Category: Members in the News

  • Rotary District Awards

    Rotary District Awards

    This past weekend, the 2022-2023 You Are Appreciated Awards were presented during the Rotary District 6560 Fall Forum by Immediate Past District Governor Mekey McAllen. Congratulations to Indy Rotarians Tracey Danner-Odenwelder the “Richard Kendall Award for Service to Humanity” recipient and Stan Jacobs for “Rotarian of the Year.”

  • New Board of Directors Announced

    On Tuesday, March 14, 2023 the Rotary Club of Indianapolis elected eight members to serve on the Board of Directors for two years, beginning on July 1, 2023. We are pleased to welcome the following community leaders to serve our club in leadership positions.


    Angela Cecil, BMO Harris Bank
    Erika Earl, RJE Business Interiors
    John Fenoglio, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
    Carrie Lahr, Riley Children’s Health
    Joshua Lloyd, Teacher’s Credit Union
    Jami Marsh, IU Health
    Val Morris, Community Health Network
    Jim Patton, Lifetime Financial Group of Indianapolis

  • Awards Presented at Celebration Dinner

    Awards Presented at Celebration Dinner

    On Tuesday, June 29 the Rotary Club of Indianapolis hosted their Celebration Dinner and Fundraiser. During the program, Rotarians were recognized for their achievements and contributions to the Rotary Club of Indianapolis. Join us in congratulating the following award winners for the 2020-2021 Rotary Year.

    Rotary Outstanding Achievement Recognition Award
    Larry Brodnik
    Marie Koenig

    Spirit of Rotary Award
    Norm Melzer

    Service Above Self Award
    Stan Jacobs

    Power of One Awards
    Abigail Harlan
    Stacy Johnson
    Andile Songo

    Unsung Hero Award
    Jamie Hanan

    Check out photos from the event on our Facebook page.

  • River Clean-up A Big Success

    River Clean-up A Big Success

    On Saturday, June 26, 17 Rotarians and 8 guests used 7 canoes and 1 dumpster to pick trash from the White River in the area upriver from 10th Street. Removed were a sofa, two ottomans, a shopping cart, a wooden pallet, six tires and too many cans, plastic bags and styrofoam cups to count. Altogether this group invested about 80 hours into the project that was both productive and fun. Friends of the White River Executive Director Kevin Hardie was impressed.

    Thank you to all who were involved.

  • Special Message from President John Mainella

    Special Message from President John Mainella

    By now, you have likely heard on the local and national news outlets that our beloved Rotarian and Senator Richard Lugar passed away Saturday evening after a short battle with the same syndrome that took his brother Tom.  He was surrounded by his loving wife of 63 years Charlene, four sons, and many other members of his family.

    We honored the Senator as Rotarian of the Century during our clubs centennial celebration and we recently joined with Gleaners to celebrate his work to eliminate hunger in the United States and across the world, as well as his efforts to promote global peace.  Many of us had the privilege and honor of hearing Dick and Tom share their brotherly love and their family’s story at a Tuesday meeting several years ago.  I was fortunate to receive several notes from him during this year as president and will cherish knowing and working with him for the rest of my life.

    To say that our club lost another giant is an understatement.  The entire world lost one of history’s greatest statesmen, advocates for peace, and incredible human being.

    There will certainly be many services and memorials, including something from our own club.  We will keep you apprised on arrangements as details become more clear. In the meantime, if you would like to send a note of condolence to the family, you can do so at The Lugar Center, 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 1125, Washington, D.C. 20004.

    Please continue to keep the entire Lugar Family in your thoughts.

    With all best wishes,

    John Mainella
    President, Rotary Club of Indianapolis

  • Awards Presented at Celebration Dinner

    Awards Presented at Celebration Dinner

    On Tuesday, June 26th, the Rotary Club of Indianapolis hosted their Celebration Dinner and Fundraiser. During the program, Rotarians were recognized for their achievements and contributions to the Rotary Club of Indianapolis. Join us in congratulating the following award winners:

    Rotary Lifetime Achievement Award
    Thomas Lugar

    Excite Engage Evolve Presidential Awards
    David Leonards
    Lisa Rollings
    Greg Albright
    Tracey Danner-Odenwelder

    Emerging Leader Award
    Troy Hollings

  • Ralph Taylor, a Community Builder

    Ralph Taylor, a Community Builder

    taylor-miscCourtesy of Life 360 and Publication of Purdue University, College of Health and Human Sciences, Written by By William Meiners

    Alumnus Ralph Taylor (HK ’69) played on one of the greatest teams in Purdue basketball history. In his senior year, the Boilermakers beat their Indiana University Hoosier rivals 120-76 in the season finale and made it all the way to the NCAA Tournament championship game, losing to a UCLA team led by Lew Alcindor (the future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

    Although basketball opened numerous doors for him, Taylor also wants to be remembered for being a difference maker in his professional life and through volunteer work and civic engagement. Based on the many awards he’s received, he has accomplished that goal.

    Basketball taught Taylor a valuable lesson. “Basketball teaches you not only the importance of recognizing the strength in individual differences and skill sets, but it also teaches the importance of having a common vision,” Taylor says. “Everyone may not like each other, but with the same common goal, much can be accomplished.”

    Read the full article.

  • Rotarian, Elaine Bedel and her company, Bedel Financial Consulting recognized!

    Rotarian, Elaine Bedel and her company, Bedel Financial Consulting recognized!

    Rotarian Elaine Bedel and her company, Bedel Financial Consulting Selected for Financial Planning’s Top 150 RIAs List for 2016

    Financialplanning.com recently released its Top RIAs list for 2016. It’s the fifth year Financial Planning has published this list, and Bedel Financial Consulting is the only Indianapolis-based firm to be included. The 150 are a select group of RIAs (Registered Investment Advisors) who provide fee-only services. According to research firm Aité Group, there were 59,422 independent RIAs at the end of 2014, managing $2.7 trillion in assets of high net-worth individuals and institutional investors.

    “I’m honored and delighted to be ranked among the top 150 RIAs in the U.S.,” said Elaine E. Bedel, CFP®, CEO and president of Bedel Financial. “Being an independent fee-only RIA is challenging in today’s rapidly changing financial environment. But I strongly believe our independence and fee-only business model offers the highest and most ethical service to our clients.”

    New Jersey-based Discovery Data, which collects data on the financial industry, compiled the rankings for Financial Planning based on the amount of discretionary and nondiscretionary assets managed by the RIAs. To be included, the RIAs must be based in the U.S. and truly independent—free of affiliations with broker-dealers, insurance, firms, banks and large outside investors. Furthermore, individuals had to comprise 50 percent or higher of their client base.

    Bedel’s expertise as a financial advisor is frequently requested for speaking engagements and for interviews. She’s featured on WTHR Channel 13’s Your Money show every Wednesday and has authored a weekly financial planning column for Inside Indiana Business’s newsletter, “The Inside Edge,” since 2003.

    Bedel Financial is a wealth management firm providing fee-only financial planning and investment management services. Bedel founded the firm, which has since grown to 19 employees, in 1989. Bedel Financial actively manages more than $900 million in client investments.
    For more information, visit Bedel Financial.

  • Longtime Rotarian, Rick Markoff to Retire

    Ken File and Dr. Rick MarkoffDr. Rick Markoff (pictured right), Founding President of Damar Foundation, Inc., will retire on December 31. His successor will be Ken File, highly successful Vice President, Advancement, Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana. The announcement was made by Dr. Jim Dalton, Damar Services President and CEO. Rick, Ken, and Jim are all members of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis.

  • Longtime Rotarian Marge Tarplee Passes Away

    Longtime Rotarian Marge Tarplee Passes Away

    Past Rotarian (for 24 years), Marjorie C. Tarplee died after a short illness Friday, June 12, 2015. She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to Maud and Wilber Clark. She was married for 50 years to her husband, Dr. Robert Tarplee, who died in 1999. She was a member of 2nd Presbyterian Church. Marge played a significant role in the business role of Indianapolis, but became an even more prominent and influential figure in the city’s civic and philanthropic circles. She was corporate secretary for Central Newspapers, Inc. and president of the Central Newspapers Foundation when the Pulliam family owned the Indianapolis Star and Indianapolis News, as well as other news properties. See more