The Ohio-West Virginia District Exchange Clubs takes great pride in presenting Larry F. Sewell with the 2015-2016 Exchangite of the Year Award.
Mr. Sewell joined the Exchange Club of Springfield, Ohio in 1980. Larry has been twice elected as Club President and is currently the Immediate Past President of the Ohio-West Virginia District Exchange Clubs. In prior years, he has been a Division Director for the District numerous times, starting in 1990.
Mr. Sewell began this Exchange Year serving the National Exchange Club in assisting our District with hosting the National Convention in Columbus, Ohio, by escorting dignitaries to and from the airport to the Convention Hotel, as well as working in the Hospitality Suite, and generally supporting the overall effort as needed.
Larry served as Chairman of the Springfield Club’s Freedom Shrine Committee as the club presented a Freedom Shrine at the new Global Impact STEM Academy in Springfield, Ohio.
Larry and Exchangite wife Beverly received the 2015 Clark County Child Advocacy Center’s Partner of the Year Award in September for their efforts to fight Human Trafficking and Child Abuse.
Mr. Sewell participated in the Region 7 Conference in Monroe, Michigan in November. He volunteered at the District Board of Director’s meeting there to Chair the District Convention Committee for the third consecutive year. To that end he has worked with the Bowling Green Exchange Club, Bowling Green State University, and members of the District Convention Committee to produce the May Convention in Bowling Green, Ohio.
In the spring Larry helped to plan and implement three Spring Conferences, working with the District VFR, Russ Finney, President Mary Borer, President-Elect Don Price, and District Secretary John Fetters, to offer Exchange Education opportunities in three distinct geographic areas so that district Exchangites would have a venue close by. Larry selected each location, provided at no cost to the district, and helped to secure inexpensive lunch options to the district. Mr. Sewell gave a presentation at each of the Spring Conferences on Innovative Growth Strategies and Retention, which was very well received by the attendees. Regarding club growth, Larry has sponsored two new members this year and has accumulated a past three year total of eight new members for the Springfield Club.
Mr. Sewell entered the Ohio-WV District’s Design the District Pin Contest and his design was selected for this year. The pin will be traded at the District Convention in Bowling Green, Ohio, and the National Convention in Houston, Texas in July.
Mr. Sewell is currently serving as President of the Exchange Club of Springfield, Ohio Foundation, the funding arm of the Springfield Club, providing invaluable counsel, direction, and leadership.
Larry is always positive and helpful, attends nearly every club meeting and function, is well informed on Exchange history, and is willing to assist on virtually any project or task for his club or his district. Ohio-West Virginia District President Borer requested he visit five clubs in the Southwestern area of the district. He created a Powerpoint presentation that is educational, fun, and informative and visited each of the clubs, promoting the Ohio-West Virginia District and National Exchange Club’s goals and intentions. The National Exchange Club has some 700 clubs nationwide with nearly 20,000 members. There are twenty-five clubs and over six hundred fifty members in the Ohio-West Virginia District Exchange Clubs. The Exchange Club’s Four Pillars are Youth, Community Service, Americanism, and the Prevention of Child Abuse.
He will receive the Ohio-West Virginia District’s Exchangite of the Year Award at the District Convention at Bowling Green State University on May 21st, 2016.
Larry Sewell’s exemplary service to the people of Springfield and Clark County and the Ohio-West Virginia District, through his dedication and commitment to the Exchange Club’s Covenant of Service, has earned for him the Ohio-West Virginia District’s Exchangite of the Year Award.