American Red Cross Names Seven New Members to Diversity Advisory Council

Entrepreneur Lamell McMorris appointed as new Council Chair

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross today announced the appointment of a new chair and 14 other members to its National Diversity Advisory Council, a panel of community and thought leaders that helps inform the organization's diversity efforts. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO)

Lamell McMorris, the founder & CEO, Perennial Strategy Group, Perennial Sports & Entertainment, and Perennial Law Group in Washington, D.C., has been selected as the new council chair. McMorris is one of seven new members appointed by the Governance and Board Development Committee of the Red Cross Board of Governors for one-year terms on the advisory council. Eight current members were reappointed for two-year terms.

The other new council members are:

• Anthony Woods, of Cisco Systems, who served in the Obama Administration after completing his tour as a White House Fellow in 2012. A West Point graduate, Woods earned a Bronze Star for heroic service in Iraq.
• Dr. Ian Clark Glenn of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, whose medical research has explored advances in treatment for stroke, diabetes, and heart disease, all of which impact diverse communities disproportionately to their numbers in the general population.
• Roberto Quinones, Senior Development Officer at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
• Yun Jang Yang, Managing Partner at Yang & Ullman, PC.
• Dr. Christopher Metzler, Associate Dean for Human Resources and Diversity Studies at Georgetown University, who has authored numerous publications on topics of affirmative action and diversity, and was instrumental in establishing curriculum for the study of diversity and inclusion at Cornell and Georgetown Universities.
• Cynthia Guerra, Executive Director, South Texas Red Cross Chapter

Reappointed members are past council chair, Keith Harper, Partner, Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP; past Vice Chairperson Nicole Johnson-Reece, Executive Director at Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress; Salvador Mendoza, Vice President Diversity & Inclusion at NBC Universal; Deborah Jackson, President of Cambridge College; Dwayne Crawford, Senior Vice President of Development, 100 Black Men of America; Bishop Shelton Bady, CEO, Harvest Time Church of Houston; Thomas Foley, Deputy Director of the World Institute on Disability; and Lacey Johnson, Esq., Partner at Ice Miller, LLP.

"The Red Cross values diversity and remains committed to ensuring our organization continues to be a leader in seeking a diverse volunteer and employee base; engages diverse suppliers; and delivers our humanitarian mission with care and in a culturally appropriate manner," said Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, chairman of the Board of Governors. "Our Diversity Advisory Council brings together some of the most respected leaders in the country and provides the organization with crucial insights to help us in achieving these goals."

Floyd Pitts, the chief diversity officer of the Red Cross, said that the Red Cross and council will benefit from the perspective and leadership that McMorris and the others bring to the group.

"We are fortunate to have someone of Lamell's caliber appointed as our new Council Chair because he brings to our efforts substantial expertise in working with non-profits and a history of forward thinking," Pitts said. "Over the years, Lamell has developed deep and sustained relationships with influential leaders and decision makers across a wide range of constituencies.  We hope our organization will also benefit from Lamell's reputation and experience as a prolific fundraiser, drawing on his wide network of connections both locally and nationally." 

Established by the Board of Governors in 2009, the Diversity Advisory Council has helped guide Red Cross toward a number of diversity successes.  The organization now has multi-tier diversity and awareness training in place, including executive coaching on diversity principles, a number of diverse employee/volunteer resource groups have been established, a team member engagement initiative around diversity was also launched several years ago, and over a three-year period, the organization has quadrupled its spend with diverse suppliers.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross