2018 Governor’s Service Awardees Announced:
Two Recipients from Traverse Demonstrate Community-wide Dedication to Service
TRAVERSE CITY, MICH.— May 3, 2018, Marsha Smith, Executive Director of Rotary Charities and Connor
Miller, Communications & Marketing Director at Traverse Area Association of REALTORS® and Vice-Chair of
the FUSE Young Professionals Program at the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce will be honored for
their service during a special ceremony hosted by the Michigan Community Service Commission on Tuesday,
June 5, at the Wharton Center in East Lansing.
Marsha Smith will receive the Lifetime Humanitarian Award for her service to increase the quality of life and
economic well-being of residents in Northwest Lower Michigan for over 40 years. After founding the Women’s
Resource Center with friends in the 1980’s, Smith remained dedicated to serving non-profits in the region. In
1993 she became the Executive Director of Rotary Charities and has remained at the helm for the past 25 years.
Her leadership of Rotary Charities has guided over $58 million in community investments towards social justice,
land use and environment, poverty reduction and so much more. Smith was instrumental in forming the Grand
Traverse Regional Land Conservancy which has protected over 40,000 acres of land and 124 miles of coastline
to date.
"Throughout her illustrious career, Marsha has been a visionary leader of leaders, a consensus-builder who
knows how to get things done" said Traverse City Noon Rotary Club President John Racine Jr.
Connor Miller will be honored as a 2018 Volunteer of the Year. His volunteer service in the community began
immediately when he arrived in Traverse City in 2011. As an AmeriCorps VISTA, Miller worked on the Grand
Vision and Great Lakes Stewardship Initiatives and volunteered with the FUSE program (formerly Traverse City
Young Professionals) at the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce. His continued engagement in the
community through positions at North Sky Nonprofit and United Way and his memberships in the Traverse City
Noon Rotary Club and his local church led him to make a commitment to volunteer for a different non-profit in
the region each week of 2017. Unlike most resolutions, Miller stuck to his and worked with 54 unique nonprofits
at 64 different events for a total of over 200 hours in 2017.
“Connor volunteers time *every day* for one worthy cause or another. He embodies the Rotary motto: Service
Above Self” said Racine.
Rotary Charities and FUSE are working towards celebrating these momentous achievements with the honorees.
A short survey is being used to gauge interest for attending the event in East Lansing or virtually in Traverse
City. Please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VQBCGLK to respond to a four-question survey by Friday,
May 11th that will help determine the size and location.
Additional Northern Michigan honorees being recognized include Jan Thomas of Copemish (Senior Volunteer of
the Year), Desiree Herrst of Bellaire (Youth Volunteer of the Year) and two awardees from Ludington. The full
list of honorees being recognized is available at https://www.michigan.gov/mcsc/0,4608,7-137-8168-467512--
,00.html.
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Lifetime Humanitarian Award: John and Cleo Leppien (Alma), Marsha J. Smith (Traverse City)
Volunteer of the Year: Timothy Danielson (Ludington), Kenyetta Dotson (Flint), Connor Miller(Traverse City), Wendy Jo Morrison (Brighton)