Marsha Johnson Evans
President and CEO
American Red Cross
Marsha Johnson Evans became President and Chief Executive Officer
of the American Red Cross on August 5, 2002. As President and CEO,
Evans leads an organization that, last year alone, assisted the
victims of more than 70,000 disasters – from fires that affected
a single structure to large-scale events such as hurricanes, floods,
tornadoes and wildfires –; collected and processed 7.2 million
blood donations – over half the nation blood supply –
from 4 million volunteer donors; trained almost 12 million people
in lifesaving skills such as first aid and CPR; transmitted 14 million
emergency messages and provided other direct assistance to more
than half a million military families; and responded to international
natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies such as unsafe,
non-potable water, mass starvation and life-threatening diseases
such as measles.
Evans brings an impressive array of experience to her position
at the Red Cross – not the least of which is a 29-year career
with the U.S. Navy. As a Navy officer, Evans held a variety of command
positions overseeing multi-million dollar budgets and hundreds of
thousands of employees. Between 1993 and 1995, for example, she
led the Navy Recruiting Command. With more than 6,000 employees
in 1,200 locations, she was responsible for recruiting some 70,000
officers and enlisted personnel annually. She served as chief executive
of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where
she led an effort to restructure and adapt educational programs
to better meet demands on incoming officers, and was chief of staff
at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. She also served
as commanding officer of the Treasure Island Naval Station, where
she directed Navy personnel and civilians who support Navy families
in the San Francisco Bay Area. She retired in 1997 as a Rear Admiral;
one of very few women to reach this rank.
Assuming the top staff position at the Girl Scouts four years
ago, a natural continuation of her efforts to expand professional
roles of women in the Navy, Evans labored to offer young women meaningful
programs, both personally and professionally. Under her leadership,
the Girl Scouts created or expanded cutting-edge programs to enhance
girls’ experiences in science, technology, sports, money management
and community service. Spearheading efforts to update Girl Scouts’
image and change recruiting practices, Evans presided over a substantial
increase in the number of adult volunteers. At a time when many
charities report an all-time low in their volunteer ranks, Girl
Scouts has increased theirs to nearly 1 million adults, the highest
number in the organization’s history, with corresponding increases
in young members.
With her rich background, Evans is no stranger to issues facing
the Red Cross and scores of other nonprofit organizations, among
them: the need to recruit volunteers and employees from diverse
backgrounds. Evans led the push at Girl Scouts, as she has said,
"to reach more girls from racial, ethnic and minority groups….that’s
our goal, to make Girl Scouting available to every girl." At
the Red Cross, she has championed the development and implementation
of the Red Cross Diversity Business Model, and incorporated diversity
into the Red Cross strategic plan as an organizational priority.
To this end, she has created programs and established business practices
that are inclusive of minority populations.
Evans has also grappled with decreased fund-raising returns in
the faltering economy, seeking to develop new sources of revenue,
such as gifts from donors' retirement and pension funds. During
her tenure, contributions to Girl Scouts grew by more than 20 percent
between 1998 and 2001.
Since her arrival at the American Red Cross, Evans has seen the
need for a strong Red Cross grow exponentially. In today’s
uncertain world, Evans lead the Red Cross in developing and implementing
a bold, new initiative, Together We Prepare, that with five, simple
steps – make a plan, build a kit, get trained, give blood and
volunteer – empowers the American people in every home, school,
business and neighborhood to be prepared for the unexpected.
Throughout her career, Evans has received various honors, awards,
and accolades. Most recently, Evans, a 1979-80 White House Fellow,
was awarded the prestigious 2002 John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership
Award by the White House Fellows Association.
"Marty" Evans, as she is known, grew up in Springfield,
Illinois, the daughter of a Navy chief petty officer. She entered
the Navy immediately after graduating from Occidental College in
Los Angeles with a B.A. in Law and Diplomacy. Some years later,
the Navy provided her with the opportunity to earn a master’s,
and she completed a degree in International Security at Tufts University’s
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Her degree was supplemented by additional studies at Tufts, the
National War College in Washington, D.C., and the Naval War College
in Newport, Rhode Island. Evans, who counts skiing and kayaking
among her hobbies, has traveled the world, residing in cities such
as Tokyo and London. She lives with her husband, Jerry Evans, a
retired Navy jet pilot.
Commencement 2003
Other 2003 Honorary Degree Recipients
Anne Batterson
Antonia Coelle Novello
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