Red Cross President Resigns After Friction With Board

American Red Cross President Marsha Evans, who oversaw the charity’s vast and sometimes criticized response to Hurricane Katrina, is resigning effective at the end of this month because of friction with her board of governors, the organization said yesterday.Red Cross spokesman Charles Connor said the board was not unhappy with Ms. Evans’s handling of the hurricane response, “but had concerns about her management approach, and coordination and communication with the board.” It was the second time in three years that such feuding led to a leadership change after a national disaster.Jack McGuire, the executive vice president of the charity’s Biomedical Services, was named to serve as interim president and CEO while a search for a permanent successor to Ms. Evans is conducted.Ms. Evans, a former Navy rear admiral and head of the Girl Scouts of the USA, took over as Red Cross president in August 2002 as the organization was shaking off criticism of how it handled some donations sent in response to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.The Red Cross emerged from that controversy with promises of greater openness and accountability, but the unprecedented challenges posed by this year’s hurricanes raised new problems. Critics said the Red Cross failed to respond quickly enough in some low-income, minority areas; others faulted it for balking at cooperation with local grass roots organizations even as it collected the bulk of the relief funds – more than $1.8 billion.Ms. Evans, 58, acknowledged in September that the organization’s response to Katrina and Hurricane Rita had been uneven, and said that the destructive power of the storms – along with the flooding that followed – “eclipsed even our direst, worst-case scenarios.”In recent weeks, the organization has vowed to address some of the criticisms by seeking greater diversity within its ranks and establishing partnerships with local groups.Ms. Evans’s resignation came hours before a House subcommittee hearing in Washington focusing in part on the Red Cross’s response to Katrina, including fund raising as well as distribution of aid to evacuees. Among the problems, according to witnesses: poor coordination with other charities in providing shelter, creating gaps in aid particularly in far-flung rural areas, and unclear accounting of its finances.“‘Empty,’ ‘running on fumes,’ ‘dangerously low’ are all terms that the Red Cross used during its 2004 fiscal year to describe the state of its disaster relief fund,” Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, said in a prepared statement before the hearing.“The Red Cross does not make clear in disaster fund-raising pleas its true financial position or the amount of discretionary money it has available to spend on disasters,” he said.Ms. Evans, in a statement Tuesday addressed to her colleagues, said she had been thinking about leaving the Red Cross earlier, but stayed on after Katrina hit to “lead our pivotal response to that epic tragedy.”“Now, with our successful hurricane response continuing in steady hands, I believe the time is right to step down,” she said. “I look forward to spending more time with my family.”She praised the services of the 220,000 volunteers who responded to the hurricanes and described the charity as “far better prepared to face the challenges of the future than when I joined you all in August 2002.”Many donors were upset to learn belatedly that $200 million was set aside for future disasters rather than to help victims of the hijackings. The Red Cross shifted the money back and promised greater accountability in future disasters.Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, who chairs the Red Cross board, praised Ms. Evans’ performance, including a reorganization at the Washington headquarters and a strengthening of local disaster response practices.“We anticipate no major changes in strategic direction, and expect to continue all initiatives currently underway,” Ms. McElveen-Hunter said in a statement. “Our focus will continue to be on ensuring a healthy and safe blood supply, preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters, and providing lifesaving Red Cross services in our neighborhoods and, when called, around the globe.”

Red Cross President Resigns After Friction With Board

Red Cross President Resigns After Friction With Board

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