Nice to Meet You: Cliff Haynes

Cliff Haynes is a community disaster program manager in the Eastern Iowa chapter. He is committed to ensuring that the chapter is prepared to respond to different kinds of disasters and that our incredible team of volunteers is able to serve those affected. He sheds light on what his job entails and how rewarding his role can be.

Cliff Haynes on his deployment to the Kentucky floods in 2025

Q: Could you explain what your title means and take us through your workday, or what projects you work on?

A: I am one of the community disaster program managers in the Eastern Iowa Chapter. Jolene Carpenter and I work collaboratively across all areas of responsibility.  My three main focus areas are Disaster Action Team (DAT), logistics and volunteer engagement. In these roles I build and manage the chapter DAT program, which currently has about 70 responders and is growing. I also support the volunteers who maintain our nine shelter trailers, support the volunteers in making sure we have shelters available throughout the chapter and work with volunteers onboarding and engaging the 129 volunteers in the chapter. I feel one of my biggest responsibilities is to do all I can to help a volunteer have a positive experience with the Red Cross. I believe if we take care of the volunteers, the volunteers will be able to continue their outstanding work of supporting our clients.

In addition to those three main roles, I am on call three times a month for 24-hour Regional Leadership On Call (RLOC) shifts. The main role of the RLOC is to support the volunteer duty officers in their work and manage more challenging events that may occur. When staff members are not on a RLOC shift, they are still on a lower level of alert with the expectation that they will respond as needed to any incidents (unless they are on PTO, of course). This includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other holidays where work stops. 

My typical workday starts somewhere between 8:00 and 8:30 and ends sometime in the afternoon. Like most administrative positions, I manage a lot of emails, look at a lot of data and collaborate with the regional leadership, both staff and volunteers, to help keep our region functioning at the highest levels. Working out of the office in Cedar Rapids also lets me be available for walk in visits from both volunteers and the public. I get to meet people donating money, looking for blood drives nearby or looking for help connecting with relatives in foreign countries. 

Q: How long have you been with the Red Cross? Is this your first position with the Red Cross? If not, what was it?

A: I started with the Red Cross as a volunteer in April of 2015. My first deployment was to South Carolina in DES (Distribution of Emergency Supplies). Shortly thereafter, I deployed to Canada to help with the Alberta Wildfires in client support. I started in my current staff role in November of 2020. As a stay-at-home dad, I was volunteering in many areas of the community, but COVID shut that down. When my wife said I needed to get a job because I was driving her crazy at home, this seemed like a great opprotunity. Overall, this has been a very positive experience, especially being able to work with the great team we have in Disaster Cycle Services.

Q: What do you like about your work?

A: The main aspect of my work that I like is the variety. In a typical day I may work on three or four different projects, interact with the public, get to chat with our amazing volunteers and help people affected by various disasters get assistance. I also really enjoy the complexity of disaster management, especially the logistics. It is really hard to explain how fun it is to have chaos suddenly happen and be responsible for bringing it under control. 

Q: What do you like to listen to during the workday?

 A: I stream various music. Depending on my mood and the task at hand, it can range from classical to Irish folk songs. I don’t have any particular favorite artist or genre as long as it has a positive energy.

Q: In what part of the region are you located, and what do you enjoy about your community?

A: I have been in Cedar Rapids for10 years. I really enjoy the mixture of urban and rural in the metro area. There is always something to do within a 30-minute drive, but the traffic is never that unbearable. 

Q: How do you spend your time when you aren’t working?

A: Even though I spend all day in front of a computer, I actually like to go home and spend more time playing games. Mostly slower paced simulations that require a mix of high level planning and low level tactical management. I also like to travel and can chat with people over a pint in the pub for hours. 

Q: What has most surprised you while working for the Red Cross?

A: As a volunteer, I didn’t realize how much “behind the scenes" work went into the preparing for, responding to and helping communities recover from all levels of disaster. Becoming a member of staff and learning just how much the Red Cross has to offer communites and individuals has been an amazing learning experience. I don’t think most people outside of the organization understand the high level of competency and compassion the Red Cross workforce has and uses to serve their communities.

Q: What is a Red Cross moment that sticks with you?

A: It is really hard to define any one particular moment, but through multiple deployments I have seen how small acts of kindness can bring so much hope to others. Seeing people’s faces change when they know the Red Cross is there and they are no longer alone is all I need to be reminded why I am so privileged to have the honor to wear the Red Cross vest.