Date: May 19, 2010: Easton, MD

Dana Eggert of Wittman, MD was awarded membership into the American Red Cross Tiffany Circle Society of Women Leader representing the Delmarva Peninsula Chapter. Women across the country are changing the face of philanthropy—and they’re doing it through the American Red Cross.

Members of the Tiffany Circle traveled to Washington, D.C., for a two-day summit to celebrate and be inspired by the work of the Red Cross. The Tiffany Circle is a society of women leaders and philanthropists who invest annually in their local Red Cross chapters. By doing so, these women follow in the footsteps of a long line of women leaders who have helped the Red Cross serve the American public in times of war and peace with disaster assistance, blood collection, safety training and countless other community services.

The summit’s opening dinner highlighted the Red Cross support of U.S. service members and their families, and featured speakers Lt. General Kathleen Gainey and correspondent Kimberly Dozier.

Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern spoke on Monday morning, giving a “State of the Red Cross” address to the audience. McGovern also gave an overview of the relief operation in Haiti and commented on both the triumphs and challenges the Red Cross has experienced.

Cathy Keating, former first lady of Oklahoma, expressed admiration of the Red Cross response to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Now, Keating says, “I’m committed for life to the Red Cross.”

In addition to its many inspirational speakers, the summit also gave participants a chance to attend educational sessions on subjects such as women’s philanthropy and how to prepare one’s family for emergencies.

The summit closed on Monday evening with a reception and dinner at the Embassy of Italy, featuring remarks by journalist Judy Woodruff and a performance by vocalist Romina Arena.