Celebrating the 2022-2023 Rotary year

Click the image above to watch a special video with highlights celebrating the 2022-23 Rotary year.

2022-23 was an exceptional year, as the Rotary Club of Birmingham celebrated its 110th year dedicated to "Service Above Self." We appreciate the leadership of our outstanding Board of Directors through the 2022-23 club year.  

Thanks to William Dow for lending his expertise as Treasurer, Libba Vaughan for serving as Secretary, Rebekah Elgin-Council for serving as Sergeant-at-Arms, as well as Past President Brenda Hackney and President-Elect Gordon Martin. Their integral support helped the club run smoothly.

We appreciate our at-large members, Troy Haas, Jimmy Holloway, Jon Whetsell, Danny Markstein, Jim Miller and Mashonda Taylor, who provided valuable service and leadership.

Brantley Fry served as VP of Club Service this year. She ensured members were in place to lead the invocation and serve as greeters each week, led two new member orientation sessions, and worked with Trey Echols and Dave Stewart to plan outstanding 1913 Society social events at Regions Field, Bar la Fete, Tasty Town, and Jones Valley Teaching Farm. She enlisted the support of Duane Donner and Past President Hatton Smith to organize an unforgettable Rotary Trail Party held at The Harbert Center in commemoration of 10 years since RCB committed to the creation of Rotary Trail.

VP of Communications Edgar Marx oversaw the continued expansion of the club’s website and extended growth in social media reach and engagement. He provided strategic direction and consultation to publicize the Club’s initiatives in the community and led the creation of fun new 1913-branded merchandise. 

As VP of Community Service, Erin Stephenson planned opportunities for members to engage in service, including  two Rotary Trail service days, collections of eye glasses and toiletries, and the Salvation Army red kettle drive. Thanks to Libba Vaughan and Alison Grizzle for leading the 25th annual Holiday Boarding Home project, with more donations and more Rotarians and Rotaract members participating than ever.

Josh Jones served as VP of International Service, working intently to bring our international cervical cancer prevention work to South America. The tremendously successful Operation Wipeout pilot program to prevent, diagnose and treat cervical cancer in rural Alabama resulted in the launch of a statewide initiative to eliminate the disease under the leadership of Dr. Isabel Scarinci.

Our VP of New Generations, Mike Mahon, worked to maintain a strong connection between RCB and the Rotaract Club of Birmingham. He led a successful Professional Partners program with Rotarians and Rotaract members paired together, and solicited support for RCB to sponsor six high school students to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards in Huntsville.  He also was a leader in forming the new Interact Club of Birmingham for high school students.

Danny McKinney served as VP of Programs this year. He and his committee coordinated engaging, renowned speakers for all 48 meetings held during the Rotary year. The list included athletic coaches, world-renowned authors, journalists, economic development specialists, and leaders in medicine, government and business. Our off-site meeting at Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus was a holiday highlight.

VP of Vocational Service Jason Eppenger worked to strengthen partnerships with Birmingham City Schools, Birmingham Promise and other area organizations. He also recruited Rotarians to share their expertise with Birmingham high school students through the College Admissions Made Possible ACT Prep Program and worked with Selena Rodgers Dickerson to coordinate mock interviews with students at The Harbert Center.

Thank to all of the Rotarians who served on the board of the Rotary Club of Birmingham Foundation. Under the leadership of Chair Lee Weathers, the RCB Foundation continued to make a significant impact in Birmingham and around the world through support of scholarships, Pre-K education, disaster relief, international and domestic health projects and ongoing support of Rotary Trail and other projects. We are grateful for the work of the scholarship committee under the leadership of Chair Roman Gary to select five outstanding Birmingham City Schools students as this year's scholarship recipients.

In May, Executive Director Dan Stephens, President Chuck Redden and Rotarian Jeris Gaston represented RCB at the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Australia. RCB continued its tradition of hosting a reception for Rotary leaders from around the world, with several Rotary International past presidents and President-Elect R. Gordon R. McInally in attendance.

Rotarian Will Ratliff Chaired the 2023 International Peace Conference in Birmingham with the support of many members of our club. The event was a tremendous success and we are grateful for Will’s leadership.

Additionally, we thank you—the members of the Rotary Club of Birmingham— for your support of our club, your commitment to Rotary, and your dedication to the Birmingham community. It is because of each one of you that RCB is so strong, adding 33 new members this year.  

Finally, we thank our friends with both The Harbert Center and Southern Food Service who work to make our weekly meetings run so smoothly. We are grateful for all that they do for us.

We also honor and remember all club members who passed away this Rotary year: Past President Jim Hughey, Jr., Bruce Irwin, Terry Oden, Harry Reeder, Vastine Stabler and George Wilbanks.