The American Red Cross LA Region announced today that CEO Jarrett Barrios will be leaving the organization after nine years of service to join the California Community Foundation as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Community and Programmatic Initiatives.

Starting in Boston as the CEO of the Red Cross Massachusetts Region before coming to Los Angeles in 2013, Barrios’ leadership and drive has led the organization to new initiatives and campaigns with a drive and passion for inclusivity and outreach into vulnerable communities.

“With an amazing team of employees and volunteers, we have been able to grow our impact and grow ourselves into a more diverse and inclusive organization that serves all of LA County,” Barrios said. “I have been honored to serve the LA Region, and I leave the organization in a strong state with motivated programmatic leadership. The past two months during COVID-19 are proof of what this team can accomplish and will continue to do for the region.”

Barrios’ mark on the organization has been recognized by the national Red Cross with its 2014 Presidential Award for Excellence. Barrios leaves behind a body of work that includes:

• launching the award-winning PrepareLA 2.0 campaign that strives to build resiliency in families and communities in Los Angeles County’s most vulnerable communities;
• creating with his colleague Celena Roldán the national Latino Engagement Initiative,  a ground-breaking effort to reach out and serve vulnerable, Spanish-speaking immigrant communities in times of disaster across the US;
• tripling the size of the AmeriCorps with 60 Corps members serving in three AmeriCorps programs;
• overseeing the relocation of the region’s headquarters from West Los Angeles to downtown, centralizing response capabilities and outreach to the community; and
• building a more inclusive Red Cross – its board, its volunteers and its staff – in Los Angeles that better reflects the diversity of this special place.

Barrios’ departure comes at a time when many organizations are challenged by COVID-19 and its incumbent health and economic issues. The Red Cross LA Region has been responding to this humanitarian challenge with many programs, including being the first Red Cross region to engage in a COVID-19 meal distribution program nationally through our partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District. This program has served more than 20 million meals to families affected by the crisis. The day-to-day work of Red Cross has also continued – disaster response, services to armed forces and veterans, international services and more – though much of it is now performed virtually.

Barrios will be tremendously missed, and the Red Cross is happy to know he will not be too far and will still be working toward the mission of alleviating human suffering.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA or @CruzRojaLA.