The Vermont & New Hampshire Upper Valley Region of the American Red Cross is pleased to announce that Larry Kupferman and Brent Garrow have joined the staff. Each will assume responsibilities related to the delivery of disaster preparedness and response services provided by the American Red Cross.
Larry Kupferman will serve as the Coordinator for the Local Disaster Shelter Initiative soon to be launched by the Vermont & the New Hampshire Upper Valley American Red Cross. The initiative will significantly enhance emergency preparedness across the region by empowering communities to open local Red Cross shelters faster and more independently. Kupferman will work with municipal leaders, local emergency management directors and others in communities across Vermont and New Hampshire’s Upper Valley region to implement the preparedness initiative.
Prior to joining the American Red Cross, Mr. Kupferman has many years of municipal and project management experience. Most recently, he worked six years for the City of Burlington, including five in which he served as Director of the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO). Previously, he worked for fifteen years with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). Kupferman’s work with the City of Burlington included participation in emergency planning for the city, having received training in emergency management.
Brent Garrow has been hired as a Deputy Chief Response Officer with responsibility that include the oversight of assets and disaster volunteers servicing the northern half of our region as well as planning and administrative duties for the entire Vermont & the New Hampshire Upper Valley Region. Mr. Garrow will play a significant role in regional disaster planning and response for large-scale events, while ensuring effective and timely response capabilities for the fires and other disasters that strike our region on average of twice per week.
Mr. Garrow’s background is in both the private and public sectors. This includes twenty-five years in education, five of which were as a school principal in Franklin County. He has also worked as a department head at a residential care facility. Mr. Garrow brings significant management experience to his new position, much of which required the organizational and people skills that will be called upon in his new position.
“The American Red Cross and the people of our region are both very fortunate to have Mr. Garrow and Mr. Kupferman join our team,” said Larry Crist, Regional Executive for the Vermont & the New Hampshire Upper Valley Region. “As we continue our work to raise the bar for disaster preparedness and response, their addition will help us to advance our efforts,” Crist added.