District Governor 2014-2015, Larry Petrash

Larry was born in Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, to Texas parents and raised in a military family, moving to various places around the world that included Ansbach, Germany and Tokyo, Japan He grad-uated from Texas A&M University with a BBA in Management and a Masters of Education Degree in Educational Administration with a minor in Business.

He served over twenty-seven years in the U.S. Army Reserve, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Medical Service Corps. His expertise was in Hospital Administration. His service rendered sixteen medals including four awards of the Army Commendation Medal; one Army Achievement Medal; two awards of the National Defense Service Medal for Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm; four awards of the Reserve Components Achievement Medal; and two awards of the Army Reserve Medal among others.

He is a Risk Management Consultant assisting companies with captive management, self-insurance programs, and commercial insurance portfolios. He also provides Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety consulting. Larry teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Business at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Larry has served his community on numerous boards, president of most, over the last thirty years. Currently, he is President of the Wichita Falls Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America and serves at the state level as Secretary of the Texas Council of Chapters; President of the Southside Youth Center in Wichita Falls, Vice President of Risk Management for the Northwest Texas Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and holds the prestigious Silver Beaver Award.

Larry has been married to Paula since 1968. Paula is a Nursing Home Administrator and Social Worker. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Larry joined Rotary in 1978. He is Past President of the Rotary Club of Wichita Falls (2005-2006), Past Assistant Governor (2011-2012), and is currently serving as his club’s Secretary. He also serves as Committee Chair on the District Matching Grant Committee and is a Texas Representative of Shelterbox USA, a Rotary partner. He, and wife Paula, are both Paul Harris Fellows. Paula is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Iowa Park.