New Members Appointed to the American Red Cross Board of Governors - Richard Davis, Judy McGrath, Joe Robles, and Bill Simon

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross today announced four new members to the Board of Governors: Richard Davis, Judy McGrath, Joe Robles and Bill Simon.

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"We are honored that these four prestigious individuals have accepted their nominations to the Board of Governors," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross.  "They will provide valuable expertise and counsel to our organization in carrying out its important mission."

Richard Davis is chairman, president and CEO of U.S. Bancorp, the parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. He has more than 30 years experience in the banking industry and was a key leader in the successful merger of Firstar Corp with U.S. Bancorp in 2001.  Davis began volunteering with the Cincinnati Red Cross in 1994. He joined the Cincinnati Red Cross Board in 1995 and accepted the position of Chair of Youth Services Committee.  He was largely responsible for the reinvigoration of the Leadership Development Center.  In 1998 he began serving as the Chair of Workplace Health and Services and helped the chapter pass $1,000,000 in sales for the first time.  In 2003, he was given the prestigious Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership.

Judy McGrath is the chairman and CEO of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom which includes the entertainment brands MTV, Nickelodeon, COMEDY CENTRAL, VH1, CMT, Spike, TV Land and Logo.  Across MTV Networks, McGrath has championed pro-social initiatives including Nickelodeon's Let's Just Play; VH1's Save the Music Foundation; mtvU's Darfur is Dying; MTV's A THIN LINE, Peabody Award-winning Choose or Lose campaign and the Emmy award-winning Fight For Your Rights series. She was a driving force behind the "Hope For Haiti Now" telethon, which raised $66 million for earthquake relief and was watched on 60 networks in 100 countries around the world. McGrath is on the board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The UN Foundation's Girl Up campaign and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.

Josue "Joe" Robles Jr. is president and CEO of USAA, an insurance and financial services provider to military families. He joined USAA in 1994 after retiring from the U.S. Army as a Major General after 28 years of service. General Robles, who has numerous military awards, served in a variety of important command and staff positions, culminating in assignments as director of the Army budget and as Commanding General, 1st Infantry Division. He led a record-breaking United Way campaign for San Antonio in 2010, and serves on the boards of The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas San Antonio Branch, DTE Energy, the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital, the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital Foundation, and the P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County Foundation.

Bill Simon, a 25-year Navy veteran, joined Walmart in 2006 and was appointed to president and CEO in June 2010.  He is responsible for the strategic direction and operational performance of the U.S. business, including more than 3,700 stores and 1.3 million associates.  Prior to this role, Simon was the Chief Operating Officer and is credited with transforming the customer experience through faster service, a friendlier shopping environment and cleaner stores.  He serves on the boards of Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Volunteer USA. He is also the co-chair of the National Disaster Recovery Fund.  

The American Red Cross is led by a Board of Governors with all of the powers of governing and directing, and of overseeing the management and affairs of the organization. American Red Cross Board members are selected based on their commitment to the mission as well as their expertise in relation to the needs of the organization and the composition of the Board as a whole. The Board now has 22 governors.

The new Board members began their service on January 26, 2011, and will stand for election for three-year terms at the 2011 Annual Meeting. Voting is done by voting delegates of chartered Red Cross units.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross