The Fort Atkinson Lions Club announced on Tuesday that it has installed new officers who will service during the organization’s 2023-24 year.
The 2023-24 year, as recognized by the club, began July 1.
New officers include Tom Freeman, who will serve as president; Eric Schultz, who will serve as first vice president; Tom Gebhardt, who will serve as second vice president; Patti Hurtgen, who will serve as third vice president; Nancy Onufer, who will serve as club secretary; Michelle Ebbert, who will serve as the club’s financial secretary and treasurer; E.G. and Kevin Becker both of whom will serve as membership co-chairs; Donna Petersen, who will serve as service coordinator; Jeff woods, who will serve as director of the club’s board of directors; Larry Narkis, who continues to serve as the organizer of the club’s raffles, and Mason Becker, who will serve as the Fort Atkinson’s Lions Club International liaison.
A short bio about each officer follows.
Tom Freeman
According to information released by the club, Freeman served his country in the military reserves for 23 years. He is a part of the legion’s honor guard. He also served as a firefighter and spent 10 years as an EMT. As an avid outdoorsman, he has been a hunter safety instructor for 30 years.
Eric Schultz
According to the release, Schultz is a manager at Stoughton Trailers and is a Fort Atkinson city councilman. Schultz enjoys the military rank of Army Major. A member of the Lions club for the three years, the release, noted that his favorite activity is highway cleanup and eye tissue transport.
“I became a Lion because I loved the projects we do – Tour de Fort, highway cleanup, and park cleanup. I enjoy the like-minded people in the club, and the organization helped me integrate into the community when I moved to Fort Atkinson,” Schultz was quoted as saying in the release.
Tom Gebhardt
Gebhardt, according to the release, is a third-generation plumber and operates Gebhardt Plumbing Service, LLC. He has been a member of the Lions club for eight years.
Patti Hurtgen
Hurtgen has been a member of the Lions club for seven years and, according to the release, she handles the club’s promotions and public relations activities. She also serves on the Lions District 27-A1 cabinet as the district’s social photographer and newspaper editor.
“I was looking for a service club that would expose me to community members that I would not have met through my current activities. It’s like a family reunion at each meeting where we catch up on the happenings in our lives,” Hurtgen was quoted as saying in the release.
Nancy Onufer
According to the release, Onufer, who will serve a second year in the role of club secretary, also serves as a liaison between the Lions Clubs International, the state organization, and district, providing a connection to the local membership. She has been a member of the Fort Atkinson Lions Club since 2017 as were her late husband, Mike and father, John Hershman. She is involved with her church, serving as clerk, and various committees, choir and bell choir.
Michelle Ebbert
Ebbert has been a member of a Lions club since 2014, and joined the Fort Atkinson Lions Club in 2018. According to the release, her two favorite Lions-related activities are highway and park cleanup. Ebbert, as described within the release, “was curious about the club and came to check it out,” and found, the release stated, “an entire new family.”
Within the release, Ebbert was quoted as saying: “We share a common respect of each other, seek ways to make our club stronger, and celebrate our victories together, whether it’s a Lion victory, personal or professional. Smiles and laughter are simply contagious at our Monday meetings.”
E.G. and Kevin Becker
E.G. Becker has been a member of the Lions Club for 55 years. Kevin Becker, the release stated, has been a member for more than two decades. Together, they operate Yerges Storage.
“We are fortunate in Fort Atkinson to have such a strong service club that does so many good things for the community. One of the many reasons I joined Lions was to meet people from all walks of life. We have maintenance people, doctors, lawyers, bankers, real estate, pharmacists, as well as retired people that want to keep being involved in our community. Our club is strong in Sight First, eye tissue transport, used eyeglasses recycling, and diabetes awareness. The club supports many groups in need and that is another reason I joined Lions,” E.G. was quoted as saying in the release.
E.G. has been recognized numerous times for the many members he has sponsored to become Lions, the release stated.
Kevin leads the Lions volunteers as they decorate the Fort Atkinson Holiday Parade float and drives the vehicle that pulls the float, the release noted.
Donna Petersen
Peterson, in her role as service coordinator, reports club activity hours and performs outreach to Lions Clubs International. According to the release, the reported hours demonstrate the club’s volunteerism, which the release stated, “aids the state and international organization in securing grants for larger projects.”
Within the release, Petersen noted that she jointed the club in 2016 at the age of 82.
“I would like to inspire anyone, at any age, to join a wonderful family of caring Lions serving their community,” she said within the release.
Jeff Woods
Woods has been a member of the Fort Atkinson Lions Club for 17 years, the release reported. He served as the Fort Atkinson Lions Club president between 2015 and 2016, and served the city of Fort Atkinson as its city engineer 25 years before retiring 2015. He works part-time as a bike mechanic at 2 Rivers Bicycle and Outdoors. Woods, the release noted, is an avid biker and serves on the Tour de Fort organizing committee. He became a club member, according to the release, because he enjoys the fellowship of the club and working on projects that give back to the community.
Larry Narkis
Narkis has been a member of the Fort Atkinson Lions Club for more than 20 years, the release stated. He was employed by SpaceSaver in fabrication, and Butler, also known as Jamesway, for 17 years. According to the release, Narkis joined the Lions club to help people.
“Fort Atkinson has a strong history of community involvement and I am glad to be part of that,” Narkis was quoted as saying in the release.
Mason Becker
A past president, Becker has been a member of the Lions Club in Fort Atkinson since 2016. He has served on the Fort Atkinson City Council for five terms, including serving three years as council president. He also is pursuing his master’s degree in public administration at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
“I enjoy being a Lions member because it allows me to give back to the community that has done so much for myself and my family,” Becker was quoted as saying in the release.
For more information about the Fort Atkinson Lions Club, visit its website: www.eclubhouse.org/sites/fortatkinson.
E.G. Becker, from left, Michelle Ebbert, Patti Hurtgen, Tom Freeman, Tom Gebhardt, Mason Becker, Eric Schultz, Larry Narkis, Jeff Woods, Donna Petersen, and Nancy Onufer, gather after each was installed recently as a member of the Fort Atkinson Lions Club officers team. Team member Kevin Becker, not pictured, also was installed as a team member. Contributed photo.
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