Red Cross President Ousted Over Affair

Mark Everson Loses Top Job For "Personal Relationship" With Subordinate Employee

(AP)  The American Red Cross ousted its president, Mark Everson, on Tuesday after learning he had engaged in a "personal relationship" with a subordinate employee.

Everson, the former commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, took the Red Cross job last May as the charity sought to restructure itself after sharp criticism of its response to Hurricane Katrina.

In a statement, the Red Cross said its board of governors asked for and received Everson's resignation, effective immediately, after learning within the past two weeks of the relationship with a woman on the Red Cross staff. The woman was not identified.

"The board acted quickly after learning that Mr. Everson engaged in a personal relationship with a subordinate employee," the statement said. "It concluded that the situation reflected poor judgment on Mr. Everson's part and diminished his ability to lead the organization in the future."

The Red Cross also released a statement from Everson, who is married and has two children.

"I am resigning for personal and family reasons, and deeply regret it is impossible for me to continue a job so recently undertaken," he said. "I leave with extraordinary admiration for the American Red Cross."

The charity's board appointed Mary S. Elcano, its general counsel for the past five years, as interim president and CEO. Elcano's past experience includes a stint as executive vice president of human resources with the U.S. Postal Service.

"Although this is difficult and disappointing news for the Red Cross community, the organization remains strong and the lifesaving mission and work of the American Red Cross will go forward," said the board's chair, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter.

She said a search committee has been formed to seek a new leader.

The development was a blow to the Red Cross as it was making progress in overcoming image problems arising from its response to Katrina and the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Addressing complaints that it was at times too bureaucratic and unaccountable, the charity overhauled its disaster-response system and the way it governs itself, and it was praised for its role during the recent Southern California wildfires.

"This does not reflect on the organization," Red Cross spokeswoman Suzy DeFrancis said of Everson's ouster. "People felt we were moving forward."

Everson's departure continues a trend of rapid turnover atop the Red Cross. The two women who preceded him as president both resigned amid friction with the board of governors — Bernadette Healy after the Sept. 11 attacks and Marsha Evans in 2005, after Katrina. An interim president, Jack McGuire, served between Evan's departure and Everson's appointment.

When he took the Red Cross job, Everson embraced it after four years running the Internal Revenue Service.

"My 18-year-old daughter said, 'People will like you now,"' Everson remarked during an interview in July with The Associated Press.

[kirbysommers]

For the Red Cross to state that Mark Everson''s behavior does not reflect on their organization is not true. If the top person is distracted -- and remember, he only took his position (no pun intended) in May -- and really quickly wound up in an extra-marital affair with a subordinate -- it certainly speaks volumes of how the agency is run.

Mark Everson is the 5th person to run the Red Cross in six years. Mary S. Elcano is now the 6th person. That''s an average of 1 person each year for the past six years. This is not good folks. Not good for the people they are supposed to be helping and not good for the people who donate to this organization.

The Red Cross cannot continue to cover up its mistakes by firing their CEOs.

Mark Everson was too distracted to deal with the Katrina donation issue; and it''s eerily reminiscent of President Bush, Michael Chertoff, Condoleeza Rice buying (both Chertoff and Rice are members of the Board of the Red Cross) and others being too distracted to focus on Katrina. (If you don''t recall, Rice was busy buying shoes).

The only good I see of this is that it puts Katrina back into the news -- and hopefully reminds America and the world that help is still needed by tens of thousands of people who remain homeless and in need.

Kirby Sommers
Founder/President

help at Katrina Home Drive dot org.

[guysdigdirt]

Some say he can do as he wishes on his own time, as long as he does the job he is hired to do. But if his commitment to his family- the most important and critical committment he will ever make- means that little to him, then what other commitments will he break? Do you really want a man with that little morals, ethics, background, honesty to run an organization, or even just manage your cheking account?

[guysdigdirt]

Oh come on, let the guy live a little after all it isn''''t like he''''s a saintly repub.

Posted by rushlimpdrug

Are you implying that the Democratic party has not perverts on the team? Or that they just lie enough to soothe themselves into believing it is not immoral unless the train goes in the tunnel?

[guysdigdirt]

I will tell yer what is wrong with men. They are over sexxed. Men need to stop and think there is a time and place for every thing. The fact men are alway in heat and want to breed. They don''''t can''''t care if the girl ends with a baby he won''''t support.

Posted by MichelleM99

Michelle, your characterization of men, assuming they are all the same, does not leave your remarks in a good frame of validity. Your remarks would be like me saying all hanidcapped people are leaches on society who use their handicap to create all the sympathy and handouts they can.

Does this make sense to you? I hope you get my meaning, I am not attacking someone, I am merely showing your the absurdity of your remarks.

There are men who are just as you say, but there are also men who are upstanding gentlemen who care very much about members of the opposite gender and take very good care of them, even when physical activity is not involved.

[keithle1]

Things might be better if men had the *** drive of the average woman.

[annd2302]

was it just a ***? No harm done, everyone had a good time.

[michellem99-2009]

I have my colourful words but I am poorly schooled but some cross the line as they never know who they may hurt. I try hart not to but will step up to the plate and right it IF I am the blame while I don''t believe in cenorship and they do and I said nothing to hurt or cause ceniorship.

[iceman_1960]

RE: Post by lastdance6 at 09:45 PM : Nov 27, 2007

Most posters are mature enough to avoid the kind of abusive and defamatory posting you cited.

Those few who engage in it, do so because of the anonymity these screennames offer.

CBS should implement an easy IGNORE function so that other members can wipe these posts off their screens.

A lot of other websites have this function.

[barbaraf4]

I saw on CNN that this person was earning $500,000 per year. I call that a princely sum for the head of a nonprofit organization that depends almost entirely on donations.

[rushlimpdrug]

Oh come on, let the guy live a little after all it isn''t like he''s a saintly repub.