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Ray Klinginsmith of the Rotary club
of Kirksville, Missouri USA will be the President of Rotary International in
2010-11. Klinginsmith earned degrees in business and law at the University of
Missouri and completed graduate studies at the University of Cape Town, South
Africa as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar. He was general counsel and
professor of business at Northeast Missouri state University In Kirksville(now
Truman State University) from 1973 until his retirement in 1995, and also held
the post of dean of administration for five years. Klinginsmith, who now
operates a law office, served as and elected county commissioner from 2001 to
2004.
He has been a director of the Macon
Atlanta State Bank since 1971 and president of the Chariton Valley Association
for Handicapped Citizens since 1982. He and his wife, Judie have two children
and three grandchildren. A Rotarian since 1961, Klinginsmith has served Rotary
as district governor and as chair of the 1998 council on Legislation in New
Delhi and the 2008 Los Angeles convention Committee. He was member of the RI
Board of Directors for 1985-87 and chaired its executive committee in 1986-87.
Klinginsmith joined the Rotary Foundation Trustees in 2002, serving as vice
chair in 2005-06, and was a member of the Future Vision Committee from
2005-2008. Klinginsmith, a major Donor is a recipient of the Foundtion’s
Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. In addition,
Klinginsmith has earned many honors in his community, including the
Parent/Caretaker Award from Missouri Planning Council for Developmental
Disabilites, the Thomas D. Cocharan Award for community Service, and annual
statewide award by the Young Lawyers Section of the Missouri Bar; and the
Silver Beaver Award from the Great Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America,
of which he is a former member of the executive board.
Klinginsmith believes that
Rotary’s best days are still ahead. “The reputation and ability of Rotarians to
impact the world positively is better than ever, and the future of Rotary is
bright”, he says. “The RI Strategic Plan and the Rotary Foundation Future
Vision Plan are good road maps to the future. However, the decisions about the
selection of strategic partners, the recruitment of younger members, and the
facilitation of district change to enable younger leaders to serve as district
governors will continue to require leaders of uncommon vision and wisdom.
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