Two New Board Directors To Guide 'Big' Volunteer Group

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (BBBSEMO) announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors, Rhonda Brandon and Mark Cusamano.

“Our newest members' experience, vision and business sense will add additional insights as we continue to further our mission to build trusting and enduring relationships that encourage and support young people,” said the organization's CEO, Becky James-Hatter.

“We are honored and excited to have such creative, thoughtful and committed leaders on the Big Brothers Big Sisters board of directors," James–Hatter said.

New director Brandon is vice president of human resources operations for BJC HealthCare, and is responsible for ensuring key human resources business practices, strategies and initiatives to support BJC’s 13 hospitals and other health-service operations.

Since 2010, Brandon has led a team of more than 50 human resources professionals responsible for BJC’s eight community hospitals.

Brandon also serves as a member of BJC’s Human Resources Executive Council to ensure consistency of policies, programs and processes across the organization. She earned a master’s degree in organizational development from American University and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Hampton University in Virginia.

Cusumano has more than 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and business administration. President and CEO of Fresh Warehousing, he has organized and led a management team that is aggressively pursuing a rapid growth strategy in each of the affiliated companies, FW Warehousing, FW Trucking, FW Logistics and Lazarus Realty Corp.

Cusamano earned a master’s in business administration from Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in business from Tulane University. Cusumano is on the BBBSEMO regional board and has been an active Big Brother for 10 years.