Award winners set example for community

By Douglas Laird

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The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids presented its Community Service Award to Rex and Kathy Eno last Monday. This is the premier award for community service given by the Downtown Club.

The Award consists of a commemorative plaque and $1,000, which will be contributed to the charity of the recipient's choice. The past recipients of this award read like a Who's Who of community leaders.

Rex and Kathy Eno have individually and collectively been catalysts for positive change in our community. As a team, they truly exemplify the Rotary motto “Service above Self.”

Rex had a long and successful career as CEO of AEGON Transamerica. Kathy taught in the Cedar Rapids schools for more than 25 years, then was a homemaker.

After his career, Rex could have retired and relaxed; Kathy could have remained at home and busied herself with hobbies and social outlets. Thankfully for the community of Cedar Rapids, they did not serve themselves, but embarked on second “careers” - ones of community service. The list of their boards and activities is long and impressive. I will list only a few.

Both Rex and Kathy are longtime supporters of United Way, having both served on the board of trustees for multiple years, including as campaign chair. Both have served in leadership at the YWCA, where Kathy was given Waypoint's top award, “Pillar of the Community.” Through their leadership, the YWCA's focus changed to one dedicated to serving critical and special needs of our community.

Kathy has said: “One way we measure success in our family is: You do things for the community and give back.” Kathy practices what she preaches. She has tirelessly given of her time to the Boards of St. Luke's Hospital, Four Oaks, Brucemore, Catherine McAuley, the Hall Perrine Foundation and more.

Terri Christoffersen says, “Kathy is the consummate fundraiser. One will never know the number of people's lives that have been impacted because this woman has shared her time and talents so selflessly.”

Rex has said: “Organizations thrive and grow because of a whole bunch of people. So if you can give an hour or two a week, if that's all you can give, that's wonderful - do it. … It is not insignificant.”

Rex's gifts to the community and state have indeed been significant! For example, he has served on the Human Services Campus Facility Committee. After the historic flood of 2008, he worked with various agencies to study the concept of a facility that would accommodate multiple agencies and share administrative services. He single-handedly secured more than $2.5 million toward this effort.

Rex also has served for two decades on the University of Northern Iowa board of trustees, where he helped to raise $112 million for the Students First campaign. Due to his leadership, UNI now houses the headquarters of the Iowa Mathematics Coalition.

Rex and Kathy are like two threads that have been woven together into the fabric of our community. Truly they embody the maxim, “The sum of the parts is greater than the whole.”

While this column specifically honors the Enos' volunteer activities in our community, in a more general sense, it is a challenge for all of us to follow their example. The Enos are an inspiration, and they challenge each of us to follow in their footsteps and do great things for our community.

Douglas Laird, a Broker Associate with Skogman Commercial Real Estate, is past president of the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids, and Rotary District 5970 Foundation Chair. Comments: dlaird1@gmail.com