March 19, 2010

Dear Friends, After an extensive nationwide search, I am very pleased to announce that Joel Sullivan has been selected to lead the Nashville Area Red Cross as the new Chief Executive Officer. Joel, a resident of Nashville and a Red Cross volunteer, will lead the Chapter and Regionoverseeing 20 full and part-time staff encompassing seven Chapters, 36 counties, and over 6,000 volunteersand manage the Chapters budget of approximately $3M. He is currently the President/Founder of Nashville-based Sullivan Concepts and has served in that capacity since 1999. Joel officially joined the Nashville Area Red Cross on March 18, 2010. Prior to his selection, Joel contributed his leadership abilities as an active volunteer with the Nashville Area Chapterinstrumental in working with our Board to establish base lines for disaster response and implement processes to allow for more immediate and efficient response and recovery. He is also an instructor for the Join the 10,000 campaign and has held leadership positions in the Chapters response to Hurricane Gustav, the 2009 Murfreesboro tornados and most recently, leading the Regional disaster drill. While we had many qualified candidates to choose from, I believe the CEO Search Committee made an outstanding choice by selecting Joel. His extensive Red Cross background, coupled with 20 plus years of leadership experience, not only as a former CFO of SouthTrust Bank (now Wachovia), but as an entrepreneur and community business leader, will be exactly what our Chapter needs as we move into the future. With Joels leadership, the Chapter will continue its mission to provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters in Middle Tennessee. Joel truly believes in the mission of the Red Cross and plans to build upon the success of the Nashville Area Red Cross, exceeding our goal of recruiting and training 10,000 volunteers, making Middle Tennessee the safest and most prepared region in the country for a disaster. Joel is a graduate of Auburn University with a B.A. in Accounting and holds extensive certifications in Red Cross and FEMA training. He is replacing former CEO Tim Ryerson, who recently accepted an opportunity to join the blood services division of the American Red Cross Tennessee Valley Region. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the CEO Search Committee, please join me in welcoming Joel to the Nashville Area Red Cross. Sincerely,

Scott Turner Board Chairman Nashville Area Red Cross