Rotarian
Posted by Rita DuChateau
Longley Parker honored as Rotarian of the Year
Our club has presented the Rotarian of the Year Award to Longley Parker, treasurer of the club board and local business owner.
According to tradition, the award was presented by the person who earned the honored the previous year. Tara Moenning, 2015 recipient, described the many attributes that earned Parker the award. Among those include his volunteerism with several community organizations, from the club’s Duck Race to foundation boards for the hospital and Salud on which he served as treasurer.
“Longley Parker is so deserving to be selected as Rotarian of the Year. He works tirelessly in his profession, serves on boards for other worthy organizations and still has time to serve as the treasurer for The Estes Park Duck Race and The Rotary Club of Estes Park. He is a huge asset to Rotary and the entire Estes Park community,” said Scott Thompson, 2015-16 president.
Parker, an Iowa native, has worked as an optometrist in Colorado for 15 of his 39 professional years. His patients at Aspen Eye Center in Estes Park are grateful that he did not follow his original career path as a teacher. His family includes wife Julie, and sons Chuck, who lives in Des Moines, Iowa, and Nathan, who resides in Bailey, Colorado. His hobbies draw him to the outdoors to hunt and fish with his sons. Julie, also a work partner, says Parker is “a pretty humble guy who gives freely of his time and loves to be a part of Rotary.”