Bayard Gardineer III UPPER FREEHOLD — Six weeks ago, Bayard Gardineer III was the first on the scene of a horrific car crash on Route 524, just yards from his house in Stone Tavern Estates.

He made the first 911 call when a Lamborghini going west on Route 524 spun out of control and hit two other vehicles. Gardineer helped to run the scene until fire officials and emergency personnel arrived because of his training from the American Red Cross.

While Gardineer stresses the importance of first aid and CPR training for everyone, he is in a special position to know its importance. He is the chief financial officer of the American Red Cross (ARC) Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Chapter and was recently named CFO of the Year by Philadelphia Business Journal and Drexel University's LeBow College of Business.

According to an ARC press release, since Gardineer's appointment in 2005, he has cut costs annually, used technology more effectively and streamlined the accounting and information technology departments. As a result of his financial expertise, the SEPA Chapter has been able to maintain its core services throughout the recession.

"Many CFOs in the workplace are good in specific areas," said Michael Coslov, chair of the Finance Committee of the SEPA Chapter of the Red Cross. "However, Bayard is best in the day-in and day-out activity: financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting, special projects and streamlining. He has the business savvy to get the job done."

"The CFO of the Year Award honors the work of an exceptional financier, and we are immensely proud and thankful to have Bayard on our team," said Tom Foley, CEO of the SEPA Chapter of the American Red Cross. "Bayard's passion for the mission of the Red Cross is evident in both his day-today work as CFO and his volunteer service to the organization. This award is recognition well-deserved." Foley is not the president of the Millstone Board of Education who has the same name.

The CFO Awards, launched in 2008 by Philadelphia Business Journal and Drexel University's LeBow College of Business, recognize the top CFOs in the Delaware Valley in six categories: Large Company, Medium Company, Nonprofit, Health Care Nonprofit, Small Company and Turnaround Achievement. Winners are selected by a panel comprised of seven finance experts from organizations based in the Delaware Valley.

Gardineer's family includes his wife, Mary; his son, Bayard IV, a 20-year-old sophomore at Princeton University; Sarah, 18, who will be entering Smith College this fall; and Alex, 15, a sophomore at The Pennington School in Mercer County.

Gardineer holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and communications and a master's degree in accountancy from the State University of New York at Albany. Prior to working at ARC, he was vice president of finance and general manager of VocalTec Communications Inc. from 1999-2004, and corporate controller and director of operations for Heraeus Instruments from 1989-1999.

When asked why he took the job at ARC five years ago, Gardineer said that as a certified public accountant with 20 years in the private sector, he was looking for something more satisfying.

"I was in search of an organization that could benefit from my background and one that would appreciate my experience, dedication and hard work — an organization that I could be proud to serve," he said.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the ARC is located at 23rd and Chestnut streets in Philadelphia. "It is one of the highest functioning chapters in the United States and our statistics prove that out. Service delivery is paramount as management, staff and volunteers work very hard every day to help those in need," Gardineer said.

Gardineer added that he gets his day-today satisfaction from working with dedicated staff, a terrific senior management group headed by Foley, dedicated board and committee members and the "fearless legions of Red Cross volunteers who are out there helping people day or night, rain or shine."

"I can't think of any organization that I've previously worked for that gave me this type of satisfaction. Although I am back office, I take great pride in knowing that I help people every single day," Gardineer said.