By Red Cross volunteer Harriet Vanderbilt

Whether in the Red Cross office or classroom or on deployment, Cascades Region volunteers will find Ron Johnson energetically working to build stronger programs and more skilled approaches to what is done.  Ron works tirelessly behind the limelight to help make the Cascades Region the premier Region it is.

Before Ron joined the Red Cross volunteer cadre in 2010, he had two careers.  His first job was as an engineer with Hughes Aircraft in Los Angeles.  Concurrent with his employment at Hughes, Ron held the rank of Major in the Army National Guard.  His second career was with Intel in Hillsboro, working as a mechanical engineer.  Then Ron retired from Intel in 2008.

 “I wanted to find something meaningful to keep me busy after retirement.   A friend of mine volunteered with FEMA and he loved the volunteer work.”   So, Ron found that a volunteer path with the Red Cross would be a perfect fit.  He filled out the necessary forms online and began working with the Cascades Region in Portland.

The first few years were spent managing staffing and learning management systems, within Volunteer Services, as well as participating on Disaster Action Team calls. Then in 2018, Ron left the Portland area and moved to South Carolina to continue his volunteer work.   “My mother lived in Myrtle Beach in her declining years and I wanted to spend time with her”, Ron related.  “I ran staffing during Hurricane Florence with our HQ in the city of Florence, and worked with a volunteer, coincidentally named Florence”.

Upon his return to Oregon in 2019, Ron moved to the Eugene chapter of the Red Cross, where he currently works.  According to Ron, “I wear multiple hats. In the Region Deployment Team, I pull reports, assess volunteers who are available, schedule deployments, and help volunteers to deploy”.  Ron has implemented many automation tasks.  “For the most part, automated emails announce targeted deployment opportunities.”  Emails to volunteers wishing to deploy are efficiently and rapidly sent out on a daily basis.  Ron emphasizes that “this is a system that is fair to all volunteers and employees.” 

Currently the Regional DCS Training Lead, he is actively managing the November Disaster Training Institute.  In that role he organizes and schedules many disaster training classes throughout each year.  “I also manage almost 100 region-wide instructors who are teaching the skills needed to respond on Disaster Relief Operations”.

Ron’s knowledge of computer programs is a natural tie-in to improving and updating the Red Cross’ EDGE Learning Management System.  After each learner training is completed, the final step in the cycle is updating the volunteer transcripts to aid the volunteers. “The EDGE System allows disaster responders to manage their profiles, create and manage course records, access online learning materials, and attend blended learning courses.  Ultimately, the goal is for responders to learn their roles to help accomplish our mission.”

Ron acknowledges that “the volunteer is critical to the mission of the organization because they care and are willing to be challenged and to work diligently on Disaster Relief Operations.  Providing essential services to those in need gives value to the work we do.  A warm meal and a bed to sleep on means a lot to disaster victims.”

Ron Johnson enthusiastically encourages one and all to investigate the many classes available in the Red Cross.  Classes are both virtual as well as in-person, with many blended to combine both methods of learning.   

If you are a Red Cross volunteer and want to learn more about training, please visit the Cascade College Calendar and the EDGE link on the Volunteer Connection home page to register for classes.

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross, click HERE.