New Red Cross CEO Tours Kodiak

Jay Barrett/KMXT
The new executive director of the Red Cross of Alaska is in Kodiak this week, as he tours the communities the organization serves. Tanguy Libbrecht took the job just about a month ago, after working for 15 years at the Sheraton Hotel in Anchorage. He points out that the American Red Cross in Alaska has a much smaller staff than he had at one of Anchorage’s largest hotels.

The lone employee at the Kodiak Red Cross office lost her job on January 1st, in what was described as a cost-cutting directive from the national organization. Kodiak’s Linda Freed serves on the state board; she says all of the functions of the Red Cross are still available in Kodiak.

— (Red Cross 2 26 sec “A lot of things are done these days … necessary – administrative costs.”)

Libbrecht said local knowledge will continue to be important to the Red Cross in the communities it serves:

— (Red Cross 3 27 sec “And that’s really what’s key … 365 days a year.”)

Freed said the main role of the Red Cross in Kodiak is to work on preparedness planning in case of a large scale disaster:

— (Red Cross 4 30 sec “And in this community the key … have good ways of doing it.”)

While in Kodiak, Libbrecht says he’s been talking to fire chiefs, city and borough officials and other public safety providers, to get a better idea of what the area needs from the Red Cross.