Freeman served as district president in 2000, which oversees the state’s organization, and has served on national Exchange Club committees.
Freeman is also president of the Men’s Fellowship at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. He has trimmed and decorated the “Dolphins in Corona del Mar” for many years.
He is best known for bringing 35 new members into the Exchange Club, he is recipient of the National Exchange Club Hall of Fame Award and District Exchangite of the Year.
Last year, Freeman designed the statuette for the National Court of Honor Award and was the first person to receive the award from the National Exchange Club.
Freeman, who made it to the coveted rank of Eagle Scout as a youth, still works with the Boy Scouts.
Jim de Boom
Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa
Nominated by Victor Currie, club president
De Boom has been married to Barbara for 39 years and has been a member of the Newport-Balboa Club for 34 years. Together, they have two daughters, Stacy and Jodi, one son-in-law, one grandchild, Parker, and one son-in-law-to-be.
During his years in the Newport-Balboa Club, De Boom served as president in 1980-81, bulletin editor many times, received the club’s community service award in 1991-92 and again in 1993-94, and he was named Club Rotarian of the Year in 2002-03.
At the District level, De Boom served as governor in 1997-98 and district administrator from 1999 to present. He edits and publishes the Rotary District 5320 Newspaper, publisher of the District Directory, is the district’s webmaster and serves as the Youth Protection Officer.
He was a member of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Education from 1983 through 1996 and served as president several times.
De Boom serves the Orange County Council of Boy Scouts of America as a board member, was chairman of Exploring for several years and chairs the Venturing Division. He has been a member of the Newport-Mesa-Irvine Interfaith Council since 1975 and has been executive director for the past dozen years.
De Boom has been honored by the Exchange and Soroptimist Clubs and writes the weekly Community and Clubs column in the Daily Pilot.
He coordinated the Taste of Newport for the first 14 years, was a member of the Commodores Club, and has been involved in “Irrelevant Week.”
Tim Shields
Rotary Club of Newport Irvine
Club President Jerry Rekers nominated Shields.
Shields is married to Beth and together they have two children, 11-year-old Jack and 8-year-old Ava.
Shields has been a member of the Rotary Club of Newport Irvine for 10 years and served the club as Greeter, Fine Master, program chairman and club president in 2005-06. He helped his club achieve tax-exempt status and serves as a foundation director.
Shields has also been very active as a Cub Scout leader and has held the position of Cubmaster. He serves as assistant scoutmaster for Troop 746 in Newport Beach. He regularly encourages his scouts to put service to others first. For his Rotary and Scout work, Tim received the Cliff Dochterman Award in 2008 from the Scouting Fellowship of Rotary International. Tim also belongs to the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce.
