On May 16, Metro Rotary awarded its 2012 Vocational Service Award to Phil Steinhaus. Phil is well-known in the Columbia community for his proven leadership in non-profit activities. The past six years, he has served as CEO of the Columbia Housing Authority where he has successfully managed over 700 units of public housing and over 1,200 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

A graduate of the University of Missouri, Phil served thirteen years as the Manager of the Office of Community Services for the City of Columbia. Prior to that, he served six years as the Executive Director of the University YMCA. He has also taught at the elementary, junior high, senior high and vocational/technical school levels.

The Metro Vocational Service Award is given annually to someone who adheres to the highest ethical standards in their work, including the fair treatment of employees, fellow employees, associates, vendors, competitors and the public. Phil is very deserving of this award, and Metro is pleased to honor him for his devotion of time and talents to Columbia.

Metro Rotarians are invited to the Park Avenue Child and Family Development Center on Friday, May 18 for our annual service day.   Members will meet at 10:00 a.m. and will spend the day planting, weeding and mulching the beautiful butterfly garden that Metro Rotary designed and installed last year.  We will be working together with students from Douglass High School.

Please bring your gardening tools and gloves.  If you need additional details about the day’s activities, please contact Sarah Read or Cindy Whaley.

The Park Avenue Child and Family Development Center is located at 403 Park Avenue, directly behind (east of) Douglass High School.

Make plans now to join your fellow Rotarians, family members and friends for a fun night at the ballpark. On Friday, May 11, Metro Rotary is hosting a night at the ballpark to watch the Missouri Tigers play the Memphis Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

This will be the first game of the Tigers’ final homestand this season. Plan to attend and help the Tigers conclude their season on a positive note.  Tickets are only $2.00 each.

Please contact Don Ludwig to reserve your tickets for the game!

Congratulations to Metro Rotarians Lynda Baumgartner and Shatenita Horton! These two women were honored on April 26 by Women’s Network. Lynda was awarded the Athena International Award, and Shatenita was awarded the Athena Young Professional Award. Women’s Network is the largest division of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and it serves to enhance the personal and professional growth of business people and to encourage participation and recognition of women in the community.

Lynda is the Coordinator of the Study Abroad Program for Stephens College. A Columbia native, she has been very active in the local community. She has been a member of Metro since 2009, and she is a Paul Harris Fellow. Lynda is married to fellow Rotarian Steve Baumgartner.

Shatenita is a Vice President and Banking Center Manager for Providence Bank. She has been a member of Metro since 2010, and she is a Paul Harris Fellow. Shatenita is married to Erskine, and they have two children, Jaerien and Emree.

The Athena Awards focus on personal traits of strong, successful leaders. Recipients are chosen for displaying excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession, providing valuable service to improve the quality of life in their community and helping women reach their full leadership potential.

Metro is very proud to be the home Rotary club of these two exceptional women!

Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Columbia on marking their 90th Anniversary!

The club we commonly refer to as the Downtown Rotary Club was founded in 1922 and will celebrate this historic anniversary on April 26 during their meeting at Columbia College. The meeting will be held at 12:00 noon at Columbia College, and the featured speaker will be District 6080 Governor Dr. Rita Esterly. Club President Brenda Woods will oversee the meeting which will include highlights of their 90 years of Rotary service.

The membership roster of the Downtown Rotary Club has included some individuals whose names are quite prominent in the community. In fact, there are at least ten streets and/or buildings in the City of Columbia bearing the names of charter members of this club. In addition, the Downtown Rotary Club was the home of 1934-35 Rotary International President Robert E. Lee Hill. In addition to Hill, Frank Rollins, Lewis Shelburn, John Rufi, Patterson Bain, Charles Proctor, R.D. Ross and Dee Corn has served as District Governors.

Also, the Downtown Rotary Club has been active in extending Rotary through the formation of new clubs. It co-sponsored our club in 1993, and we have enjoyed an excellent relationship with their members through the years.

Metro Rotary appreciates the Downtown Rotary Club and extends best wishes for many more years of Service Above Self!