Carl Kruse named Rotarian of the Year for RB Sunrise Rotary Club

Sunrise Rotarian of the Year

Carl Kruse, past president of the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary club, has been named Rotarian of the Year for that club.

A retired banker and community leader who lives by Rotary’s motto of ‘Service Above Self,’ Kruse, a past Assistant Governor for Rotary International District 5340, which covers San Diego County and parts of Imperial County, is currently District Membership Chair. During his 15 years as a member of Rotary, he has always gone that extra step to live his life by the philosophy ‘Community service is a Journey, Not a Destination’.

‘My involvement in Rotary is a direct result of my dad’s influence,’ says Carl. ‘He introduced me to Rotary when I was Student Body President of my high school, and I fondly remember attending Rotary meetings every week for nine straight months when I was 17. I LOVED it, and was immediately hooked!’ Carl’s father - Edgar (Bud) Kruse - was a 50-year Rotarian in Sacramento County, CA before passing away in 2001.

‘Rotary is there to help the community,’ says newly-installed club president Nasrin Barbee. ‘Money is important to our efforts, but RB Sunrisers know it’s about more than just having a bank account. We’re always looking for new ways to aid those in need. And we rely on the leadership of members like Carl to find opportunities to be there for others.’

A long-time resident of Poway, Carl served on the Poway City Council from 1982-90 and was elected Poway’s Mayor in 1986 and 1988. Additionally, he was Chairman of the Board of the Rancho Bernardo Chamber of Commerce in 2003-2004.

With the passing of Mayor Cafagna and appointment of Mayor Higginson earlier this year, Carl’s extensive experience in all aspects of what makes a community into a desirable place to live was appointed as Councilmember to complete the 18-months left of Higginson’s term.

His civic involvements have also included serving on the Business Council for the Poway Center for the Performing Arts and leading the organization of the Rancho Bernardo Business Association. Carl also has the unique honor of having carried the Olympic Torch for the 1984, 1996 and 2002 Olympic Games.

For Carl it all ties back to Rotary. He notes, ‘I firmly believe that no matter how long a person has been in Rotary, they can always learn more, do more and gain more from active involvement in their club’s activities and programs.’

Carl and the other 64 professionals of the RB Sunrise Rotary meet at 7:15 every Tuesday morning at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo, 12280 Greens East Road, San Diego, CA 92128. Members of the public are invited to attend these meetings.

The RB Sunrise Rotary can be found online at www.rbsunrise.org.

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Tags: Add new tag, carl kruse, Rancho Bernardo, SDNN, sunrise rotary

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