After nearly 20 years at Riley, she accepted a call to help Hoosier families on a broader scale when former Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed her Director of the Indiana Department of Child Services. Her nursing experience proved invaluable as she noticed parallels between families navigating the child welfare process and those facing emergency situations in the ICU. “Government of course is very different from working in a hospital, but there were also a lot of similarities,” explained Stigdon. “We were able to make really significant improvements at the agency because I applied what I knew from my time at the hospital.” Today, the American Red Cross Indiana Region serves over 6.9 million people in 104 counties across Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Ohio. As CEO, Stigdon leads a team of 50 staff members and more than 3,900 volunteers to prepare for and respond to disasters both in the region and nationwide. Those disasters can range from large-scale events—like the storms and flooding that impacted 40 of Indiana’s 92 counties in spring 2025—to smaller but equally devastating crises, such as a single-family house fire. “Right now, we’re looking at community mobilization and how the American Red Cross can be a great partner in helping communities to be ready when a disaster strikes, because it’s not ‘if,’ it’s ‘when,’” said Stigdon. Her approach to leadership at the Red Cross reflects the same mindset she had in the hospital: caring for people first. “I’ve had people ask me, ‘What’s it like to not be a nurse anymore?’” said Stigdon. “And I say, ‘Once a nurse, always a nurse.’ Everything I do, whether or not it is recognized by others, I do as a nurse. I can’t turn that part off in me. My leadership style as a servant leader absolutely comes from being a nurse.” Last year, Stigdon and her team responded to over 300 disasters nationwide, including Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 hurricane that claimed more than 100 lives and devastated parts of the southern United States. Stigdon and Red Crossers from the Indiana Region deployed to North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida to help. While most CEOs would operate in an executive liaison role in that type of environment, Stigdon was on the front lines, serving as a nurse in local shelters in North Carolina.
Terry Stigdon
“The liaison role is important, but I can train almost anybody to do it,” explained Stigdon. “As a nurse, you have to be licensed. You have to be trained. So while I knew that I could make an impact in either role, I felt I could make the most impact as a nurse.” Being on the front lines gave Stigdon an opportunity to do what she loves most—be a nurse and help others—but also provided valuable insight into what her team experiences when responding to a disaster. Seeing operations firsthand allowed her to identify what was working, what was not, and which processes could be improved, then use that information to enact change from her leadership position. “I would recommend that anyone in a leadership position take the opportunity to get on the front lines and do the work,” advised Stigdon. “It really opens your eyes to what your people are struggling with, and you’ll have a frame of reference when they’re telling you when something is challenging.” Stigdon reflects on her time at UIndy as a pivotal chapter in her journey. Balancing life as a married mother of three while working full time at Riley, she found in UIndy’s ABSN program the flexibility, support, and skills that allowed her to advance her career—steps that ultimately led her to the Red Cross. “I’m grateful to UIndy for offering the ABSN program, without which I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be in these positions where I can impact so many more people and hopefully make their lives better.”
—Terry Stigdon ’09 (ABSN)
Stigdon meets with Indiana Region Disaster Officer Janine Brown during her deployment to Evansville, Indiana, in response to severe weather that impacted the area.
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MAGAZINE // WINTER 2025
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