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Wendy Harman

Guest Speaker

Professional affiliation

Director, Information Management and Situational Awareness

Full Biography

Wendy Harman is a proud Red Crosser and a digital nerd. In June 2013, she accepted a new role in American Red Cross Disaster Services to lead the creation of a common operating picture during disaster response efforts as well as for preparedness and recovery. Previously, she served as the Director of Social Strategy. In this role she lead the organization towards becoming a social organization ready for 21st century humanitarian work. She was responsible for the national social media presence, including the listening program, social content and community engagement. She developed the Digital Operations Center where the organization now endeavors to give the public a seat at the table of domestic disaster response via (1) Big data situational awareness (2) Individual needs routing and (3) via individual engagement. She conceived of the Red Cross Disaster Digital Volunteer role and coined the phrase digital hug. She frequently speaks and writes about issues at the intersection of nonprofits, technology and the social web. In 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, she was named to the Nonprofit Times Power and Influence Top 50 list. She taught President Obama to tweet in 2010 and is often cited for her smart handling of the #gettngslizzerd tweet. Before joining the Red Cross in 2006, Wendy managed operations for Future of Music Coalition and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, in addition to creating her own artist management firm.