Jerry Nolen
Spirit of St. Louis County Rotary Club
In 2002, Jerry became a member of the Overland Rotary Club in St. Louis County, Missouri. The Overland Club became the Spirit of St. Louis County Rotary Club in 2022. Early in his Rotary journey, his family hosted a Rotary Youth Exchange student from Natal, Brazil – a fantastic way to get an introduction to the international aspect of Rotary!
Jerry has served as club president three times, club secretary three times, and youth chair for many years.
On the district level, Jerry has served as District 6060 RYLA Chair, Assistant Governor, and in December of 2022, Jerry was chosen to be District 6060 District Governor for the 2024-2025 Rotary year. On the multi-district level, Jerry has been a Rotarian counselor at Missouri RYLA Academy for many years. He is a Board of Directors member of the Missouri RYLA Academy and serves on the Show Me Council. Jerry’s Rotary passion is RYLA (specifically, the Missouri RYLA Academy).
Jerry left Rotary in 2015 but returned in 2019. His belief that Rotary can make a difference in the world and his desire to return to the Missouri RYLA Academy were the catalyst for rejoining the Overland Rotary Club. Jerry is a Major Donor, a member of the Paul Harris Society, and a charter member of the District 6060 Polio Plus Society.
After 30 years in education, Jerry retired from the Ritenour School District in 2019. Jerry spent not only his kindergarten through high school graduation years in the Ritenour School District, but his professional career was also in the Ritenour School District in St. Louis County, Missouri.
In addition to Rotary, Jerry is a community volunteer, currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Ritenour Pride and Promise Foundation, raising money to support students and teachers in their educational journeys at Ritenour. He is a member of the High School Hall of Fame Committee, identifying successful graduates of Ritenour High School as examples for current students. In 2020, Jerry led the Citizens for Ritenour’s Future, a committee successfully advocating for the passage of a zero-tax bond issue. Jerry also serves on the Board of Directors of the Ocean Landings Condominium Association, Inc., located in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
In 1977, Jerry married his wife, Mary Kay. At one point in time, his family was the first and only family comprised of all Ritenour grads and all three employed by the Ritenour School District (Jerry in an administrative position, Mary Kay served as an office professional, and his daughter, Bridget, taught at the elementary level before switching to school librarian in the 2022-23 school year. Jerry is proud to say that although his daughter married a young man from a rival school district, Matt has also become a Ritenour fan as a teacher and coach in the district. Jerry has two grandsons, Nolen and Jonah who are currently attending Ritenour schools.
When he has free time, Jerry enjoys spending it with his family, fishing, traveling, and attempting to grow vegetables in his garden in Montgomery County, Missouri.