> ‘Our business is caring about people; it always has been, and we must re-emphasize that,” William B. Airey said March 15, after the Moose International Supreme Council--its corporate board of directors--had asked him the evening before to serve on an interim basis as Director General, following the resignation of Donald Ross.

At a meeting in Chicago on Monday, March 27, the Council made the appointment permanent--formally naming Airey, who had led Moose membership-promotion efforts since 1988, as the fraternity’s ninth Director General.

The Council on March 27 also appointed the organization’s chief attorney since 1987, General Counsel Leonard J. Solfa Jr., to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer--responsible for the operations of Mooseheart Child City & School, the Moosehaven retirement community, Moose Charities, and all business and legal aspects of Moose International operations.

This will free Director General Airey to concentrate fully on all fraternal functions of the Loyal Order of Moose and the Women of the Moose--including Community Service; Fraternal Education; the General Governor’s office; Government Relations; the Moose Legion and Higher Degrees; Member Relations; Membership Retention; Marketing; Publications; and Youth, Family Activities, Sports and Ritual.

As part of this reorganization, the positions of Vice President/Business Operations and Vice President/Fraternal Operations were eliminated by the Supreme Council.

All these changes were prompted by a March 8 letter to the Supreme Council from former Director General Donald Ross, who wrote that after 35 years’ service to Moose International, he felt it was “time for a change” both for him personally and the organization; that he was stepping down at age 56 “in the best interests of my family and myself.”

Supreme Governor Ronald Sweetman, of New Castle, DE Lodge 1578, who presided over the Supreme Council’s March meetings, stressed that the Council “did not request Don Ross’s resignation; it was his decision, and at his initiative.” Sweetman said that Ross “has given himself to the Moose his whole life, and we wish him nothing but the best.”

Sweetman said of Airey and Solfa: “These are two experienced fraternal leaders, who thoroughly know what the Moose is all about, who know the challenges we face, and who know how to lead us in the right direction.

“They have worked together closely at Moose International headquarters for nearly 20 years,” said Sweetman. “They trust each other--and we trust them.”

Airey, 65, joined the Moose in 1964 in Pennsylvania; he later became active in the volunteer leadership of the Ohio State Moose Association. He came to headquarters at Mooseheart in 1983 as an assistant to then-Director of Membership Jay Stoehr, and was promoted to Director of Membership upon Stoehr’s retirement in August 1988. External marketing was added to his duties in 2004. Airey remains a dual member of Whitehall, OH Lodge 1245 and Batavia, IL Lodge 682.

Solfa, 57, came to Moose International in December 1987 as General Counsel, directing all legal and litigatory matters affecting the fraternity. He had earlier served as a corporate attorney for Allied Van Lines and Commonwealth Edison Co. He is a member of Batavia, IL Lodge 682.