BREMERTON — Leigh Kamasz is the new executive director of the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the Red Cross.

Kamasz leadership experience and deep connection to the community are two qualities that form a solid foundation for advancing the Red Cross mission: To help prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Terry Pollard, regional CEO of the Red Cross, said, “We are very excited to have Leigh Jamasz join the Red Cross family. She has a proven track record of professional achievement and key community relationships … She is well-suited for this leadership role, and the Red Cross is fortunate to have her at the helm of the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas chapter.”

Kamasz has worked in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. She will oversee chapter operations, including board leadership and growth, community events and cultivation of partnerships. She will also further expand existing Red Cross programs such as disaster services, service to the armed forces, preparedness, and health and safety services. Kamasz will join Red Cross staff and volunteers on the front lines of disasters, large and small, as well as mobilizing resources for key initiatives, such as the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign.

“I am honored to step into this position; work with such a talented and dedicated team; and play my role to help fulfill the humanitarian mission of the American Red Cross,” Kamasz said.

Prior to joining the Red Cross, Kamasz served for more than three years as a community development manager and a regional director of community development for the Girl Scouts of Western Washington. Kamasz brings extensive board experience to the Red Cross, having served on 12 nonprofit boards and is a past president of the Junior League of Tacoma.

The Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas Chapter of the Red Cross is home to more than 420 volunteers, who, last year, helped respond to 78 large and small disasters. Red Cross community services include:

— Immediate, short-term disaster assistance for victims of fires, floods, earthquakes and other natural or man-made disasters.

— Community disaster education.

— Health and safety classes for adults and youth.

— Workplace preparedness training.

— International communication to locate family members separated by disaster or warfare.

— Emergency communication for military families.

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 nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.

For more information, please visit redcross.org.

— Edited by Michelle Beahm