My Name is Steve Delano Bullock

“steve is the peacemaker.  the country was undergoing changes that coincided with a lot of civil rights activity.  in his own way, steve began to open the red cross to the possibility of people of color being engaged at higher and higher levels.  he did that without challenging or confronting people, but instead made change through excellent work, careful coaching, and living with situations that people learned to respect.  thanks to his personal style, he made an extraordinarily big difference in terms of how quickly he brought change to the organization.  steve’s ascent into leadership roles enabled him to apply a non-work agenda about acceptance and as such was a leader for minorities.  he did it in a thoughtful, quiet way that was extraordinarily impressive.  all the people who worked for him either liked him or loved him.”  robert bender, former ceo, american red cross in greater new york

“i have to salute a person like steve bullock.  he is part of that tradition that created a dr. martin luther king, jr., and a muhammad ali, a mary mccloud bethune, a dorothy height, and a barack obama.  steve is an individual of great integrity, great commitment and esteem.  i cannot think of anyone over my six decades of public service for whom i have greater respect and admiration than steve bullock.  we should study his story, learn and teach from his narrative.”  reverend dr. otis moss jr., pastor emeritus, olivet institutional baptist church, cleveland, ohio

“steve always encouraged me to be myself and to feel that i deserved to take a seat at the all-male leadership table.  He was sensitive to my feelings… very thoughtful in helping me feel included and respected.  He encouraged me to speak up and add my perspective.  He took the time to listen.  It sounds so simple, but it was very significant.  Some people had confrontational communication styles.  But Steve was very principled and thoughtful about different perspectives on the local and national levels.  He always said his mother told him to ‘make some dust’ by making a difference, and Steve was definitely trying to kick up some dust.  He was always listening for a way to make things better.  We had many difficult days dealing with controversial issues.  But Steve had a way of dealing with them in a way that maintained everyone’s dignity and integrity.” Linda Mathes, CEO, American Red Cross in the National Capital Region

“steve led a rebirth of the red cross that was extraordinary.  steve was a wonderful, wonderful leader.  he provided excellent inspiration and mentoring to many of us.  he’ll always have a place in the heart of the red cross because the organization is only great because of great people, and steve was definitely one of the greater ones to...

Steve D. Bullock spent 38 years with the American Red Cross, culminating with his appointment as Acting President following the departure of Elizabeth Dole. Prior to serving as Acting President of the national organization, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross. Under his leadership, the Greater Cleveland Chapter grew to become one of the nation's largest and most successful Red Cross chapters.
Before leading the Greater Cleveland Chapter, Mr. Bullock served as Executive Director of the St. Paul Minnesota Chapter and worked for the national organization in a variety of capacities.

In addition to his professional work, Mr. Bullock has served on numerous Boards of Trustees, in both the nonprofit and business sectors. He served on the Board of Education of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District (president in 1991), as co-chairman of the Operation Desert Storm Homecoming Committee appointed by Mayor White, the Board of Trustees, New Cleveland Campaign, chaired the Marketing Cleveland-to-Clevelanders Committee, and was Chairman, Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations-Case Western Reserve University Executive Advisory Network.

He also served on the Board of Directors, National City Bank, Board of Trustees, University Hospitals Health System, Board of Trustees, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Board of Trustees, Leadership Cleveland, Board of Trustees, Greater Cleveland Roundtable and chaired the Education Committee. He is currently a trustee of The City Club of Cleveland, AAA East Central, MetroHealth Foundation and Virginia Union University. He is an elected Councilman-At-Large in the City of University Heights, Ohio.

Since 2002, Mr. Bullock has served as an Adjunct Instructor of Nonprofit Leadership at The Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Case Western Reserve University.
Mr. Bullock has been recognized many times for his outstanding leadership and service to the community. He received the Leadership in Nonprofit Management Award from the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations and the American Red Cross Tiffany Award, the highest award bestowed on a Red Cross staff member. He has also received recognition for his commitment to diversity and education.

Mr. Bullock received an MBA from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Union University. He has completed executive management programs at Northwestern University. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Youngstown State University.

The Bullock Group was formed in 2000, bringing together a team of nonprofit management experts representing a variety of nonprofit management disciplines and specialties. Elizabeth Ann Atkins is a best-selling author, actress, TV host and award-winning journalist who uses a multimedia platform to inspire people to unlock their infinite potential and live with passion, prosperity, health and happiness.

Elizabeth...

foreword - dr. otis moss

chapter 1 – beating the odds

chapter 2 – the first in my family to attend college

chapter 3 – joining the army & getting married

chapter 4 – the american red cross

chapter 5 – ceo of the st. paul chapter

chapter 6 – ceo of the greater cleveland chapter

chapter 7 – interim president of the american red cross

chapter 8 – making change with the bullock group

chapter 9 – bullock family legacy