The American Red Cross of Illinois announced that Connie Esparza has joined the organization as a new Communications Manager. She will be focusing predominantly on communications and media relations for the Red Cross across Illinois including Red Cross chapters in Greater Chicago, Northwest Illinois/Rockford and the Illinois River Valley area. Connie brings almost 30 years of formidable communications and marketing experience to the Illinois Red Cross. She is a strong bilingual communicator with a passion for working in nonprofit organizations. Connie joins the Illinois Red Cross from Casa Central, a social services agency primarily serving the Latino community, where she was the director of marketing and communications. Previously, Connie was the vice president of marketing for Robert Morris University, where she led the rebrand of the university. Connie has an MBA from Roosevelt University and a BA from Robert Morris University. “Connie is a terrific addition to the Illinois Red Cross team,” said Joy Squier, chief marketing and communications officer for the American Red Cross of Illinois. “She is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with significant expertise in many areas. Connie is well-versed in communications, marketing and storytelling and brings not only marketing acumen, but also depth in multicultural communications. She has roots in communities that the Red Cross touches every day. We are proud to have her on the team.”