Rotarian of the Year Nominees | Rotary Club of Greece

The person selected for this recognition is an individual who has demonstrated leadership, good character, diplomacy, a positive attitude, good judgment, and exemplary service to the Greece Rotary Club. The candidate must have shown a genuine desire to serve the community and Rotary International. Receiving this recognition is not something for which a Rotarian can work or plan. The recognition should be overdue rather than premature, but tenure alone is never an adequate criterion.

Melissa Jordan

Melissa Jordan is a long-standing member of the Greece Rotary Club. Since the day she joined she has committed her time and resources to advancing the mission and vison of our club. She has served in numerous roles in service to Rotary. She rose to club president quickly. She leads with humility, operating with the Rotary Four Way Test guiding her. She made sure our club came together and made significant strides during the pandemic. It’s what Melissa does in and outside of Rotary that is commendable. The relationships she has in our community enable her to forge connections that uncover needs, for the young as well as the elderly. She gives both professionally and charitably for those in need.

Gene Noga

Gene Noga has been a Greece Rotarian since 2001 and is a Paul Harris Fellow +7. He has chaired our charity golf tournament since 2013. Gene has been a board member from 2012 -2015 and again from 2024 -2026. He has twice been Sargent at Arms and subs whenever he is needed. Gene has been instrumental in keeping the club actively involved in the Challenger Little League for which many thousands of dollars have been raised and donated. He has been proactive in obtaining state funding to meet the needs of the program. Gene volunteers for every Rotary event and is often the first one to sign up as in the recent Bingo event at BOCES II. Gene is a steadfast exemplary Rotarian and suffice it to say, he is WAY overdue for recognition for his 24 years of service.

Gregg Sadwick

Gregg Sadwick is an excellent example of what it means to be a Rotarian. He ran for Congress last year and still maintained a strong presence within our club and our club activites. He well represented Rotary during his campaign and made our club proud to say that he is one of our members. After the election, he returned fully to club activities and was a key factor in the success of our Ziti Dinner this year. Gregg handled all of the inventory and purchasing for the dinner and his work was invaluable.

Rhett VanScoter

Rhett VanScoter joined Greece Rotary in 2012. He served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2016-2019. He became a Paul Harris Fellow in 2016; he is currently a PHF+1. Rhett has actively participated on the committees of the Club’s fundraising events and helped to track financial contributions and sponsorships. His office has been home base for collecting and inventorying Casino Night raffle prizes. His positive messages to Club members have encouraged their participation. Rhett has made Rotary a “family affair.” Since they were old enough to participate, Rhett’s children have actively participated in selling raffle tickets at pasta dinners, and more recently, chances for the Spinning Wheel at Casino Night. As a business owner in the Town of Greece, Rhett engages in quarterly fundraisers that go to support local charities and organizations in the community. When opportunities arise to secure resources for Greece Rotary, Rhett quietly works behind the scenes to make it happen. Most recently, the Club received a $500 award from an insurance affiliate’s foundation. Rhett VanScoter is a giving and positive person in our community – a model Rotarian.

Allan Wallace

Wally joined Palmyra Rotary in 1973 and was their club’s treasurer for 2 years. In 1976 Wally transferred to the Greece Rotary. He served as Treasurer from 1978 until 1995, and has served on the Board of Directors. In 1976 Wally joined the fundraising committee. The main goal was to raise money to build the Greece Rotary Lodge. Wally was instrumental in getting the funds necessary. In 1977 the LPGA tournament started, and Wally worked for 38 years in the concessions stand. He served, cooked, and handled the monies from the stand making sure all was accounted for and given to the proper people. In 1977 the Ziti dinner was started, and Wally was on the committee. For 33 years he worked a variety of jobs, including handling all receipts for Ziti. Wally joined Rino Pappano and Ralph Annucci to start our annual charity golf tournament. In 1995 Wally received his first Paul Harris award; he is a PHF+4. To celebrate his 50 years in Rotary he gave 500 Paul Harris Fellow Points to Palmyra Rotary to honor a club member. After his banking career, Wally worked at Lifespan from 2001 to 2012. He volunteered at many community events. From 2012 to present he is a Health Insurance Volunteer for Lifespan educating seniors on Medicare and local health insurance plans. Allan Wallace (Wally) lives the Rotary motto of Service Above Self.