Appalachian Blood Services Region
Robert "Bob" Eaton
Bob Eaton is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Blood Services Appalachian Region, which includes 35 counties in the State of Virginia as well as 11 counties in the State of West Virginia. He is responsible for all Red Cross Blood Service activities in the region, including the collection, processing and distribution of more than 80,000 blood components to 27 regional hospitals and health facilities.
Bob has many years of strategic and operational experience in the healthcare industry and is a decorated veteran of service to our country. He joined the Red Cross following a 21 year career in the United States Army where he worked within the Army's healthcare system, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Prior assignments include serving as Chief of Staff for Operations, Pacific Regional Medical Command (Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii), Healthcare Operations, Force Development Officer, Office of the Surgeon General (Falls Church, VA), as well as twelve years helicopter aviation experience. Bob is a combat veteran with aero-medical evacuation service in Iraq during Desert Shield and Desert Storm as well as Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Bob holds a Masters of Science in Management degree from Troy University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree from Virginia Military Institute. He also attended the United States Army, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Brenda George
Brenda George is the Director of Collections for the American Red Cross, Appalachian Blood Services Region. She has been with the Red Cross since 1995. Brenda is responsible for Whole Blood and Automated collections at all mobile operations; she is responsible for the regions four donor centers and all Apheresis operations.
Prior to coming to the Appalachian Region, Brenda attended nursing school in Roanoke Virginia.
Bob Lutjen
Bob Lutjen is the Regional Manager, Communications & Public Relations for the American Red Cross, Appalachian Blood Services Region. His responsibilities include managing public relations and communications in support of blood collection activities throughout the 46 county region.
He has over 25 years experience with the organization, beginning in 1983 as a Donor Recruitment Representative. He later became Director of Donor Recruitment, moving into Communications in 1999.
Prior to joining the Red Cross he was an FAA Air Traffic Controller and is a U.S. Air Force veteran.
He is a member and past presenter of the Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals.
Marcel Shoemaker
Marcel Shoemaker is the Hospital Services Manager and Radiation Safety Officer for the American Red Cross, Appalachian Blood Services Region.
He began his career with the American Red Cross as a Hospital Service Technician in 1990 and has progressed to the Manager's position during his 18 years of service. He is responsible for the management of staff providing 24 hour routine and emergency service distributing blood and blood products 38 area hospitals .
He daily monitors and communicates blood product inventory levels in the region and is the regional representative to Heritage Division and National Headquarters inventory management groups.
In addition he maintains all safety issues pertaining too NRC regulations for our blood product irradiation activities and equipment.
Marcel is a recipient of the American Red Cross Tiffany Award for Employee Excellence.
Leisa Snidow
Leisa Snidow is the Reference Laboratory Supervisor of the American Red Cross, Appalachian Blood Services Region. She has been with the Red Cross since 1989. She joined the organization as a MT in Technical Services and held several supervisory positions before assuming the role of Reference Laboratory Supervisor in 1999.
Snidow received her BA degree in Biology from Hollins College, Hollins Virginia. She later attended Community Hospital of the Roanoke Valley School of Medical Technology in Roanoke, Virginia. She received her Medical Technologist and Specialist in Blood Banking certification from the American Society of Clinical Pathologist.
Her professional memberships include the America Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
