Rochester man, 50-year Eks member installed onto national leadership team

Don Chesnel of Rochester was installed as a national officer at ttje National Elks Convention in Minneapolis, Minn., last week (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - On Wednesday at their national Elks Convention in Minneapolis, Minn., a Rochester man was Installed as the Grand Esteemed Lecturing Knight of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Donald E. Chesnel of the Rochester Elks #1393 is now part of the Officer Suite of National Elks President Randy Shook, of Lawrenceburg, Tenn.

Prior to this assignment, Chesnel had held a number of leadership positions in the organization, including Exalted Ruler of the Rochester Elks, District Deputy, South District of New Hampshire, New Hampshire State Elks President, Grand Lodge Committeeman on the State Associations Committee and Government Relations Committee. In addition, Chesnel had chaired numerous committees at the local and state levels of the Order.

Chesnel also served for over 20 years as an Officer and Board Member for the New Hampshire Association of Volunteer Administrators, appointed by Governor John Lynch and served on the Board of Volunteer NH for six years and was President of the Social and Fraternal Association of NH Licensed Clubs.

Don also served for two years as the president of the Area 1 Interstate Ritual Committee and is currently the State Ritual Chair for New Hampshire. He is also the New Hampshire Government Relations Chair, a position he has held for 32 years. Chesnel is an honorary life member of Rochester, NH Elks #1393 and has been a member for 50 years.

He is a lifelong Rochester resident. Upon graduation from Holy Rosary High School, Don began employment at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as an electrician trainee. He went on to serve in many positions at the shipyard, retiring with 38 years in 2005 as the Electrical/Electronics Shop Resource Manager. He has been married to his wife Joan Beaudoin Chesnel for 56 years. They have three daughters, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.