Community and Clubs Hall of Fame

Editor’s note: The Daily Pilot on Friday proudly sponsored its inaugural “Community and Clubs” Hall of Fame luncheon inspired by our columnist Jim De Boom’s weekly column on local service clubs. Following are the winners with their biographies:

Christina Holliday

Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise

 Nominated by Mary Cockley, club president

Holliday could not make the event at American Legion Hall Post 291 in Newport Beach, so Cockley accepted it for her.

Holliday is married to Steve and is a mother of a 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son. She has been a member of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise for seven years.

For the past four years she has served as club treasurer, implementing new software for the club’s books, acquired VISA and MasterCard services for the club and was active in fundraising efforts for the club’s foundation. Holliday has volunteered as a coach for the Rotary Club-Salvation Army employment project and works with the club’s community service chair on scholarship for students at Back Bay High school.

Holliday’s community involvement includes sponsoring a volleyball team that won the Junior Olympic Title for the age group in Dallas last year and is traveling to Miami for this year’s championship.

Fran Ursini

Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club

 Nominated by Charles Markell of the Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club

Ursini also could not make the luncheon so Markell accepted the award for him.

Ursini has been a long-time member of the Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club. He has served as the club’s president and has either chaired or participated in the club’s committees.

For the last 10 years, Ursini has chaired the annual AYSO Pancake breakfast in the early fall. He has also helped out the last couple of years at the Lion’s Club annual Fish Fry, which will be held again this weekend.

He also makes the family restaurant, the Newport Rib Company, available for the Kiwanis board meetings and special events. In his spare time, which is limited, he plays in Senior Slow Pitch leagues in Orange County, and has been a CIF head referee for fall football for 33 years.

Mike Scheafer

Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club

 Fellow Lion members Mike McIlroy and Robert Jara nominated Scheafer.

Scheafer is married to Sandi and is the father of three grown sons, Matt, 31, Jason, 29, and Eric, 22.

Scheafer has been a member of the Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club for 16 years, a stint that has included five times as the club’s president and as Lions District Governor in 1997-98. He has also served Lions International in a variety of state offices in multiple districts and has chaired the Lions State Convention.

Scheafer has served as Lions Club Fish Fry Chairman several times, was board president of the Boys & Girls Club, board president of the Costa Mesa Senior Center and led the efforts for the Skate Park at Costa Mesa’s Lions Park.

Scheafer is a former Costa Mesa Park’s Commissioner, former Costa Mesa City Councilman, was the founder of Costa Mesa Little League and is a current Little League coach.

Scheafer is also a member of Newport Elks and chaired the Elks “Hoop Shoot.”

Carol Van Holt

Harbor Mesa Lions Club

 Nominated by Gina Stansbury, club president

Van Holt has been a Lions Club member for 16 years and has held the positions of 1st vice-president, 2nd vice-president and Harbor Mesa Lions Club president. She has held the position of Tail Twister, public relations chairwoman, bulletin editor for three years and is a 9-year board member.

Van Holt has served as District 4L4 Zone A Chairman, and region secretary in 2003-04. She received the District 4L4 Bulletin Editor Award two years in a row and won several President’s achievement awards. In 2001 she received her club’s highest award, The Melvin Jones Fellow.

Van Holt has chaired the club’s largest fundraiser, a casino night, six times, and also chaired the Vision Walk, a fashion show, Bingo Night, Chili Cookoff, Ronald McDonald House Service Project, a Women Helping Women clothing drive, a Peace Poster Contest, membership committee and she twice chaired the Club retreat.

Van Holt is Harbor Mesa Liaison for community service and has volunteered with the Youth Employment for four years.

Richard D. Freeman

Newport Harbor Exchange Club

 Nominated by Club President Nick Berger

Freeman is married to Jane. Freeman has been a member of the club for 15 years, and has served as club president, editor of the club’s newsletter the “Spindrift,” and chaired public relations and media coverage. He helps find speakers for club meetings and has designed district and national pins. Freeman provided the leadership to start a new Exchange Club in Irvine.

Freeman served as district president in 2000, which oversees the state’s organization, and has served on national Exchange Club committees.

Freeman is also president of the Men’s Fellowship at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. He has trimmed and decorated the “Dolphins in Corona del Mar” for many years.

He is best known for bringing 35 new members into the Exchange Club, he is recipient of the National Exchange Club Hall of Fame Award and District Exchangite of the Year.

Last year, Freeman designed the statuette for the National Court of Honor Award and was the first person to receive the award from the National Exchange Club.

Freeman, who made it to the coveted rank of Eagle Scout as a youth, still works with the Boy Scouts.

Jim de Boom

Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa

 Nominated by Victor Currie, club president

De Boom has been married to Barbara for 39 years and has been a member of the Newport-Balboa Club for 34 years. Together, they have two daughters, Stacy and Jodi, one son-in-law, one grandchild, Parker, and one son-in-law-to-be.

During his years in the Newport-Balboa Club, De Boom served as president in 1980-81, bulletin editor many times, received the club’s community service award in 1991-92 and again in 1993-94, and he was named Club Rotarian of the Year in 2002-03.

At the District level, De Boom served as governor in 1997-98 and district administrator from 1999 to present. He edits and publishes the Rotary District 5320 Newspaper, publisher of the District Directory, is the district’s webmaster and serves as the Youth Protection Officer.

He was a member of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Education from 1983 through 1996 and served as president several times.

De Boom serves the Orange County Council of Boy Scouts of America as a board member, was chairman of Exploring for several years and chairs the Venturing Division. He has been a member of the Newport-Mesa-Irvine Interfaith Council since 1975 and has been executive director for the past dozen years.

De Boom has been honored by the Exchange and Soroptimist Clubs and writes the weekly Community and Clubs column in the Daily Pilot.

He coordinated the Taste of Newport for the first 14 years, was a member of the Commodores Club, and has been involved in “Irrelevant Week.”

Tim Shields

Rotary Club of Newport Irvine

 Club President Jerry Rekers nominated Shields.

Shields is married to Beth and together they have two children, 11-year-old Jack and 8-year-old Ava.

Shields has been a member of the Rotary Club of Newport Irvine for 10 years and served the club as Greeter, Fine Master, program chairman and club president in 2005-06. He helped his club achieve tax-exempt status and serves as a foundation director.

Shields has also been very active as a Cub Scout leader and has held the position of Cubmaster. He serves as assistant scoutmaster for Troop 746 in Newport Beach. He regularly encourages his scouts to put service to others first. For his Rotary and Scout work, Tim received the Cliff Dochterman Award in 2008 from the Scouting Fellowship of Rotary International. Tim also belongs to the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce.