Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Foundation

Commitment to Service Award

The Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Foundation was established to support the charitable and philanthropic work of the Sunrise Rotary Club. The Foundation is a tax-exempt organization under the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Until it was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2020, the Comitment to Service Award (C2SA) was our largest annual fundraiser. Check out some past recipents of the C2SA Awad below:

2019 C2SA Honoree

Rev. Dr. Jay Wolf

Rev. Dr. Jay Wolf has served as the Pastor of First Baptist Church since 1991. Over past years, Montgomery Sunrise Rotary has welcomed many esteemed members as well as noteworthy organizations from our Montgomery community as they gather with us to celebrate those heroes we honor and support charitable organizations that work hard to do good work in our community. 2020 will be one more excellent example in that grand tradition.

2018 C2SA Honoree

Honorable Judge Charles Price

For our fourteenth year, the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club hosted a gala evening of fine dining and entertainment celebrating the achievements of the Honorable Judge Charles Price in his commitment to serve his fellow citizens.

2017 C2SA Honoree

Leslie Sanders

For the thirteenth consecutive year, the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club hosted a gala evening of fine dining and entertainment as an annual fundraiser. In 2017 we recognized Mrs. Leslie Sanders for her commitment to service benefiting her fellow citizens.

2016 C2SA Honoree

Mr. Russ Dunman

For its twelfth year, the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club hosted an evening of fine dining and entertainment as an annual fundraiser. In 2016 we recognized Mr. Russell S. Dunman for his commitment to service benefiting his fellow citizens.

2015 C2SA Honoree

Honorable Judge Vanzetta McPherson

For its eleventh year, the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club hosts an evening of fine dining and entertainment as an annual fundraiser. This year we chose to honor Judge Vanzetta McPherson for her commitment to service benefiting her fellow citizens.

2014 C2SA Honoree

Mrs. Virginia Whitfield

For our 10th anniversary event, we honored Mrs. Virginia Whitfield, a woman who has positively impacted the River Region for many years. Virginia has been an English teacher, a public relations executive, a promoter of Alabama’s best food products, a benefactor of Children’s Hospital, and local youth. A director on numerous boards, she has played an active part in empowering and promoting women, and in 2010 was the first woman chosen as Citizen of the Year by River Region Living. We were delighted to add our approbation this evening.

2013 C2SA Honoree

Rev. Dr. John Ed Mathison

For the ninth consecutive year, the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club had the distinct honor of hosting an evening of fine dining and entertainment as an annual fundraiser. In 2013 we had the honor of celebrating the work of Rev. Dr. John Ed Mathison. Over the past eight years we have gladly welcomed many esteemed members and noteworthy organizations from the Montgomery community to gather with us to help roast our honorees. This year was no exception.

2012 C2SA Honoree

Ms. Ellen Brooks

Ms. Ellen Brooks is a native of Montgomery County, Alabama. She attended Vanderbilt University and the University of Alabama School of Law where she was awarded a J. D. Degree in 1976. She has served as the District Attorney of Montgomery County since 1993.

Ms. Brooks began her career in prosecution in 1977. After completing her clerkship at the Supreme Court of Alabama, she became a Deputy District Attorney in the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. She was appointed as Director for the White Collar Crime Unit in 1981 and became the Chief Deputy District Attorney in 1983. In 1991 she was appointed as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Alabama.

Ms. Brooks was selected District Attorney of the Year in 1999 by the Alabama District Attorneys Investigators Association and is a past President of the Alabama District Attorneys Association. She is well known in Montgomery County and throughout the State of Alabama for her professional involvement and her positive contributions to the legal and judicial professions. She is an active leader in the community and her church.

2011 C2SA Honoree

Mr. Ray Scott

Mr. Ray Scott is best known for founding the world’s largest sport fishing organization – the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.). B.A.S.S., has changed the face of fishing forever and Mr. Scott immediately began a lifetime commitment to promoting clean water issues and was instrumental in the passage of the Sport Fish Restoration Act, also known as the Wallop-Breaux Fund, which provides millions of dollars every year to state fisheries nationwide. He has received the coveted Horatio Alger award for his business success and contributions back to his community and the outdoors industry. He was named as one of the 20 most influential outdoor Americans of the 20th century by Field & Stream magazine.

2010 C2SA Honoree

Mr. Jere Beasley

Mr. Jere Beasley, a nationally known and respected trial attorney, is senior member of the firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Jere Beasley has practiced law as an advocate for victims of wrongdoing since 1962. During his career, he has tried hundreds of cases. Jere’s numerous courtroom victories include landmark cases that have made a positive impact upon our society.

The driving force behind Jere’s success has been his intense commitment to his clients. Jere is, without a doubt, one of the leading trial lawyers in the entire country and a leading advocate for those who have been wronged. He has appeared as a lecturer throughout the country at numerous legal seminars and other events.

2009 C2SA Honoree

Mr. Ed Reifenberg

Ed Reifenberg is a nationally known tax and accounting advisor with Wilson Price CPA and Business Consultants.

Ed began his public accounting practice in 1976 upon joining Wilson Price. Prior to joining the firm he served three years in the United States Army. Ed has served clients in industries as diverse as multi-family developments, real estate investment trusts, low-income housing tax credit syndications, governmental, not-for-profit and small business. His real estate knowledge and experience has helped Wilson Price build a comprehensive real estate services practice.

Ed obtained an education from the University of Notre Dame in Civil Engineering, and then from Auburn University in Accounting. He maintains professional affiliations in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association, the Affordable Housing Association of Certified Public Accountants, the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Montgomery Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi National Accounting Fraternity.

2008 C2SA Honoree

Mrs. Lynn Beshear

Born in Durham, North Carolina, Lynn Beshear moved to Montgomery from Kentucky in 1978 and has been the executive director of Envision 2020 since October of 2000. Envision 2020 is a community-driven strategic planning effort involving citizens and leaders in the Central Alabama counties of Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon and Montgomery - the River Region. Its purpose is to develop shared goals encompassing all aspects of the region's future and to see that those goals are implemented.

Currently, she serves on the boards of directors for the Montgomery Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and The Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. She is on the Metro Montgomery YMCA Board, and is chair of the long-range planning process for First United Methodist Church. She has also served on various committees with the Helping Families Initiative.

She was in Class III of both Leadership Alabama and Leadership Montgomery, was the Junior League Sustainer of the Year in 1992 and won Leadership Montgomery Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award in 2004.

2007 C2SA Honoree

Mr. Gordon Martin

Mr. Gordon G. Martin (L) is Vice President of the Southern Division of Alabama Power Company, where he has overall responsibility for the company’s operations in parts of 19 counties in South Central Alabama, including Montgomery. Southern Division’s 660 employees serve approximately 220,000 homes and businesses.Gordon previously served as Manager of External Affairs at both Southern Company Generation and Energy Marketing, and Alabama Power. Prior to that, he served as the company’s lead government relations representative in Washington, D.C. Before joining Alabama Power, Gordon was a legislative lawyer with Hogan & Hartson, Washington D.C.’s largest law firm, and a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Howell Heflin.

A native of Birmingham, Gordon graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama with a degree in Corporate Finance and Investment Management, where he also was elected President of the Student Government Association. He also earned a law degree from the University of Alabama and the University of Notre Dame London Law Center; a Master of Public Administration degree from the George Washington University. Gordon also completed both the Executive Accounting and Finance Program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an Advanced Management Programme at Templeton College at Oxford University in England.

2006 C2SA Honoree

Mr. Carl Barranco

Carl A. Barranco (L) is President of the accounting firm of Wilson, Price, Barranco, Blankenship & Billingsley, P.C., Montgomery, Alabama, which is one of the largest independent CPA firms in the State of Alabama. In Carl’s role as President of Wilson Price, he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the firm and its entities, its 135 member staff which includes 70 CPAs, and his individual client base.

A graduate of Huntingdon College with a B.S. Degree in Accounting, Carl has been in public accounting practice for 41 years and specializes in the audits of financial institutions, manufacturing, and construction and real estate industry.

He was the 2004 Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, and is currently a member of the Boards of the YMCA, Huntingdon College and The Leading Edge Alliance. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, and a founding member of The Leading Edge Alliance.

2005 Inaugural C2SA Honoree

Mr. JIm Ridling

Mr. Jim Ridling,(C) Chairman and CEO of Southern Guaranty Insurance (retired) was recently the 2004 River Region United Way Fundraising Campaign Chairman, which exceeded the organization's fundraising goal. Throughout his business career, Mr. Ridling has been involved in varied professional organizations. He is a member of the International Insurance Society and the National Association of Independent Insurers. He is a past member of the University of Alabama School of Business' Board of Advisors; the Advisory Board of the University of Arkansas Business School; and a graduate of Stanford University's Inaugural Leadership Effectiveness Studies Program. Currently, he is a member of the School of Business Advisory Council for Troy State University. Mr. Ridling continues to be very much involved in his community. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Montgomery Air Force Association; the Board of Directors of the Business Council of Alabama; the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of their Military Council; and the Montgomery Area Committee of 100. He is also President of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Ballet; a member of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and a Boy Scouts Board of Director.