Rotary Celebrates Emeritus Member George Cress!

We recognize, honor and confer Emeritus status on George Cress, for his active years of “Service Above Self” and his contributions to Rotary. George has been an active member of this club since 1963. He was sponsored for membership by Tom Dickinson. In the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s, when this club pushed regular attendance and community service, George fulfilled these requirements with gusto. His service included serving on our Membership Committee, and acting as General Campaign Chairman and also Chair of the Board of the Washtenaw United Way. He is a Paul Harris Fellow. George recruited and sponsored or co-sponsored a number of our members, including Duane Renken, Dale Berry, Bernie Bedell, Mary Hays and Mike Nold. He and his lovely wife, Connie, have three children and four grandchildren, all living in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. 

 

The name George Cress is synonymous with Ann Arbor Trust Company. It was founded by his father and mentor, Earl Cress, whose tests of George far outnumbered our Four Way Test. As its CEO, he led it from a pure trust company to a full service commercial bank, and it was under his leadership until he retired in June 1997. 

 

After taking early retirement from the bank, he continued his community service and took on the duty of president of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and, of course, it flourished under his leadership. No one could speak to the value of his involvement there more completely or eloquently than Cheryl Elliott, its current president. BUT, that is a telling for another time.

 

George chuckles when he sees an image of Jack Lousma, Ann Arbor’s astronaut, floating in space. George said he more readily recognized Lousma upside down because for three years at Ann Arbor High School, George was the center and Lousma the quarterback of its football team. During those three years they never experienced a loss. George, you have been a winner ever since! And you have always placed “Service Above Self.”  [Proclamation by Mike Nold, Dec. 16, 2009]