As Regional Executive for Oregon, I recently completed an eight-day visit with Red Crossers and community leaders in Northeastern Oregon – including Baker, Union, Wallowa, Umatilla and Morrow counties. From early morning until late at night, I met with with volunteers, Board members and staff of Red Cross offices, and leaders such as newspaper publishers, university presidents, mayors and county commissioners. My questions were simple:

• Is Red Cross meeting the needs of your community?
• What are we doing well?
• What do we need to improve?
• Who are the leaders in your community who can help us be successful?

Needless to say, I learned a lot about the challenges and opportunties we face in this part of our state. Stay tuned to learn about our plans for increasing our Red Cross presence in these communities. And if you’re so inclined, check out my interview on KWVR Radio in Enterprise, Oregon.