Erin Phillips Hamad was a mass care intern at the national American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, DC, in 2012 when she found herself briefing the president of the United States.

“President Obama came to headquarters for a press conference about Hurricane Sandy,” she said. “While he was walking around greeting the staff, he asked a question about what we were doing to support the efforts and prepare for the hurricane that was barreling up the coast. And I just remember it was like pin drop silent. So I started speaking and telling him what we were doing. My mentor and my boss at the time was a little farther away, and I hear her say, ‘Is that Erin the intern briefing the president of the United States?’”

Soon after, Erin joined a team to travel to New York City to support Superstorm Sandy relief efforts. She spent two weeks volunteering during one of the largest Red Cross responses in history. Erin then accepted a paid position as the Red Cross regional Mass Care Manager for the Long Island chapter for the next two years.

“I loved being in New York,” she said. “I loved the energy of the city. I loved seeing how the impact of resources and community-based organizations can make a positive impact. But I wanted to do something a little more creative and tap into the other side the city had to offer. So I went into the corporate side, leaving the nonprofit world, but pulling all the parallels of mass care, food, shelter, immediate aftermath of disasters, and putting it into more of a blue-sky environment.”

In 2021, Erin reconnected with the Red Cross when she ran the TCS NYC Marathon. After 26.2 miles and more than $5,000 raised for the Red Cross, she knew it was time to “go back home” and continue her relationship with the organization in a new way.

Erin now leads Clara’s Council, a new Red Cross program for civic-minded young professional women, in the Greater New York Region. She also serves as an associate board member for the Board of Directors. Through both opportunities, Erin has found ways to support the mission, financial health, and future of the American Red Cross.

“Clara’s Council is the new wave of philanthropy and involvement,” Erin said. “The three principles we have at Clara’s Council are mentorship, volunteerism and philanthropy.”

The group, which launched in June 2022, also serves as a pipeline to the Tiffany Circle of Women Leaders, a nationwide network of female professionals and philanthropists who change lives, save lives and strengthen their communities by investing time, money and talent in their local Red Cross chapters.  

“The Tiffany Circle is the pinnacle of what it means to be a female leader within the organization,” Erin said. “Clara's Council is really the building block that starts that foundation of getting young professional women involved with the organization, getting them as excited as I am because I have seen in person the positive impact the Red Cross can have on people’s lives.  It’s getting new people in to share our love for the organization and all the great work that we do.”

During Clara Council’s first year, members have worked to save lives by installing free smoke alarms in homes in the Bronx as part of the Red Cross Sound the Alarm program. They’ve also met and spent time with their mentors, many of whom serve as part of the Tiffany Circle or on the Boards of Directors. In addition, members participated in fundraising events including the Women Who Lead Luncheon, which is sponsored by the Tiffany Circle.

On Sept. 18, Clara’s Council will host its fiscal year 2024 kickoff event in Manhattan, featuring a conversation with Lindsay Hans, president and co-head of Merrill Wealth Management, about the mentor relationships that influenced her journey to the top of her industry.

Erin says she is excited to bring people together to network and learn — and also to showcase what Clara’s Council has achieved in its busy first year.

“We want people to be a part of the organization, to understand it and to kind of understand our history and our past, our present and our future,” she said. “And I think Clara's Council has a great opportunity to be involved, to be a part of our future, and to help set the tone of what it means to be a young woman leader within this organization.”

To learn more about Clara’s Council, visit here.