Our Member Recruitment Team continues to encourage all of us to think about individuals in our circle of friends, work colleagues and family members who would make good additions to our Rotary Club.
The committee created an award in 2014 to recognize a member who is excelling at sponsoring new members into our club. The award is named after Rotarian Mitch Javid (jah-VEED) Award as a way to honor him for holding the club’s record for sponsoring the highest number of new members. We annually recognize the member who has served as the primary sponsor to the most new members for the past 3 years–and who are still in our club.
Here’s a little background on Mitch Javid. He was a member our club from 1968 until his death in 2021. Mitch sponsored 56 members and co-sponsored another 10 members. This distinguished and very busy member who was chairman of the UW Department of Neurosurgery said, “I love Rotary. It is very dear to me. I believe in it and so I want to share it with other good people.”
Ron Luskin (right) pictured here with Club President Charles McLimans
This year’s recipient, for a third year in a row, is Ron Luskin, who joined our club in 2014.
Since joining, Ron has been active on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and is a past co-chair. He has been involved in planning our Ethics Symposium, Program, Rotaract, Rotary Scholar Mentoring, Vocational Opportunities and Swarsensky Award Committees. Ron is a past Member Recruitment Officer for our club as well.
Ron has served as the primary sponsor to 12 new members since 2020. They are:
Kalvin Barrett, Jason Beloungy, Shawn Carney, Bill Connors, Baltazar De Anda Santana, Kai Gardner Mishlove, Jason Fields, Peter Gray, Alan Klugman, Kyle Nondorf, Jara Rios-Rodriguez and Jeremiah Robinson.
Let’s congratulate Ron, on receiving the Mitch Javid again this year!
From left, Ellie Schatz, Club President Charles McLimans and Regina Millner
It was 1994 when Regina and I, already friends, joined Rotary. The professional element of membership is part of her story, but the friendship element prevails for me. It gives me great pleasure to be part of honoring Regina with the Joseph G. Werner Meritorious Service Award.
This award was established in 1974 in remembrance of Joseph G Werner, a dedicated Rotarian, who served as club president in 1953-54, district governor in 58-59, and a director of Rotary International in 69-71. He was in line to become Rotary international President at the time of his death in 1973. Throughout his life, Joseph G. Werner epitomized the Rotary objective and vision of “Service Above Self” at home and abroad.
Regina has been active in so many city and Rotary groups and committees that I can highlight only a couple of areas in which she has made major contributions.
First, her role in the creation of Monona Terrace. She believed that having a cultural center would be a catalyst for resurgence in downtown Madison. She helped make clear to developers the economic and fiscal benefits of such a center and then brought Rotary into the picture by encouraging members to serve as guides.
Second, her service on the Board of Regents. At the time the legislature was pushing to eliminate tenure. Regina was among those who fought for policy-driven tenure. This provided UW-Madison faculty the freedom to pursue bold research and teaching agendas, and ensured that scholarship was allowed to flourish.
In both the Monona Terrace and tenure track debates, Regina says her role was to promote an understanding of longterm traditions and how to align those with current ideas for needed change. She says, “I throw out ideas because I want to get things started. I then surround myself with people who will take up the dialogue.”
In Rotary, Regina is proud to have promoted the growth of our scholarship committee. Early on the vast majority of applicants were girls and thus awards to boys were sadly lacking. That situation may not be as dire as it was back then, she says, but giving scholarships and mentorships is the most important thing we do, and the role of maturation must be examined as applicants are being considered by school leaders and Rotary committee members.
As club President in 2006-07, Regina’s first focus was to bring in good, new members. Then she concentrated on advocating for excellent programs. Her leadership is now focused on the Program Committee. She feels strongly that the podium in not a pulpit. Bringing in entertaining as well as thought-provoking programs is most important.
Last but not least, Regina points out the power of Rotary International. She recommends following her commitment to Rotary while traveling. It was through visits abroad, she says, that she came to understand the common goal of “service above self” in clubs around the world but with different local goals that express cultural individuality.
In 2008, Regina and I were a part of a Rotary delegation to a project in Peru called Cecade. We visited schools, shared stories in English, Spanish, and Quechua, and interacted with children, who are wonderfully alike worldwide. Our hosts invited us to their home, took us into the mountains, and insured that we got to see their native citizens at rest, at work, and at play.
And finally we were driving home at something like 1-2 o’clock in the morning after a flight that had been rerouted from Peru to Panama because someone had died on board. We’d spent hours in a closed airport in the middle of the night because our large plane blew out 2 tires landing on a short runway and the replacement tires had to be flown in from Atlanta. Regina had her car at her son’s house not far from O’Hare and offered us a ride home. Needless to say we were all a little wobbly after a harrowing flight. We were nearing home when red lights and a siren were upon us from behind. In answer to the officer’s question as to why we were on the road, Regina said, “We’ve just come from Peru.” Evidently there had been a game at Perdue that day, because he exclaimed Perdue! “Not Perdue,” Regina replied, PERU. He let her drive on, warning us to stay alert.
So here’s to Rotary, friendships, the Werner award and the well deserved 2023 recipient, Regina Millner!
Teresa Holmes pictured here with Club President Charles McLimans
In 2015, our Club was the first large Rotary club to establish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. In doing so, we were ahead of Rotary International by five years.
Our Club’s strategic plan commits us to achieving diversity, equity and inclusion through recruitment, education, member engagement and community service.
The importance of this commitment brought our Club’s Board of Directors to create a new annual service award to recognize a member who has contributed to our Club’s DEI endeavors. I am pleased today to announce that Teresa Holmes is our club’s first DEI Service Award recipient.
Teresa has chaired our DEI Committee, served on our Board of Directors, was our Club president for the Rotary Year that began on July 1, 2020, and spearheaded a strategic planning/governance task force that has resulted in streamlining and creating continuity within our club’s committees and leadership. In each of these roles, she shared her insights about how our Club could achieve our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals. Teresa is recognized as a leader who diligently worked to align our values with our practices. We are confident that she will continue her DEI commitments as a Board member of Rotary District 6250 while she serves a 2-year term on its Board which began on July 1.
Congratulations, Teresa and thank you for your Rotary service!
From left: Joyce Bromley, Jim Christensen and Club President Paul Hoffmann
The Member Recognition Committee was established by our Board of Directors to annually recommend members who have exhibited outstanding service in one of Rotary’s Five Avenues of Service: Service to our Club; Service to the Community; Service to the international community; to vocational service; and to youth service.
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Madison, I am honored to announce that Jim Christensen has been selected to receive the Community Service Award.
In the 30 years that Jim has been a member of our club, he has served us well in a variety of ways.
He has served on our club’s board of directors, has been a mentor to several Rotary Scholars, has been a regular volunteer at our annual Ethics Symposium, and he currently chairs our Member Retention Committee.
We see him at work within our Club and on behalf of our club in the community. He has been involved over the longest period of time with the Community Projects Committee, where he has served as its chair and regularly volunteers in its group activities within the community. He helps organize and contributes to our holiday gift project for children in need. He has organized and participated in a number of tree planting projects at area schools.
Additionally, he volunteered at Ironman, at Habitat for Humanity, and the picnic we held at Concerts on the Square for One City School students. Jim is a champion in helping our Rotary Club make a difference in our community.
For Jim’s continual service over 30 years, our Club has made a $200 gift in his name to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for his Community Service.
Nelson Cummings pictured here with Renee Moe (left) and Club President Teresa Holmes (right)
Our club’s Joseph G. Werner Meritorious Service Award is granted in recognition of outstanding club service in the Rotary tradition of “Service Above Self.” Joseph G. Werner was a committed Rotarian. He chaired many significant committees, both before and after serving as club president in 1953-54. He served as district governor and became the second member of this club to serve as director of Rotary International. He later served Rotary International in many other positions. Following his death, in 1974, the club established the Joseph G. Werner Meritorious Service Award as the club’s highest recognition for club service. The Werner honor is not an annual event, but is given under special circumstances when warranted.
Today we are going to recognize Nelson Cummings, a valued member that we all adore, with this prestigious award. We are pleased that his four sons and other family members are in the audience today as we recognize Nelson.
Nelson was born in Springfield, Illinois on August 18, 1934. He received an A.B. Degree from Texas College and holds a Master’s Degree from St. Francis College.
He came to Madison in 1968 to become the first Director of the Madison Urban League. He later became a counselor at Beloit School System and worked for Madison Public Schools and Wisconsin Education Association.
Within the community, Nelson has served on the boards of Catholic Charities, Dane County Mental Health Center, Madison Hospital Foundation and Four Lakes Council of the Boy Scouts. He also was a member of the Madison Redevelopment Authority for 10 years.
In 1969, Nelson was the first African American to join our Rotary Club. He maintained 100% attendance starting in 1973 until the pandemic caused us to stop holding in-person meetings last year. In fact, Nelson holds the third longest record of 100% attendance in our club, and he has enjoyed seeing 52 club presidents up here at our podium.
He was on our club’s bowling team and led the Civic Bowling League for 40 years. He bowled every year until he retired. Nelson says that even though it was sometimes lonely because others in the league did not look like him, he was accepted and enjoyed the company of so many Rotarians. He says “I love Rotary! You meet so many fine people you would not otherwise meet. I come to meetings because I enjoy it. It has broadened my opportunities, and it is educational.” He takes Rotary’s Four-Way Test to heart, and he is especially proud of the scholarship program and the many students we are able to assist each year in obtaining a college education. Nelson says the greatest Rotary event he recalls is when women were allowed to join in 1987. Nelson has been a long-time volunteer of our annual Rotary Ethics Symposium, and he loves greeting the students and helping them feel welcome at our event. Nelson has also served on our Club Board of Directors.
Nelson is a pillar of our Rotary Club. He is always a friendly face in our audience, and he makes everyone he meets feel welcomed. We enjoy his company, and the recognition we are providing to him today is so well deserved.
It gives me great pleasure to recognize Nelson Cummings as our 30th recipient of the Rotary Club of Madison Joseph G Werner Meritorious Service Award. Congratulations, Nelson!
Presented by Deb Archer on Feb. 4, 2015; photo by Karl Wellensiek
Each year, our club recognizes six members for their service to our Rotary Club in one of the five avenues of service which are club, community, international, vocational or youth services. Today, I am pleased to introduce you to one of our Rotary Club of Madison 2015 Youth Service Award recipients.
Robyn Kitson (pictured here with Club President Tim Stadelman) is Director of Marketing and Communications for the Wisconsin Historical Society and is married to fellow Rotarian Stan Kitson. She joined our Rotary Club in 2009 and became very active in committees from the start. She has chaired our International Grant Review process, co-chaired the 2013 Rotary District Conference, and she is currently on our board of directors. In addition, and what I’d like to focus on today, is her service to our club in the youth service area. Robyn has served on our Ethics Symposium Committee and chaired last year’s event. In that role, she spent countless hours in organizing the breakout sessions. She also designed a workbook for the student participants that they could take with them and continue to use after our event, and she is helping to update that booklet that will be used by this year’s participants in just a few weeks. Robyn is a member of our Foundation Scholarship Committee. This is another committee that involves extensive volunteer hours. She reads through lengthy applications each year, is involved in the personal interviews of each of the applicants and the selection of recipients, and she is part of the planning of the annual scholarship luncheon. Robyn also co-chairs our Scholar Mentor Committee along with Ellie Schatz.
For her extensive volunteer service in helping us with the success of our club’s youth activities, our Club Board of Directors has named Robyn as one of our Rotary Club of Madison Youth Service Award recipients.
Thank you for your continuing service, Robyn.
As is our club’s tradition, President Tim present Robyn with a special certificate and a pin, and our Club also made a $200 gift in her name to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 