New officers installed and several Rotarians honored

Maricopa’s Rotary Club gave the gavel to the first woman president in its 53-year history and honored several members at the recent annual installation dinner.

Former presidents Don Pearce, Sonny Dunn and Oliver Anderson, who together represent over 150 years of service to Rotary, presented the gavel to new Rotary President Karen Friess, who was also honored for becoming a Paul Harris Foundation Member. Announcing the club’s new theme, Rotary Shares, Freiss encouraged all members, new and old, to continue serving their community through past projects as well as new ones.

Other new officers include Tom Bradbury, Vice President; Sherry Smith, Treasurer and Jake Romero, Secretary. Additional new board members include Misty McWherter, Sergeant at Arms; Alma Farrell, Public Relations; Will Dunn, Membership and Sandy Hopkins, Service.

Outgoing president, Brent Murphree, honored four past presidents, Sonny Dunn, Oliver Anderson, Don Pearce and Kelly Anderson. Murphree noted that Dunn, Oliver Anderson and Pearce were role models for him in his youth.

Pearce was given special recognition for his years of dedication to the community, Rotary, the pool project and the fire district. Murphree emphasized that Pearce has been a true Rotarian by putting ‘service above self’.

Misty McWherter was chosen 2007 Rotarian of the Year for her successful work in making many of Rotary’s accomplishments possible. Some of this year’s projects included: the Annual Cotton Pick’n Barn Dance that funded 11 scholarships through the W.D. Storie Scholarship Fund; over 300 dictionaries being presented to all third graders enrolled in the Maricopa, Stanfield and Mobile schools; the International Project, which provided shoeboxes filled with necessities for over 100 children in Rocky Point, Mexico and Stagecoach Days, which this year involved the entire community.

Special guests of honor included Rotary Governor Jim Aslin and his wife Susan, Governor-elect Steve DeMuizzio and Alex Palace of the Tempe Rotary Club.

Aslin gave a brief history of the Maricopa club, whose first president was Waynard McDavid, a local farmer. He praised the club for working together and for its true dedication to the community of Maricopa.