Editor’s Note: In this new, monthly blog series, we’ll introduce readers to American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania staff members. A new profile will be published on the second Thursday of every month.

By Alana Mauger

Guy Triano started his 19-year American Red Cross career in Blood Services, working his way up the ladder from Donor Services account manager, trainer for account managers, district manager, then director of Donor Recruitment for the Penn-Jersey, New York-Penn and Northeastern PA Blood Services Regions. Five years ago, he made the transition to the Humanitarian Services arm of the Red Cross in his current role as regional CEO for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Region.

Q: Summarize your role as a regional CEO for the Red Cross?

A: One of my responsibilities is representing and being the face of the Red Cross for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Region. The position is extremely external facing and focuses on building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders – both external and internal.

Fundraising is another big piece of my responsibilities. There’s no mission without money, and there’s no money without mission. I oversee the fundraising department, which is responsible for upwards to $7 million a year in fundraising goals.

I am also responsible for Disaster Cycle Services – everything from preparing to responding to recovery – and for communications, Service to the Armed Forces and volunteer management. We have more than 2,000 volunteers in Southeastern Pennsylvania! Everything operations related also falls under me – our buildings, fleet, facilities, both Biomed and Humanitarian.

While these areas fall under my responsibility, none of this is not possible without a great Regional Leadership Team, wonderful paid staff and, of course, our great volunteers.

Q: What initially drew you to the Red Cross?

A: My first involvement with the Red Cross was in college. I was a business and hospitality major in upstate New York, and one of the clubs that I belonged to was the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association. We sponsored two blood drives a year, and I was the lead. We helped organize and run the blood drives, as well as recruit students to donate.

After college, I went on to work for Walt Disney World in Florida and Hyatt Hotels in several different states – those were the only two jobs I had before coming to the Red Cross. When I was looking for a career move, I applied for an HR job at Red Cross…And this is my message to people out there – never burn a bridge and always leave on good terms. As it turned out, the HR person doing the hiring was someone I had worked with in my past career at Hyatt Hotels in Baltimore, Maryland, and because I have a unique name, he remembered me. Anyway, he brought me in and we chatted. I wasn’t remotely qualified for the HR position because I did not have union experience, but he thought that I had the personality to be an account manager and turned me on to that opportunity. And the rest was history. I started as an account manager, and I just worked my way up.

Q: Describe the most rewarding aspect of your work.

A: I would say I really enjoy the fact that no day is ever the same…and it truly isn’t. I love working in a fast-paced environment, and it certainly is that. One of the most rewarding aspects is working with the volunteers who give up their time and talents and help people that are in need; that’s what the mission is about.

Q: Share an impactful Red Cross experience or memory.

A: I consider myself very lucky to have the regional executive job. I don’t know if there is a job out there that where, on one single day in a six-hour time period, I can be in a shelter talking with a client that has lost everything, and an hour later be in front of a million dollar donor asking them for a financial commitment to the Red Cross, and in that same evening, be at a volunteer recognition event, thanking volunteers for all the work they do throughout the year… that did not hit me until about two years into this job when that exact thing happened. And I don’t think there’s another job out there that can say that.

Q: What’s a fun fact about yourself?

A: I’m married for 21 years. We have two children – a 17-year-old who’s a junior in high school, and a 14-year-old who’s a high school freshman. We’re big sports fans – baseball being probably our top interest – and we like to travel. My fun fact is that we have been to 27 of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. We started when my sons were young, and our goal is to get to all 30 by the time my oldest graduates high school. We only have three left, and we’ll hit that pretty soon!