Red Cross director to retire after 37 years

As the news reports showed images of homes destroyed and lives torn apart by a flurry of tornados that struck North Carolina and Virginia last weekend, Faye Byrum could, perhaps, have been forgiven if her thoughts turned back three years in time.

One of her proudest times at the helm of the Suffolk Chapter of the American Red Cross came three years ago when a massive and powerful tornado tore its way through Suffolk, devastating homes and injuring about 200 people.

“We never had anything of such mass destruction as the tornado,” she said last week.

There was so much work to be done, from initial disaster response to conducting interviews with affected families; no one person could get it done alone.

“You never know how your community will react,” she said.

But Byrum was impressed with how the community stepped up to help. Within a week of the disaster, the Red Cross collected enough funds to cover all its tornado-related expenses.

“We never had to go out and ask for money,” she said. “I think (the tornado is) one of our biggest and proudest moments,” she said. “I felt really good about the Suffolk Chapter and our volunteers.”

The achievement of making a difference in people’s lives is the most rewarding part of being with Red Cross, Byrum said.

It’s also going to be one of the things she misses the most, along with the great friends she has made over the years, as she heads into retirement June 30.

After nearly 37 years as the local chapter’s executive director, she said, it’s time to move on.

“It’s just the right time for me,” she said.

Byrum has seen a lot of changes in her time with the Suffolk chapter of the American Red Cross.

When she started working at Red Cross at 19 as a military communications and disaster caseworker, the office used black rotary telephones, and there wasn’t a computer in sight.

She was newly married and needed a job, so she jumped at the opportunity when Red Cross offered.

As a caseworker, Byrum said, her favorite thing was how much interaction she had with people in the community.

“I enjoyed what I was doing,” she said. “I enjoyed working with people.”

The reward of helping those in need captivated her, and a job to pay the bills shifted into a lifelong career.

During her third year, the chapter’s director resigned.

Byrum said she was encouraged by many volunteers to apply for the job, and she landed the position she has held ever since.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of good things, and I’ve seen a lot of difficult things.”

Today, for example, as executive director, Byrum can’t imagine working without a computer. And the job of executive director has its share of stressful times.

But, she said, in those moments, she always remembers why she’s there — to help those in need.

Retirement is going to be a big change, but Byrum is excited about its possibilities.

She said she thinks the Suffolk chapter can benefit from a new person in charge.

“Fresh ideas are always a good thing,” she said. “Somebody did (the job) before me, and somebody will do it after.”

This might not be the end of her involvement with Red Cross, though. She said she might come back as a volunteer. But if she returns, Byrum said, it won’t be in a leadership position.

She said she sees her retirement as a great opportunity to gain quality time with her family after being in a career in which she was on call all the time.

“It’s going to be a big change for me, but I’m looking forward to it,” she said.