Harold Brooks

Distinguished Senior Fellow

Harold W. Brooks is a member of the Global Resilience Institute’s (GRI) Post-Disaster Assessment and Advisory Team as well as a GRI Distinguished Senior Fellow.

Brooks served as senior vice president, International Operations for the American Red Cross’ International Services Department (ISD), after leading the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter as the regional Chief Executive Officer and held a number of leadership positions throughout the country, including in Washington, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New Jersey. As SVP, Brooks managed the international activities of the Red Cross which included supporting rebuilding and recovery efforts in Haiti, disaster response and preparedness activities worldwide, and disease prevention programs. He also ensured that local Red Cross chapters continued to educate their communities in International Humanitarian Law and provided services to reconnect families internationally, separated by war and disaster. Additionally, he oversaw the organization’s global policy and planning efforts supporting the American Red Cross mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies.

In addition to his Red Cross experience, Brooks has a history of work in international development. Before joining the Red Cross, he was Country Director for Africare in Kenya and served as Peace Corps Country Director in Papua New Guinea. Brooks is a former member of the board of regents for his alma mater, Loyola-Marymount University, where he earned a bachelor degree in political science.

GRI’s Post-Disaster Assessment and Advisory Team is a group of experts with deep operational experience in disaster response. Working in ways analogous to National Transportation Safety Board teams, GRI’s team conducts extensive analysis and in-depth interviews about the disaster, the response and recovery efforts.