Rancho Bernardo News Journal Coverage of RB Hall of Fame Inductees:

Glover, Kurth and Schmidt selected for Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame By ELIZABETH MARIE HIMCHAK Three longtime community volunteers have been selected for induction into the Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame next month.

Don Glover, Debbie Kurth and Donald Schmidt will become the organization’s 119th, 120th and 121st honorees when the RB Hall of Fame holds its by-invitation induction gala on March 9 at the Bernardo Heights Country Club.

The RB Hall of Fame was established in 1974 to honor longtime community volunteers who have provided Rancho Bernardo with years of significant leadership.

* * * * * “It is a complete shock ... it’s truly an honor, knowing a lot of the people who are in it,” Glover said about his selection. “I never envisioned to be among the people included in it.”

Glover was nominated by Michael Fuqua and selected for his leadership in the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo, the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo Foundation and the Spirit of the Fourth Committee.

“Don’s tenure as president of RB Rotary was marked by growth, increased camaraderie, recognition of the 50th anniversary of the club and membership increases,” Fuqua wrote. “Perhaps most importantly, Don consistently looked for opportunities to assist the local community and his infectious enthusiasm resulted in record participation by our members in both fundraising and participation in community events.”

Glover was the Rotary club’s 2014-15 president and its foundation’s 2018-19 president after serving on its board the previous two years. According to Fuqua, the foundation granted a combined $50,000 to various local organizations during Glover’s tenure.

For the past three years Glover has been the Rotary District 5340 assistant governor. In that role, Fuqua wrote Glover brought together the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo, the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club, North San Diego Rotary Club and Poway-Scripps Rotary Club so they could collaborate on service projects benefiting the wider community. Prior to this there was “little to no collaboration among (the) clubs,” Fuqua wrote.

For two years (2016-18), Glover also was the Spirit of the Fourth Committee’s volunteer coordinator and has worked on other aspects of Rancho Bernardo’s Independence Day celebration.

Glover, who grew up in the San Jose area, moved his family to Poway in 1977. He and his wife moved to Rancho Bernardo in 2006, but were involved in the community long before that.

He credited his parents with his dedication to volunteerism. “I give a lot of credit to my folks who did a lot of things when I was young,” Glover said, adding he has found that when one gives back to the community the person gains more than those assisted.

“I’m very excited about receiving this and am really honored,” Kurth said about her selection. “There are so many great people in the hall of fame and it is great to be in that group. I enjoy doing so much for the community.”

Kurth was nominated by 1998 inductee Nick Anastasopoulos for her leadership in the Rancho Bernardo Business Association and Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation.

Anastasopoulos praised Kurth for stepping into the role of RBBA president in August 2016 when the then-president became ill and was unable to continue.

“This was extremely significant in that the organization could have simply gone dark for 5-6 months, creating a void in future funding for community partners of the RBBA,” he wrote. “Had she not stepped in, we may not have (had) an honorary mayor that year, nor some funding for other RB organizations. Debbie was vice president and treasurer at that time and continued in those roles as well.”

Kurth is still the business organization’s president and treasurer. “Because of Debbie’s leadership and what she does for the group on a daily basis, the RBBA is able to assist local businesses in a variety of ways,” Anastasopoulos wrote.

She has also been the community foundation’s president for the past three years and chairwoman of the Rancho Bernardo Community Thanksgiving Luncheon for the past five. The luncheon is one of the foundation’s largest fundraising events.

“Her leadership in fundraising allows the foundation to make (a) significant contribution to several RB community partner organizations on an annual basis,” Anastasopoulos wrote.

Kurth, a Wisconsin native who moved to Rancho Bernardo nearly 30 years ago, said she started volunteering at an early age. “It was really in high school and in college and it continued from there,” Kurth said. “I felt it was a worthwhile thing to do, giving back to my community.”

“When I looked at the website and saw the people who are members of the hall of fame, it was very heartening to see that I’ll be in that company,” Schmidt said, adding he has known most previous inductees. “It’s a nice feeling to be included.”

Schmidt was nominated by 2017 inductee Michael Vaughn for his leadership in the Maj. Abraham J. Baum Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7766. He was post commander from 2010 to 2012 and 2014 to present, has been a charter member since the post formed in 1986 and involved “on and off since ... but for the last 12 years very closely involved,” Schmidt said.

He is a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy from 1962 to 1968 as a F-4 radar intercept officer and reached the rank of lieutenant.

“Don has energized our post and brought it to new heights,” Vaughn wrote. “His outstanding leadership ... has led us to receive an All-State Post award four times and to receive an All-American Post award ... twice. Very few posts attain All-American status even once, let alone twice.”

Vaughn added, “A VFW post is only as good as its commander. Don’s outstanding leadership has put our post at the top nationwide.”

According to Vaughn, the post assists veterans in Rancho Bernardo by providing financial assistance to them when in need, by visiting them when ill and by honoring them when deceased. The post is also very involved in the community in several ways. This includes supporting the Rancho Bernardo Veterans Memorial in Webb Park and by serving the community’s youths. The latter has been done by sponsoring Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and JROTC units for many years. It has also selected local teachers, police officers, firefighters and scouts for honors at the local, state and national level.

“In summary, VFW Post 7766 is a vital part of the RB community, contributing to RB in many ways, and Don Schmidt’s outstanding leadership has been a key factor in that for over 6 years,” Vaughn wrote.

Schmidt, who grew up in Ohio and Pennsylvania, said he has volunteered since high school. “It is something one does in order to pay back when you are so lucky for what you do have,” he said. “When you see other people who are really in need, helping them is fun. It also gives you a community of like-minded individuals and comradeship.”

The Rancho Bernardo resident since 1972, who has been involved in several other organizations as well, said helping veterans is especially meaningful to him because of how some Vietnam veterans were poorly treated upon their return home.

Copyright © 2019, Rancho Bernardo News Journal

The 2019 Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame inductees Don Schmidt, Debbie Kurth, and Don Glover.

2019 inductees with City Councilman Mark Kersey.

Hall of Fame President Robin Kaufman

2019 inductees with Robin.

Rancho Bernardo News Journal coverage of the 2019 induction ceremony by ELIZABETH MARIE HIMCHAK: Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame welcomes trio into its ranks Don Glover, Debbie Kurth and Don Schmidt were welcomed into Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame membership during the organization’s annual gala dinner and induction ceremony. Attendees at Saturday night’s event in the Bernardo Heights Country Club included 22 of the 49 living RB Hall of Fame members and other invited guests. Since it was formed in 1974, membership has been based on the significant leadership nominees have provided over many years to the Rancho Bernardo community. The new trio are the organization’s 119th, 120th and 121st honorees. Glover, nominated by Michael Fuqua, was selected for his leadership in the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo, the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo Foundation and the Spirit of the Fourth Committee.

Click here for the RB News Journal web page with a link to their Photo Gallery of the event courtesy of Elizabeth Marie Himchak.

2019 RB Hall of Fame inductees with former year inductees who attended the Gala.

Informal shot of Gala attendees

Informal shot of Gala attendees