See below the remarks by Past President Rosemarie Rowney and Director of Youth Achievement John Sepp as they presented Collyer Smith with his Distinguished Service Award.
Distinguished Service Award to Collyer A. Smith
October 6, 2021
The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor annually recognizes members with the Distinguished Service Award (DSA). The DSA is the Club’s highest honor for those who have exemplified the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” in their professional achievements, community involvement and contributions to Rotary.
Today the award goes to a person who joined the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor (RCAA) in 2007, encouraged by a friend who thought he must have some time on his hands since he was so good at winning at tennis. He immediately became one of the Club’s Rotary Readers and Tutors and quickly learned that you have to make tutoring fun for the students. That experience motivated him to become Chair of the Rotary Readers and Tutors.
He served as President of the RCAA in 2016-17, our Centennial year. During his presidency, the Club successfully raised over $1 million in collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor for the Universal Access Playground at Gallup Park; held a very successful Centennial Golf and Tennis Outing to raise $45,000 to fund Community Allocation grants; and collaborated with other local clubs to organize the 2017 Peace Conference.
Following his presidential year, he assumed the role of Rotary District 6380 Assistant Governor for the Ann Arbor North, Chelsea, Milan and Saline Rotary Clubs. He is now the Rotary 6380 District Governor Nominee for 2023-2024.
Collyer A. Smith is the distinguished Rotarian we are honoring today.
Collyer’s reputation extends well beyond Rotary to Toastmasters, where he served as a frequent participant in speech contests, Club President, and Area Governor. Collyer’s wife, Annie says that Collyer can be characterized as a motivated self starter who “can’t sit still”.
His community service also includes serving as President and Board Member for the Family Learning Institute, an organization dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged kids from Washtenaw County achieve grade level reading. Collyer and his son, Cam, tutored together at the Family Learning Institute. He claims this as a wonderful father/son bonding experience and therefore, having special meaning to both Annie and Collyer.
Collyer currently leads the Rotary District 6380 Mental Health Initiative. Recently, they have had a focus on increased awareness and ending the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Collyer partnered with commun ity organizations to actively set up a virtual and in person Marathon designating over 20 mental health agencies as beneficiaries of the race proceeds.
All of this volunteer activity was preceded by a professional life in mortgage banking. His career started out working for Unilever selling Concentrated All detergent, Imperial margarine, and Dove soap but then moved onto mortgage banking at InterFirst, which eventually became ABN-AMRO.
Collyer’s email signature description is
“Engaged Community Member”.
Surely, this is the type of person who is most deserving of the Distinguished Service Award.
Collyer is someone who always does things the right way and follows the rules. Unless, some else like John Sepp, who was his Rotary mentor knows something that we don’t know . . . John?
You’re right Rosemarie, Collyer is an example of a law abiding citizen who follows the rules and does it right. Except that one time at the Bob Dylan concert. Awhile ago Collyer and his wife Annie attended a Bob Dylan concert with me and my wife. Even though it was posted and announced that no photography or video taking would be allowed, everyone around us seemed to be ignoring the rule and taking photos of Bob Dylan. Collyer was angered, and said “Doesn’t anyone follow rules anymore? These people should be thrown out of the concert” So many people were taking photos, so I took a quick one, so did Annie. Finally Collyer said “oh well, if everyone else is doing it” and whips out his phone and snaps a quick shot. Then a flashlight shines in Collyer’s face…a husky bouncer appears. “You! No photographs allowed!! Come with me!” Then amidst a lot of commotion Collyer is forced to leave his seat, escorted by the bouncer and made to stand in the far back of the auditorium so they could keep an eye on him, like some misbehaving schoolboy sent to the corner of the classroom. Imagine the indignity! Did they have any idea who they were dealing with? Our club president during the centennial year? A future district governor? A man who has spearheaded more important Rotary initiatives then you can shake a stick at? How dare they! I personally think Bob Dylan himself should have come out after the show for a photo session with Collyer, shake his hand and thank him for working so tirelessly on behalf of others. Like we are all doing here today. Thanks and congratulations Collyer.
