A board member who resigned from the the Tulsa Chapter of the American Red Cross will stop making financial contributions to the non-profit agency.
2NEWS spoke to Gentner Drummond after he and 16 other board members resigned Thursday in protest of CEO Mary Ogle's termination.
"100% of the board members are donors on a large scale," said Gentner, who said the local chapter relies entirely on donations.
"I think it's going to be very hard for people to have confidence in the Tulsa Chapter of the Red Cross, when they don't know that Tulsans are overseeing how the money is spent and where the money is spent," said former chairman George Singer.
The recent events are the culmination of a months long power struggle between the national Red Cross and the local board.
For years, the Tulsa board determined how donations were spent. But changes on the national level took away local governance.
"What the national Red Cross was asking us to do, was simply become an advisory board present for press conferences, and smile and write checks," Gentner said."That's not what we signed on for."
He believes the board's insubordination cost Ogle her job. Drummond was on the board when it recruited Ogle six years ago while she was CEO for the Springfield, MO chapter.
"(She) puts the people and the needs of the community first and foremost. And follows and is very obedient to her board; which is what has caused her to lose her job," Drummond said.
A termination letter dated July 1st explains why executives fired her.
Division vice president Derrick Chubbs writes, "Through both your actions and words you have demonstrated a clear resistance to the new organizational structure."
2NEWS spoke to Ogle by phone Friday. She was asked to affirm in an email that she worked for the national Red Cross. She says she did not confirm that statement under advice of the local board.
"The Red Cross is based on local needs," said Ogle. "It's not right that someone from Washington tells us what we need and how to spend our money."
An attorney is advising her on her legal options.
