Mike is an Independent Non-Profit Organization Management Professional based out of Charlottesville, VA. Currently giving his experience and leadership skills to the American Red Cross, Mike is a Leadership Partner with the Services to Armed Forces Program, a Regional Training and Exercise Coordinator, a Preparedness Officer, and an Interim Disaster Program Manager. Mike recommends his path for anyone who truly wants to experience new and unique challenges every day.
Transcript
So my name is Mike Peoples, Michael Peoples. I am a 100% service connected naval officer and I have, as a result of those injuries and everything else, I've decided, I kind of decided to switch career paths and everything. And so I started out or I came back to volunteering with the American Red Cross, back in 2002 and I've been there ever since as a full-time volunteer. I wear multiple hats. I actually have several full-time jobs. One is services to Armed Forces Recovery lead. So I support the regions in the Mid-Atlantic Division from South Carolina to Pennsylvania with their programming in DOD and VA hospitals, kinda full circle for me. Also part of that role, I support veteran service programs throughout that footprint as well as care giving programs. My other full-time hat, if you will, I serve as the reunification lead for the American Red Cross on the disaster side. I'm based out the the Charlottesville office, but I travel a lot to Fairfax, that's where our Disaster Operation Coordination Center is and then I travel up and down the seaboard within the division for the Services Armed Forces role. In fact, over the weekend I was in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, conducting some training for our volunteer representatives and deputy representatives who work in, who manage individual facilities within the VA hospital space. We're recruiting volunteers, we're working with the staff at the hospital to see what programs or what services they need support with from us. And then of course, you know, every now and then there's always that one problem, right? So you're putting out fires and that kind of thing. I also will serve as a volunteer partner for our training and development director on the Disaster Cycle Service side and in that role I'm kind of the voice of the field, and I help with, you know, updating training, redesigning training or providing new training, across the disaster footprint, as well as some doctrine around how regions should build a training program at the local level. So I put in about 80 hours a week, when I'm not traveling, so, and then with travel, whatever. But it's fun, it keeps me out of trouble.
Download transcript