OneBlood Celebrates Women in the Blood Industry: Meet Stephanie

Women’s History Month honors women leaders who are passionate about making a difference in the world. Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, and Eleanor Roosevelt are some of the iconic women who broke barriers and helped mobilize a revolutionizing movement throughout history.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting a few of the #Shero's on the OneBlood Team who help make a difference every day.

Stephanie is a Manager of Donor Services in Northwest Florida. From equipping teams with necessary resources for upcoming blood drives to conducting training, Stephanie works hard to ensure that our teams are prepared to deliver great customer service to blood donors while also delivering a safe product for the hospitals and patients we serve. 

What is your role at OneBlood? 

I am the Manager of Donor Services in Northwest Florida.   

Tell us about your career journey at OneBlood 

I started at OneBlood on June 1st, 2020. I moved to Florida from Louisiana to come to work here. My career started 32 years ago in Baton Rouge, LA.

I started in this industry as a Component Technician. I have worked as a Blood Donor Technician, an Apheresis Operator, an Account Manager, an Apheresis Coordinator, a Manager over Collections and Recruitment, a Director, and a Regional Director. I was also on the Autologous Apheresis Stem Cell Transplant team.

My goal was to learn every aspect of Blood Banking. I am currently the President of the South Central Association of Blood Banks (SCABB). I have served on their Board of Directors for almost 10 years and have been a member for 17 years. I met several people from OneBlood through SCABB including Bud Scholl, OneBlood's CEO. That is how my journey led me to Florida and OneBlood.  

Who is your woman role model? How have they inspired/impacted you personally or professionally?

My woman role model is my grandmother. I actually lost her 2 years ago but she lived to be 87 years old. She was the strongest female I have ever met in my life.

My grandmother had 11 children and also helped to raise several of her grandchildren (including myself) and great-grandchildren.  She was a stay-at-home wife and mother for most of her life. Many years later, after her children had all left home and her husband had passed, she went to work as an aid at the Louisiana War Veteran’s Home.

She was the epitome of grit, determination, grace, and hard work.

What's your favorite quote or phrase? 

My favorite quote is from Sir Winston Churchill – “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” That quote was one that I heard from my boss of 24 years, David Gremillion at Our Lady of the Lake RMC Blood Bank in Baton Rouge when I first started in Blood Banking. It stuck with me ever since and it’s truly something that I live by.

What advice would you give to young women entering your field?

My advice to young women entering this field is to work hard and always be open to learning new things. I believe that knowledge and experience are powerful and always pay off in the future. I am where I am today because I stayed in the same field but moved around to learn all of the moving parts.

Being able to understand the process through other departments has given me the ability to see the big picture. This is an ever-changing and moving industry and you have to be able to adapt quickly to change, embrace it, and be open to new ideas and ventures.

Feeling empowered? Help save lives with your blood donation during Women’s History Month! The gift of life means everything to a patient in need. Find a Big Red Bus or OneBlood Donor Center near you.