Ex-Navy Officer to Head Local Red Cross
The San Diego Red Cross has tapped a retired Navy rear admiral to become chief executive officer of the local charity as it struggles to regain public confidence following a scandal over use of donations intended to help disaster victims.
The chapter’s board, which took office in December, approved the hiring Wednesday of Veronica Froman, who retired from the military in 2001 and became chief of business and operations for San Diego public schools.
The Red Cross chapter is working to restore credibility after its previous leaders were criticized for using donations intended for disaster victims on overhead expenses such as a phone-system upgrade and vehicle maintenance.
The scandal surfaced after victims of a 2001 wildfire near Alpine complained that they received about $6,000 of $400,000 raised in relief aid. A national audit criticized chapter officials’ decisions. Last summer, CEO Dodie Rotherham and the board of directors were fired.
Donations to the chapter have plummeted since then. The charity expects to close its fiscal year in June with $2 million less in revenue than the year before.
Froman, 55, is credited with trimming millions of dollars from business operations during her time with the San Diego Unified School District. From 1997 to 2000, Froman ran the Navy Region Southwest, overseeing 5,000 employees and 80,000 sailors, and planning a $7-billion budget.
San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, a strong critic of Rotherham’s tenure, called Froman’s selection “absolutely brilliant.”
“She’s no-nonsense, highly trusted with a high level of integrity,” Jacob said.
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