I first met Lyra Kelly when we were both deployed (aka sent out to a disaster response operation) to help people severely affected by the Spring 2025 tornadoes in St. Louis. Well-organized and skilled in the proprietary programs of the American Red Cross, she was the Operations Management Supervisor, responsible for organizing all of us volunteers—some of whom were supporting people in shelters, some assigned to hotels—as well as the logistics of delivering food, fulfilling supply orders and transporting volunteers to their duties across the disaster area.
Little did I know how incredibly experienced she was.
By her estimate, that was at least her 30th Red Cross deployment. The native of Marin County has served in multiple volunteer roles for the Red Cross since she retired from her corporate career as an expert in logistics and management. While she has volunteered for other organizations, Lyra’s enthusiasm for the Red Cross is apparent in everything she says and does…