Rural Red Cross Leader Looks Back on a Productive Tour of Duty

When Mason Hollifield retired for the first time, he was still a young man — a 42-year-old military veteran who was looking for a new challenge.

At the time, he wasn’t sure what that challenge would be, though Mr. Hollifield says he was sure he didn’t want to spend the rest of his working years selling radio advertising, which was his first job after his military retirement.

It wasn’t until he took a job with the American Red Cross, running its Red River Valley Chapter in tiny East Grand Forks, Minn., that Mr. Hollifield found a suitable second career.

Mr. Hollifield says he didn’t know what to expect when he accepted the job as the chapter’s executive director in December 1984. But he was eager to get out of sales and into something new. The chapter’s board was equally eager to hire Mr. Hollifield, in part because he fit into the organization’s tight budget.

“The board, their eyes lit up when they found out I was retired military,” says Mr. Hollifield, who recently retired from his position as executive director. “They didn’t have to pay for health insurance.”

During his 20 years at the Red River Valley Chapter, Mr. Hollifield learned firsthand the challenges of managing on a shoestring.

The organization’s annual budget is only about $275,000 — a figure that has been increasingly tough to meet in recent years as its largely rural community has fallen on tough economic times. The local United Way, for instance, sliced the amount it provided to the Red Cross’s Red River Valley Chapter by about 40 percent during Mr. Hollifield’s tenure. At one time, United Way money accounted for 75 percent of his organization’s budget. Today, that figure is down to 13 percent.

To make up for the difference, Mr. Hollifield says, the chapter has become more creative in finding ways to sustain itself. The organization, for example, was able to triple its income from teaching First Aid courses by creating a regular schedule of classes. In the past, it had scheduled the course only by request — a process that led to a lot of canceled classes and poor attendance.

Mr. Hollifield says he has kept the organization afloat by searching for moneymakers that fit both his organization’s mission and local needs. For instance, his chapter — like other Red Cross units — has increased its revenue by offering baby-sitting classes and other training programs that promote safety and build a rapport with people in Red River Valley.

The chapter has also been able to sustain itself from its reserve fund, which swelled to about $300,000 after the Red River flood in 1997.

Red Cross volunteers from around the country came to the Red River Valley to help flood victims clean up and recover from the disaster. The river, which runs along the border between Minnesota and North Dakota, crested to 26 feet above flood stage, leaving communities on both sides of the river completely under water.

The Red Cross, which played a key role in helping victims recover from the massive flood, saw a surge in donations as a result of the efforts.

Mr. Hollifield considers the flood among the worst disasters he has witnessed — and he has seen more than his share. Since taking the job with the Red Cross, Mr. Hollifield has volunteered his time as part of the American Red Cross’s national disaster team. The experience has taken him to more than two dozen states to help victims of floods and earthquakes, hurricanes and plane crashes, kidnappings and terrorist attacks. Mr. Hollifield managed volunteers who helped the families of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City; helped coordinate the Red Cross’s efforts following the San Francisco earthquake in 1989; and aided in the cleanup of countless tropical storms, tornadoes, and floods.

After two decades of dealing with natural disasters and man-made tragedies, it would be understandable for Mr. Hollifield to stay away from crisis management now that he has retired. But he says he plans to spend as much time as possible as a volunteer who could be summoned at any moment to help disaster victims cope with the aftermath of the next major flood, tornado, or tropical storm.

“I enjoy disasters,” Mr. Hollifield says. “You don’t want the clients to think you’re jumping for joy with their problem. But I like the work. It’s fulfilling.”

In an interview, Mr. Hollifield talked about what he learned serving as the executive director of a small Red Cross chapter:

How does managing crises translate into day-to-day management?

Crisis management definitely teaches you the value of delegation, but also the necessity for a feedback system that allows you to monitor what is occurring in the field. In many disaster operations, you have workers providing service over 100 miles from the headquarters location. Perhaps the biggest lesson is that you must ensure that your workers, both paid and volunteer, have had the proper training for the task at hand.

What was your biggest challenge working as head of a small Red Cross chapter?

The biggest problem you find in an organization like the Red Cross that isn’t found in other nonprofits is there is a Congressional charter that mandates you do certain things. That means you can’t say “I’m out of money. Sorry, I can’t help you.” You have to make sure you make arrangements to make sure the services are provided.

How do you do that?

You’ve got to look at the needs of the community. You’ve got to look at those opportunities, particularly where they fit into the mission, and use that as an opportunity to increase your visibility.

What was your biggest mistake?

We expended considerable effort and expense in trying to develop a local HIV/AIDS education and awareness program. The problem was that the community as a whole was not ready to address the issue. This is a very conservative area with a small population. The average person did not know anyone affected by AIDS; therefore they did not consider it a problem, even though the per-capita infection rate basically mirrors the rest of the nation.

Unless you really have a mandate, stay the hell out of it. You’ve got to start with the core portion of the organization and make sure you are serving those needs before you start moving into something else. Your core should be enough to keep you more than busy.

What was your greatest accomplishment during your time with the Red Cross?

Perhaps the greatest accomplishment has been obtaining a new building — fully paid for — so that we have adequate working space, at least for the next five to 10 years, and that the chapter was on sound financial footing when I retired.

Is it more challenging to go to another city to deal with a disaster or to help people in your own community?

It’s much, much more difficult to deal with it at home. You get personally involved. You worry about your image. They don’t want to talk to whomever you brought in to do the job. They want to talk to you.

What’s the worst type of disaster?

I’ve been asked whether I’d rather deal with a flood or a tornado. I’d rather have a tornado. It’s over in five minutes and then you can start putting things back together.

Mason Hollifield, former executive director of the American Red Cross chapter in East Grand Forks, Minn.

Education: Earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina and a master’s degree in public administration from Central Michigan University.

Previous work experience: Served in the U.S. Air Force from 1962 to 1982, a stint that included four combat tours in Vietnam. After retiring from the Air Force, he sold advertising at a North Dakota radio station from 1982 through 1984.

What he’s reading in retirement: Mr. Hollifield is an avid reader of history and historical novels. He recently finished Bright Starry Banner: A Novel of the Civil War, by Alden R. Carter, and is now reading The Hanged Man’s Song, by John Sandford.