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| Meet Toni Callicott |
| The 35-year San Bernardino resident's resume reads like a syllabus on leadership — health education coordinator for the San Bernardino County Public Health Department; director of marketing and philanthropy at St. Bernadine Medical Center; and board member of American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Salvation Army Advisory Board and St. Bernadine Medical Center Foundation. All of this, plus earning a bachelor's degree in biology and sociology from UC Riverside and California Baptist University in Riverside and master's degrees from Cal State San Bernardino and Pepperdine University. |
DISASTERS can happen at any time — something Toni Callicott knows firsthand.
As chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Inland Empire Chapter, she oversees an agency that stands ready to help if an earthquake strikes, a wildfire devours a foothill community or a single-family home goes up in smoke. Key to her job — and those of her staff and volunteers — is being prepared.
And they are. Professional staffers work hand in hand with local volunteers who are there to offer food, shelter and an understanding shoulder to cry on if needed. They certainly have been tested during the last few years as wildfires ravaged Inland Empire and mountain communities.
"All you have to do is look at the grass and vegetation all around us and just hope that nothing happens," Callicott said. "But if something does happen, our people are even better trained than they were last October.
We have trailers, stocked and equipped, up in the mountains to cut down on response times. We have very active and enthusiastic volunteers. The disasters we have handled have made us stronger. We've come a long way since the last two big fires."
Inland Empire chapter personnel recently reviewed natural disaster preparation plans. They continue to strengthen their working partnership with local cities, San Bernardino County and local businesses and entities that are crucial in an emergency. And they also are looking at implementing Business Emergency Response Teams, where, again, key entities such as Cal State San Bernardino, the University of Redlands, Loma Linda University Medical Center and the National Orange Show have their employees schooled to help. The more trained people there are the better.
Whatever the disaster, the American Red Cross Inland Empire Chapter has a plan. Trust and confidence are two words Callicott uses a lot.
"We want the public to feel at ease with what we do, and we want our volunteers to know we appreciate their commitment," she said. "We welcome volunteers and whatever time they can offer, but, of course, we would like to have them for the long haul. We invest a lot of time and effort in training them in mass care.
"The medical center's mission of service is similar to the mission I grew up with — it's important how you treat people and individuals no matter their stage in life." —Toni Callicott
"And we know our volunteers have a sense of giving," she added. "When an emergency happens, our volunteers respond. They live there in the shelters with the people affected. They listen.
They do what they can. It's very noble." Her long-standing association with and affection for St. Bernadine Medical Center are the direct result of shared values.
"The medical center's mission of service is similar to the mission I grew up with," Callicott said. "It's important how you treat people and individuals no matter their stage in life. We have to care where people are not just geographically but where they are physically, mentally and spiritually." The challenge in doing that, particularly in her job, is to make sure the American Red Cross is always prepared to move at a moment's notice and help everyone in the chapter's direct service area — which includes at least 1.5 million people.
"What I enjoy doing is growing an organization and assisting in the growth of individuals," she said. "I say, let's stretch our wings. Let's look at all the programs, concepts and plans, but let's also go beyond what is time-tested.
I'm always asking people to think about the ‘what if' questions because that's how we learn and move forward." Callicott is frugal, a trait she brings to work with her.
"Everyone who knows me knows I'm always trying to do things, but be sensible about it," she said. "I want people to know that this organization takes their donations very seriously." Nonprofits must change, as would any business. They must continue to be efficient, be on the cutting edge and be looking for innovation in order to survive and thrive. The American Red Cross has operated in San Bernardino since 1916. The Inland Valley service region merged last year with the Inland Empire chapter in an effort to better serve an area that ranges from Chino to Big Bear Lake.
"I'm very confident in the job we are doing," Callicott said.
She has been chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Inland Empire Chapter since 2002.
