TEXAS, USA — The Big Country and the Concho Valley have a new American Red Cross executive director.
The organization's North Texas Region announced Thursday that Kara Nickens is new executive director for the Texas Big Country Chapter which includes 38 counties with more than 770,000 residents. She is based in Wichita Falls, where she will engage community stakeholders and oversee Red Cross programs and services from Wichita Falls to Abilene, San Angelo, Brownwood and everything in-between.
“We are very fortunate to have someone of Kara’s caliber joining the Red Cross,” Linda Braddy, Red Cross North Texas Region CEO, said. “Kara’s years of humanitarian service in Wichita Falls and Abilene makes her the perfect ambassador to further the Red Cross mission, steward vital relationships, expand community partnerships and strengthen community engagement across the Texas Big Country chapter.”
Before joining the Red Cross, Nickens served as the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank CEO. During her tenure at the food bank, several new programs were implemented including a mobile pantry program that delivered food to people in food deserts who might not otherwise have access to nutritious food. Under her leadership, the food bank doubled the amount of food distributed.
She received a bachelor’s degree from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls and spent the first 20-plus years of her career serving as the executive director for private living and day habilitation programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“I’m very excited to join an organization that is world-renowned for its humanitarianism and is dedicated to building resiliency here in West Texas,” Nickens said. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues and community partners to help train, provide service and help make our communities stronger with our home-grown talent.”
For more information about the American Red Cross Texas Big Country chapter, click here.