2018 Honoree - Mary Lou Thomason

Louis F. Schultz Distinguished Service Award

Pictured with granddaughter Miranda Aschoff (left)

Mary Lou Thomason has contributed to the betterment of the Josephine County community for decades. She has served on the board for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley for 23 years and was instrumental in planning for their 9th Street building, which opened its doors in 2003. She also helped spearhead the annual Taste of the Rogue fundraiser. Mary Lou finds her motivation in serving the children of our community; they bring her immense joy.

Mary Lou and her late husband Gil operated the Galice Resort for many years (now run by her daughter Debbie). With the resort’s resources at her disposal, she especially enjoyed having the opportunity to provide rafting experiences to many of the children she met through her service on the Boys and Girls Clubs board.

For 10 years she volunteered to run the kitchen for the Royal Family Kids Camp, a week-long camp for Josephine County foster children. An active member of the Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce, she has also worked with Faith House and the Galice Community Association.

About her decades of service to children, Mary Lou says, “I had the same mom and dad my whole life. They loved me and liked me. Not every child gets that blessing; I speak for those who don’t have that.”

Selected non-profit: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley