembering our Red Cross years.
Q. Is there anything else you’d like to share about your accomplishments, lessons learned in life or advice you’d give to others who are now or once were affiliated with Red Cross?
A. My Red Cross experience was a lot of hard work, but it had occasional adventure with travel, disaster and special assignments. It had its ups and downs, but every experience gave me a strong foundation to grow and succeed in my next assignment. It also taught me to be kind and laugh every day because in the end, it is not how long you lived but how well you lived.
