PAST INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTS

2022-23

BRIAN SHEEHAN

IMMEDIATE PAST INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT / CHAIRPERSON FOR LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION

Brian E. Sheehan, from Bird Island, Minnesota, USA, was elected to serve as international president of Lions Clubs International at the association’s 104th International Convention, June 22 through June 28, 2022. As of July 11, 2023, he will serve as Chairperson for Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) through June 25, 2024.

Past International President Sheehan is the founder and CEO of Rural Computer Consultants, a software development company.

A member of the Bird Island Lions Club since 1991, he has held many offices within the association, including council chairperson, long range planning chairperson, membership chairperson, retention chairperson, women’s initiative chairperson, MD convention chairperson, GMT Liaison and GLT area leader. He has also served as the chairperson of the Headquarter Operation & Finance Committee, Lions University coordinator, DGE group leader, and board appointee to several committees including Constitutions and Bylaws, LCIF Executive, LCI Executive, USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum and the Centennial Action committees. He has been a presenter at numerous Lions events, including many of the Global Forums.

In recognition of his service to the association, he has received numerous awards including Club Lion of the Year; the District 5M 4 Diabetes Awareness Award; the MD 5M Web Site Appreciation Award; the MD 5M Al Jensen Leadership Award; the Founders Membership Growth Award; numerous International President’s Certificates of Appreciation; International President’s Leadership Award; multiple International President’s Awards; and the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the highest honor the association bestows upon its members. He is also a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow and Second Century Ambassador.

In addition to his Lions activities, Past International President Sheehan is active in numerous professional and community organizations. He has served as president of Bird Island Civic and Commerce, director of the Learning Funhouse and as a member of various school committees. He also received the 2011 U.S. SBA Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Past International President Sheehan and his wife, Lori, also a Lion and Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow, have two sons and two daughters. And in their spare time, they have enjoyed raising many types of exotic animals.

1994-95

PROF. DR. GIUSEPPE GRIMALDI

PAST INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Grimaldi, of Enna, Italy, served as president of The International Association of Lions Clubs following his election at the association’s 77th International Convention, held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 12-15, 1994.

Past President Grimaldi is a neuro-psychiatrist, an Emeritus Head Neurologist and a former university professor of neurology. He is also the author of several scientific, social and Lion publications.

A charter life member of the Enna Lions Club, with a record of 39 years of perfect attendance, Past President Grimaldi has served as club president, zone chairman, deputy district governor, district governor and president of the Europa Forum. He served a two-year term as a member of the association’s board of directors from 1972-74 and was a board appointee from 1986-87 and 1996-97. Past President Grimaldi is a founding member of the Association of Italian Lions for Diabetes.

In recognition of his many contributions to the association, Past President Grimaldi has received a 35-Year Charter Chevron, the 100% District Governor Award, three Extension Awards, the Leadership Award, 25 International President’s Awards and the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the highest honor given by the association to its members. He is also an honorary president of his district Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow.

In addition to his Lion activities, Past President Grimaldi is a past director of the Italian Medical-Surgical Order and a past member of the Medical Court of Justice. He is honorary president of the Higher Court of Justice for the preservation of the “Mediterraneo” and a member of the Italian Red Cross and many national and international academies. For his humanitarian and civic commitment, he has received awards from UNICEF, UNESCO and the International Red Cross. He was awarded with the decoration of “Cavaliere di Gran Croce,” the highest recognition granted by the Republic of Italy, and was recognized as “The Man of the Year” by receiving the “Premio Garipoli.” He has also won various awards for his poetry. Past President Grimaldi is an honorary citizen of several cities in the United States, Latin America, Australia and Africa and is an appreciated speaker worldwide. He is the recipient of two Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Science awarded by the University of Prague and the Optometry College of Philadelphia.

Professor Grimaldi, the first Italian to serve as international president, and his wife, Ariane, have four sons and six grandchildren.

1987-88

JUDGE BRIAN STEVENSON

PAST INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

Judge Brian Stevenson, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was elected to serve as president of The International Association of Lions Clubs at the association’s 70th International Convention, held in Taipei, Taiwan in July 1987.

A Lion since 1966 and member of the Calgary Northeast Eyeopener Lions Club, Past President Stevenson has held numerous offices in the association, including district governor, council chairperson (1974-1975), member of the association’s board of directors (1977- 1979), and presidential appointee to the international board on four occasions (1979-1980, 1980-1981, 1998-1999 and 2002-2003). From 1984 to 1987, he served as international third, second and first vice president. In the year following his presidency, he served as chairperson of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).

From 1991 to 1994, Judge Stevenson served as the chairperson of Campaign SightFirst, which at the time was the largest and most successful fundraising campaign in the history of Lions Clubs International.

In recognition of his many contributions, Past President Stevenson received the 100% District Governor Award, the Senior Master Key, 32 International President’s Awards and the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the highest honor granted by the association to its members. He is also a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow, as is his wife, Lion Patricia.
They are also Second City Ambassadors.

During his many years at the association’s international leadership level, Judge Stevenson has served as Canada’s Constitutional Area leader on the Global Membership Team, as the Canadian Advisor on the LCIF Development Advisory Committee and as Canada’s representative on the association’s Centennial Committee. He currently represents Canada on the Vice Presidential Candidates Evaluation Committee.

In addition to his service as a Lion, Past President Stevenson was a partner in a Calgary law firm and served as a special prosecutor of narcotic offences for the Canadian Department of Justice. He has been a trial judge in the Criminal Division of the Provincial Court of Alberta since 1974. He continues to serve as a supernumerary judge of that court.

Judge Stevenson has served as an advisor to Calgary’s United Way, as president of the Calgary Social Planning Council and as a member of the City of Calgary Social Services Committee. He has also served as president of the Alberta Provincial Judges’ Association and as chair of the International Year of Disabled Persons for the Province of Alberta.

In 1996, the City of Calgary recognized his many voluntary contributions by awarding him the Grant MacEwen Lifetime Achievement Award of Merit. In 2002, Judge Stevenson was honored by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with her Golden Jubilee Medal, and, in 2005, he received the Alberta Centennial Medal for his service to Alberta.

He and Patricia have four daughters, six granddaughters, five grandsons and three great-grandsons.