Exemplary service by many in the community was recognized June 25 when the Rotary Club of Livingston presented three Paul Harris Fellowships, recognized numerous community partners and installed a new slate of officers for the upcoming year.
“Today we have the opportunity to honor some amazing people for their unwavering support,” Outgoing Rotary President Bev Reed said.
Three people were honored with Paul Harris Fellowships, the most prestigious award given by Rotary to someone who may or may not be a Rotarian, but exemplifies the Rotary motto of ‘Service Above Self.’ The honorees were Rick Oliver, Mindy Ellis and Andy Evans.
Brandon Wigent presented the Paul Harris Fellowship to Rick Oliver.
“Rick was born and raised in Livingston and graduated from LHS in 1971. After one year at Stephen F. Austin State University, he got drafted and went to Fort Polk, La., for boot camp. His draft number was 14. He married his high school sweetheart, Mary Westcott, in December of 1972 and they are still married after 53 years and counting. Danny Moseley was the best man in the wedding and Rick was the best man in Danny’s wedding. His daughter Angela was born in January 1975 at Fort Polk, La. After three years in the army, he went back to college at SFA. His son Scott was born in Nacogdoches in March of 1980.
“He finished up with a master’s degree at SFA and got a job with Exxon. His first assignment was in Lafayette, La. and he was there for four years. In 1984 he was transferred to Denver, Colo. After six years in Denver, he was transferred to the Greenspoint, Texas office and eventually to the downtown Houston office. After over 33 years working for Exxon Mobile, he retired and started the process of selling the family home in Spring and moving back home to Livingston where he spends much of his time keeping up with yard work, boating with family, and enjoying life on the lake across the cove from lifelong friend Danny Moseley.
“I joined this club in early 2020, and during my time I have enjoyed our club’s commitment to this community and being involved in many fundraisers and projects. Rick has been a constant force with these efforts. Whether it is scraping up old flooring at GRACE Pregnancy Outreach, remodeling the SPCA building, pressure washing the Rotary Pavilion at Matthews Street Park, installing a Monarch Waystation, installing peace poles at our local school campuses volunteering at the concession stand for the youth rodeo, working our annual pancake supper, or being the backbone of our annual golf tournament. Very few actually know how much time, effort and energy he puts into not only this club, but the community. He doesn’t want the credit, or to be in the limelight, that is just the kind of person he is.
“From data I have been able to acquire prior to my involvement in the club, our annual golf tournament historically raised a gross income of around $7,000-$9,000. We did not have a tournament from 2020 through 2022 due to COVID. In 2023 we brought the tournament back and we raised $9,363 and were very happy with the result. Rick took it upon himself to make the event bigger. In 2024, our gross income was $20,150, surpassing our annual pancake supper as our biggest fundraiser for the year, I think for the first time ever. In 2025, the gross income from our golf tournament was $23,465. I can tell each and every one of you that this success is completely driven by his efforts, which allows our club to do more for this community and this organization. Without a doubt, Rick is the personification of ‘service above self.’
“It has been a privilege to serve beside him. I am grateful to call him friend and am honored to have the opportunity to present this Paul Harris recognition. Please help me congratulate Rick Oliver,” Wigent said.
Bev Reed presented the Paul Harris Fellowship to Mindy Ellis.
“Today I have the privilege of introducing a person whose life reflects Rotary’s commitment to service, leadership and action. Mindy is a daughter, sister, an aunt, a mom of three sons, a grandmother of three grandchildren ages 15, three and one. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Texas. Before settling in Polk County, she lived in Nova Scotia, Canada and Fayetteville, NC. She moved to Livingston in 1996. She attended community college in medical office management, but says pharmacy is where she was meant to be.
“Mindy is a pharmacy manager who had dedicated more than 34 years to serving her community through healthcare. As a leader responsible for a team of more than 20 employees, she has helped guide tremendous growth and success while maintaining a commitment to caring for both patients and colleagues. She currently services as Pharmacy Administrator for Brookshire Brothers with a work tenure of over 26 years. Raised by hardworking, self-made parents, Mindy developed a strong work ethic that continues to shape her life today – one she is proud to have passed on to her three hardworking adult sons.
“Service has always been at the heart of who she is. Since 2015, alongside Faith In Practice, Mindy has participated in annual medical mission trips to Guatemala, helping provide medications and care to those in need. Closer to home, she has volunteered at health fairs, vaccination clinics and community outreach events, including the countywide COVID vaccination effort.
“Her passions include supporting young women facing unexpected pregnancies, promoting literacy through children’s reading programs, helping seniors become more confident with technology, investing in the success of young people, and strengthening her community through hands-on service. She is also an enthusiastic advocate for recycling and environmental stewardship.
“Those who know Mindy describe her as a servant-hearted leader, a connector, and a person who doesn’t wait for someone else to solve a problem. She believes that meaningful change happens when ordinary people choose to care for one another. She loves spending time with her family. She is proud to be a frugal person. She likes to garden and work in the yard. She is a devout Christian. She also loves a good bargain shopping spree.
“While attending a local leadership training earlier this spring, she aligned with Rotary by funding her first Paul Harris Fellowship. But there is more. In addition, your fellow 10/12 Club Rotarians overwhelmingly voted for you to receive a Paul Harris Fellowship as well. This now means that you are a Paul Harris +1. Congratulations Mindy Ellis,” Reed said.
Corky Evans presented the Paul Harris Fellowship to Andy Evans.
“It’s an honor to make this presentation. I have a tremendous amount of respect for this recipient and I’ll do my best. All of us have roles in life whether it’s being a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a son, a daughter, roles within our careers and we all have high expectations on those roles. Although his has excelled in all of these areas, I’m not going to talk about that. When I think of Rotary and the Paul Harris Fellowship, I think of service and that’s what I want to focus on. Our club’s motto is ‘Service Above Self.’ Though he is not a Rotarian, he truly exemplifies our motto and lives his life by the Four-Way Test.
“He is a 1988 graduate of Livingston High School and a member of the Class of 1992 of Texas A&M. Immediately after graduation from college he entered the banking field and to this day remains in the financial services business. He and his wife Allison have been married for 29 years and have three amazing children that will certainly carry on his legacy of making the world a better place.
“He is a lifelong member of the First Methodist Church. He is not just a member. He has served on virtually every committee of the church and just in the last seven years, he has served on five different committees for a combined 15 one-year terms. The only way to do that is to serve on at least two committees each year for the last seven years. The Methodist Church would not be what it is today without his service.
“I don’t want to guess how many years he has volunteered in our local youth organizations. Livingston Little Dribblers, from overseeing the program, to coaching to officiating games, he did it all. He was a volunteer and coach for the Livingston Youth Baseball Association for many years. He was a volunteer and coach for the Livingston Girls Softball Association for many years. For the last 15 years, he has followed his passion volunteering time to our youth involved in the Trinity-Neches FFA/4-H Show. It didn’t matter if the student was competing against his own child or not, if they needed any help he was there for them.
“He has been serving in the Lions Club for over 20 years, is a past president and leads the way in their annual fish fry. This is the 15th year for him to serve on the Economic Development Council for the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe and has provided sound advice and leadership for their development plans. He has been serving on the Corporate Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Deep East Texas for five years and is currently serving as chairman of their finance committee. He has been serving on the Polk County Higher Education & Technology Foundation for 12 years and is currently serving as chairman of that organization which is responsible for providing opportunities for secondary education at a local level.
“This is his second year serving on the Livingston City Council and I can assure you our city is in good hands with him providing leadership. All of this while maintaining a hectic pace at work. I’ll never know how he does it all. Something I’m very proud of, Andy is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, his mom and dad who all received Paul Harris Fellowships from our club. It’s my honor to present this Paul Harris Fellowship to the second third-generation recipient of our club, Andy Evans,” Evans said.
Community partners were recognized.
Mark Waters presented a certificate of appreciation to Brenda Gokey Hambrick and Kenneth Hambrick for their efforts with the creation of the Ray Gearing Monarch Waystation located on Loop 393 in Goodrich. The Hambricks own the property where the site was located.
Mindy Ellis presented a certificate of appreciation to Emily Banks Wooten of the Polk County Enterprise for helping tell the club’s story in the newspaper by sharing its projects and programs and the work it is doing in the community.
Joe Haynes presented a certificate of appreciation to Kevan Wood of First Baptist
Church thanking him for allowing the club to use its facility for the annual pancake supper.
Lee Blau presented a certificate of appreciation to Katie Klingler of Lowe’s for her support of and assistance with the creation of Peace Pole Gardens on three campuses in Polk County.
Bev Reed presented a certificate of appreciation to Alex Sanchez and the staff of the IAH Secure Adult Detention Facility for providing a labor force of volunteers that are always willing to help out.
Though neither were able to attend, certificates of appreciation were also prepared for Clarke Evans for serving as auctioneer at the annual pancake supper and to Roger Randolph of McDonald’s for his contributions to the pancake supper.
Club awards were presented to Mindy Ellis, Will Watson, Rick Oliver, Joe Roth, Blair McDonald and Bill Watson. Watson was also recognized with a special award for perfect attendance over about a 50-year time period.
Outgoing President Bev Reed thanked everyone for their efforts regarding peace-building and conflict resolution, in addition to their work on the three Peace Pole Gardens at Livingston ISD, Onalaska ISD and Goodrich ISD.
West Smith, District 5910 Assistant Governor, installed the new officers.
They are: President Mindy Ellis, President-elect Tatum White, Secretary Will Watson and Treasurer Joe Roth. Directors and committee chairs include: Rick Oliver, Daniel Barton, Judy Cochran, Trina Fowlkes and Bev Reed.
“We’ve had an inspiring year under the leadership of Bev. Her commitment and tireless efforts have created lasting impact and I hope to build on the foundation she has laid,” Incoming President Mindy Ellis said as she presented a plaque to Reed thanking her for her service.
