Possible staff cuts for the Cincinnati-area were expected to be announced Tuesday, but Williams said they were delayed until this morning.
Although Red Cross officials on Monday said local offices were to remain open, Williams said she was unsure of the number of employees or the 2011 budget at the Butler County office, located at 1227 Central Ave., in Middletown.
Christine Birhanzl, who heads that office, did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment.
The United Way of Greater Cincinnati is a major financial supporter of the American Red Cross. The United Way earmarked $5.4 million this year to the Cincinnati Area Red Cross, said Carol Aquino, vice president of marketing for the Greater Cincinnati United Way.
She refused to “speculate” how a consolidation may impact the United Way’s future contributions.
Steve Botts, chief of the Middletown Division of Fire, said he expects the agency to continue providing “great service” to the fire department, city and residents.
“They are right there with us,” Botts said.
A longtime Red Cross volunteer said he “didn’t know what to expect” after hearing about the consolidation.
Middletown’s Bill Schlotter, 97, has volunteered for the Red Cross for 25 years, and he doesn’t expect the name of the organization to change his role.
“I’ll keep driving every Friday,” he said.
Sara Peller, who serves as chief executive of the Cincinnati-area chapter, has been named CEO for the new combined region.
She said the consolidation will help the Red Cross “maximize the use of donor dollars and serve more people.”
Tom Fodor, who served as CEO of the greater Dayton region, will remain the CEO of the Dayton-area chapter.
The Dayton-area chapter serves 1.2 million people across 11 counties and the Cincinnati region serves 11 counties in southern Ohio, four in Indiana and 10 counties in northern Kentucky.
Staff Writer Katie Wedell contributed to this report.
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