Thursday, November 12, 2009
Conference
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Networking Reception
4:30 to 6:30 pm
National Conference Center
18980 Upper Belmont Place
Lansdowne, VA 20176
get directions
Speaker Bio
Linda C. Mathes
Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross of the National Capital Area
Linda Mathes, selected as a 2008 Washingtonian of the Year, has been Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area since 1991.
This Chapter of the American Red Cross serves the District of Columbia; cities of Fairfax and Falls Church; and the counties of Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George's. Effective July 1, 2007, Ms. Mathes was appointed the Regional Chapter CEO for all the chapters in the National Capital Region, including Alexandria, Arlington County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County.
Ms. Mathes is Chair of the Regional ESF-6 Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services Committee for the Greater Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments. She Co-Chairs the Nonprofit Emergency Preparedness Task Force of Greater Washington. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, member of the Regional Human Services Working Group, and member of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington.
Ms. Mathes was the winner of the 1998 DC Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award. Other awards Ms Mathes has received on behalf of the Chapter include the "Strategic Partnership" award from the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council (December 2008) and the "Golden Links" award from the Board of Trade (December 2005). She was a winner of the American Red Cross Tiffany Award for employee excellence in 1986 and a finalist for the White House Fellows in 1983.
Previously, Ms. Mathes was the 2006-2008 elected Chair of the Association of Metro Managers, the 45 largest Red Cross chapters in the USA. She also was a member of the Board of Directors of Leadership Washington, Leadership Washington Class 1997, Survivor's Fund Governance Board, Potomac Officers Club, University of the District of Columbia Action Council for Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership, Board of Trade's Emergency Preparedness Task Force, TEC (The Executive Committee) and The Points of Light Foundation Kitchen Cabinet. She was selected for the Project Interchange Institute in Israel in November 2005, sponsored by the American Jewish Committee.
Ms. Mathes has given speeches and conducted seminars on such subjects as emergency preparedness and response, the role and management of the nonprofit, internal controls and management, working with the media, strategic planning, and fundraising. Published articles include "Student Activities—Who Needs Them? The Community, That's Who," Catalyst for Change, Journal of the National School Development Council.
Ms. Mathes began her career with the Red Cross in 1973 at the Dallas County Chapter/Northeast Texas Division where she served as director of youth services until 1978. She served as Executive Director of the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Red Cross Chapter in Pennsylvania from 1986-1991. She served in several leadership positions at the national headquarters of the American Red Cross in Washington, DC from 1978-1986.
Ms. Mathes is a cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University and received her masters in public administration from the University of Southern California, Washington Public Affairs Center. She is a graduate of the FBI Citizen's Academy, American Red Cross Weapons of Mass Destruction/Terrorism Program at Clara Barton Center for Domestic Preparedness. and the Partners in Organizational Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.