He assisted in the development of the strategic plan and orchestrated the merger that resulted in the chapter service growing from a population of 960,000 to 1.5 million - a growth of 75%.

During his time as Board Chair, the Chapter responded to 400 single-family fires; 56,762 students enrolled in their courses, provided transportation to 6,627 residents and delivered 19,642 meals to the elderly and homebound.

John's leadership guided the Chapter through many long and emotional hours of service to aid the survivors of the tragedy that occurred on 9/11. He not only kept the Chapter staff and volunteers on target, but held press conferences and made appearances in schools and the community as a guest speaker, giving heartfelt thanks to young and old alike for their kind donations of time and money.

John Uzzi is regarded as a visionary who sees the big picture but also has the capacity to get others involved in getting the job done right. It is through his leadership that the Bergen-Hudson Red Cross is the largest service organization in the State.

John A. Uzzi has served as a volunteer on the Board of Directors of the Bergen-Hudson Chapter of the American Red Cross for the past six years. During his first three years, he was a Board member, and from 2001 to the present, he serves as the Chairman of the Board.

John has selflessly devoted many hours to aid the Chapter staff and volunteers in the achievement of the Red Cross' humanitarian mission. It is not unusual to see him at a meeting, presentation or a community event spreading the word about what the Red Cross does to make a difference in people's lives.

Over the past year, the organization experienced tremendous growth and change. When the Bergen Crossroads Chapter had the opportunity to merge with the Hudson County Chapter, John embraced the challenge.