Melinda Lanham Named Chief Development Officer for Red Cross of Wisconsin

The American Red Cross of Wisconsin is pleased to announce that Melinda Lanham has been named Regional Chief Development Officer. In this role, Melinda will work with external partners – including local businesses and business leaders, individual donors, board members, and volunteers – to advance the Red Cross mission by raising funds to support the organization’s work.

“We are delighted to welcome Melinda to the American Red Cross of Wisconsin,” said Mark Thomas, Regional Executive and CEO of the Red Cross of Wisconsin. “Melinda brings a wealth of fundraising experience to the Red Cross mission, having served in leadership and volunteer roles for over 20 years which will undoubtedly strengthen our ability to deliver aid, support communities, and fulfill our mission of preventing and alleviating human suffering.”

Prior to joining the American Red Cross, Melinda served as Sales Manager at Proctor & Gamble, as a recruiter for Pinstripe Talent Inc., and as the Director of Development at Versiti Blood Research Institute Foundation. Most recently, Melinda was the Senior Director of Development, Major Gifts, at Vivent Health, formerly known as the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin.

A native of Indiana, Melinda holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

“I am honored to join the American Red Cross, an organization with such a noble history of delivering comfort, compassion, and hope in the face of disasters,” said Melinda. “I look forward to leveraging my fundraising experience and working side-by-side with the extraordinary volunteers, donors, and staff to advance the Red Cross mission of preventing and alleviating human suffering in times of crisis.”

The American Red Cross of Wisconsin works from five state chapters and proudly serves 68 counties in Wisconsin and eight counties in the U.P., delivering disaster care, veteran support, blood services, and health/safety classes to 5.8 million people. In fiscal year 2023, Red Cross volunteers provided care, food, hope, and shelter to more than 3,874 people following local disasters. Volunteers helped install nearly 3,153 smoke alarms throughout the Wisconsin Region.