February 6, 2008

At the Deposit Rotary Club's weekly meeting on January 30, no speaker or activity was scheduled after lunch so that the club could catch up on business matters, planning for future projects and events.  With no program to report on, I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to use my column to bring one very special Deposit Rotarian to center stage for a well-deserved révérence (the elaborate bow ballet dancers do when receiving applause).  I've taken the liberty of declaring this remarkable person the Rotary Review's Woman of the Year:  Mrs. Nancy Zacharias. 

 

I'm sure that everyone who knows Nancy—a.k.a. everyone in town—is already aware of the reasons that the staff at the Rotary Review—a.k.a. me—would choose Nancy for this prestigious award.   It is hard to imagine this community and many of its unique and valuable programs without Nancy's talent and hard work.  In Rotary, for instance, Nancy serves as Treasurer, which is an office that holds a huge amount of responsibility with all the money Rotary takes in and distributes back to the community and all the paperwork and legal forms that go along with it.  I absolutely marvel at the amount of time and meticulousness she must put into making her Treasurer's reports and budget spreadsheets, which can only be described as fiscal works of art.  She also just recently handled the administration of our lottery fundraiser, for which she has to remain dutifully on top of who wins the daily contest, and she also is the editor of our club newsletter which is utterly essential, not only for keeping Rotarians informed of club happenings, but also for assisting the Rotary Review staff in compiling the column every week!

 

Next year, Nancy will be taking on even more endless work for Rotary.  Since we will have a different club president each month, it seemed necessary to find someone who was undeniably intelligent, articulate, organized, experienced, and highly respected to help keep the presidency from falling apart into a chaotic mess, much like Condoleezza Rice does on the federal level.  We are truly blessed to have Nancy on board. 

 

Unfortunately, I don't have the space in this column to give adequate treatment to all of Nancy's accomplishments and contributions to Rotary, let alone the life of our entire community—her work for the Deposit Free Library just being one important example that comes to mind—but it was my hope that by bringing the attention of all the readers of my column to Nancy's impact, you will be able notice for yourself all the ways she enriches life in Deposit and all the work, both in the public eye and behind the scenes, that she is able to successfully tackle and of course, how we all benefit from it.  

 

Perhaps Nancy's greatest contribution is her genuinely warm presence and fabulous sense of humor which unfailingly brighten every place she happens to be.  Her kindness, determination, and caring manner greatly inspire me, as I'm sure they do countless others lucky enough to know her.  Thank you, Nancy, for everything you do.