Chad S. Priest JD, MSN, RN, FAAN

Chad S. Priest, JD, MSN, RN, FAAN is Vice President of the American Red Cross – Indiana where he leads a team of over 3,500 volunteers and staff from 45 offices throughout Indiana and portions of Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois dedicated to alleviating human suffering and supporting resilient communities.

Chad is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and co-founder of the Disaster Medicine Fellowship Program and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Nursing at the Indiana University School of Nursing. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. His research and scholarship interests include international disaster risk reduction, healthcare emergency management, crisis leadership, and community resilience to disasters and crisis events. He is a frequent international speaker on issues related to the healthcare system and community resilience.

Prior to assuming leadership of the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross, Priest served as Assistant Dean for Operations & Community Partnerships at the Indiana University School of Nursing where he also founded and directed the interdisciplinary Social Network Health Research Laboratory. Previously Chad was Chief Executive Officer of The MESH Coalition, an innovative public-private partnership that enables healthcare providers to effectively respond to emergency events and remain viable through recovery. Chad formerly practiced as an attorney at the law firm of Faegre Baker Daniels practicing public health and healthcare law in the Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. offices. Chad served on active duty as an officer in the United States Air Force with the 89th Medical Group, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. He received his undergraduate degree in nursing from Indiana University, his Master of Science degree in Community Health Nursing from Indiana University, and his law degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He is married to Caitlin Finnegan-Priest and has three children, Emerson, Nora, and Eli.