Appalachian Blood Services Region
Robert "Bob" Eaton
Robert "Bob" Eaton joined the American Red Cross as the Chief Executive Officer for the Appalachian Blood Services Region in August 2008. Responsibilities include recruiting blood donors and collecting blood products for area hospitals in 35 counties in Virginia and 11 counties in West Virginia. The Red Cross relies on volunteers and donors from local communities to keep the area's blood supply adequate to meet emergency and routine needs for trauma victims, surgery patients, as well as treatment support for cancer and leukemia patients.
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, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. His most recent assignment was as the Chief of Operations at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu where he was the principle staff member for medical operations, training, planning, security and readiness for over 5000 hospital staff supporting the multi-state hospital and clinic locations in Japan, Korea and the state of Hawaii in support of over 320,000 beneficiaries.
Prior assignments include serving as primary staff officer for the Surgeon General on issues relating to the Army and the department of defense as well as over ten years helicopter aviation experience in pilot in command capacities. He is a combat veteran with aero-medical evacuation service in Iraq during Desert Storm and Desert Shield as well as Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Bob grew up in Roanoke, graduated from Patrick Henry H.S. in 1983, graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and holds a Masters of Science in Management degree from Troy University. Bob, his wife Tyler and daughter Josephine are glad to be settled in Roanoke and look forward to everything the area has to offer.
Dave Smith
Dave Smith is the Director of the Donor Resources Development Department for the American Red Cross, Appalachian Blood Services Region. He has been with the Red Cross since 1983.
The department is responsible for working with blood drive sponsors to plan and organize blood drives in the 46 county region, including portions of Central and Southwest Virginia and Southern West Virginia, to assure adequate blood inventory levels.
Dave attended the University of Pittsburg at Johnstown as a Business Economics major. Prior to joining the Appalachian Region he worked in Donor Resources at Red Cross Regions in Pennsylvania as well as serving as the liaison between Red Cross National Headquarters and nine blood regions in the Northeastern part of the country.
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).
