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District 7980

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Ernie Luise joined Derby-Shelton Rotary in 1993 and has had perfect attendance. She served as Community Service Chair, Sergeant-at-Arms and President-Elect before becoming the Club's first female president in 1999-2000. She was Assistant Secretary in 2000 and Club Secretary 2001-2005. She was honored with the District Donald A. Adams Outstanding Rotarian Award in 2004.

From 2000 to 2005 she chaired Security and Sanitation on the Shelton Day Committee and was responsible for all Rotary information in the newspaper supplement for Shelton Day. Ernie was the Club Historian, 2000-2005, and she also produced a Club brochure specific to Derby-Shelton. 

She received the following awards from her Club: Service Above Self, 2006; Rotarian of the Year, 2001-02; Paul Harris Fellowship, 2000-01; Most Valuable Player, 1996-97; and Outstanding Leadership, 1994-95.

On the District level, Ernie was Assistant Governor for Area 5, 2002-05, and served as District Interact Chairperson 2001-02.  She was on the Centennial Ball Committee 2004-05, the District Conference Committee 2004-05, and is on the Gift of Life Board. Ernie was District Conference Chairwoman 2005-06. She is a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute.

Ernie is Board member and former Chair of TEAM, Inc., a Community Action Agency, where she represents the city of Shelton. She sits on the foundation board of Birmingham Group Health Service, a behavioral health agency. She is a member of the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Lower Naugatuck Valley. Ernie was board member for the Valley United Way and chaired the Volunteer Action Council Advisory for several years. She was secretary of the Shelton Municipal Parking Authority and sat on the commission for over 10 years.

In her community, she and her husband, Nick, are the 2005 recipients of The Joseph A. Pagliaro, Sr. Distinguished Service to Children and Families Award given by the Parent Child Resource Center. In 2006, Ernie was presented with the Sharon Bryce Holly Community Hero Award by the Valley United Way and also was named a Woman of Substance by the Connecticut Post. Ernie is the 2002 Chamber of Commerce Gold Seal Award Recipient for outstanding community service and in 2001 was recognized as a Women Making a Difference in the Valley.

Ernie has an education degree from Montclair State in New Jersey with certification for Secondary Education in social studies and biology. She and her husband, Nick, are retired and live in Shelton. They are Major Donors and Benefactors to the Rotary Foundation. Their daughter, who is married, and granddaughter are also Paul Harris Fellows.

 Last Updated: Monday, February 18, 2008