Ken Klemish with Past International Director Judy Hankom, chair of the Klise Award Committee.
Special to the Times Vedette
Ken Klemish, a member of the Adair Lions Club, received the G.E. “Bud” Klise Leadership Award, the Lions Clubs of Iowa highest leadership award, at the 2024 Iowa Lions state convention. One Iowa recipient has been named each year for the past 36 years to recognize outstanding leadership ability at all levels of Lions: club, district, state and international. The award is presented in honor of Lions Clubs International Past International Director Bud Klise from Iowa, who exemplified leadership as he served his fellow man.
A Lion for 38 years, Klemish has served in numerous leadership positions in the Adair Club as president, secretary, treasurer and LCIF Chair. At the district level, he served as district governor, zone chair, membership chair, LCIF chair, Leader Dog chair, Guiding Lion, and New Club Extension Chair, helping to start four new clubs. He has been instructor for district officers more than 20 years. Klemish received the District Lion of the Year and the District Outstanding Service Award. At the state level, he served as Iowa Lions Foundation Trustee. On the international level, he served on the Midwest Leadership Conference leadership team, on the USA/Canada Lions Forum Planning and Host Committees, and presented many Lions seminars across the USA at district/state Lions conventions. He helped raise the funds for Leader Dogs for the Blind Canine Center. He has received many International Presidential, Leadership and LCIF medals.
Local community leadership by the individual is included in the Klise award consideration. Klemish has served in Adair as a Cub Scout leader, city zoning commissioner, local church board, and was Adair Citizen of the Year in 1994. He co-chaired Adair’s 125th anniversary celebration, and he worked at a local John Deere store for 53 years.