Rich Schoeneman Named President of Local Rotary Chapter
Installation held during June 30th meeting of Libertyville Sunrise Rotary
Libertyville Sunrise Rotary (LSR) held its 35th annual installation dinner on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at the home of outgoing President Tom Zengeler.
The Club's traditional "changing-of-the-guard" was once again presented with the usual amount of good friendship and humor, signaling a return to more normal times after the 2020 event was held virtually due to the pandemic.
Outgoing President Tom Zengeler closed out his term with remarks about LSR's successful fundraising efforts and continued commitment to service while encouraging all club Members to remain involved and continuing to make an impact in the community. Tom noted that he was particularly proud that LSR earned the Governor's Challenge Award during his term.
The challenge, created by District 6440 Governor Lyle Staab, had goals specifically designed to help clubs navigate the perils of the pandemic. Of all the goals in the challenge, Tom said he was especially proud that the club was able to retain more than 95% of its membership during the past year and continued its historic support and assistance for other organizations in the local community.
"Libertyville Sunrise Rotary achieved these goals because of the contributions of our remarkable members," said Zengeler. "Our team of amazing volunteers consistently delivered when we needed them, especially with our spring fundraiser, the 'Remarkable People Variety Show.' This idea sounded so challenging when presented - hosting a dinner party with a live and silent auction - yet, our team was able to execute it so well that it has become a model for use by Rotary Clubs everywhere."
The funds will be used by LSR's Foundation, which supports other local not-for-profit organizations, most notably Mothers Trust Foundation of Lake Forest, who received more than $34,000 from the Remarkable People Variety Show.
The club's fall fundraiser was also highly successful, a virtual wine tasting event created by Jon Robb, the club's Public Relations coordinator. The event raised $27,000+, with total expenses under $200 - and Jon personally covered those expenses as a donation to the club. For his role in the fundraiser, along with his ongoing contributions as the club's PR coordinator, Jon Robb was named Libertyville Sunrise Rotary Rotarian of the Year.
Zengeler concluded his remarks by thanking a number of members who were key to the club's success, citing both John McDonald and Diana Taylor for their roles in coordinating Zoom meetings during the height of the pandemic.
According to Zengeler, "Many Rotary Clubs had severe challenges keeping their membership vibrant and strong the past 15 months. With John handling the equipment logistics and Diana providing technical expertise, we were able to stay on track and moving forward with our weekly meetings."
During his remarks as new president, Schoeneman thanked Zengeler for his leadership and vision during the challenges of the past year.
"Keeping the club together, vibrant and active was not easy, but the effort resulted in the ability to strongly support those in need. The new Rotary year will have its own challenges as we work together to grow our membership, develop strategies to continue to provide needed funding for local charities, and have a positive impact internationally."
"As a club member for more than 30 years, I am truly humbled to be a part of this group of people who continue to amaze me every day with their friendship, loyalty, generosity and never wavering energy to accomplish positive things and to take care of those in need. Our club is built on 'doing' and we'll try to keep it that way throughout the coming year. I invite all club members to increase involvement in areas they are drawn to and share the story of our effort and accomplishments with friends and family."
"Our focus will be on spreading the good word in every way possible to widen our sphere of influence, to grow our membership, grow our ability to assist those in need, and positively touch more people in our community and throughout the world."
Since its inception in 1987, the Libertyville Sunrise Rotary has donated millions of dollars to both local and international charities, including literacy and scholarship programs, programs to combat hunger, homelessness and domestic violence, the eradication of polio, local foodbanks, charities and scholarships. The club's members are always accepting interested new members and welcome anyone wishing to find out more to attend one of the club's weekly meetings. Rotary International is a 110-year old worldwide organization that provides humanitarian service, encourages highly ethical standards in all vocations, and works to build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 35,000 clubs in more than 200 countries worldwide.
In addition to Rich Schoeneman, other Libertyville Sunrise Rotary board members for the coming year include; Tom Zengeler, Immediate Past President; Bob Zamor, Secretary; Tom Miller, Treasurer; Steve Risley, Foundation Treasurer; Patricia Bleck, Social Media/Website/ Communications; Rick Mittelman, Club Service/Fellowship; Greg Hill, Community Service; John McDonald, International Service/Programs; Scott Hezner, Vocational Service; Bill Taranowski and Tom Gore, New Generations; Doug Fendon, Membership; Diana Taylor, Club Administration and Liaison to Lake County Service Partners; B. Tucker Olsen, Grants Chair; Ron Lapins and Tom Stanczyk, Sergeant-at- Arms; Patrick Hart, Bulletin Editor; and, Tim Dempsey, Member At Large.
For more information about Rotary International, please visit www.rotary.org, or contact Rich Schoeneman, LSR President, at (847) 687-3617 or richardshoes@aol.com. For more information about Zengeler Cleaners, contact Tom Zengeler at (847) 272-6550, ext.14 or visit www.zengelercleaners.com. Zengeler Cleaners has two stores in Libertyville, along with stores in Deerfield, Hubbard Woods, Northbrook, Northfield, Winnetka and Long Grove.