The executive director of the American Red Cross chapter in Minot spent his last day in fitting style with volunteers gathered around him.

“It’s been a great 14 years,” Allan McGeough said. “For me, a big part of it was our volunteers. They are the ones who made it all possible for us. They helped me a lot.”

McGeough has stepped down to take a position with Bremer Trust in Minot. His send-off included a farewell party at the Red Cross office Friday.

Long-time Red Cross volunteer Evelyn Hildebrand of Minot said McGeough didn’t just direct his volunteers but worked alongside them.

“He was part of us,” she said.

McGeough’s commitment was recognized by local board president Wayne Whitty and regional chief executive Judy Green, Fargo.

“He’s a humble leader,” Green said. “It’s always been about the mission and what we deliver.”

The 2011 flood raised the profile of the Red Cross in the community, and McGeough has been the person in the forefront, Whitty said.

“He’s really been the face and the person who got things done and motivated and helped all the volunteers,” Whitty said.

McGeough said he will continue to volunteer with the Red Cross, particularly in his interest area of fundraising.

“The Red Cross has shaped me as a person as well. I wouldn’t be the person I am without the Red Cross and the support I got from them,” he said.

The Red Cross plans to begin advertising next week to fill the position of director for western North Dakota, which serves a region including Minot, Bismarck, Williston and Dickinson.