OneBlood President &  Chief Executive Officer Announces Retirement

(October 17, 2016 Orlando, Florida) After 40 years of leadership, Don Doddridge, President and Chief Executive Officer of OneBlood, has decided to retire.

“I have had a wonderful career and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to lead OneBlood and work with amazing people who are passionate about saving lives. While it is never easy to say goodbye, I feel the time has come for new leadership to take the helm and continue to build on the incredible work that has been accomplished at OneBlood”, said Don Doddridge.

Doddridge plans on exiting OneBlood in mid-2017.  He decided to announce his retirement now in an effort to give the Board of Directors ample time to find his replacement.

Over the years Don worked his way through the ranks, launching his career in Jacksonville in 1971 at Baptist Hospital as Blood Bank Supervisor and then moving into the role of Technical Director at the Jacksonville Blood Bank in 1974.

In 1977 his career took him to the west coast of Florida where he led the Community Blood Bank of St. Petersburg.  A few years later, the center merged and became Florida Blood Services (FBS).  Don remained with FBS for the next 20 years as Chief Operating Officer before being named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2002. Under Don’s leadership FBS grew and eventually became the largest blood center in Florida. In 2012 the merger between Florida Blood Services, Community Blood Centers of South Florida and Florida’s Blood Centers culminated, creating one of the nation’s largest blood centers known today as OneBlood.

“Don’s experience, knowledge and leadership abilities made him the ideal person to lead this one-of-a-kind blood center into the new era of blood banking”, said Rick Walsh, Chairman of the Board of OneBlood.  “Under Don’s leadership OneBlood has emerged as a premier blood center. His depth of the industry, rapport with the OneBlood team, fellow blood bankers and his vast knowledge of every function of the blood center’s operations are to be commended and will undoubtedly be missed”, said Walsh.

Don has held leadership positions in multiple professional associations serving as President of the Board of Directors for the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), America’s Blood Centers (ABC) and the Florida Association of Blood Banks (FABB). He is the past chairman of the AABB Inter-Organizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism, and is past chairman of the International Council for Commonality in Blood Bank Automation. Don’s accomplishments and contributions have earned him the American Association of Blood Banks’ John Elliot Memorial Award, the Distinguished Service Award and the Administrator of the Year Award.

An engaged citizen, Don is an active member of the Suncoasters and the Rotary Club of St. Petersburg, and has served both as president. He is a longtime member of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and has been an Elder of the First Presbyterian Church since 1989.

“Don’s calm and reassuring leadership style has helped guide the OneBlood team as they navigated through uncharted waters.  He has served his community with integrity and has gone above and beyond to ensure a safe, available and affordable blood supply for our hospital partners and their patients. We thank Don for a job well done and wish him the best as he prepares to soon begin retirement”, said Walsh.

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OneBlood is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community asset responsible for providing safe, available and affordable blood to more than 200 hospital partners and their patients throughout most of Florida, parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.  The OneBlood name is a constant reminder of the collective power we share to save another person’s life.

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