A local Red Cross official said Wednesday that the Am-erican Red Cross’ plans to downsize its Alabama operations from four regions to one will not affect services in Covington County.

National Red Cross executives said the result will mean staff reductions. Currently, the local Red Cross chapter is without a director. Former director Merrill Davis stepped down May 25, and Don Johnson was named interim director.

Staci Wilson, president of the local Red Cross board, said previously that regional and national Red Cross officials instructed the local chapter to not hire a new director until the end of its fiscal year, because Red Cross officials were “doing a revamp” of its administrative issues. Today marks the end of the organization’s fiscal year.

Wilson said Wednesday the local chapter will not be downsized, and plans are still in the works to fill the director’s position.

“You can’t really downsize when there’s only one person there,” she said. “Now, at the administrative level and corporate headquarters, that’s where you’ll see the downsizing.”

Wilson said the entire state will be handled as one region, which means the local chapter will report to Birmingham.