Rotary International President Ron Burton visited Red Deer late last week, making him the first president in the organization’s history to visit the City.
Burton, who calls Oklahoma his home, was here for the day where he had a tour of the City and met with members of the four Rotary groups in Red Deer at a dinner and awards show later Friday evening at the Sheraton Hotel.
“I am delighted to have the distinction of being the only Rotary International President to have visited this City,” said Burton.
Rotary International, which boasts 1.2 million members world wide, has been operating for over 100 years aiming to make a difference in individual communities and around the world.
The acting president visited Red Deer with his wife, Jetta, as a long-standing tradition in which the president will visit the hometown of his acting presidential aide, Monty J. Audenart who hails from Red Deer.
“It is apparent through Monty, the quality of leaders this City can produce and I am thrilled to have the chance to see the work being done here,” said Burton. “There have been many great members of our board of directors who have served from this area of Canada and it is always great to meet people and thank our members for the great work they are doing.”
Although Burton has been to Alberta before, he had never visited Red Deer and was thrilled to have the opportunity to see where his staff once called home.
Members of Red Deer’s four active Rotary groups, including Neil Berg, member of Rotary Red Deer East were ecstatic to have the acting president of their organization address their community.
“We are so honoured to have the opportunity of meeting Mr. Burton,” said Berg who went on to explain how people from across Alberta and Saskatchewan would be making the trip to the evening’s banquet dinner.
“It will just mean a lot for our members to have had the chance to shake the president’s hand and hear his message.”
Burton is a member of U.S. Supreme Court Bar, the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Cleveland County Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the ABA Section of Taxation Exempt Organizations Committee and the ABA Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Committee on Charitable organizations.
He was vice president of the Last Frontier Council of the Boy Scouts of America and received the Silver Beaver Award. He also received the Norman United Way and Junior League Volunteer of the Year Civic Award.
A Rotarian since 1979, Burton has served RI as director, president’s aide, RI president’s representative, committee and task force member, Rotary information counselor, zone trainer, international assembly group discussion leader and moderator, as council on legislation representative and district governor.
He also chaired the 2011 New Orleans Convention Committee. As director, he served as chair of the executive, administration and audit committees.
jswan@reddeerexpress.com
