New blood for Red Cross
Business outreach part of Ravitz’s plan
BY JOHN GOLDEN

The newly named CEO of the Westchester chapter of the American Red Cross said he’ll reach out to the county’s business community to rebuild old partnerships and forge new ones to carry on the roughly 200-volunteer chapter’s work.

Pelham resident John Ravitz, 47, on Friday will leave his post as executive director of the New York City Board of Elections, where for 4 and one-half years he oversaw the agency’s executive office and five borough offices and its 350 full-time employees. He will start Oct. 15 at the Red Cross office in White Plains, overseeing a nonprofit humanitarian agency with an annual budget of about $3.5 million.

“Obviously, the first thing I want to do is to go throughout the county and re-establish relationships with business and establish new relationships with businesses,” he said.

“I think it’s such an important partnership that needs to be developed with the American Red Cross and business community.”

Ravitz said he wants to draw the community’s attention not only to the chapter’s disaster relief programs but also its regular courses in first aid and CPR, lifeguard and baby-sitting training. “I know that’s important,” he said of the instruction for baby sitters, “as a father of four kids up to 8.”

Ravitz served 12 years as a Republican state assemblyman from Manhattan’s East Side. He served on the Assembly education, children and families, health, higher education and mental health committees and held key party posts as the Assembly’s assistant minority leader and assistant minority whip.

Ravitz organized more than 60 Town Hall meetings for residents, sponsored an annual senior health-care fair and coordinated Project Kidcare to help parents compile proper identification material for their children, according to a Red Cross spokesperson. His work as a legislator and community advocate brought him honors that included the New York City Council Community Service Award; the New York State Conference of Mayors Good Government Legislative Award and the Burden Center for the Aging Lifetime Recognition Award.

He replaces the Westchester chapter’s interim CEO, Ed Robertson, a national Red Cross staff member for its Northeast area. Robertson was the longest-serving member here on a management team of national Red Cross staffers that led the Westchester chapter after former CEO James Dennis and three other Red Cross employees were fired in February.

Dennis had served 14 months in the job. F. Dianne Young, Red Cross chairwoman in Westchester County, at the time said the chapter was “challenged” by insufficient fundraising and a decline in chapter finances, which dropped from $3.42 million in annual revenue in the 2005 fiscal year to $3.07 million in 2006.

Young last spring appointed a CEO search committee of business and nonprofit agency executives, led by William J. McGrath, a Red Cross chapter director and vice president of Bronx-Westchester electric operations at Consolidated Edison Co. Ravitz was one of two final candidates referred by the committee to Young and the state Red Cross.

“The search committee was very thorough, and you would think they were hiring someone for each of their own businesses,” Young said.

Young said Ravitz’s skills, experience and distinctive leadership record made him the final choice for the post. “You have to have a very strong person to run staff and volunteers,” she said.

“He also has experience in community service and community action,” Young said. “He also demonstrated fundraising and financial development experience and expertise.”

About $2 million of the chapter’s $3.5 million budget comes from financial development.

“I think the most important thing was his outreach to the community,” Young said of Ravitz. “It’s very important for Red Cross to form alliances and partnerships. That came through very clearly with him. He’s a very gregarious person. I think he’ll have no problem building relationships.”

Regarding Red Cross chapter revenue this year, “We’re up and we’re actually in the black,” Young said. “But we still need to do a good job of raising funds.”

Young said she wants the Red Cross chapter to add community outreach programs to prepare Westchester residents for hurricanes and other disasters. “That’s why it’s so important to build alliances and partnerships with the Westchester community.”

To accomplish that, Ravitz said he knows his job will focus on “making those contacts, making those phone calls, going to meetings.” In addition, “I’m going to work very closely with our board,” he said.

“The bottom line is, the Red Cross has a very powerful message and history,” Ravitz said. “It touches communities in so many ways. I think the more we get that message out, the more we’re going to be successful in raising funds. But it doesn’t happen overnight.”

With one management position, financial development director, remaining to be filled and six newly appointed board directors, “We’re in a really good position,” chairwoman Young said. “Our future looks bright.”

 

	Reader Comments     Please add your Comments
	Westchester TalkBack Name: Email Address: Add your Question or Comment: Issue important to you:   create form