Susquehanna, Wyoming County Red Cross chapters merge

BY STACI WILSON

American Red Cross Chapters in Susquehanna and Wyoming counties officially merged Friday.

Stephen McHenry, who took the helm of the Wyoming County branch last year, has been tapped as the executive director of the newly formed Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross and is looking forward to working in both counties.

McHenry said he thought the combination of counties made a good fit.

“I think what complements them is the likeness of the rural communities,” McHenry said.

Until the April 1 merger, the Wyoming County chapter was serviced by part of the agency’s Wilkes-Barre region.

Although he praised the Wilkes-Barre chapter he said, “It wasn’t as good a fit as this is going to be.”

McHenry said the ability of the chapters to come together was “quite evident at the first board meeting. It was kind of like ‘old home week.’”

He said it seemed as if all the board members knew at least one of the neighboring county’s board members.

Although preceded by months of preparation and discussions, the Board of Directors of both Susquehanna County and Wyoming County met formally for the first time in Montrose on Feb. 17.

The combined chapter will be headquartered at its Susquehanna County office located in Montrose at 18 Public Avenue; but the Tunkhannock office will also remain open in the Wyoming County Emergency Operations Center.

Mark Wood, former chairman of Susquehanna County Chapter, and now Chairman of the Board for the new, bi-county chapter said, “I am looking forward to the input and help the expanded board will no doubt provide. I see nothing but good things coming from this joint venture between the counties.”

Wood also formerly served as Susquehanna County’s EMA director from 2004 to 2008.

Jim Crowley, the former board chair of the Wyoming County chapter, grew up in Susquehanna County but now lives in Wyoming County, McHenry said. Crowley is a member of the merged chapter board of directors.

Crowley said, “The work ethic, interests, and daily experiences of the both communities are so similar, we should have no problem bringing about a smooth and mutually beneficial transition.”

McHenry said the combined chapter’s volunteer pool was a “good mix of people” who could be utilized to cover the entire area more efficiently.

“The combination also helps with disaster response,” McHenry said. “We’re now able to utilize the resources of both counties to help one another out as one chapter.”

McHenry noted a challenging aspect of the combined chapter is dealing with two different blood service regions.

“But it’s a small price to pay,” he said.

The Wyoming Valley Region handles blood service in Wyoming County while the blood services in Susquehanna County are provided from a chapter based in New York.

McHenry said the idea of merging the two rural county chapters has been discussed for years because the relationship between the two has always been “very, very close.”

Although April 1 marked the official jointure of the chapters, McHenry has been filling the director role in Susquehanna County for about a month following the departure of Susquehanna County Chapter executive director Becky Naylor.

“We haven’t lost Becky,” McHenry said. “We’re looking to get her to join the Board of Directors.”

McHenry said he values the experience and input former directors have to offer the organization.

“I invite former directors in,” McHenry said. “LeaAnn Phinney (who served as the Wyoming County director prior to McHenry) is still active. We need to keep them in the fold.”

The merged chapter director also said he takes his job very personally. He is supported by a paid staff of three- “All good people,” McHenry said.

“Somebody else’s disaster is what we do for a living,” he said.

Looking forward, the executive director said arrangements have been made to borrow a four-wheel drive vehicle from the Scranton Region to aid in the delivery of disaster supplies.

McHenry also sees a continuing commonality between the two counties with the development of natural gas and pipelines in the region.

He noted the importance of working with the emergency management directors from both counties.

McHenry said in Wyoming County, he has been included in one gas company disaster response planning meeting and is hoping to come in on those in Susquehanna County as well.

Currently, he is spending time each day in both the Montrose and Tunkhannock offices.

Members of the new Red Cross Board of Directors include: Mark Wood, Jason Legg, J. Martin Comey, Cathy Benedict, Lance Benedict, Francis Flynn, Thomas Kurosky, Cheryl Myers, Bill Printz, Paul Montalbano, Lyn Montalbano, Jim Crowley, Erica Eberlin, Gil Johnson, Nancy Kulow, Nancy Place, Stephanie Tague, Elaine Wall, Marita Zim, and youth members Victoria Murty and Danielle Sterner.