Chapter Nine
Into the 21st Century having previously been employed as vice president and treasurer at Mid-American Life Assurance Company in Saginaw, Michigan. He was hired Aug. 30, 1982, to help fill a vacancy created after Society Treasurer Carl Moore resigned. The Board of Directors appointed Wade as Treasurer and, three years later, added the office of Secretary to his responsibilities. In 1990, they promoted him to Senior Vice President. In 1996, he relinquished his duties as Secretary and Treasurer when he was named Chief Operating Officer. At that time, the Board promoted Jeffrey S. Patterson, who had worked alongside Wade as the head of the Finance Department since 1985, to the offices of Secretary and Treasurer. Wade was already a member of the Board of Directors when he became the Society’s seventh president. His election to the Board occurred at the 49th Biennial Convention in Springfield, Illinois. These changes were carefully orchestrated to accomplish an uninterrupted flow of leadership before the 50th Biennial Convention in the fall of 2001. One of the items on Wade’s agenda as the new president was to ensure the Society’s 50th convention did nothing short of celebrating Frank Dick’s 22 years of leadership, and the successes that resulted. Working with Fraternal Vice President Bill Warner, who was also set to retire at the conclusion of the 50th convention, they made sure the event was a grand gala.
Michael J. Wade President and CEO July 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2007
On June 18, 2000, Gleaner supported the first national day of service for fraternal benefit societies, Join Hands Day. Created by the National Fraternal Congress of America, in conjunction with the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network, Join Hands Day is designed to bridge the generation gap between youth and adults. The Society performed a project with participation from numerous arbors, Home Office staff, Big Brothers Big Sisters, 4-H groups, and the Young Marines. Held at the Gleaner Home Office, the groups worked together to assemble Fraternal Care Kits with various personal hygiene products for domestic violence shelters, nursing homes and other agencies in need; made placemats for a local nursing home; and held a softball game for the youth. Gleaner was recognized
Gleaner reached another milestone in the 2000s when a third century dawned upon the Society. Founded in the 19th century before members had automobiles or telephones, it had entered the personal computing age of the 21st century. Not many organizations lasted that long or served as well. One of the first changes involved a transition in leadership. President and CEO Frank Dick had presided over more than 20 years of unprecedented Society growth. He was scheduled for his retirement in July of 2000. The Board of Directors appointed Michael J. Wade as the new President and CEO. Wade had already served Gleaner as an executive officer for 18 years, 97
