If Stewart Perry is a member of a group, he's probably a board member, officer, or holds a leadership position in the organization. A State Farm insurance agent and member of the executive committee of Rolex Kentucky and the Southland Merchants Association, Stewart was elected in November to his most prestigious post to date, chair of the volunteer board of the American Diabetes Association.
Stewart was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 18 years ago. While in the midst of the natural depression that followed his diagnosis, he received a call from Larry Smith, whose daughter has the disease.
"I'm in the middle of this depression phase and he says, 'congratulations, you have diabetes,'" Stewart recounted. Larry wasn't calling to chat; he was recruiting Stewart to serve on the state board of directors so they could carpool to meetings in Louisville. Since then, both men have given countless hours to the organization. Larry served as chair of the board 2005-2006.
Stewart's new role includes serving as the main volunteer lobbyist for the ADA, traveling about 10 days a month to various events and speaking opportunities, and putting a face on the disease. That's not difficult as, in addition to Stewart, his mother, father, uncle, and two great-grandparents have had diabetes in some form.
"Along the way you can't help but develop passion for something," said Stewart. "You see the travesty of how this disease is treated many places, the needs of kids and adults and their families. It hooks you. When it hooks you, if you're capable of doing everything you can do to make it better for them, you do. At the ADA we stand up for people who can't stand up for themselves. That fits me to a T."
Meet Stewart
Birthplace: Ashland, Ky.
Current Neighborhood: 22-year resident of Cumberland Hill and past president of the Cumberland Hill Neighborhood Association.
Family: Wife, Sheril. Son, John-Stewart, 22. Two dogs and a cat. Parents Dick and Phoebe also live on the south side of Lexington.
Hobbies: Collecting political buttons, memorabilia, and Maker's Mark bottles.
Favorite area restaurant or dish: As a guy with diabetes, you try to watch what you eat, but my favorite dish is a hot brown. I like Columbia's.
First job: The day I turned 16 I got a job at Sears. I worked part-time at the pickup desk when it was a brand new store at Fayette Mall-it had just moved from downtown.
How you spend Saturdays: If I'm not at a UK ball game (because I am a big UK fan) I'm either at home doing "honey-dos" or at the office.
What you wish you had known 10 years ago: $3.09-a-gallon gas prices, because that's making everyone uncomfortable and changing things. I would have maybe bought an electric car and pushed for more of them.
Your retirement plans: My retirement plans are not to retire. My father is 73 years old and not retired. Is there a slow down plan, yes I hope so, but I've always said I'm going to retire when they build the pine box around me sitting at my desk.