Meeting Recap

Rotarian of the Month

Tom Gigliotti presented Ken Dooner with Rotarian of the Month.

District Governor Terri Speck Inspires Members to Create Lasting Impact

District Governor Terri Speck joined us Friday to share how Rotary has shaped her life and how every member can create lasting impact through service.

Terri’s Rotary journey began as a high school exchange student in Australia. The experience showed her the power of cultural understanding and inspired a lifelong commitment to Rotary Youth Exchange. She and her husband, Dave, later hosted several exchange students and Group Study Exchange participants, forming relationships that have lasted for decades. Their stories illustrate how a single Rotary opportunity can influence careers, strengthen communities and build international friendships.

Terri encouraged members to identify their own passions—or “superpowers”—and connect them with Rotary projects. She emphasized that clubs can amplify their impact by partnering with other organizations, citing an Ohio Rotary initiative that raised more than $160,000 for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and provided over 125,000 books to children.

Her priorities for the year include creating stronger pathways from youth programs such as Interact and RYLA into Rotaract and Rotary, helping clubs learn from one another while preserving their individual character, and improving communication by listening closely to community needs and sharing Rotary’s story.

Terri closed with a reminder that Rotary is where strangers become friends, friendship becomes trust and trust becomes action.