Our Club History

The Rotary Club of Nevada City was chartered October 3, 1935. Grass Valley Rotary sponsored the new Club.

1935 Charter members of Nevada City Rotary were all men. The sole woman in the photo was Mrs. P.J. Bonner and she was the pianist for the Club. She lived up on Drummond St. and was the neighbor of Elza Kilroy.

Elza Kilroy was the main person who pushed to start a Rotary Club but then, unfortunately couldn't become a member until a number of years later because his work schedule at the Post Office didn't allow him to attend noon meetings. After retirement he immediately joined the club and became one of it's hardest working, loyal members. He was also very active in the Fire Department and the Elks and the Chamber gives an award every year called the Elza Kilroy award to honor people who are very active in giving back to the community. As a side note, his wife, Luvia, was my 2nd grade teacher. They were both really wonderful people. His grandson operates Kilroy Tow Service and still lives in the house on Drummond St. [Cathy Wilcox-Barnes Club Historian]

In later years, Nevada City Rotary hosted a popular food booth on Treat Street at the Nevada County Fair. The fair was a major Club fundraiser for decades. The menu changed over the years as the Club cooked up barbeque ribs, stuffed chili peppers, pulled pork and shredded chicken.

Rotary Club of Nevada City Presidents

Year President Classification

1934-1935 Oscar Odegaard Lumberman (Charter member - deceased)

1935-1936 Oscar Odegaard

1936-1937 Frank Finnegan Practice of Law (Charter member - deceased)

1937-1938 E.V. Cain High School Principal/Auto Court - (Charter member - deceased)

1938-1939 A.M. Holmes Mortician/Coroner (Charter member-deceased)

1939-1940 Clyde Gwin Tahoe National Forest Management -(Charter member - deceased)

1940-1941 Walter Carlson Education (Charter member - deceased)

1941-1942 Hilmen Kjorlie Education (District Governor - deceased)

1942-1943 Nye Johnson Dairy Owner (deceased)

1943-1944 Carroll Coughlan Hardware (Charter member - deceased)

1944-1945 Cedric Porter Episcopal Priest (deceased)

1945-1946 Guerdon Ellis U.S. Forest Service (deceased)

1946-1947 Robert Tamblyn Practice of Law (deceased)

1947-1948 Edward Frantz Education (deceased)

1948-1949 Lloyd Geist Education (deceased)

1949-1950 Marvin Shock Forest Service (deceased)

1950-1951 William Tamblyn Theatre Management (deceased)

1951-1952 Paul Bergemann Mortician (deceased)

1952-1953 John L. Larue Practice of Law (deceased)

1953-1954 Elza Kilroy Post Office (deceased)

1954-1955 Edward Clark Education (deceased)

1955-1956 Stanley Halls Architect/Insurance (deceased)

1956-1957 Thomas Taylor C.P.A. (deceased)

1957-1958 Willard Rose Banking (deceased)

1958-1959 Donald Daniels Bowling Alley Owner

1959-1960 Ralph Colburn Practice of Law

1960-1961 Earl LeGette Unknown

1961-1962 Joe Morgan Auto Dealership

1962-1963 Wendell Jones Dairy Owner (deceased)

1963-1964 Earl Erickson Title Insurance (deceased)

1964-1965 Roy Stauffer Dentist (deceased)

1965-1966 Verle E. Grey Judge (deceased)

1966-1967 Edward Browning Education (deceased)

1967-1968 Ted J. Waddell Forest Service

1968-1969 Charles Allert Printing (deceased)

1969-1970 John Underwood Real Estate

1970-1971 John Gallegos Mgr. Nev. Co. Chamber of Commerce

1971-1972 Blaine Farber Auto Dealership

1972-1973 Dan C. Woodard Education

1973-1974 Haven Martin Methodist Minister (deceased)

1974-1975 Robert McMasters Insurance (deceased)

1975-1976 James Kendrick Insurance

1976-1977 Edmond Dunning Practice of Law

1977-1978 Vin Agar Artist/Newspaper (deceased)

1978-1979 John Hensley Real Estate

1979-1980 Edward Fellersen Education

1980-1981 Maskey Heath Propane Dealership

1981-1982 Allan Rogers Art Consultant/Picture Framing (deceased)

1982-1983 Fred Zunino CA State Auto Assoc. Mgr. (deceased)

1983-1984 Gary Daniel PG&E Superintendent

1984-1985 Karl Stewart Solar Engineering (deceased)

1985-1986 Gene Albaugh County Administration (deceased)

1986-1987 Larry Undercoffer County Building Manager (deceased)

1987-1988 John Rankin Trailer Parks Owner (deceased)

1988-1989 Dave Denney Management Consultant

1989-1990 Forrest Dunivin Towing Service

1990-1991 Ben Barretta Public Water Service

1991-1992 Fred Heauser Tire Retail Owner (deceased)

1992-1993 Mike Drummond Writer

1993-1994 Joe Reynolds Dentist

1994-1995 Ray James Financial Manager

1995-1996 Dave Bunje Methodist Pastor

1996-1997 John Woodford C.P.A.

1997-1998 John Burke Mortgage Broker (deceased)

1998-1999 JoAnn Stone Practice of Law

1999-2000 Kirby Sechovec Restaurant Owner

2000-2001 Ralph Sawvell Doctor (deceased)

2001-2002 Ellen Davis Non-Profit Administrator

2002-2003 Pearce (Terry) Boyer Public Relations

2003-2004 Kim Stewart Wastewater

2004-2005 Ben Barretta Nevada Irrigation District Mgt.

2005-2006 Don Fultz Real Estate (deceased)

2006-2007 David Kennitzer Banking IT

2007-2008 Nancy Kemp Banking

2008-2009 Bob Buhlis Postal/Shipping

2009-2010 Michael Colantouno Practice of Law

2010-2011 Eleanor Kennitzer Public Relations

2011-2012 Carolyn Inglis International Shipping

2012-2013 Pearce (Terry) Boyer Interim Health Care

2012-2013 Dennis Geare Realtor

2013-2014 Dennis Geare Realtor

2014-2015 Robin Milam Internet Marketing

2015-2016 Dave Bunje Methodist Minister (Retired)

2016-2017 Walt Stickel Sr. Project Manager (Retired)

2017-2018 Cathy Wilcox-Barnes Government Adm. (Retired)

2018-2019 Tom Ryan General Contractor (Retired)

2019-2020 Cathy Wilcox-Barnes Government Adm. (Retired)

2020-2021 Tom Milam Video Engineering - Retired

Co-Presidents Tom Ryan General Contractor (Retired)
2021-2022 Dave Denney Management Consultant

Co-Presidents Carolyn Feuille
2022-2023 Chris Newsom Internal Medicine (Retired)

Co-Presidents Karen McDonald   Catholic Education
2023-2024 Cathy Wilcox-Barnes         Government Adm. (Retired)
  Doug McDonald Non Profit Admin - Boy Scouts (deceased)

2024-2025 Louise Bennicoff-Johnson School Administration