United Blood says goodbye to donor recruitment supervisor Wednesday

After 22 years of working at the United Blood Services, donor recruitment supervisor Alana Ladd-Ross is moving on to retirement.

"It's time to travel and have fun," said Ladd-Ross, who will be honored at the Carson City United Blood Services building 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at 256 E. Winnie Lane. The reception will have food and drinks and is open to the public, she said.

The center will be reducing its blood donation times for the day, down to 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ladd-Ross said, adding, "Nothing would make me happier if you came in to donate blood one last time for me."

Ladd-Ross, said she was laid off from a banking job in 1990, leaving her "shocked and hurt. I thought it was the end of the world."

Determined to find a new job, she opened the newspaper to the jobs section.

"My eye went to one and it was the only one I saw," she said. "When I saw the ad, I went from devastated to excited."

Ladd-Ross applied for the position at United Blood Services, along with 99 other applicants. The interviewers whittled the list down to five and, after a series of three interviews, Ladd-Ross had the job.

"Every day has been different, interesting and exciting," she said. "Each year has brought something special and I wouldn't have missed any of it."