New Red Cross chief no stranger to community service

GAINESVILLE - The new executive director of the Northeast Georgia chapter of the American Red Cross says he is no stranger to community service.

"I've been involved in community service with chambers of commerce and community service organizations and I really enjoyed that," Philip Reed said Thursday afternoon.

Reed is a retired AT&T executive and a Hall County native who now lives in Dahlonega. He replaces Jim Martin, who recently retired.

He says one of his main goals in his new jobs is to reinvigorate the Red Cross donor base for the 13 counties served by the chapter.

"The problem with being an emergency response organization is that people think about us during disasters but sort of conveniently forget about us between disasters."