The American Red Cross Houston chapter in the Texas Gulf Coast region is proud to welcome new members to our Houston Board.   

 “We are very excited to welcome our new members,” said Shawn Schulze, Executive Director for the Houston chapter. “They each embody a passion for the Red Cross mission and are exemplary leaders in our community.” 

 About Sarah Smith 

Sarah Smith is a driven executive with success leading high-performing teams in complex environments exceeding customer and stakeholder commitments. She has steered large-scale organizations from an impactful vision to actionable and sustainable change strategies across diverse industry and business models. With an operational excellence foundation in manufacturing leadership, Sarah has proven her ability as a multifaceted leader in global functions such as P&L ownership, safety, quality, supply chain, procurement, and continuous improvement. Sarah was recently appointed Chief Operating Officer of Novo Logistics. She is trusted to guide the logistics and warehouse solution provider through strategic growth. Sarah was recruited to W.R. Grace as Chief Procurement Officer in 2022 to help lead the company’s enterprise transformation and professionalize the function. She applied her prior experiences to reset on foundational procurement processes and establish a comprehensive strategy for best-in-class performance. Sarah was recognized by Purdue University as an Outstanding Mechanical Engineer in 2022 and was inducted into the Professional Practice (formally Co-operative Education) Hall of Fame in 2017. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and completed her Executive Master of Business Administration through Texas A&M University. 

 About Meagan Stidman 

Megan O’Loughlin Stidman, Founder and CEO of executive coaching firm Coach Veritas, LLC., is a professionally trained coach who supports clients to advance and attain sustainable professional and personal growth. Her previous experience includes 25 years in various leadership supply, major capital project, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, and engineering roles in the oil, gas, and power industries. She worked at leading private and Fortune 500 energy, consulting, and investment banking firms including Koch Industries, Goldman Sachs, American Electric Power, Reliant Resources, Burlington Resources, ConocoPhillips, BHP Billiton, and McKinsey and Company. In addition to serving as President and on the Board of Directors for the Harvard Business School Club of Houston, Megan has undertaken volunteer leadership positions in Boys Scouts of America, her local church, and local school PTOs. Megan graduated from the University of Kansas with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and from Harvard University with an MBA. She resides in Houston, Texas with her husband and two sons. 

 About Madia McCarthy 

Ms. McCarthy is the Vice President of Data and Digital Transformation at Crown Castle. As a strategic executive leader, she integrates product management, data strategy, and digital transformation to achieve measurable business outcomes. Ms. McCarthy helps organizations boost revenue, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer and employee experiences by aligning technology, data, and operations. Her approach to transformation is data-driven and customer-centric. She prioritizes initiatives that deliver the highest return on investment, including accelerating revenue, reducing costs, and optimizing workflows. By utilizing intelligent prioritization, user-centered design, and operational efficiency, she enables organizations to move quickly, scale effectively, and maximize the value of their technology investments. Her leadership is about achieving business goals and inspiring and empowering teams to perform at their best. Building high-performing, high-trust teams where autonomy fosters innovation, collaboration sharpens ideas, and the best solutions emerge. This approach, grounded in clarity, adaptability, and empowering team members to challenge assumptions, creates an environment where bold thinking leads to meaningful impact. At the intersection of strategy, execution, and innovation, she excels at transforming complexity into clarity and enabling teams to create what’s next.” 

 About Brian Suggs 

Brian Suggs is HP’s Vice President, Personal Systems Operations Quality. In his present role Brian is responsible for quality assurance across the enterprise’s global network of manufacturing sites, original design manufacturers, and contract manufacturers. In his previous role at Rockwell Automation Brian served as the Senior Director of Quality, responsible for multiple organizations including Product Quality, Customer Quality and Supplier Quality. His team works to ensure that all Services & Solutions, Components, Hardware and Software products met all necessary requirements & standards. Brian has had success implementing and improving Quality systems in several different industries including Automotive, Commercial Vehicles, Automation and major Components. He is a senior quality / operations executive with a record of success driving Customer Quality, Advanced Product Quality, Supplier Quality and Operations Quality – to reduce cost and improve customer satisfaction. Brian earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Industrial Business/Manufacturing Management from Kettering University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Operations Management from Phoenix University. He is active in multiple professional organizations; National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), American Society of Quality association (ASQ) and performs volunteer work for several organizations. 

 About Kani Udoh 

Kani Udoh is a Corporate Finance Leader in the Energy Industry. She has over 15 years of Corporate Finance experience with expertise in Treasury Management, Investment Analysis & Management, Financial Planning & Budgeting, Internal Audit & Controls, Risk Management, and Process Optimization. She also had the opportunity to hone her advisory skills early in her career providing Pro-bono advisory on Fundraising strategy and Board development to non-profit Boards in the Washington, DC area through Compass Pro Bono, an organization that seeks to forge ties between nonprofits and local professionals to empower thriving communities. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Kani believes that to whom much is given, much is required, and that deeply interconnected communities are thriving, equitable and resilient communities. She seeks to bring these important skills she has acquired through her academic and corporate experiences to the service of others, while also establishing deep connections with her community. She currently serves as a volunteer mentor with Tamina youth outreach and as an active advisor on her church Welfare and Building committees. Kani, her husband and three children currently reside in Conroe, TX. 

We would also like to introduce you to some of our existing board members

Ryan Dewitt 

Ryan Dewitt is Vice President, National Sales for Sysco Corporation, headquartered in Houston.  He has nearly 20 years of experience in the food distribution industry, holding leadership positions in audit, logistics, merchandising, revenue management, and sales.   Ryan spent a short period of his career, between stints at Sysco, working for Morgan Garris consulting where he focused on Sarbanes Oxley 404 compliance and financial/operational consulting, frequently travelling internationally to drilling sites in Norway, Kazakhstan, and The Sakhalin Islands in northeastern Russia.  Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting from Boston College in 2003.  He resides in Houston, TX and is married to Elizabeth DeWitt, principal of Elizabeth Garrett Interiors, a firm specializing in residential interior design.   

Dr. Erin Erb 

Dr. Erin Erb, DHA, MHA, RHIA, CPHQ, CPPS is the Division Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety at HCA’s Gulf Coast Division. Erin is responsible for the overall clinical quality, patient outcomes and patient safety initiatives and emergency preparedness and disaster response activities. 

Prior to joining the Gulf Coast Division Erin served in various quality leadership roles at health systems in Nebraska and Kansas. Erin has overseen the implementation of high reliability organization principles, process improvement methodologies and has successfully overseen triennial accreditations and disease specific care certifications. Additionally, Erin has helped to drive significant improvement in patients facing metrics; decreased mortality, complications and hospital acquired infections. In her role as Incident Commander for disaster response she has experienced hurricanes, mass casualty events, winter storm impacts and the occasional rolling blackout. Erin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Management, a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and a doctorate in healthcare administration from Oklahoma State University. She is certified through the American Health Information Association as a Registered Health Information Administrator, a Certified Professional of Healthcare Quality by the National Association of Healthcare Quality, a Certified Professional In-Patient Safety, and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. 

Madia McCarthy 

Madia McCarthy is Vice President of Data and Digital Transformation Crown Castle. As a strategic executive leader, she integrates product management, data strategy, and digital transformation to achieve measurable business outcomes. She helps organizations boost revenue, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer and employee experiences by aligning technology, data, and operations. Her approach to transformation is data-driven and customer-centric. She prioritizes initiatives that deliver the highest return on investment, including accelerating revenue, reducing costs, and optimizing workflows. By utilizing intelligent prioritization, user-centered design, and operational efficiency, she enables organizations to move quickly, scale effectively, and maximize the value of their technology investments. Her leadership is about achieving business goals and inspiring and empowering teams to perform at their best. I build high-performing, high-trust teams where autonomy fosters innovation, collaboration sharpens ideas, and the best solutions emerge. This approach, grounded in clarity, adaptability, and empowering team members to challenge assumptions, creates an environment where bold thinking leads to meaningful impact. 
 
Sara Smith

 Sarah Smith is a driven executive with success leading high-performing teams in complex environments exceeding customer and stakeholder commitments. She has steered large-scale organizations from an impactful vision to actionable and sustainable change strategies across diverse industry and business models. With an operational excellence foundation in manufacturing leadership, Sarah has proven her ability as a multifaceted leader of global functions such as P&L ownership, safety, quality, supply chain, procurement, and continuous improvement. Sarah was recently appointed Chief Operating Officer of Novo Logistics. She is trusted to guide the logistics and warehouse solution provider through strategic growth. Sarah was recruited to W.R. Grace as Chief Procurement Officer in 2022 to help lead the company’s enterprise transformation and professionalize the function.  She applied her prior experiences to reset on foundational procurement processes and establish a comprehensive strategy to best-in-class performance.

Meagan Stidman
 

Megan O’Loughlin Stidman, Founder and CEO of executive coaching firm Coach Veritas, LLC., is a professionally trained coach who supports clients to advance and attain sustainable professional and personal growth. Her previous experience includes 25 years in various leadership supply, major capital projects, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, and engineering roles in the oil, gas, and power industries. She worked at leading private and Fortune 500 energy, consulting, and investment banking firms including Koch Industries, Goldman Sachs, American Electric Power, Reliant Resources, Burlington Resources, ConocoPhillips, BHP Billiton, and McKinsey and Company. In addition to serving as President and on the Board of Directors for the Harvard Business School Club of Houston, Megan has undertaken volunteer leadership positions in Boys Scouts of America, her local church, and local school PTOs. Megan graduated from the University of Kansas with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and from Harvard University with an MBA.

Brian Suggs

Brian Suggs is HP’s Vice President, Personal Systems Operations Quality. In his present role Brian is responsible for quality assurance across the enterprise’s global network of manufacturing sites, original design manufacturers and contract manufacturers. In his previous role at Rockwell Automation Brian served as the Senior Director of Quality, responsible for multiple organizations including Product Quality, Customer Quality and Supplier Quality. His teams worked to ensure that all Services & Solutions, Components, Hardware and Software products met all necessary requirements & standards. Brian has had success implementing and improving Quality systems in several different industries including Automotive, Commercial Vehicles, Automation and major Components. He is a senior quality / operations executive with a record of success driving Customer Quality, Advanced Product Quality, Supplier Quality and Operations Quality – to reduce cost and improve customer satisfaction.

Robert Tenczar

Retired INDUSTRIAL CFO Manufactured Products – from Hi-Tech to Commodities | Multi-location Operations Plants & Distribution. Strategic and performance-focused partner to CEOs with 20+ years of CFO experience. Expert in creating value as enterprises grow organically, via integration of acquisitions and through systems/process improvements. Respected member of the executive team based on business and financial acumen, ability to assemble talented teams, and effective communication skills.  Implemented reporting systems allowing effective communication to private equity owners, debt holders, and management; provided the platform to grow from $170M in sales to $790M. Financed growth and ownership liquidity through public debt offerings and capital leases. Enhanced productivity via improved operating systems, processes and back office shared services.