Ian Rolland chosen as Flotilla Commodore

The Commodore for the 53rd Annual Lake Wawasee Flotilla has officially been named.Ian Rolland, a native of Fort Wayne and resident of Lake Wawasee, was selected because of his dedication to serving the Wawasee community.“I’m really looking forward to riding in the Flotilla,” Rolland said.Rolland will lead the “Get Your Game On”-themed Flotilla around the lake at 1:30 p.m. on July 5. Boats will line up at 1 p.m. at the Wawasee Spink.Registration forms are available at local retailers, by phone: (574) 457-3775 or by email: hollytuttle@yahoo.com. Participants may also register the day of the event at the judge’s boat. Registration is required to win an award.In 1956, Rolland was hired at Lincoln National Corp. From that point on, he rose through the ranks and was named chairman and CEO in 1992, where he remained until his retirement in 1998.After retiring from Lincoln National Corp., Rolland was appointed as receiver for the Oakwood project in 2010 by the Kosciusko County Superior Court. He was recommended for the job by Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller.After three years, Rolland’s time and effort paid off. The hotel was sold to Dr. Rex Parent, an eye surgeon in Fort Wayne, and his two sons. Since then, Oakwood has been a functioning hotel.“It’s really gratifying to see the Oakwood Inn and see all that has happened to it. The whole community can take pride in Oakwood,” Rolland stated.However, Oakwood is only one of many projects Rolland has worked on.“I like to keep busy in my retirement with a lot of projects,” he noted.One such project was his efforts to make Indiana the permanent residence of the Lincoln Financial Foundation’s collection of Abraham Lincoln artifacts. The collection is worth around $20 million, according to Rolland.Rolland said his primary reason for keeping the artifacts in Indiana, was so that they could be seen by everyone.Lead by Rolland, the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana State Library and Friends of the Lincoln Museum worked together to become a viable choice by providing care and proper preservation for the collection.Currently, the collection is in two locations. Fine art, sculpture, prints and engravings, sheet music and three-dimensional artifacts are at the Indiana State Museum. Books, newspapers, documents and photographs can be found at the Allen County Public Library, according to the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection website.In 2012, Gov. Mitch Daniels awarded Rolland with the prestigious Sachem Award in recognition of his dedication to solving the Oakwood property issue.He sits on the boards of both Trine University and St. Francis University.Rolland earned his bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan.He and his wife, Mimi, have been married since 1955 and have five children.