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Boy Scout executive receives Citation
The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Alumni Association bestowed its Citation for Alumnus Achievement upon UNO graduate Lloyd E. Roitstein during the university’s spring commencement Friday, May 8, at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
 The Citation, inaugurated in 1949, is presented at each UNO commencement. The association’s highest honor, it encompasses career achievement, community service, involvement in business and professional associations, and fidelity to UNO. UNO Alumni Association Chairman of the Board Mark Grieb presented the award to Roitstein, the 149th Citation recipient.
Roitstein, who earned his UNO bachelor’s degree in education in 1971, is in his 17th year as scout executive/president of the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the largest youth-serving agency in Nebraska with oversight of nearly 34,000 youngsters in 58 counties in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. The council is among the nation’s largest geographically and in number of youth served. Roitstein has held leadership roles with the Scouts for 38 years.
“Lloyd is a reflection of the university’s commitment to community engagement, taking what he has learned and changing the world for the better by serving others,” said Lee Denker, president of the UNO Alumni Association. “He has dedicated himself to the Scout mission of instilling values in young boys, giving them the tools to make ethical choices and to reach their full potential.”
Roitstein’s dedication and leadership skills were most evident last summer. On June 11, 2008, a tornado struck the council’s Little Sioux Scout Ranch in Iowa’s Loess Hills, about 60 miles north of Omaha. Four Boy Scouts were killed and more than 40 were injured. Roitstein was at the camp soon after receiving news of the tornado, helping with search-and-rescue missions and providing the Scout’s public response to the tragedy in press conferences and media interviews.
In August he led scouts who were at the camp, parents and others to the White House for a meeting with President George Bush. The Little Sioux Scout Ranch is being rebuilt through a $1.8 million reconstruction effort.
An Eagle Scout, Roitstein has been involved in scouting since age 8. His father was a scoutmaster and member of the council board, and his mother served in a number of leadership positions.
Roitstein’s first job with the Boy Scouts was as a district executive in Omaha from 1971 to 1974. He later became field director then director of field service for the Mid-America Council (1974 to 1983) before moving to Belleville, Ill., where he was scout executive for a nine-county area in southern Illinois from 1984 to 1988. He moved to St. Louis and was area director serving eight councils in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri from 1988 to 1992, when he assumed his present post. He is responsible for council operational goals to expand Scouting, strategic planning, endowment development, council funding, board of directors recruitment and other duties. Last year he received the BSA’s Distinguished Executive award.
Roitstein grew up in Omaha’s Dundee neighborhood and attended Central High School before enrolling at then-Omaha University in 1964. He also served in the U.S. Army reserves while in college. At UNO he served on the student senate and with the Student Programming Organization and was chair of the Committee for Athletic Promotion.
“If it weren’t for UNO I wouldn’t be here today,” Roitstein said in a 2002 UNO Alumni Association publication, Profiles. “They stood behind me, and I matured a lot. I learned a lot about organizations, leadership and supporting the community at UNO. I got more than the traditional education.”
Roitstein also served as the last Ouampi, the mascot when the university’s nickname was Indians. As Ouampi, Roitstein performed authentic American Indian dances, which he learned through Boy Scouts.
Roitstein served on the UNO Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1997 to 2002. He has served numerous other organizations as a board member or in other capacities, including the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, Jewish Press of Omaha, Jewish Federation, ServeNET, and Friedel Academy. He also has been a soccer coach and has held school, synagogue and homeowner association leadership roles
He and his wife, Debbie, have a son and daughter.
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