Lawrence Central Rotary recently inducted five wonderful new members, Charles Branson, Angela Freeze, Nancy Hause, Steve Kesler, and Billie Wedel. All will become active and valuable members of the club, and Steve and Angela have agreed to serve on the board. Nancy, Steve and Charles have previous Rotary club affiliations.
District Attorney Charles E. Branson, a life long Kansan was recently re-elected as District Attorney of the 7th Judicial District. A native of Hutchinson, he graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and received his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law. His work on the behalf of consumers lead the local press to refer to him as a true “consumer advocate.” He also revamped the agency’s response to domestic violence, in part, by starting a domestic violence unit. Charles and his wife Kathy, a teacher at Lawrence West Junior High and their children Chance and Grace are proud to call Lawrence and Douglas County their home.
Angela Freeze grew up in Celebration, Florida (the town that Disney built). She was an active member of her high school Interact Club. She earned her degree in International Business from Palm Beach Atlantic University and, had the opportunity to study abroad in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, China and Egypt. She went on to run her family’s real estate companies, responsible for Business Development, Marketing, and managing daily operations. Angela and her husband Eric relocated to Lawrence, Kansas several years ago as her husband took a position with the University of Kansas. Angela is currently a Member Consultant and Loan Officer with KU Credit Union, which was recently named the best financial institution in Lawrence! Angela is very excited to have recently been inducted into Lawrence Central Rotary, and honored to be serving on the Board of Directors. She will be focusing on developing a local Interact Club and increasing membership in the 20’s and 30’s demographic!
Nancy Hause is a third generation Coloradan, born in Boulder. She graduated from UC – Boulder. She and her husband were both educators who eventually found themselves in Manhattan where they both taught at K-State. After opting for early retirement they went back to Estes Park, Colorado and were heavily involved with the local Rotary. After her husband passed, at the urging of her children, Nancy moved to Lawrence to be closer to her children and grandkids split between Lawrence and close by in Missouri.
Steve Kesler is a longtime Rotarian, transferring to us from the Rotary Club in Grand Junction, CO. He was originally from Lawrence and left in 1972 to go to Austin, TX to do a PhD in Psychology. Steve is currently president of Kesler Group, a real estate investment company. He has worked in real estate, property management, and sales in a variety of capacities during the course of his career. He has been involved in both District and Club leadership in Rotary and was next in line to be President of the Grand Junction club. Steve sent out his full resume to all members recently.
Billie Wedel is a realtor with McGrew Real Estate. She grew up in South Central Kansas, attending Wichita State University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Music Education. She moved to Lawrence in recent years to be close to her daughter and husband and their family. Recently retiring from a career in teaching, Billie decided to return to her former career of real estate. During 1986-1996, she was a realtor in Wichita, specializing in new construction and re-sale homes. She is a member of the National Board of Realtors, Kansas Association of Realtors, Lawrence Board of Realtors, and Lawrence Multiple Listing Service.
