Citizen of the Year
By Chris Murphy
One of the great things, and quite frankly the secret sauce in Modesto is our amazing network of volunteers. We are truly lucky to have so many that give of their time, effort and treasure to make out community better. We have great non-profit boards that work tirelessly and fantastic service organizations improve the lives of all of us. Whether it be at the Gallo Center, Hospice, CASA or the Boys and Girls Clubs, there are so many that give their time and expertise to make these orgs better. There are some in all of this that go above and beyond really push things forward.
Last month, the American Legion Post 74 honored Janine McClanahan as their Citizen of the Year. On top of her day job and passion, with Janine’s Travel, Janine, has served on no less than 30 boards and committees. As a proud Rotarian, Janine served as the 1st Female President and then served as District 5220 Governor. As the most recent honoree, I was proud to present this award to her.
Fun fact, Janine started her career as a United “stewardess” as they were called back in the 1960s. As a lifelong United flyer and million miler, this makes me smile. In fact, my first trip to the UK in high school was booked by Janine’s. From the friendly skies of United to her service above self in Modesto, Janine has made all of our lives richer from her service as Modesto City Council member, board chair of the Boys and Girls Club, Soroptimist International, Memorial Hospital, Community Hospice, Leadership Modesto and so much more. Did I mention she is one of the founders of Modesto Commerce Bank? Amazing huh?
Beyond this stellar record of accomplishment, she is a proud aunt that loves making cookies and cakes and celebrate the holidays in Mickey and Minnie style. She is a wonderful person of passion, friendliness and a dedication to community service. We are so lucky to have amazing people like Janine and Jim McClanahan in our community and I and my fellow inductees celebrate her accomplishments.
