Join us in honoring Sue Richter, Crossroads Division Vice-President for her nearly 50 years of service to the American Red Cross globally by making a donation to help purchase an ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle) in Sue’s honor.
About the ERV: When disaster strikes, whether a hurricane, tornado or home fire, American Red Cross disaster workers climb into emergency response vehicles and travel to the neighborhoods of those in need, providing food, water and comfort. Red Cross emergency response vehicles have become an iconic image of these disaster relief services, and the next-generation design pictured above will continue that tradition. By donating to support the American Red Cross in this endeavor, Sue’s legacy of leadership and service can continue around the United States and wherever it may be called up to serve.
Sue Richter’s Legacy: On November 1, 2009, Sue Richter, Division Vice President for the Crossroads Division, assumed responsibility for Red Cross operations within the five states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and West Virginia. She ended a four year retirement to return to the Red Cross where she currently provides direct supervision and management oversight to the CEOs of seven Regional Chapters and the Community Chapters in those regions, working in collaboration with their volunteer boards to ensure specific service delivery and financial performance targets are developed and met.
Prior to her current assignment she was Service Area Executive for the Southwest Service Area headquartered in Houston, TX. In this position, she successfully established one of the first two service area operations and went on to oversee the efforts of American Red Cross chapters in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. She led a team of more than 25 employees and 50 Red Cross volunteers, holding this position from November 1, 2003, until her retirement on May 31, 2005.
Before moving to Texas, Mrs. Richter served as the Vice President, Armed Forces Emergency Services for eleven years, providing management oversight for all Red Cross operations on military installations world wide as well as responsibility to ensure the delivery of essential Red Cross services to military personnel and their families. She led a team of more than 400 employees and 25,000 Red Cross volunteers on 110 military installations including sites in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Under her leadership in 1998 two Red Cross call centers became operational at Ft. Sill, OK and at Red Cross Headquarters. Utilizing toll free technology Red Cross caseworkers in these two locations are today still continuing to provide emergency communication and financial assistance services “around the clock and around the globe”. During her tenure at National Headquarters Mrs. Richter was asked to serve in special assignments on two separate occasions. The first in 1997 for eight months as the Acting Vice President, Human Resources and then in 2000 as the Acting Senior Vice President for Service Delivery, a position she held for six months.
Mrs. Richter came to National Headquarters in 1992, after serving as the Vice President/General Manager of the Western Operations Headquarters in Burlingame, CA. While there she was responsible for Red Cross services delivered in thirteen western states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Previously, she had served as a Managing Director at the Midwestern Operations Headquarters in St. Louis, MO.
Before joining the Operations Headquarters staff in December of 1986, Mrs. Richter was the Executive Director of the San Antonio Area Chapter in San Antonio, Texas – a position she held for more than six years, completing the move to a new chapter facility, increasing chapter fundraising revenues, successfully consolidating five local military installations into the chapter operation and hosting the 1984 National Red Cross Convention.
As the Chapter Manager for the Greenville, S.C. chapter from 1977-80, Mrs. Richter successfully improved relationships with the local United Way while significantly increasing the numbers of Red Cross services delivered in that community. As the Division Representative of the National Capital Division in Washington, D.C. from 1973-77, she coordinated Red Cross services for thirty-three Red Cross chapters in a 3 state area. Prior to this assignment she served as the Director of Youth Services for the Montgomery County Chapter in Silver Spring, MD. Mrs. Richter began her Red Cross career in Service to Military Hospitals in 1969 and served in a variety of assignments that included Andrews AFB, Washington, DC; St. Albans Naval Hospital, Long Island, NY; and the Third Field Hospital, Saigon, Republic of Viet Nam.
During the period of her retirement she accepted assignments as interim Chapter CEO in Pasadena, CA (March and April of 2006), Omaha, NE (March through August of 2007) and the Twin Cities Chapter, Minneapolis, MN (October 2008 – May 2009).
Born and raised in Villa Ridge, IL, Mrs. Richter received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Additionally she has attended management and leadership courses at Simmons College in Boston, MA; Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and Harvard University in Boston, MA. She is married to F. J. Richter who shares her interest in Red Cross service. Their daughter, Jane, is a Physical Therapist who, along with her husband Mike, lives in the Washington, D.C. area.
