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Under fire, Red Cross president quits
Associated Press
Published December 14, 2005
NEW YORK - American Red Cross president Marsha Evans announced her resignation Tuesday because of friction with the board of governors, shortly before witnesses and lawmakers at a congressional hearing assailed the charity's response to Hurricane Katrina.
Red Cross spokesman Charles Connor said the board was not unhappy with Evans' handling of the hurricane crisis "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.
At the hearing in Washington, lawmakers said the Red Cross's uneven response to Katrina calls for changes in how the charity coordinates with local groups, handles its finances and distributes aid to the disabled. A Louisiana congressman even suggested stripping the Red Cross of its lead role in major relief campaigns.
Jack McGuire, executive vice president of the charity's Biomedical Services, was named interim president while a search for Evans' successor is conducted.
A former Navy rear admiral who previously ran the Girl Scouts of the USA, Evans took over at the Red Cross in August 2002 as the organization was shaking off criticism of how it handled some donations sent in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Evans' predecessor, Dr. Bernadine Healy, said she was forced to resign partly because of disagreements with the board over the handling of money coming in after the attacks.
Healy, now a health columnist with U.S. News & World Report, said her departure and Evans' removal reflected problems in how the 50-member Red Cross board addresses its internal conflicts and clashes with its top executives.
"You can't have 50 people making decisions," Healy said. "The Red Cross is a public treasure that belongs to America and must serve America. Until these governance problems can be sorted out, it won't be able to do so effectively."
[Last modified December 14, 2005, 00:15:15]
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