FLORENCE – John Salyers has been inducted into the Florence Rotary Club Heritage Hall of Fame.
Salyers is the 15th person added to the honor roll since Florence Rotary was founded in 1945. Since leading the club as president in 2009-10, he has worked three years as an assistant governor for District 6740, which includes 45 clubs in the eastern half of Kentucky.
He will serve as District Governor for the 2014-15 Rotary year.
“John Salyers is the living epitome of the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self,”” said Gary Griesser, who led the induction ceremony on Monday, June 9. “John was turned on by Rotary when he joined the club nine years ago and he still is turned on by Rotary.
“His greatest role with Rotary has been the (worldwide) project to eradicate polio. He has put vaccine on the tongues of children in Africa, and he has worked with international officials and people like Bill Gates” to accomplish that goal.
Salyers was born in Independence and grew up in Grant County. He joined the U.S. Army in 1967 and served as a combat engineer during the Tet Offensive. After leaving the army, he joined the Erlanger Police Department, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant during 16 years on the force.
There’s good reason for you to join the Rotary!
In 1986 Salyers directed Jim Bunning’s successful campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served as Bunning’s field representative during his 12 years as U.S. representative for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District and Bunning’s two terms as one of Kentucky’s two U.S. senators. Salyers retired from his congressional staff position in December 2011.
“He is one of the most kind and caring men I know,” said Debbie McKinney, who served as Sen. Bunning’s state director and deputy chief of staff. “He was into service above self before he ever came to Rotary. So many times I saw him spend of lot of his own time helping someone with Social Security or some other kind of problem.”
Salyers currently serves on the Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force for the United States as well as District 6740 Polio Chairman. Since 1979 Rotary has led a worldwide effort that has reduced polio cases by 99 percent around the globe. Salyers recently returned from the Rotary International Convention in Sydney, Australia.
“Sydney. …That’s where you could see how big Rotary is and how much influence it can have,” Salyers said. He said one of the goals of his tenure as district governor will be to help wipe out the last vestiges of polio.
“I can’t imagine the level of “turn-on” he is going to bring to the district,” noted Griesser.
Salyers and his wife, Connie, live in Erlanger. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.
