Service Above Self 2011-2014

Visual images of Rotarians and their activities dating back to 2013. Several individuals shown have since moved elsewhere and are no longer affiliated with the Rotary Club of Lexington Park, but their legacy lives on.

Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Aerospace Engineer, the locally renowned "Bottom Feeder" and former Rotary Club of Lexington Park President (2010-2011), Bill Moody, presides as King Oyster over the first annual "Running of the Balls" in 2011. This year's event is scheduled on August 3 at 7PM in Leonardtown, Maryland.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: 2012-2013 Vice President and Federal Contract Specialist Paula Coxon mans a beer stand at the St Mary's County Oyster Festival.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Jack Pappas - International Social Entrepreneur and former Federal R&D Executive. President-Elect of the Lexington Park Rotary Club for the July 2013-2014 year.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Larry Branthoover - Business Owner and President of the Lexington Park Rotary Club for the July 2012-June 2013 Year.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Danny Parker, successful travel agency owner and Rotary Assistant District Governor, District 7620, for Southern Maryland.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Former Oyster Festival Administrator and President of a PHOCUS Video, a highly successful Video Production Firm, Rotarian Dave Taylor participates in the annual Rotary Club of Lexington Park Golf Tournament held on June 6, 2013.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Former Lexington Park Rotary Club President and recent Queen Oyster, Robin Finnacom, was recently honored by the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce for her leadership of the Community Development Corporation.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Lexington Park Rotarian and Rotary District 7620 Governor, Bob Parkinson, is concluding a highly successful Rotary year as District Governor. Bob, a retired senior Naval Officer and helicopter pilot is currently an entrepreneur in a Southern Maryland oyster business.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Past Club President of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park and current President of the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Association, Ed Forsman is a retired senior Naval Test Pilot and former Force Warfare Director.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Incoming 2013-2014 District Governor Peter Kyle of the Capitol Hill Rotary Club complements outgoing 2012-2013 District Governor Bob Parkinson of the Lexington Park Rotary Club at a ceremony on July 6 at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington D.C.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Local Fuel Oil Executive, community leader and Rotarian, Frank Taylor, wows the crowd at the St. Mary's Oyster Festival as the lead guitar and singer in the local Classic Rock band GeeZer. (https://www.facebook.com/GeeZerMD/info)
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: "Oyster Quants": Mathematically adept Rotarians Bill Rymer, Ed Turbush and Mary Ann Murray tally shucking scores at the National Oyster Shucking Contest. Shucker scores are based on the speed of shucking 24 oysters. Professional watermen then judge the oyster presentation. If the oysters are not all "Restaurant Ready", deductions are applied to the speed scores. The "quants" keep track of all the numbers that result.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Lexington Park Rotarian and wife of the 2012-2013 District 7620 Governor, Trish Parkinson, receives warm recognition for the outstanding role she payed in District 7620 during Bob Parkinson's highly successful year as District Governor.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: The balls rolled once again on the third annual "Running of the Balls", jointly sponsored by the Lexington Park and Leonardtown Rotary Clubs. The winning ball wins $1,500. This event is held in conjunction with the Leonardtown Beach Party held each year early in August.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Guest King Oyster, Bill Moody, former Oyster Festival Administrator, Dave Taylor, and lexington Park "Running of the Balls" coordinator Carl Dubec at the third annual Running of The Balls event at the Leonardtown Beach Party.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: New Generations Service Lane Director of the Rotary Club of Lexington park, Ed Turbush, is a Certified Financial Planner. His personal touch and passion for education attests to his recent recognition for heading-up the leading Edward Jones Office in the Nation.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Certified Public Accountant and successful Businesswoman, the talented Mary Ann Murray, also serves as the Treasurer of Rotary District 7620. Mary Ann is also a scoring judge at the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Contest.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: The Baltimore Hilton, the District 7620 2014 Convention hotel, is adjacent to Camden Yards and Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Note that the hospitality suites to the right all overlook the ballpark.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: The RotaCon-14 Team kickoff meeting in Annapolis. A great conference is in the making!
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Ed Cole, the owner of a highly successful travel firm, is one of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park founding members, some 53 years ago.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Accomplished Engineer and devoted family man, Phil Rooney, serves as the Director of the International Lane of Rotary Service on the Rotary Club of Lexington Park Board of Directors. Phil has an excellent photographic eye. He helped capture the action at the third annual Running of the Balls in August 2013.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: While the Oyster Shuckers are front and center at the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Contest, the folks in the background with stopwatches to capture accurate times are largely members of the Lexington Park Rotary Club.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Vice President of the Lexington Park Rotary Club, John Levay is also a media expert and has been a radio personality.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Barbara Ives is the Dean of Academics at St. Mary's Ryken High School. Among other duties, Barbara also Chairs the Charity Committee of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park and serves as the Director for Education at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Association.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: King Oyster made an appearance on September 22, 2014 at Stratford Hall Wine Festival. Attendees enjoyed wine, food and crafts, and, of course, the presence of our own King Oyster who sold Oyster Cookbooks!
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: exington Park Rotarians Bob Merritts and Paula Coxon spruce up the plants undernesth the Oyster Festival sign at the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: King Oyster Larry Branthoover and his Rotarian wife Petra set up a most tasteful "Oyster Shooter" concession at the 2013 Sotterley Plantation Wine Festival.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Successful Realtor and Rotarian Carl Franzen manages the United States National Oyster Shucking Contest for the St. Mary's County Oyster Festival. The Rotary Club of Lexington Park founded the festival 47 years ago and it now involves many philanthropic organizations.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Dave Taylor, former Oyster Festival Administrator, and Robin Finnacom, former Perl of the Chesapeake (King Oyster) serve beer to attendees at the 47th Annual St.Mary's County Oyster Festival.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Lexington Park Rotarians serve as timers at the 47th Annual St. Mary's County Oyster festival.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: We may be finished serving beer at this year's Oyster Festival, but Rotary never tires of serving its community and the world.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: New business owner, U.S. Naval Academy Graduate and President of the local Naval Academy Association, Lexington Park Rotarian Mike Demanss hands out Oyster Festival fliers at the 2013 National Oyster Festival.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Rotarian Petra Branthoover a former New Englander is the wife and active business partner of King Oyster Larry Branthoover. The Branthoovers are the 5th husband and wife team to join the Lexington Park Rotary Club. In the picture, Petra helps to sell beer at the U.S. National Oyster Festival.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Dr. Linda Lymas, a leading educational administrator in St. Mary''s Counrty, chairs the Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony for the combined Rotary Clubs of Lexington Park and Leonardtown. This year's recognition of outstanding educators from throughout St. Mary's County will be held Nov 13 at the Elks Lodge in California, Md.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Charity Committee Chairperson, Barbara Ives (Left) with assistance from District 7620 Governor Nominee Ken Solow (Right), presents a check for $2,000 to Lanny Lancaster (Center) of Three Oaks Shelter to assist veterans.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Dr. Salahudden (Sala) Qazi is the newest member of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park. Prior to coming to the area, Professor Qazi taught Electrical Engineering at the State University of New York. He is now a Professor Emeritus and has a keen interest in micro scale photonics for low cost solar energy in emergent countries.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Dr. Bob Goldsmith, retired professor from St. Mary's College, is the song leader for both the Rotary Club of Lexington Park and his church. Bob also chairs the St. Mary's County Board of Elections and serves on the Board of Directors for the St. Mary's County Literacy Council.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Rotarian James Andreacci is an Vice President at BB&T Bank. He also serves on several boards in St. Mary's County, including on officer role in the Chamber of Commerce. James is also the Membership Chair of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Maria Icaza operates Duncin Donuts in St. Mary's County. Trained as a lawyer, she has also proven successful as a retailer. Maria enjoys horseback riding.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: David Seeman, a former Flying Midshipman, a retired Grumman Test Pilot and an avid historian, is a loyal Lexington Park Rotarian.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Bob Merritts, a retired engineer and successful investor, heads up the Scholarship Committee of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park among the many other duties he performs on behalf of the Club.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Retired Captain Bill Cords, USN now Directs of Infrastructure and Facilities Managment for the Naval Air Systems Command, making him the lead Civil Engineer for the Command. Bill is a proud member of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Retired Great Mills High School Principal, Zora Siemasko, is truly a spark plug of the Rotary Club Of Lexington Park. Zora, a true champion of education, takes a steady and even approach to enhance the smooth flow of Club operations. Her long term dedication is unparalleled.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Lexington Park Rotary Club Board Secretary and telemetry expert, Bill Rymer, distributes dictionaries to third graders as a part of the Rotary District 7620 initiative to provide new dictionaries to all third graders in the District. The Rotary Club of Lexington Park plans to distribute some 700 plus dictionaries in lower St. Mary's County. Other regional Rotary clubs cover the northern St. Mary's for 100% county coverage.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Jim "JJ" McCue, a former President of the Lexington Park Rotary Club, is a master teacher. He actively illuminates advanced aerodynamic engineering at the United States Test Pilot School. His students include eventual test pilots and astronauts. JJ is also an accomplished BarberShop singer.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: H.S. "Lanny" Lancaster, Executive Director of the Three Oaks Center joins with others to brief the upcoming May 16 Veteran's Day Event at SMHEC. Lanny also described the January 29 Point In Time survey of the homeless in the region.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Each year, members of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park distribute new dictionaries to every third grader in the lower portion of St. Mary's County. These students at a County school proudly display their new books. The Dictionary Project is a part of a larger initiative of Rotary's District 7620 which encompasses much of Maryland.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Congratulations to Paula Coxon, the Community Lane Director of the Rotary Club or Lexington Park, upon the occasion of her retirement from a long and productive career as a Procurement Officer, specializing in Small Business, with the Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Former Senior Executive Service leader at the Naval Air Systems Command, Rotarian Karen Holcomb, heads up Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM). The LSM Executive Program is a nine-month tuition-based program specifically designed for leaders who live and/or work in the Southern Maryland Region.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Principal of Great Mills High School and Rortarian Jake Heibel challenges third graders to bring their new Rotary provided personal dictionaries to Great Mill High School when they are ready for the 9th Grade.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Rotarians Danny Kollopoulos and Bob Merritts team up to serve wine after the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center's "Bridges to the World" International Film Festival. The Feb 12 movie was Chile's "Mi Mejor Enemigo (My Best Enemy)"
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Former Director of Human Resources at the Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., Bill Wagoner, has served as the Club Treasurer for the Rotary Club of Lexington Park. He currently chairs the Board at the Cedar Point Credit Union and serves as Secretary of the Board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Association.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: One of our newest Rotarians, Sandy Galan, is a branch marketing manager at the Community Bank of the Chesapeake. Sandy enjoys cooking, bicycling and DIY home projects.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Lexington Park Rotarians help pack up some 80,000 or so books after the 2014 St. Mary's County Library Book Sale. The unsold books go to Rotary's "Books for International Goodwill" (BIG).
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Scientist, entrepreneur and community leader, Dr. John Roberts, heads the Community Mediation Center of Southern Maryland. This charitable organization exists to reduce conflict in the workplace.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Dr. Mel Powell leads the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center (SMHEC). This organization offers some 91 degree programs through 14 partnered universities and colleges. The University of Maryland is planning to place a major Research and Education facility on the 24 acre center in the near future.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Glen Ives, former Commander of the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, is a true community leader. He chairs the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance. He sits on numerous boards including: the Board of Trustees of St. Mary's College, The Patuxent Partnership, the Foundation of the College of Southern Maryland, and the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Former President of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park, Jane Sypher offers up fresh Oyster Shooters at the St. Mary's County Oyster Festival. A lifelong educator, Jane served as Principal of Great Mills High School. Se also served as the Vice President of the College of Southern Maryland in charge of the Leonardtown Campus.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Rotarian and retired Navy Rear Admiral, Bert Johnston, helps repair a roof during the April 26, 2014 Christmas in April event. Each year, Bert volunteers with a group which specializes in helping with Christmas in April roofing replacements. Many other Rotarians also contributed their time and talents in the 2014 home repair event.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Michael Guy is the Vice Chair of the Three Oaks Center Board of Directors and a former President of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park. Micheal, both a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), operates a successful Financial Services Company.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Rotary Club of Lexington Park President, Jack Pappas, accepts the District 7620 District Governor's Gold distinction for overall Club excellence. Former Rotary International President Bill Boyd presented the award at the recent District Conference in Baltimore. The Lexington Park Club also received a Rotary International Presidential Citation award for excellence.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: New Rotary Club of Lexington Park, Connie Stoker, is an accountant married to lawyer Gene Stoker who is also a new Rotarian. The Stokers are the 6th couple to join the Rotary Club of Lexington Park.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: President of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park, Jack Pappas and wife of former District 7620 Governor, Trish Parkinson, accept a Rotary International Presidential Citation with Distinction for Club excellence. Former Rotary International President, Bill Boyd
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Rotarian and Naval Academy Graduate, Paul Fletcher, is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park and an influential figure in Rotary District 7620. Shown here Paul is contributing his time and considerable talent to a Christmas in April
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Former Board member of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park, Bernie Taylor, currently chairs the Club's annual Golf Tournament to be held on June 24, 2014 at the Breton Bay Golf and Country Club. Bernie is an Executive in the family business, Taylor Gas.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: A new member of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park, Ron Olsen is the Vice President of Marketing and sales for Titan Aerospace which makes the Solara high altitude, solar powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Titan was recently acquired by Google.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Jim Davis, the new President of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park, was sworn-in by District 7620 Governor Elect Bill Fine at a June 20, 2014 Ceremony. Jim, a professional engineer and long-time Rotarian, ran a highly successful engineering company in Northern Virginia before retiring to St. Mary's County.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: John Ramos, a former President of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park, is going strong at 92. A designated club photographer, John holds a perfect att
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Long active in Rotary District 7620 activities, Dr. Paul Manchak and his wife Dr. Betty Manchak have traveled worldwide to do the work of Rotary. Paul and Betty are credited with the total revitalization of a school in rural Thailand, providing drinking water to several Thailand provinces and evaluation the educational system in Belize among many other International initiatives they have undertaken.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Christine Lennox, long time a Rotarian, is the manager for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's worldwide program at Patuxent River. Christine also co-sponsors the annual Greg Clark Aviation/Military Scholarship administered on her behalf by by the Rotary Club of Lexington Park .
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Southern Maryland Rotarians help set up dental equipment, escort patients and tear down dental equipment during the highly successful Mission of Mercy (MoM) at North Point High School. The program provided tow days of dental care to those who might otherwise not receive such case.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Retired Navy Rear Admiral Paul Engel, a former "Flying Midshipman", is the Rotarian who transplanted the annual Running of the Balls from Utah to St. Mary's County. This year's Running of the Balls is in conjunction with the Leonardtown Beach party at 7PM on August 2. Balls will be available " for rent" at this jointly sponsored Rotary event. Top prize is $1,500. Other prizes include free airfare within the United States. Proceeds go to charities and scholarships sponsored by the Lexington Park and Leonardtown Rotary Clubs.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Leonardtown Rotarian and Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Michael Martirano, follows the balls as they head towards the finish line at the annual Running of the balls sponsored jointly by the Rotary Clubs of Lexington Park and Leonardtown.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Carl Dubac, former U.S. Marine and corporate founder, celebrates another successful Running of the Balls in 2014 at a recent Rotary Club of Lexington Park Club meeting. Carl is a leading organizer for this annual Southern Maryland Rotary event.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: The 48TH annual Oyster Festival - On the horizon.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Retired electrical engineer and internationally recognized telemetry expert, Bill Rymer, serves as the Secretary of the Board of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Retired Navy executive, Rotarian Frank Faust has been instrumental in leading the Rotary Club of Lexington Park as it supports a project to provide water to villigers in Kenya. Frank was recently appointed as the Treasurer of the Club's Foundation.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Rotarians of the Nakuru Rotary Club in Nakuru, Kenya gather around new productivity tools provided to the Nakuru Hospice. The Rotary Club of Lexington Park was a participant in helping to secure funding for this effort. This international outreach project was a direct fallout from an ongoing fresh water project in Kenya, supported in-part, by the Rotary Club of Lexington Park.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: King Oyster, Larry Branthoover, throws out the first pitch as the Blue Crabs mascot "Pinch" umpires his pitch. Rotarians in the Southern Maryland region attended the Blue Crabs game which benefited the Mission of Mercy. The Mission of Mercy offers dental care to those who cannot otherwise afford it.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Rock solid citizen and loyal Rotarian, Curtis Ayers is an aviation logistics expert at Eagle Systems.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Bill Fine, the 2013-2014 District Governor of Rotary District 7620, visited the Rotary Club of Lexington Park on September 29.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: It's almost time!
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Lexington Park Rotarians and special guests participate in timing the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Contest preliminary heats.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Lexington Park Rotarians and special guests participate in timing the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Contest preliminary heats.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Rotary Club of Lexington Park President, Jim Davis, presents a $2OK Check to acting St. Mary's County School Superintendent, Scott Smith for So many Journeys Waiting for U (SMJWU). SMJWU was initiated by an anonymous donor in remembrance of S.M. and Dr. Jane Wu, as a means to encourage underprivileged Middle and High School students to attend college. Master of Ceremonies and after School Coordinator Mark Smith looks on.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Former Commander of NESEA in St. Inigoes, Md. Capt. Richard Wilson, USN (Ret) is a consumate Electrical Engineer with a wry sense of humor.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Accomplished journalist and Rotarian, Viki Volk-Russell, runs the highly successful Lexington Park Leader (LexLeader). The Leader is an online news magazine about business and community surroundings. Here, Viki, alongside fellow Rotarians, works the admissions window at the 2014 U.S. Oyster Festival.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Tom Burke, a patriot, a singer, a magnificent manager and a true gentleman passed away on Nov 10, 2014. Tom was always thrilled to help distribute dictionaries to third graders and entertained all with his outgoing personality. The Rotary Club of Lexington Park will miss Tom's enduring spirit of Service Above Self.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: A number of Past Presidents of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park gather to honor our oldest living President, John Ramos (Center). Pictured are Ed Forsman, Paul Fletcher, Bill Moody, Jane Sypher, George Hurlburt, Mike Guy, Mac McGarity, Dan Parker and Jack Pappas (Next to John).
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: A number of Past Presidents of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park gather to honor our oldest living President, John Ramos (Center). Pictured are Ed Forsman, Paul Fletcher, Bill Moody, Jane Sypher, George Hurlburt, Mike Guy, Mac McGarity, Dan Parker and Jack Pappas (Next to John).
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: Long a Rotarian, Margaret Sawyer is the Vice President for Commercial Loans at the Old Line Bank and a member of the Board of Directors at the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: Rotary Club of Lexington Park Charity Chair, Barbara Ives, and Club President, Jim Davis, present a check for $2,500 to Phyllis Greer of the St. John's Charitable Society. The Society supports food, shelter and power, all of which are pillars of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park's charitable stance.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: The Rotary Club of Lexington Park showcases High School talent in its annual Christmas Presentations. Pictured here are the Great Mills High School Chorus (above) and the St. Mary's Ryken High School Mixed Chorus including both the SMR Chorus and the Show Choir (below). Both schools delivered excellent seasonal performances.
Service Above Self - WE ARE ROTARY: In 2013, the Rotary Club Lexington Park made Mike Schwartz (right), of Mike's Bikes, a Paul Harris Fellow for his annual initiative to distribute over 2,000 Christmas dinners to those who would not otherwise enjoy a holiday feast. In 2014, the Rotary Club of Lexington Park once again donated $5,000 to assist Mike in his good work. Bernie Taylor (left) of the Club's Charity Committee made the presentation.
Service Above Self - I AM ROTARY: New Rotarian, Heather Hill, already an engaged participant in the Rotary Club of Lexington Park is the Director of Accounting for the fast growing Avian LLC.