American Marketing Association CEO to Provide Marketing and Communication Counsel to Red Cross

CHICAGO, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective immediately, Dennis L. Dunlap, chief executive officer of the American Marketing Association, has been appointed national chair of communication and marketing for the American Red Cross.

Dunlap has served as national volunteer advisor for marketing strategy since 2003. The Red Cross stated their appreciation of his continued involvement and his willingness to assume a new leadership role. During the past two years he has helped the Red Cross in the development of its marketing program. His counsel, based on 40 years of marketing experience, will continue to be critical in the months ahead.

Dunlap says he is "excited for this new advisory role." He states, "Red Cross is a premier brand, probably one of the most recognized in the world. The brand and organization have some big marketing challenges and opportunities and this would be an opportunity for me to make a greater contribution and add value."

"And the Red Cross is a wonderful cause doing many good things for many people," Dunlap adds.

"The Red Cross is honored to have as distinguished a marketer as Mr. Dunlap volunteer to help us because in the years ahead, the Red Cross will need to have more of a marketing focus than it has right now," says Charles Connor, senior vice president of communication and marketing for the American Red Cross.

"Dennis will provide strategic counsel to the Red Cross in the development and implementation of marketing strategies," says Connor. "He will advise me directly, and I look forward to his counsel as the Red Cross moves toward the fulfillment of our strategic goals."

About the American Marketing Association

The American Marketing Association (AMA) is the largest marketing association in North America. It is a professional association for individuals and organizations involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide. It is also the source that marketers turn to every day for professional development, information and networking. AMA members are connected to a network of experienced marketers nearly 40,000 strong and include leading marketing professionals and academics from every industry.

The AMA is information, ideas and insight that marketers can use daily, along with the knowledge to help them grow in their career. We offer highly acclaimed seminars, workshops and Hot Topic events focused on the trends shaping the future. Our website, MarketingPower.com, is the everyday connection to industry updates, news, and articles. The AMA also is the source for the field's top publications, including Marketing News. And AMA local chapters keep members in touch with the best people and the best practices. For over six decades, the AMA has been the source that marketers turn to first. For more information on the AMA, please visit http://www.marketingpower.com/ .

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors -- across the street, across the country and across the world -- in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new -- the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through almost 900 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4 million people give blood -- the gift of life -- through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 181 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work. Marsha J. Evans is the President and CEO of the American Red Cross.