Buffalo Grove Rotary Installs New Officers and Recognizes Members

Picture 1: Left to right - District Governor Nominee Lyle Staab swears in Shawn Collins as the 2018-2019 Buffalo Grove Rotary Club President. Picture 2: Left to right - President-Elect Bill Donahue, Immediate Past President Ryan Risinger, Secretary Cathy Splett, Director Dan Wolf, President Shawn Collins and President-Elect Designate Melanie Santostefano. Picture 3: Left to right - Dennis Gilbert Rotarian of the Year Award recipient Lisa Siwek and Service Above Self Award recipient Debbie Smith.

The Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove recently held its installation of new officers and club service recognition dinner at the Buffalo Grove Community Arts Center. The event was attended by Rotary Club dignitaries, including outgoing District Governor Donald Brewer and District Governor Nominee, Lyle Staab.

Shawn Collins, a Village of Buffalo Grove Fire Department battalion chief, was sworn in as the incoming president of the Buffalo Grove Rotary Club for 2018-2019. Collins succeeds Immediate Past President Ryan Risinger, the Buffalo Grove Park District executive director.

“I promise to work tirelessly to serve this club well as your president,” Collins said after his swearing in.

The newly installed executive board was also recognized, and includes President-Elect Bill Donahue, President Elect Designate Melanie Santostefano, Secretary Cathy Splett, Treasurer Brian Shepard and Directors Steve Balinski, Shannon O’Connor and Dan Wolf.

Immediate Past President Risinger took a moment to reflect on the club’s accomplishments over the last year.

“I truly believe our club lived up to the 2017-18 Rotary slogan of ‘Making a Difference’. Our members volunteered more than 1,000 hours of their time fundraising, and we donated more than $40,000 to the local community and through our international efforts,” Risinger said. “It has been an honor to serve.”

Among the clubs’ philanthropic efforts were the continuation of the Holiday Food Baskets for Thanksgiving, where dozens of in-need families are given baskets filled with all the fixings for a holiday meal, the Youth Student Exchange program where local students exchange with international students who are hosted by Buffalo Grove Rotary Club member(s), Rotary Scholarships that are awarded to two students from either Buffalo Grove or Stevenson Highs Schools who will attend college, Community Grants for local organizations that are making a difference in Buffalo Grove, a newly formed Buffalo Grove Rotary Outreach Committee that organized dozens of giving activities in the community, the yearly Guatemala trip taken by several Buffalo Grove Rotary Club members to support and assist residents of Ak’ Tenemit, and much, much more.

Club Service Recognition Award winners included:

• Dennis Gilbert Rotarian of the Year: Lisa Siwek
• Service Above Self Award: Debbie Smith
• Community Service Award: Nadine ‘Deenie’ Pomilia
• Distinguished Membership Award: Dennis Depcik
• International Service: Stephen Legge
• Youth Leadership Award: Dennis Snyder

Milestone Club Service Award recipients were also recognized, and include:

• 5 Years of Service: Darren Boundy, Pete Panayiotou, Neil Zweiban and Adriane Johnson.
• 10 Years of Service: Jing O’Brien
• 15 Years of Service: Steve Koebernick
• 20 Years of Service: Debbie Smith
• 25 Years of Service: Dan Wolf
• 40 Years of Service: Glenn Meier

Perfect attendance Awards: Glenn Meier and Lisa Siwek.

To learn more about the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove, please visit BGRotary.org.