It's the end of an era for longtime American Red Cross Guam Chapter executive director Chita Blaise, who is preparing to retire from the role later this month. KUAM sat down with Blaise as she reflects on her years of service and shares a heartfelt message with the community.

After a lifetime of compassionate leadership, Blaise is preparing to bid farewell to her role as executive director, with retirement set for later this month.  It’s a bittersweet goodbye after 27 years—years defined by unwavering dedication to serving others.

“It’s in you–because you know you have to do it—and because… I love doing what I do," she said.

And for nearly three decades, Blaise showed exactly that. Time and time again, stepping forward during the island’s most difficult moments—supporting military families, comforting those affected by home fires, and leading disaster response efforts.  During Typhoon Mawar, she and her team facing unprecedented challenges, taking on the enormous task of making sure no one went hungry.

“We never did feeding before," she recalled, adding, “The American Red Cross is at its best under the worst conditions. It's terrible to say, but that’s what we do. We do that so well. 179,000 meals: that was like lunch and dinner.”

Beyond disaster relief, Blaise also leaves a lasting imprint on the organization’s fundraising—most notably through the iconic American Red Cross's Red Ball, which she helped shape into a signature community event.

“It’s not just throwing a party...because $0.91 of every dollar that we raise goes back to the community," she explained.

And as she prepares for her next chapter, Blaise reflects with gratitude—acknowledging the board, staff, and volunteers who stood beside her and helped uphold the Red Cross mission. She says every step of the journey has been rewarding, made possible by the people who shared in the work.

“I just love this island, and it's been so good to me, it has embraced me, and I cannot do enough to give back what they have given me—and I am just so grateful," she said. “I look back and I say, Si Yu’os Ma’ase’, Guam, I love you.”