During the 2008 ADRP Annual Conference in Halifax, members selected the new association board naming Carolyn Mihalko of American Red Cross as the 2008-09 ADRP President. The ADRP membership also voted to update and streamline the By-Laws, adding two vice president slots to the ADRP Executive Committee to assist with fundraising and implemented a certification program for the association. A full story on the changes will appear in the next Drop.
Carolyn serves as the Director of Education for the American Red Cross Biomedical Services, N.E. Division. She was formerly the Director of Recruitment and Outreach for the American Red Cross Biomedical Services, Connecticut Region. She began her blood banking career as a recruiter in 1980 after nine years as a history/herstory teacher. Carolyn was at Florida Blood Services for 17 years in the roles of account manager, director of recruitment and collections, director of education and Vice President of Community Relations. She then worked as a Vice President at New York Blood Center before moving back to her home state of Connecticut.
Carolyn joined the ADRP Board in 2004 and has served as the Chair of the Career Development Committee. Her past volunteer leadership roles include chairperson of recruitment committees for the Florida Association of Blood Banks, the AABB, and the National Marrow Donor Program. In 1997 Carolyn received the Florida Association of Blood Banks award for Executive of the Year and the AABB Chapman-Franzmeier recruitment award for exceptional leadership in donor recruitment locally and nationally.
John Hagins of the American Red Cross was selected as President-Elect. began his career with the American Red Cross (ARC) in 1987. John’s first eight years of his ARC tenure were spent in hospital services. John served with progressing responsibilities up to assistant director responsible for blood service delivery to more than 100 hospital customers. For the last 10 years, John has been responsible on a director level for various activities related to donor recruitment. As of July 2000, John has been the senior director responsible for all areas of recruitment, collections and marketing / communications. He is an active member of AABB and has presented on multiple topics including quality of life for collections staff, managing recruitment activities and apheresis platelet donor recruitment and collection. John was ADRP’s Finance Committee chair for 2007-08. He is also currently serving the AABB donor recruitment / public relations committee.
Gavin Evans of the UK’s National Blood Service is immediate past president; MaryJane Thomsen, consultant, is secretary; and Christine Foran of New York Blood Center is treasurer; Scott Caswell of Community Blood Center in Wisconsin is vice president; Joe Ridley of Carter BloodCare is the other vice president.
New Board of Directors At-Large members include: David Graham, Community Blood Center in Kansas; Matt Granato, America’s Blood Centers; Kelly High, American Red Cross/National Headquarters; and Betsy Ward, Memorial Blood Center. Click on the following links for biographical information on the Executive Commitee and Board of Directors.