Virginia “Ginny” Ortiz, MPH, is the Disaster Program Manager for the American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter in San Jose, CA. She came to the Bay Area from Washington, DC where she worked in federal government. Prior to her civil service, she served in the Peace Corps as a community health volunteer and volunteer leader. A brief volunteer experience with the Red Cross in 2017 inspired her to combine her passions for public health and community service with disaster preparedness and response.
Ginny has a Masters in Public Health and a certificate in Environmental & Occupational Health from the Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Rae’chel’s bio is coming soon!
Kaneez’s bio is coming soon!
Staff
William Hassall, Executive Director
William Hassall is an accomplished international affairs professional with two decades of experience spanning diverse sectors, including disaster response, humanitarian relief, and international development. As Executive Director at Collaborating Agencies’ Disaster Relief Effort (CADRE), William is dedicated to facilitating coordinated disaster response efforts, supporting community resilience, and fostering equity and inclusion in disaster recovery.
With a Master’s degree in Human Rights and International Politics from the University of Glasgow, complemented by certifications in Program and Project Management, William brings a robust academic background to his role. Prior to his current position, he held pivotal roles at CARE, where he made significant contributions to humanitarian response efforts globally. As Senior Manager of Humanitarian Grants and Manager for USG Compliance, William led the transformation of award monitoring systems and provided invaluable support for diverse portfolios, including USAID, BHA, and PRM. His expertise in managing fast-moving and internationally dispersed teams was highlighted through his key role in managing a substantial portfolio of humanitarian grants, ensuring meticulous programmatic, grant, and financial oversight.
William’s enthusiasm, passion, and extensive experience make him a valuable asset in responding to natural disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies. His commitment to making a difference and his proven track record of success position him as a key leader in CADRE’s mission to support communities in need. When he is not engaged in humanitarian work, William enjoys exploring new cultures through travel, playing soccer, and spending time with his wife Marley and their dog Gilly.
Cindy Stewart, Director of Operations
Cindy Stewart is an experienced emergency management professional with a background in corporate training, grant management, and public service. Her expertise spans nonprofit and volunteer training, school emergency preparedness, and animal disaster response.
She has developed emergency plans for the Cities of Sunnyvale and Cupertino and now serves as Director of Operations for Collaborating Agencies’ Disaster Relief Efforts (CADRE), the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) for Santa Clara County. In this role, she leads trainings, workshops, and project management efforts that strengthen community resilience.
Cindy holds training and experience equivalent to a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management.
Marsha Hovey, C.E.M. has over forty years of emergency management experience in Santa Clara County as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, Emergency Services Coordinator for Santa Clara County OES, City of Cupertino Emergency Manager and West Valley-Mission Community College District. She retired in 2010 so she could become more involved with other organizations, like CADRE, and continue to make a difference. She is the 2017 Santa Clara County Emergency Manager’s Association Emergency Manager of the Year.
Luna Mohammad, Emergency Services Coordinator
Luna Mohammad has over a decade of professional experience in the fields of emergency planning and response, project management, community coordination, teaching, research, and writing. Luna received her Master’s Degree in the Sociology of Disasters, examining cumulative disaster exposure in women and children in southeast Louisiana. She served as the Community Resilience Coordinator for Monterey County for 4 years, where she developed a community resilience plan and managed its 61 initiatives, serving as the lead for 21 of these initiatives. Luna has also assisted in writing county emergency plans, developing community outreach material in English and Spanish, strengthening operational area disaster readiness, supporting grant applications, facilitating exercises and training, and working in the public information section of the Operational Area Emergency Operations Center during several activations.
Email her at: [email protected]
Antonia Bradford, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
Antonia Bradford is CADRE’s Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, drawing on more than five years of experience in disaster recovery, grassroots organizing, and volunteer management. Inspired by her own journey as a wildfire survivor during the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire, Antonia has dedicated herself to supporting disaster survivors through trauma-informed, compassionate engagement. Her leadership includes coordinating volunteers for grassroots political campaigns, founding the CZU Remembrance Event to foster community resilience, and advocating for recovery resources at local, state, and federal levels.
Committed to building connections, Antonia has partnered with government, nonprofit, and faith-based groups to enhance whole-community disaster preparedness. She is passionate about empowering volunteers and survivors to feel seen and supported, using thorough program evaluation, public storytelling, and collaborative partnerships to drive meaningful change. In her role at CADRE, Antonia brings practical expertise, strong local relationships, and a heartfelt commitment to building resilient, caring communities. Away from work, she is an avid cook who loves preparing Mexican food for loved ones, enjoys exploring local trails and nature, and is a proud purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Whether fostering connections across Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties or bringing people together around a campfire or the kitchen table, Antonia’s life and work reflect her belief that supportive, resilient communities are built through caring, collaboration, and shared experience.
Savannah Gwynn, Communications Manager
Savannah Gwynn serves as CADRE’s Communications Manager, bringing both depth and versatility to the role. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Communication Studies from San Francisco State University and in History, with a focus in Political Science and Sociology, from Washington State University, Vancouver.
During her tenure as a CADRE team member since 2020, Savannah has contributed across multiple areas of the organization, including bookkeeping, payroll, project management, and communications. This broad experience gives her a comprehensive understanding of CADRE’s operations and mission. In her current role, she leads communications strategy and outreach, ensuring CADRE’s message is clear, effective, and community-focused.
Contact her at [email protected] or reach her directly at [email protected]
Jennifer “Jen” Lloyd is an Emergency Manager with more than 20 years of experience leading city-level disaster response, preparedness, and community resilience programs. Throughout her career, she has coordinated a wide range of emergency operations—from wildfires and floods to major power outages—ensuring efficient, collaborative response across departments and community partners.
Jennifer is especially recognized for her leadership in building and sustaining high-performing Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs. Under her guidance, over 400 volunteers have been trained, equipped, and integrated into real-world incident operations, strengthening the city’s readiness.
With deep expertise in local government emergency management, public engagement, and incident coordination, Jennifer brings a practical, community-centered approach to preparedness and response. She remains committed to helping jurisdictions of all sizes build resilient systems that work in both large-scale disasters and the smaller, hyper-local incidents that most communities face every year.
