American Red Cross appoints Alan Turner as regional CEO

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The American Red Cross has appointed Alan Turner, II as regional CEO for the Western and Central New York region.

Turner has been president and CEO of United Way of Central Florida for the past three years, Mathieu Nelessen, VP of the organization’s Northeast division, said in a news release. Turner, who will be based in Syracuse, will begin his new position Nov. 5.

He replaces Rosie Taravella, who in June accepted the role of CEO of the New Jersey region for the American Red Cross. Kenneth J. Turner, regional disaster program officer for the American Red Cross, has served as interim regional CEO since Taravella’s departure.

 “I feel honored to have been selected to serve in this capacity, and I am excited to be joining a great team in Western and Central New York,” Turner, II said in the release. “I am looking forward to learning more about the Red Cross programs, as well as the blood collection operations that are throughout the region. My family and I are excited about this next chapter in our lives and looking forward to being back in New York State.”

As regional CEO for Western and Central New York, Turner will oversee Red Cross services for 26 counties, including the cities of Syracuse, Binghamton, Buffalo, Corning, Elmira, and Rochester.

About Turner

The Red Cross news release says Turner is a native of upstate New York. Turner’s LinkedIn page indicates he attended high school in Averill Park, New York, which is located in Rensselaer County.

Turner has led the United Way of Central Florida since July 2015. In 2017, the United Way of Central Florida celebrated a campaign increase for the third consecutive year and its largest campaign in the organization’s history by raising more than $9.37 million.

Before moving to Florida, Turner served as president and CEO for the United Way of Southwest Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, and as the president and CEO for the United Way of West Tennessee in Jackson.

In previous positions, Turner has served as the executive director of the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus. He also served as a senior regional coordinator with the New York State Assembly, per his LinkedIn page.

This summer, Turner completed doctoral-leadership classes at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He finished his MBA degree at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Daemen College in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst. Turner also earned an associate degree in business administration from SUNY Cobleskill. He was also honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Reserves, where he served as a pharmacy specialist in Niagara Falls.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com