South Central KY Board Member Profile – Tonya Roth

By Kevin Sandell, American Red Cross volunteer

Tonya Roth is a familiar face in several chapters of the American Red Cross. As a board member now with the South Central Kentucky chapter’s board since 2021, Tonya has also served with the Red Cross Eastern Tennessee Region and is a member of the National Council of the American Red Cross Tiffany Circle.

She is a retired corporate vice president who now devotes time to serving with the Red Cross. As a member of the Tiffany Circle, she also helps oversee the strategy and direction of the philanthropic arm of the American Red Cross, which is comprised of 1,300 women nationwide who each donate $10,000 or more to the Red Cross annually.

Tonya said one of her key roles in serving with the South Central Kentucky chapter is to help them better tell their story throughout the region. Throughout her life, she said, were a “lot of touches of the American Red Cross” in her life, which included earning a lifeguard certification when she was younger, and seeing the American Red Cross serve military service members in her family and others. Serving with the chapter’s board allows her to promote the various services offered by the Red Cross.

“There’s nothing more rewarding,” Tonya said about volunteering with the Red Cross. “…It’s a way to be involved in communities in a structured environment with an organization that touches lives at all ages.”

As a member of the chapter’s board, she believes the South Central Kentucky chapter can be an area leader in blood drives and volunteer recruitment. She also highlighted the chapter’s Warren County Community Adaptation Program, which connects people with other nonprofits to get them the resources they need to outreach their communities.

“There’s a variety of volunteer opportunities available, whether it’s serving with a Disaster Action Team or as a blood donation ambassador,” Tonya said. “The Red Cross stands ready to respond wherever there is need.”

Over the next year, Tonya said she looks forward to adding additional board members to the chapter’s board, and was excited to see the progress of the American Red Cross Kentucky Region’s new headquarters building in Louisville. The building is scheduled to open in July.

For her “full-time” retirement job, Tonya and her husband, who’s a farmer, own a historic barn venue for weddings and events in Bowling Green.