George McIlvaine honored as Rotarian of the Year

At our annual Christmas luncheon, George McIlvaine was honored as our Rotarian of the Year. 

Our Rotarian of the Year grew up in Saratoga, Wyoming and is a graduate of the University of Wyoming with a degree in business.  He worked in the banking industry for over twenty years, serving as bank president for two banks, before spending another twenty-two years in the investment business.  George McIlvaine served as President of two Rotary Clubs, Rawlins and Cheyenne, and served as our District Governor in 2006-07. 

George is active in many other community endeavors serving on the Meals on Wheels Foundation, the Wyoming Community Foundation, a term on the LCCC Board of Trustees, the Cheyenne Interfaith Hospitality Network, among others.

While he is no longer an officer in our Club, his service to our Club has never ceased.  He along with his wife Mary started and continue to run our 3^rd grade dictionary project.  Thanks to their hard work and leadership nearly 98% of all Wyoming 3^rd graders receive a dictionary every year.  He is active in our Read to Me program reading to three classes weekly.  He helped start and shepherd our Community and LCCC Rotaract Clubs. 

A prime example of George’s leadership by example was shown in March of this year.  The Community Rotaract Club held a campout in the Depot Plaza to raise awareness and monies for Shelter Box.  To show his support, George, 70 years old, slept in a tent in the middle of the Depot Plaza on a cold March night.

George and Mary hosted Anna ,our Rotary Youth Exchange student from Sweden ,earlier this year.  If our Club has a project George is there to support it.  Other projects he has supported this past year: GSE, Highway Cleanup, Cranium Cup, Moonlight Cowboy Bike Ride, RYLA, 4 Way Test Scholarship, helped teach Rotary 101, the Greg Mortenson project, and many other countless projects.  We would be hard pressed to find a Club project that George does not have his finger prints on. 

A surprised George accepted the award and received a well deserved standing ovation.