Meet 2017 - 2018 District 6250 Governor Joe Ruskey on Tuesday, September 19
Joe has been a member of the Prairie du Chien Rotary club since 2003. He served as President in 2007 -2008, a member of the board of directors, membership chair, and chair of the fundraising committee. In 2008 Joe started to work with the district as an AG for group 10. He held this position from 2008 – 2012. In 2012 Joe accepted the position of District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair. He will continue in this role until July 2016. He has been a part of the team that has helped usher in Future Vision throughout District 6250. Joe feels that with Future Vision, Our Foundation is uniquely positioned to change lives all over the world while ensuring dollars are used to their fullest. That is the power of Our Foundation.
Even though Joe has been in Rotary since 2003, he states he ‘actually’ became a Rotarian in 2007 when becoming president of his club. While in this roll Joe truly learned what Rotary is. It lined up with his and his wife’s belief that we are only here to serve others. Continuing into the role of AG, Joe learned more about the power of Rotary both locally and internationally. As he learned about the Foundation, he became more convinced that Rotary allowed him and his family to walk out their beliefs.
Joe has been involved in both local projects and international projects. He has worked with clubs all over the district to make sure that their ideas and projects are backed and strengthened through both district and global grants. Joe and his team have been involved in awarding hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of grants allowing him to have a front row seat to the power of Rotary and the amazing tool that Our Foundation is. He was personally involved in a project in Ghana that allowed over 86000 people to have their lives changed. Joe believes that is a statement of the importance and necessity of Rotary. He also believes that right now is so important because needs all over the globe increase daily. In addition, we are so close to finishing our job to eradicate polio. We are on track to see it eliminated in 2018. He believes we can’t let up when we are so close.
Joe lives in Prairie du Chien with his wife, Tina, his daughter, Samantha, and his Son, Joseph. His Daughter was an outbound Rotary Exchange Student to Denmark in 2013/14. His family has also hosted 2 inbound exchange students. Joe and Tina are both supporters of the Rotary Foundation. Tina is a Paul Harris and a bequest society member. Joe is a Paul Harris plus member, a sustaining member, a bequest society member, and a Paul Harris society member. Joe and Tina own Dependable Solutions, Inc., a technology consulting firm specializing in Computer Network Support, design, and implementation with locations in Prairie du Chien, Boscobel, and La Crosse.
In his spare time, Joe enjoys diving, grilling, and travelling with his wife and kids. Joe and Tina enjoy travelling throughout the district and beyond to different Rotary events and clubs. It allows them to see all the good Rotary does around the world and it is something so important to both of them.