Rowena Saunders Biography
Vice President for Volunteers
Rowena Saunders joined Lighthouse International in May 2006 as Vice President for Volunteers, with responsibility for overseeing the organization's Volunteer Services and Print Access Center, which houses the Braille Transcription Services and Reading and Recording Program. Ms. Saunders is responsible for steering all of volunteer initiatives and deepening the culture of volunteerism at Lighthouse International.
Previously, Ms. Saunders served in three capacities over nine years at the American Red Cross in Greater New York, where she earned national award recognition for excellence in developing volunteer programs. Ms. Saunders served as the director of Volunteer Resources, manager of Chapters and Service Centers and executive director of the Manhattan Area Office. In 2001, Ms. Saunders served as an assistant officer on the then largest disaster relief operation in the history of the Red Cross deploying more than 35,000 volunteers in response. Prior to her appointment at the Red Cross, Ms. Saunders served as the director of Volunteer Resources for six years at the Central Park Conservancy.
Ms. Saunders received her B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. In 2001, Ms. Saunders was selected as an American National Red Cross Presidential Scholar, and in 2002, she received her M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College.