LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2021 — The American Red Cross Western Los Angeles Chapter welcomes Sean Inoue as the new executive director serving more than 340,000 individuals. The chapter’s primary office is in Santa Monica as a centralized location for the communities it serves, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, Westchester, Playa del Rey, El Segundo and Manhattan Beach.

With more than a decade of leadership experience with nonprofits, including his most recent role with Red Cross Biomedical Services, the organization is proud to welcome Sean as the new executive director for the Western LA Chapter. He will fill the new role following the retirement of Julie Thomas, who has dedicated nine years of service to the organization.

As the newest Red Cross spokesperson, Sean’s outreach will include availability for media interviews; coordinating with community partners and elected officials; fundraising for the Western LA Chapter; recruiting and engaging with volunteers; and helping with blood donation and collection goals.

Native to Southern California, Sean found his passion for nonprofit work when he started volunteering with The Laurel Foundation, an organization focusing on providing vital services to families and children infected/affected by HIV/AIDS. Seeing the impact that basic shelter and support services can have on vulnerable communities inspired him to continue his work serving others. He decided to commit his career to the nonprofit he found most inspiring, the Red Cross, and in his commitment, he successfully managed several blood collections territories throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

“When I first learned about the Red Cross, I knew it was a great organization, but did not fully understand the depth and impact of their work.” said Sean Inoue, Executive Director for the Western LA Chapter. “The response to disasters, whether it be someone’s home burning in the middle of the night or a large wildfire, and the support provided to vulnerable communities is profound to me. I’m excited to continue my work with the Red Cross in all lines of service in the Western Los Angeles Region.”

As part of its humanitarian mission, the Red Cross Western Los Angeles Chapter provides emergency relief to residents impacted by disasters and supports our service members and their families. It strives to make all local communities and cultural groups safer and more resilient through collecting lifesaving blood, installing free smoke alarms, teaching health and safety skills such as CPR, water safety, and first aid; and by empowering its neighbors with emergency preparedness skills.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA or @CruzRojaLA.