Vince Costello

Vince Costello, Director of International Services at the Cincinnati Area Chapter American Red Cross, has 36 of experience with the American Red Cross. 

His undergraduate degree is in Sociology from Xavier University and he holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from St. Louis University. Costello is a Licensed Independent Social Worker, LISW, and member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers. He has years of Family Linking/Tracing experience locally, nationally and internationally and is considered an expert in family reunification. He has used that same expertise as a Disaster Welfare Inquiry Manager (DWI) on numerous national disasters, including hurricanes, floods, tornados and the Oakland Hills, Califormia fire in 1991. He was also responsible for all the missing person inquiries for the World Trade Center bombing in New York City.

As a DWI Manager, Costello is responsible for locating and determining the health and welfare of immediate family members affected by a disaster. He does this by providing a communication link between family members who become separated at the time of a disaster.

Costello began his career with the American Red Cross as a volunteer in college. He progressed steadily, serving as a Casework Specialist, Supervisor and Director of Social Services, a position he held for 13 years.

Because of his passion for International Services, Costello was appointed Director of International Services in September 1999. The position and the department were created in 1999 after he returned from Macedonia/Kosovo were he served with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a Tracing delegate in the Albanian, Serbian, and Roma refugee camps. He is a certified Red Cross Instructor for International Humanitarian law and has attended specialized International Humanitarian training at Harvard Law School.