Jeffrey C. Wiemann describes his work as “one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever done…rebuilding trust in the community.” He’s talking about his role with the San Diego County/Imperial Valley chapter of the American Red Cross.

Wiemann was hired in 2003 as COO and CFO of a team to restore the reputation locally of the Red Cross chapter, which had been beset with allegations of an excessive salary for its CEO and misdirecting donor contributions. He did his job so well that in April of this year, at the age of 38, he was named chief executive of one of the 10 largest of the nation’s 815 chapters.

In spite of its difficulty, he loves the job. “What we do is help people,” he says. “ Every day. It doesn’t get any better than that.” Wiemann helped design and oversaw legal, financial and operational strategies that proved successful in the chapter’s recovery. He praises volunteers who “are just amazing,” for assisting the nearly 200 local Red Cross employees with current efforts, daily emergencies and ongoing community preparation for emergencies.

Wiemann moved permanently to San Diego after being stationed here with the Navy. Before joining the Red Cross, he worked for the San Diego Unified School District as head of the Business Operations Branch. Wiemann, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, received a master’s degree from USD.

In the rare hours Wiemann is not steeped in Red Cross business, he probably is with his wife, Jana, and their children, daughter Kaitlyn, 4, and twins, Jake and Samantha, 1. He likes working in his yard and playing with his children in the swimming pool at his East County home.