Tammy Lee, Executive Director for the American Red Cross, serving Northwest Iowa & Northeast Nebraska celebrates her 30-year anniversary with the Red Cross this month. Lee began with the American Red Cross on January 1, 1995, in Mason City, Iowa as a Health and Safety Services Coordinator of CPR and aquatics programs. Nearly five years later, she joined the Siouxland Area chapter, working her way to the role of executive director in 2007.
“It is about the mission. I have always had purposeful work to do. No two days are ever the same. There is always a new challenge or a new opportunity,” says Lee. She credits her success to having worked with great people along the way.
In college at the University of Northern Iowa, she studied non-profit administration and became a Red Cross volunteer CPR instructor. She lifeguarded and taught swim lessons. During her Red Cross tenure, Lee took on assignments beyond her chapter, including regional chief development officer and serving on national work groups for board engagement and community partnerships.
“One of my best days was receiving a call from the mom of a student I had in a babysitting class, circa 2005," explains Lee. "The student saved the life of neighbor kid when they were home alone after school using skills she learned in the CPR portion of the babysitter’s training class."
During her tenure with the Red Cross, Lee also gained important disaster response experience. She deployed to assist responses to Hurricanes Matthew, Ida, Ian and the wildfires in Hawaii. In 2024, she served as the elected official liaison chief when Iowa experienced devastating tornados and flooding. She led a team of executive directors to connect with local disaster response partners.
“I am most proud of the Red Cross response to the June 2024 flood that devastated communities in 18 of the Northwest Iowa and Northeast Nebraska Chapter’s 29 counties,” said Lee. “I’ve long been impressed with our ability, as an organization, to activate hundreds of people, generally more than 90 percent volunteers, within hours to a few days."
Lee explained that her chapter has seen a number of disasters, including home fires; but nothing of the same magnitude as the recent extreme flooding.
"The need was great, and the work was intense; but relationships built before the disaster with community partners, donors, and volunteers made all of the difference," Lee said about the extreme flooding. "I continue to be part of long-term recovery for two counties and the countless hours dedicated to people helping people is very heartwarming. I’ve seen the best in so many people over the last six months; and it affirms my commitment to the mission to which I’ve dedicated my career.”
Lee continues to build an incredible legacy of service in Northwest Iowa and Northeast Nebraska with the American Red Cross.