Photo by Beth WadePhoto Courtesy Norm Peters

Georgetown resident helped found international service group

Norm Peters describes himself as a quiet guy doing quiet work, but over the course of his more than 50-year career he has helped start two Georgetown nonprofits and Medico, an international organization that helps serve the medical needs of those living in Central America.

Medico is just a small part, but its been a 25-year part of my life, Peters said.

After growing up and attending College in Iowa, Peters and his wife, Lynda, moved around the country before settling in Georgetown in 1971. His career in higher education administration had brought him to Southwestern University and eventually to St. Edwards University in Austin.

I decided I wanted to get out of higher education because [Georgetown] at that time didnt have anybody who was doing advanced financial planning for estate planning, Peters said. When I became my own boss at the age of 38, I was then able to do things I always wanted to do.

In his free time, Peters began officiating high school and college basketball games as a member of the Texas Association of Sports Officials.

The first game was over in Liberty Hill ... the guys were great, but I didnt know what I was doing, he said. But I thoroughly loved what I was doing. I officiated for 25 years and absolutely loved every minute. I hated to give it up, but at age 65, I was one of the oldest people around here officiating.

In 1985 Peters and several others in Georgetown started The Caring Place to help provide basic needs for families and individuals in crisis in Georgetown and northern Williamson County. He later helped create the Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation, which at the time was known as the Georgetown Area Community Foundation.

[I] just wanted to be of service and to help others, he said. [I wanted to] give back [because] Ive been really blessed and very fortunate.

Peters was also involved in the Georgetown Rotary Club and was a charter member of the Sun City Rotary Clubin fact, it was his involvement in rotary that helped lead him and Lynda to create Medico, he said.

After a rotary club presentation about a dentist taking teams of volunteers to Honduras, Peters said he felt inspired to volunteer.

I think I was kind of in a burnout at that point, he said. We went down there and spent the week, and it changed our lives.

Upon returning to Texas, the dentists group fell apart after an issue with money, and after learning the group had future commitments, Peters and his wife decided to take over and create their own group, he said.

We started Medico to fulfill those promises, and thats how it got started, he said. The rest is history.

With the help of David and Marian Flowers, the couplefounded Medico in 1990, and after more than 20 years of traveling to help those in need, Peters and his wife are still involved in the organization.

Medico

Co-founded in 1990 by Norm and Lynda Peters, MedicoMedical, Eye and Dental International Care Organizationprovides medical, eye and dental services to remote areas of Central America, primarily in Honduras and Nicaraguawhere there is little or no basic health care. The group sends medical and nonmedical volunteers in mission teams of 16 to 25 people about five to seven times a year, Norm said.

Our volunteers come from all over the nation, he said. On each team almost half of the team members are experienced returning volunteers.

Lynda served as the executive director for more than 20 years before retiring, and in 2013 the nonprofit moved its headquarters from Georgetown to Austin.

Medico, 512-930-1893, www.medico.org

2921 E. 17th St., Bldg. D, Ste. 4, Austin