American Red Cross President Honored As A Lifetime Leader Dedicated to Public Service

WASHINGTON, October 24, 2002 - The White House Fellows Foundation today announced that Marsha Johnson Evans will become the fourth recipient of the John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award. The Foundation is recognizing Evans' remarkable achievements throughout her career, which represents a lifetime of public service, character, commitment, renewal and vision. Evans, also known as "Marty," was a White House Fellow from 1979 to 1980, and is currently President of the American Red Cross - the nation's premier humanitarian service organization.

"Marty's extraordinary achievements, unique style of leadership, and passionate dedication to public service embody the spirit of the Legacy of Leadership Award, as well as the White House Fellows Program," said Janet Abrams, Chair of the White House Fellows Foundation. "Her impressive career - as a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, Executive Director of the Girl Scouts, and now President of the Red Cross - has set an exceptional standard of leadership and service to the nation. We congratulate and thank Marty," Abrams said.

Established in 1999, the Legacy of Leadership Award is named for John W. Gardner. Gardner - former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, founder of Common Cause, and an instrumental player in the establishment of the Fellows Program - is considered an example of the spirit of leadership and service required of Fellows. The award recognizes White House Fellows Alumni for a lifetime of accomplishment and commitment to service in their public and personal lives. White House Fellow Alumni and Former Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley K. Clark received the first Legacy of Leadership Award.

Evans grew up in Springfield, Illinois, the daughter of a Navy chief petty officer. In 1968, she graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles and was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy. As a Naval officer, Evans held a variety of command positions overseeing multi-million dollar budgets and hundreds of thousands of employees. While in the Navy, she served as a White House Fellow from 1979 - 1980, where she worked at the U.S. Department of Treasury. She retired as a Rear Admiral after 29 years of service.

Assuming the role of National Executive Director of Girls Scouts of the USA in 1998 was a natural continuation of her efforts to expand the professional roles of women. She transformed the Girl Scouts from its traditional focus to an organization that testifies before the U.S. Congress to end violence against adolescent girls, awards global service badges, teaches girls how to use technology, and supports mentoring programs to prepare young women for professional endeavors. She herself was a Girl Scout, and received the rank of Curved Bar - the highest achievement in scouting at that time.

Evans now serves as President and CEO of the American Red Cross, an organization devoted to helping Americans in time of disaster and public need. With great insight into the organization's mission, she is guiding the Red Cross as it continues to provide vital services in a world faced by new challenges.

About the White House Fellows Foundation
The White House Fellows Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1969 to provide support for the White House Fellowship Program. The Foundation serves to broaden the White House Fellows' understanding of government and the issues confronting government and to encourage Fellows' lifetime commitment to leadership and service to the Nation. The Foundation raises and provides stewardship for supplemental funds from private individuals, foundations, and corporate donors to support the essential elements of the White House Fellowship Program.

About the White House Fellows Program
Founded in 1964 by President Lydon B. Johnson, the White House Fellows program is a non-partisan program for leadership and public service. In its fourth decade, the program offers exceptional young men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government by working with senior White House and Cabinet officials. Fellows repay that privilege by returning to their communities and contributing to the nation as future leaders.

Alumni include more than 600 leaders such as Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, United Nations Foundation President and Former Senator Timothy Wirth, American Red Cross President Marsha J. Evans, and General Wesley Clark. The President's Commission on White House Fellowships currently is accepting applications for the 2003 - 2004 Class until February 1, 2003. More information is available at www.whitehouse.gov/fellows.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is dedicated to saving lives, easing suffering and restoring hope at home and around the world. The Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to the victims of more than 73,000 disasters nationwide last year alone and has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. Last year, the Red Cross also trained almost 12 million people in vital lifesaving skills and delivered more than 21 million locally relevant community services. The organization also assisted international disaster and conflict victims in close to 40 locations around the globe, and its emergency communication centers processed 1.2 million calls in support of U.S. military service personnel and their families.

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