Rotarian of the Week 02-19-11

Our Rotarian of the Week, grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming, attending Central High School and the University of Wyoming.  Our special Rotarian’s first job was serving as a hostess seating customers for lunch or dinner at the Mayflower Café during the week of Frontier Days.  She earned $43 for the week of work.  After college, Dana Metzke went to work for Mountain Bell as the editor of the company bulletin for Wyoming employees.  Twenty years later, Dana retired as the Community Relations Manager for U.S. West.  Dana has been extremely involved in the Cheyenne community with Meals on Wheels, the Chamber of Commerce, the Depot Museum, the Cheyenne Symphony Foundation, the Library Foundation, and many many others civic and charitable causes.  It came as no surprise when she received the Wyoming Tribune Eagle Community Spirit Award in 2006.  Her and John will celebrate their 29^th wedding anniversary this year.  In her free time, Dana enjoys gardening, cooking, trying new recipes, and writing.  She also enjoys traveling and has been to 95 different countries.  Her favorite meal is crab cakes like the ones  you can only get in Maine.  Dana enjoys coming to Rotary because she always learns something, either from the people she sits with or the program.  Dana has three very memorable Rotary experiences, (1) serving as the Club Editarian for ten years and having the chance to write so many stories for the Club; (2) organizing the two veteran’s booklets for our Veteran’s Day programs in 1996 and 2006; and (3) interviewing Rotary International President Bill Boyd for an article in the District Newsletter.  Her proudest accomplishment was helping the Cheyenne Symphony Foundation grow from $130,000 to a  million dollar endowment.  Dana has been a member of our club since February 1992 when she was sponsored by Jerry Jessen.  Since that time she has served on our Board of Directors and as our programs chair, she has also been involved in numerous Club programs and projects including  the annual Rotary social, Veteran’s programs, CBOE interviews, Triumph High job sharing, grant writing, National Honor Society insert, Meals on Wheels and writes questions for our Cranium Cup.  In addition, she served as our Club Editarian for ten years.  In recognition of all that she has done, the Sergeant of Arms presented her with a gift certificate and a copy of the August 7, 1996 Cog, Dana’s first Cog as Club Editarian.