For Conway Corp Accountant Laura Frizzell, serving the community has always been about more than simply showing up. She wants to find where she can help, roll up her sleeves and get to work.
That desire to make a difference led her to the Conway Noon Lions Club and, most recently, to serve as president of the organization.
With both of her children grown, Laura found herself with more time to give and began looking for a meaningful way to become more involved in the community that had played an important role in her family’s life.
“I decided to join a local civic organization to help make a difference in my community,” Laura said. “I had extra time since both my children were grown and thought that would be a great way to give back to the community that helped to mold them.”
Stepping Up to Lead
Laura describes herself as a “doer” who would rather help than sit on the sidelines. So, when an opportunity arose to fill a leadership position within Conway Noon Lions, stepping forward felt natural.
“I’ve always been a doer and prefer to be a helper rather than sitting on the sidelines,” she said. “When I found out there was an absence that needed to be filled, I figured this would be a good opportunity to try something new.”
Taking on the role has given Laura an opportunity to use her strengths in a new way while also reinforcing an important lesson about community service: no one does it alone.
“I could hopefully use my strengths to help others and learned rather quickly that no matter the role, it truly takes a village for it all to come together,” she said.
Laura is one of several Conway Corp employees who give their time to Conway Noon Lions. Regulatory & Risk Management Director Chris Odom serves as secretary, and Chief Information Officer Jason Hansen serves as a second-year board member. Water Systems Manager Lee Tedford and Water Systems Senior Foreman Chad Hogan are also members of the club.
Together, their involvement reflects a commitment to serving Conway that extends beyond their work at Conway Corp and into the community they call home.
More Than Sight Assistance
While Lions Clubs are perhaps best known for their work related to vision, Laura said the Conway organization’s reach extends much further.
The club supports eight global service causes: vision, hunger, diabetes, childhood cancer, disaster relief, the environment, humanitarian efforts and youth.
“We are known for our sight assistance programs, but we also do a lot more,” Laura said.
Locally, members provide scholarships, participate in litter cleanups, work with young people through an art program and collect needed items for food pantries, schools, foster care centers and other community organizations. The club also partners with local shelters to help provide glasses to those in need.
For Laura, it is the people behind those efforts who make the organization special.
“Conway Noon Lions is a wonderful organization with some amazing people of all ages with big hearts for serving,” she said.
An Invitation to Serve
As president, Laura hopes to continue building on that spirit of service while encouraging more people to discover how they can make a difference.
The club is always looking for new members, and Laura invites anyone interested in learning more to attend one of its Tuesday lunch meetings at the CBC Community Room.
“We would love to invite anyone who is interested in joining us to come to lunch on Tuesday to learn what we do and hear from some great speakers on things happening in our community,” she said.
For Laura, serving with Conway Noon Lions has provided exactly what she was searching for: an opportunity to give back to the community that has given so much to her family — and a chance to work alongside others who share her heart for service.
