OTTUMWA —
It has been 94 years since the American Red Cross of Iowa has changed its structure.
The personnel changes will not affect any of Iowa’s 15 chapters’ operations, though, said Tammie Pech, regional communications director for the American Red Cross Greater Iowa Region. This includes the Southern Prairie Chapter, which encompasses Keokuk, Monroe, Wapello, Jefferson, Appanoose, Davis and Van Buren counties.
The newest addition to Ottumwa’s Red Cross is Chapter Support Officer Steve Barnett, who just joined the staff Wednesday. Barnett will be fundraising not only for the Ottumwa office but for the Ames and Marshalltown locations as well.
“This opportunity came to come home and I jumped at it,” Barnett said.
While Barnett has worked at Red Cross offices across the country, from Oregon to the national headquarters in Washington, D.C. to his most recent position as chief operating officer in Harrisburg, Penn., he is an Iowan at heart.
His multiple Red Cross positions around the nation parallel his childhood in Iowa.
Barnett grew up in Oskaloosa, went to middle school in Grinnell, was an eighth-grader in Aplington and finished off his senior year in Mason City. Finally, he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Northern Iowa.
“I’m an Iowa product,” Barnett said.
His duties and responsibilties at the three locations are still unfolding.
Red Cross offices are consolidating nationally, in response to the recession. Offices will not be closed but simply realigned, Barnett said.
While the word “change” means Red Cross offices will close in other states, “In our case, change is very positive,” Barnett said. “Looking down the road we’ll be really glad we did this.”
Pech said the Red Cross is focusing on streamlining operations. Barnett agreed, saying some internal changes are not even recession-related and would have occurred without a national recession.
Local News
Red Cross streamlines operations
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