History
Founded by Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes in 1966 during a ceremony at the Perry Monument at Put-In Bay, the Association of Ohio Commodores has been in existence for over 46 years. Named for the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, Governor Rhodes established the Executive Order of the Ohio Commodores (which encompasses membership in the Association) to honor 60 Ohio businessmen who accompanied him on Ohio’s first international trade mission. Since then, over 300 men and women have been appointed to the Executive Order of the Ohio Commodore as recognition of their contributions to economic development in their communities, and to the State of Ohio.
Past Grand Commodores
Leadership throughout the life of the organization. Past Grand Commodores comprise the Admiralty
Allen H. Neff – 1966-68
Earl T. Barnes – 1969-70
Jack H. Schron, Sr. – 1971-72
John A. Wiethe – 1973
George W. Peters – 1974
William R. Smith 1975
Henry Rollman II – 1976
L. Jack Schiller – 1977
Fritz J. Russ – 1978
Karl R. Rohrer – 1979
Kenneth B. Bays – 1980
Lee P. Tippet – 1981
Robert G. Robson – 1982
C. William Harple – 1983
Warren E. Finkel – 1984
Richard D. Langhout – 1985
John N. Meeks – 1986
Alan G. Fejes – 1987
Jerry L. Grace – 1988
Jay E. Wagner, Jr. – 1989
Jerome F. Turk – 1990
Theodore D. Griley – 1991
Joseph Marsalka – 1992
Thomas D. Reynolds – 1993
Paul Griesse – 1994-95
Frederick Dannemiller – 1995-97
John J. Kelley, Jr. – 1997
Al Covelli – 1998
John H.C. Black – 1999
Charles (Arnie) de la Porte – 2001
Bruce S. Bailey – 2002
Joanne D. Dannemiller – 2003
Kenneth Sherman – 2004
Thomas R. Winters – 2005
Ora (Bud) A. Winzenried, Jr. – 2006
William N. Morgan – 2007-2008
Louise Hughes – 2009
Richard H. Moore – 2010
Richard F. Hillis 2011-2012
Clyde R. Rauch 2013-2014
Alan A. Stockmeister 2015-2017