By Alana Mauger

In looking for volunteers who exemplify the leadership characteristics of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton, Deb Lozano is an obvious choice. Both broke gender stereotypes in their careers and continually reinvented themselves.

With a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, Deb started her career in civil service with the U.S. Department of Defense. After 21 years, she went back to school, earned a master’s in project management and did contract work in a variety of industries, pharmaceuticals and engineering.  Impressively, she was part of a team that worked with Boeing’s Chinook helicopters and even led a team constructing an ethylene cracking furnace in Thailand.   

“I found it stressful to be a woman in that role. There was a lot of pressure, having to prove myself over and over,” she recalled. “But I saw a lot of places and had a lot of experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

When Deb retired at age 57, she wanted to still “feel needed and be a productive part of society.” She signed up for volunteer work with organizations in the area but didn’t find her niche. After two years, she decided to give the Red Cross a try.

“My grandmother volunteered for the Red Cross in the 1960s. She always had a crisp uniform with a bunch of pins to represent the blood she donated as well as pins for her service. I remember admiring her for volunteering,” she recalled.

Deb started her Red Cross volunteer service as a community outreach manager, helping coordinate and train staff for tabling events, parades and other community-reaching activities. As she took more training, Deb discovered the powerful potential of Volunteer Connection – the online tool that engages volunteers and manages their Red Cross experiences.

Today, she leads a team of five who support Red Cross Volunteer Services in the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Region. Her team provides Volunteer Connection training, pulls and analyzes reports and tackles data management projects for all lines of Red Cross services.

If that’s not enough, Deb also supports Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces activities, not only in SEPA, but also in the Greater Pennsylvania (GPA) Region. She resides in Dallas, PA, which sits in the Red Cross NEPA Chapter footprint. Here, she serves as a Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services (VAVS) Representative at the Wilkes-Barre Veterans Administration Medical Center, providing support to veterans who use or live at the facility.

“I have found a volunteer home with the American Red Cross; I enjoy the work that I do and value all that the Red Cross does for others. I appreciate the staff and volunteers I work with, and have found them all to be top notch,” she said.  “Every day is a new day working for the Red Cross; you start your day with a plan and are surprised along the way. It keeps things interesting.”

She continued, “for me, it’s not necessarily about the work. What I get out of it more so is the camaraderie with the volunteers and staff members. It’s feeling appreciated and doing something that is worthwhile to others.”

Editor’s Note: In commemoration of Women’s History Month, we are publishing a #LeadLikeClara series of profiles featuring women volunteer leaders who emulate the leadership characteristics of Red Cross founder Clara Barton.