A sign of protest by the Tulsa American Red Cross Board of Directors- all 16-members resign as CEO Mary Ogle is fired.  George Singer, former Board chair, says it is about the national organization taking control away from the local chapters.  He says he went to Washington D.C. several times to speak against them.  "We have tried to impress upon the national leadership that recent by-law changes that remove the organization from local control and move all of the important decision making responsibilities outside the local chapters - those changes were unacceptable," says Singer. He adds there were other boards represented from other chapters at those meetings and in those discussions. "We were basically being disenfranchised as a board and like us they were volunteer leaders who wanted to be representing their community not abrogating responsibility by having people outside the community run their affairs." Singer says Ogle was fired because she opposed the changes too.

Red Cross management won't give the reason for Ogle's firing but says it's a personnel matter.  And spokeswoman Nellie Kelly says they're waiting to see if all 16 members of the board have in fact resigned.  She says operations at the Tulsa office are continuing as normal.  And she disputes the board's claim that the national office had taken over control.