Featured business person: Michelle Jantz

Back in her native Kansas since January, Jantz didn’t have to wait long to see Red Cross volunteers in action.

Last Friday, when fire damaged 10 apartments in southeast Wichita, some of those volunteers were on the scene helping residents find shelter, clothing and food.

“That’s just a longstanding heritage of the Red Cross, all the way back to Clara Barton,” Jantz said. “There was always a cadre of volunteers.”

Jantz, 47, started out as a volunteer herself. Growing up in Newton, she was recruited by her high school swim coach to teach swimming for the organization. Jantz majored in education at Wichita State University, doing an internship with the Red Cross that led to a job.

“I fell in love with the organization. I’ve been with it ever since.”

Jantz left Wichita 20 years ago for Red Cross jobs in Kansas City, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – where she responded to several hurricanes – and the national headquarters in Washington, D.C. There she helped set up a national call center.

She returned to Kansas last month to head up the Midway chapter, which has about 30 people working in the Wichita office and covers south-central and southeast Kansas. In addition to responding to disasters of all types and sizes, the Red Cross collects and distributes blood, provides education in swimming, CPR and other areas, and helps support members of the military and their families in times of medical crisis.

Jantz said her main duties are recruiting and retaining volunteers, fundraising and working with local board members. She’s excited about a program to reduce fires by installing smoke detectors.

“We’d like to never respond to another fire,” she said.

She enjoys being back in Kansas, where she has family located across the state. She’s a big fan of “anything live” – whether it’s music, sports or theater.

Jantz will mark a couple of big anniversaries this year, which is her 25th with the Red Cross and the organization’s 100th in operation here. She’s helping plan a gala event in November and invites anyone who’s interested in participating to call her, about that and anything else regarding the Red Cross.

“I’m happy to help folks. My biggest responsibility is representing the Red Cross. I’m that person they can call when all else fails.”

This story was originally published February 25, 2015 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Featured business person: Michelle Jantz."