Rochester Rotary, a member club of Rotary International, a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service and encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, awarded Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson a Paul Harris Fellow on behalf of Rochester Rotarian Russ Shelton.
The Paul Harris Fellow acknowledges individuals who either contribute $1,000 or who have a $1,000 contribution made in their name to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International to help continue and grow Rotary programs throughout the world. Shelton, a longtime Rochester auto dealer, presented the honor at the June 2 Rochester Rotary meeting, where Patterson spoke about Oakland County’s transformation since the great recession. He explained how the County’s initiatives to develop jobs in 10 higher growth business sectors such as medical, aerospace, homeland security and robotics have paid off—resulting in 34,700 new jobs and nearly $3 billion invested in the County.
Rochester Rotary President Rhonda Panczyk acknowledged the efforts of both Patterson and Shelton.
“Brooks Patterson is a dedicated leader who shares a passion with the Rotary for making our community one of the best places to live, work and play. His countless years of service are a real asset to Oakland County, and The Paul Harris Fellow recognizes his work in making this area prosper,” Panczyk said. “We also appreciate Russ Shelton for his generosity in bestowing the Paul Harris Fellow as well as his longstanding reputation of supporting the greater Rochester community.”
About the Paul Harris Fellow
The Paul Harris Fellow was established in 1957 to show appreciation for and encourage substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships. To learn more about the Paul Harris Fellow, click here.
About Rochester Rotary
Celebrating 60 years as a club in 2014, Rochester Rotary is one of 34,000 member clubs of Rotary International, which has more than 1.2 million members and raises and disburses funds for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. Monies are raised through social events and service projects organized by the club, ‘fines’ collected at Rochester Rotary meetings and gifts offered to the club through members and supporters. The club welcomes new members who live or work in Rochester, Rochester Hills or Oakland Township. For membership information, contact Jeff Whitbey at Jeff@whitbey.net. Rochester Rotary meets each Tuesday at noon at the River Crest Banquet Hall on Avon Road and Livernois in Rochester Hills. Learn more at www.RochesterRotaryClub.org/.
About Rotary International
Rotary’s main objective is service in the community, in the workplace, and around the globe. The 1.2 million Rotarians who hail from Rotary clubs in nearly every country in the world share a dedication to the ideal of Service Above Self. Rotary clubs are open to people of all cultures and ethnicities and are not affiliated with any political or religious organizations. Learn more at www.Rotary.org.
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