Exchange Club members recognized for local, district accomplishments

June 23, 2022 | By Muddy River News

Top row from left, Joel Koch and Jeff Dorsey; bottom row from left, Rick Gengenbacher and Erik Dolieslager. | Photos courtesy of Dennis Koch

QUINCY — The Quincy Exchange Club recently recognized several members for accomplishments at the local and district levels.

Erik Dolieslager, who served as the Quincy club president in 2021-22, helped pushed the club’s membership to the highest numbers seen in years. The club’s recruitment of 24 new members is among the highest in the nation. Dolieslager was named the Bill Hageman Exchange Club Member of the Year for 2021-22. He also was elected as director for Division 6 of the Lincolnland District (Quincy, Beardstown and Aledo) at the District Convention in Rockford. He previously presented at the town hall for Region 3, which consists of the Lincolnland, Lakes and Prairies (Minnesota and Iowa) and Dakota Territory (North and South Dakota) districts.

Jeff Dorsey was the recipient of the Tom Williams Sr. Communications Award for the best club bulletin in the Lincolnland District. Dorsey has been a member of the Quincy Exchange Club since 1990, and he has been the editor of the Quincy Exchangite for more than a decade. He was named the Bill Hageman Exchangite of the Year in 2013-2014 and was the first John Tripp Distinguished Service Award recipient in 2008-09.

Dorsey served as the Quincy club president in 2007-08. He also is a previous recipient of the Lincolnland District’s Kremer-Clarkson-Krause Award, a special communication award that is only presented to an outstanding communicator over an extended period of time.

The Distinguished Service Award is a district award given in recognition of a career of service to Exchange. The award locally is named the John Tripp Distinguished Service Award, and this year’s recipient is Rick Gengenbacher. He also was selected as the 2022 Lincolnland District Distinguished Service Award recipient.

Gengenbacher has been a member of the Quincy Exchange Club since 1994, serving as the Exchangite editor prior to Dorsey. He served as president of the club in 2005-06 and was named the Bill Hageman Exchangite of the Year for 2003-04. He also was recognized for his service to veterans at the Illinois Veterans Home. He coordinated the officials (Gus Busters) for the Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament and chaired the One Nation Under God breakfast/luncheon.

Joel Koch was installed as president of the Lincolnland District at the district convention in Rockford. He has been a member of the Quincy club since 2009 and served as club president in 2019-20. He becomes only the fourth second-generation district president since the office was established in 1927. His father, Dennis, was district president in 2008.