International Officers 2018-2019

International President

Rick Swansbro

Midstates Federation - Rockford Club - Rockford, IL
 
Rick joined the Rockford Cosmopolitan Club January of 2007 at the invitation of his son in-
law Dayton Smith. Since then he has served the Rockford Club, Mid-States Federation and
the International level in positions of increasing responsibility. During this time, Rick served
as club Vice President, President-Elect, President, Mid-States Federation Governor, V.P.
Fundraising, International President-Elect and now International President. One of his most
prized moments was being recognized as the 2011 club president of the year.

September 2018, Rick & Linda Swansbro will celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary.
With a family comprised of daughters Alison Smith, Shannon Dew, Kelly Pelch and
grandchildren Kennedy and Cassidy Smith, Ellie and Parker Pelch, and Nolan and Emelyn
Dew they remain busy with family, church, work and of course Cosmopolitan International.
Oh yes, let’s not forget a round of golf whenever possible!
 
Rick and Linda are participating members of Heartland Community Church. For the past 12
years, Rick has served on the tech team as video camera operator.
 
August of 2018 marks Rick’s 15 year anniversary with SPXFLOW. As Director of Channel
Development for SPXFLOW, Rick is responsible for “go to market” strategies and business
development initiatives for the Americas. In fact, Rick’s entire career has revolved around
hydraulic products and systems as either a manufacturer or distributor. In addition,
Rick previously served as adjunct faculty at the University of St. Francis business college in
Joliet, Illinois.
 
Rick is an avid Chicago Cubs fan and is proud of the fact that he witnessed game six and
seven with son in-law Dayton Smith in 2016 when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series!
He is also a fan of open wheel racing. So, if you want to quickly get Rick’s attention, start
talking Cubs, IndyCar or Formula 1 racing!
 
Rick feels that his previous work and life experiences have positioned him to serve
Cosmopolitan International as International President.
 
“I quickly realized the night of January 2007 while participating as a guest at the annual Chili
Shootout that becoming a Cosmo was a great opportunity to serve a greater cause. I was
impressed by the quality of the people, the club and a chance to socialize and have fun
while at the same time serving my community. It’s great to be a Cosmo!”

 

President Elect

Judy Weitkemper

Mo-Kan Federation - Columbia Show-Me and Columbia Breakfast Clubs - Columbia, MO
 

Judy became a Cosmopolitan in 1999 by joining the Columbia Show-Me Club . She has been a dedicated
and active member with perfect attendance since joining, holding numerous positions, including club
president (twice), Lt. Governor, Governor Elect and Governor of the Mo-Kan Federation. Judy is also a
proud member of the Columbia Breakfast Club and holds leadership roles within that club as well. She is
honored to have been elected to serve on the Cosmopolitan International Board.

Judy is retired from a career in banking management with the last 16 years of employment as Senior
Vice President of Finance with an insurance company. She has a BA degree in Business Administration
and English.

Judy and her husband Bill, also a member of two Cosmo clubs, recently celebrated 36 years of marriage
and share 6 children and 14 grandchildren. They both share a passion for diabetes and making their
community a better place to live. Bill, an Eagle Scout, volunteers with Boy Scout Troop 708 as
Advancement Chair, keeping track of the scouts’ badges and awards. Judy volunteers with various
organizations including the Columbia Parkinson’s Support Group and singing with a local band at nursing
homes and the Senior Center.

They both enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren, traveling and enjoying their
second home at the Lake of the Ozarks.

 

Vice President of Finance

Keith Shepherd

Western Canada Federation - Wascana Club - Regina, SK
 
Keith Shepherd joined Cosmopolitan International as a member of the Regina Capital Cosmopolitan Club on September 18, 1983 and is also a charter member of the Wascana Cosmopolitan Club April 18, 1995.  He has served Cosmopolitan actively since joining the organization by holding various positions at the club, federation and the Cosmopolitan Diabetes Foundation of Canada Inc. (CFC) and now at the International level, having been elected as Vice President for Finance at the 100th Annual Cosmopolitan International Convention in Kansas City, MO. July 28, 2018.
 
Keith has worked for Dudley & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants since October 1975.  His work load varies during the year providing public tax and accounting services to individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations.  With Keith’s background it is no surprise that he has held positions as club, federation and CFC treasurer.  He has been club president on several occasions (international distinguished club president 2013/2014) and was WCF Governor 2014/2015.
 
He has attended most all WCF conventions and numerous International Conventions over this time.  He enjoys golfing, curling, fishing and hiking. He has attended approximately 17 annual Cosmopolitan fishing trips to northern Saskatchewan where they have had Cosmopolitan attendees from as far away as Austin, Texas.
 
Keith has been married to fellow Cosmo Karen Shepherd, current secretary of WCF, for 40 years and has three children; Christine (current WCF Governor Elect), Ryan and Raymond (Nicole) and two grandchildren (Cali and Lincoln).

 

Vice President of Marketing and Fundraising

Tracy L Miller

At-Large Club - Lancaster, PA
 

Tracy came to Cosmopolitan during an interview for our Executive Director position. She accepted our offer, and provided us with dynamic leadership for 5 years. One of the major tasks was the sale of our International Headquarters building in Overland Park, KS. That included the removal of our brick courtyard, which has now become our Cosmopolitan Wall in Columbia, MO.

Tracy recently took a position with Penn State College of Medicine and it looked like she would be leaving the Cosmopolitan organization. However, after some soul searching, she decided to run for VP of Marketing and Fundraising and stay involved with our organization. What a great win for us!

Tracy brings a tremendous amount of experience to the Marketing and Fundraising job. We look forward to the growth that should come from her expertise. Tracy lives in Lancaster, PA with her husband Jeff, daughter Hope, and 5 dogs.

Vice President of Membership

LaVonne Hawking

Mid-States Federation - Aurora Club - Aurora, IL
 
I have been a member of the Aurora Cosmopolitan Club since 2004. I was invited to an Oktoberfest Cosmopolitan event at the last minute-hesitated on attending, but Okay, I'll attend, since I would know many of the people there. Walked in the door and it was also a MEMBERSHIP event. I thought, really? Well, stay away from those tables! As the event progressed and members were giving their testimonies, I felt the tug in my heart-This is something I could be involved-after all, I am free on the 3rd Thursday of the month-so I joined, much to the surprise of my friends who invited me. I was installed that evening by then International President Walter Alm. No regrets since.
I grew up on a dairy farm in southern Wisconsin and then lived in Madison, WI for six years (yes a Badger and Packer fan). We moved to Aurora in 1971. I ahve two adult children-Lisa (Windsor, CO) and is a member of our club-she has a son Patrick (Merideth) and their two boys Matthew (10) and Alex (4). My son Dan (Kari) live in Aurora, have three boys-Brandon (21), Jake (19), and Drew (16). I have spent many years on the baseball and football fields-basketball courts-and now with two younger great grandsons-the tradition continues.
 
I am involved in my church-serving on the Diaconate Board and help with various fund-raisers that we have. I was Secretary to the Principal of Aurora West High School for 12 years and then worked for 20 years at REED Machinery and Transportation. In the past, I have also worked part time at our local drug/alcohol outpatient facility. I did retire a few years ago, but now I work part time for Baum Property Management in Aurora (6-8 hrs/day--retired? LOL). For fun during those days, I also was a scorekeeper for boys basketball/baseball teams as well as a Girl Scout leader and Secretary for the Girl Scout Council. I am the clubhouse manager for the association where I live. Volunteer work is and has been a bit part of my life.
 
I love traveling and have been to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Dominican Republic as well as the inside passage of Alaska. I have attended 9 Cosmopolitan International conventions and I look forward every year seeing my 'extended Cosmo family.' I stress to my club members to attend-because you just don't know what you re missing and the friendships are priceless. Since I love to travel-I am going to parts of the U.S. and Canada that I would not have otherwise been to.
 
I have moved up the ladder so to speak as I have been Secretary for our club now going on 15 years. Club president the last 4 years and during that time, I was Mid-States Governor for two terms. Being asked to be BP of Membership was truly an honor.
 
My main goal for my club has always been increasing membership. We were down to 20 members and have increased our membership by 23 members in the last 10 years. My interest in membership has followed me through the years as I have invited 20+ friends/relatives to our events or meetings. Of the 20+, 20 have joined our club. I have found when talking to people and you mention diabetes, sending kids with diabetes to camp, and the Paws Saving Lives program-you have sparked their interest. Keep on talking-you never know what the result will be.

 

Judge Advocate

Larry Heim

Mid Atlantic - Lancaster Club - Lancaster, PA
 

Biography

Chief litigator for the firm. Approximately 70% of practice is devoted to civil trial work in the county Courts of Common Pleas and in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Admitted pro hac vice to the Federal District Courts of Montana, New Jersey and Maryland, and the state courts of Texas, West Virginia and Florida.

Bar Admissions

State of Pennsylvania, 1976
U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1988
U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1976
U.S. Federal Courts, 1976
U.S. Supreme Court, 1983
U.S. Tax Court, 1976
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Professional Associations and Memberships

Pennsylvania Bar Association
Pennsylvania Association for Justice (Trial Lawyers), Former Governor 
Middle District Federal Bar Association
York County Bar Association
Central Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers, Former Treasurer
Herbert B. Cohen Inns of Court, Executive Committee
York County Easter Seals, Past President
Pennsylvania Easter Seals Society, Former Chairman, Council of Presidents
United Way, Former Section Chairman
Hoffman Homes for Youth, Former Director
Cosmopolitan International, Past International President
Cosmopolitan Diabetes Foundation, Former Chairman & C.E.O.
York Lodge #266 F. & A.M.
Harrisburg Consistory S.P.R.S.
York Forest #30, Tall Cedars of Lebanon
Supreme Forest, Tall Cedars of Lebanon, Parliamentarian, 1989 - Present
Zembo Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S.