[Photo courtesy Mike Mezheritskiy]
As is customary for Rotary Foundation presentations, president Mike Mezheritskiy introduced our Club's Rotary Foundation chairman, Dr. Joanne Santiago to initiate the ceremonies. Joanne explained that Community Paul Harris Fellow Awards, in the words of Rotary founder, Paul Harris, "designates a person whose life demonstrates a purpose consistent with Rotary principles."
Paul Mikkelson introduced our first pending Community Paul Harris Fellow awardee Lisa Bohman.
Paul explained that Lisa grew up in Canton, attended Canton schools and is a 4th generation resident of Canton. She attended and graduated from Trinity College with a bachelor's degree in music, subsequently interning with the Hartford Symphony. Thereafter Lisa was also employed by the Hartford Symphony as a public relations professional, which led to her 40-year career in public relations. That career has included employment at the Science Museum of Connecticut, McClean Nursing Home and the Connecticut Republican Caucus, for which she developed the first-of-its-kind cable access television show. For the last 18 years she has served as the Executive Director of the Avon Chamber of Commerce, and has working tirelessly to create an engaged and active membership. She also has served as co-chair of the Greater Hartford Chapter of the American Heart Association's Heart & Sold Auction. Presently she serves on the Salvation Army's Greater Hartford Advisory Board, reads for CRIS radio, is active in alumni networking and admissions networking programs at Trinity College and volunteers at assisted living facilities. She also likes to help people pick their dogs, and it has often been said that there isn't a dog that doesn't know and like Lisa.
Paul also noted that several past presidents of the Avon Chamber of Commerce were present including Peter Vignati and Robin DiNicola and incoming president Michael Mezheritskiy. Paul closed his comments by humbly taking full credit for hiring Lisa, 18 years ago. ;-)
Rollie Sterrett introduced our second pending Community Paul Harris Fellow awardee Tim Legeyt, by noting, "Tim is right over there, in the brown suit", and also, according to Rollie, Tim's mother called him Timothy.
Recently retired as state representative for the 17th General Assembly district after 10 years of service, Tim had served on the Appropriations, Education and Higher Education Committees and was ranking member on all three. During his final two years in the legislature, he also served as the Assistant Minority Leader. Tim is a lifelong resident of Canton, and his ancestors on his mother's side moved from Simsbury to Canton in 1738. Tim has served on Canton's Board of Selectmen, Charter Revision Commission, Canton Center Historic District Commission and since 1992 on the Board of Directors of Collinsville Savings Society. He has been a justice of the peace since 1989.
Tim graduated from Central Connecticut State University, magna cum laude, with a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1975. Thereafter he taught first and second grades for 33 years at Canton's Cherry Brook Primary School, later attending and graduating from Western New England School of Law with a juris doctor degree. Since 1989 Tim has practiced law part time, in Canton.
Tim and his wife Carey have been married for almost 44 years and Carey is recently retired from Trinity College, where she was director of financial aid for 21 years. Tim and Carey have 2 sons, Burton and Benjamin, and as of now, 3 grandchildren, 2 girls and 1 boy, ages 4 through 8.
Don Bonner introduced our third and final pending Community Paul Harris Fellow awardee, Miss. Lauren Traceski.
Don is very proud of Lauren and what she's been doing to advocate for our state's residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities ("IDD"). Just 26-years-old, Lauren is already an accomplished advocate, having given a presentation to the Connecticut legislature's Intellectual & Developmental Disability Caucus on the successful employment of IDD residents of Connecticut. Notably, "I have a disability, but I'm not handicapped." is Lauren's signature tag line.
In another initiative, Lauren spent the latter half of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 advocating for modernization of the "Handicapped Parking" signs throughout the state, pushing to make them more representative of the active lives that many IDD residents live. The original sign depicted a more passive, wheelchair-bound figure that conveyed a sense of victim-hood, as compared to the new sign, which depicts a more vibrant and self-directing figure. Lauren lobbied many individual legislators, eventually resulting in an affirmative vote by the full legislature and the Governor's signature. In a surprise honor, Governor Malloy signed a ceremonial bill in Lauren's presence at FAVARH's Canton campus: https://uconnucedd.org/2016/06/22/we-did-it-self-advocates-change-the-handicapped-parking-sign-in-connecticut/ .
Lauren has also spoken at Aetna Insurance Company in Hartford, which subsequently became the first major employer to institute the sign change on their various properties. Lauren is now a regular visitor at the state Capitol and speaker to the IDD Caucus on the importance to IDD residents of employment opportunities, housing support and wider community engagement. She has presented to the Public Health Committee on a wage increase bill for those who work with and provide support to the disabled. This legislation passed in 2018. In her advocacy work, Lauren has become a fixture in local media, in one example working alongside ARC CT to advance legislation that preserved IDD services. She has also been interviewed by Fox-61 News, and the Hartford Courant.
Over the past 4 years Lauren has presented to the Rotary Club of Avon Canton, Hartford Insurance Group and Canton Center Congregational Church, among others. Currently employed at Beanz & Co. in Avon, Lauren has also completed media interviews while at work. Beanz & Co. is known for hiring IDD workers, and Lauren has served as a spokeswoman on several occasions.
In her personal life, Lauren enjoys acting with the FAVARH Players, and will play a role in the upcoming production of Beauty and the Beast, with 5 shows to be presented at the Rice Auditorium at Northwest Catholic High School, Friday June 21st through Sunday June 23rd (Call 860-693-6662 or online at www.favarh.org to purchase tickets). Currently Lauren is learning to play the ukulele and is looking forward to getting her own apartment and the expanded independence that will bring. She intends to continue to advocate for our IDD residents.
Upon completion of all three formal award introductions, the Club's Rotary Foundation chair Joanne asked all three recipients to come to the front to pose for photographs while receiving their award certificates, lapel pins (a.k.a. "jewelry") and medals (a.k.a. "regalia"). A robust round of standing applause was then given for our three new Community Paul Harris Fellows! Joanne said: "You were selected to receive this award because we believe your life demonstrates the values of the Rotary Foundation. We congratulate you for selflessly helping others in the local community and the world."
[Photo courtesy Mike Mezheritskiy]
Each recipient was then given the opportunity to offer comments to the assembled Rotarians:
Lisa said: "I'm humbled by this honor today. In looking at past and today's recipients, it shows the value of this acknowledgement. I've always lived my life to do good without the expectation of anything in return, but I thank you for recognizing my efforts and for acknowledging me."
Speaking second, Tim thanked Rotary for what is, in his words: "the impressive honor I received today." He also took note of how Lauren and his paths keep crossing. She was a student at Cherry Brook Primary School when he was still teaching there and also saw her when she appeared in the state legislature, where she was "so impressive." Just recently, Tim noted, he again saw Loren with her boyfriend at the Jamboree in Canton.
Continuing, Tim said: "A life of service is based on relationships and goodness. When meeting someone I think of the possibility of developing a relationship with that person, and it fills me up. When I can serve others and groups, it serves my religious bent as well, and there are many wonderful opportunities to spread goodness. I've also told others who may despair that truth, that there is so much goodness that goes on, that doesn't get heralded or publicized, but it's what underpins all the relationships we have and that's also what underpins me. I'm so honored to receive this award today."
Concluding, Lauren said "I'm so thankful for my family, my friends and everybody that is letting me speak on behalf of the world, and I can't believe that in June I'll be among the FAVARH Players. It would be so wonderful if some of you came out and saw our shows, and of course I want to keep speaking for those who can't speak for themselves."
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