The American Red Cross of Illinois has hired Ryan McVey to serve as the new executive director of the Illinois River Valley Chapter.

McVey brings more than a decade of humanitarian, disaster response, and operational leadership experience to the role, “including extensive work in disaster risk reduction, emergency management, and community resilience initiatives both domestically and internationally,” the Red Cross stated in news release announcing his appointment.

“I’m honored to step into this role and continue building on the incredible work already happening across the Illinois River Valley Chapter,” McVey said in the news release. “The Red Cross mission is rooted in people helping people during some of life’s most difficult moments, and I look forward to working alongside our dedicated volunteers, employees, partners, and communities to continue growing our impact and bringing help and hope to those who need it most.”

Prior to joining the Red Cross, McVey served in multiple leadership roles with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), where he managed large-scale disaster risk reduction and recovery programs, the Red Cross said.

Throughout his career, McVey has led “complex humanitarian operations, managed multimillion-dollar projects, secured critical funding, and supported emergency response and recovery efforts” serving thousands of people impacted by disasters, the Red Cross said.

“I am excited about the future of the Illinois River Valley Chapter and the opportunities ahead to continue growing our mission impact, strengthening community partnerships, expanding volunteer engagement, and building on the strong foundation already in place,” said Kellie O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross of Illinois.

The Illinois River Valley Chapter serves 1.1 million people in five counties including Grundy, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, and Will.