Celebrating the 2023-2024 Rotary year

Click the image above to watch a special video with highlights celebrating the 2023-24 Rotary year.

2023-24 was a tremendous year, as the Rotary Club of Birmingham celebrated its 111th year dedicated to "Service Above Self." During the June 26th meeting, President Gordon Martin expressed appreciation for all those who have supported the club throughout the course of the year.

Gordon showed gratitude to the club’s Board of Directors who provided leadership throughout this year. He thanked William Dow for providing his expertise as Treasurer, Amy Allen for her service as Secretary, Jim Park for serving as Sergeant-at-Arms, as well as Past President Chuck Redden and President-Elect Bruce Rogers for their guidance. 

He thanked the at-large board members, who provided valuable service and leadership: Molly Clinton, Danny Markstein, Cindy Martin, Jim Miller, Mashonda Taylor and Nick Willis. 

Gordon thanked VP of Club Service Kennon Walthall, who made sure members were in place to lead the invocation and serve as greeters each week. He led new member orientation sessions, recruited members to serve at Boiling n’ Bragging, and worked with Kevin Garrison and Bolaji Kukoyi to plan outstanding 1913 Society social events at Finch Fine Wines, pickleball at Citywalk, and the Bottega Wine Dinner. And he enlisted Rotarians Helen Combs and Cal Dodson to organize an incredible Rotary Trail Party with the good fortune of perfect weather.  

Gordon showed appreciation for VP of Communications Brandon Wilson, who continued the club’s commitment to engaging and informing members. He provided strategic direction and consultation to publicize the Club’s initiatives in the community with continued expansion of the club’s website and social media reach and engagement.  

Gordon expressed gratitude to VP of Community Service Libby Lassiter, who planned opportunities for members to engage in service, including workdays at Avondale Elementary and Rotary Trail, cards for first responders on 9/11, the Salvation Army red kettle drive and participation in Better Basics Reads Day. We continued our Holiday Boarding Home project under the leadership of Alison Grizzle and Libba Vaughan.  

Gordon thanked VP of International Service Allen Kilgore, who continued integral work to bring the club’s international cervical cancer prevention work to Guatemala. The Operation Wipeout program was launched statewide in partnership with several organizations to prevent, diagnose and treat cervical cancer with the goal of eliminating the disease in Alabama. Gordon lauded Rotarian Isabel Scarinci for leading the club’s cervical cancer elimination efforts, and celebrated her appointment to lead a workgroup to create a cervical cancer elimination plan for the United States. 

Gordon thanked VP of New Generations Lora Blalock, who enhanced strong connections with the Rotaract Club of Birmingham. She led the successful Professional Partners program with Rotarians and Rotaract members paired in mutual mentorship, and she oversaw the process to send 8 high school students to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards in Huntsville. 

Gordon applauded VP of Programs Derek Brown and the Programs Committee for an incredible job coordinating a phenomenal lineup of engaging keynote speakers for each of 48 meetings as well as great mini program presentations. The speaker list included athletic coaches, authors, journalists, geopolitical experts and leaders in law, medicine, economic development, government and business.  And the holiday meeting at Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus was a highlight. 

Gordon thanked VP of Vocational Service Alesia Jones, who worked to strengthen partnerships with Birmingham City Schools, including support for the College Admissions Made Possible ACT Prep Program and sessions for Birmingham Promise students. She also worked with Selena Rodgers Dickerson to coordinate mock interviews with students here at The Harbert Center. 

Gordon thanked all the Rotarians who served on the board of the Rotary Club of Birmingham Foundation. Under the leadership of Chair Lee Weathers, the foundation continued to make a significant impact in Birmingham and around the world through support of Pre-K education, disaster relief, international and domestic health projects and support of Rotary Trail, which landed a spot in the Birmingham Monopoly board game. We are grateful for the Foundation’s work to endow the Jim Hughey Jr. Scholarship Fund in memory of our past president and the tremendous success of the campaign to expand the fund. We are also proud of the record eight students selected as 2024 scholarship recipients, thanks to the Scholarship Committee and its Chair, Roman Gary. 

We were pleased this year to welcome Rotary International President R. Gordon R. McInally, who visited Birmingham for District 6860’s Legacy Dinner: Creating Hope in the World. The event honored our Past President Charles A. Collat, Sr., and Past RCB President Eric Jack and Rotarian Jeris Gaston helped lead the campaign that raised over 2.7 million dollars for the Rotary Foundation Endowment Fund. President McInally made time for a tour of Rotary Trail guided by Rotarians who played key roles in its development.  

Gordon shared a highlight of the year was the opportunity to join several Rotarians representing our club at the 2024 Rotary International Convention in Singapore. We continued our tradition of hosting a reception with Rotary leaders from around the world, and Jeris, who serves as Rotary International Membership Committee Chair, led a presentation at the convention.  

Jeris was also honored this year with the Rotary District 6860 Outstanding Leadership Award.  

Gordon recognized the dedicated Southern Food Service and Harbert Center teams who work to make weekly meetings run smoothly. And he thanked the RCB staff, Interim Executive Director Betts Bryars and Director of Membership and Communications June Clark, as well as former Executive Director Dan Stephens, who attended the meeting as a guest.

We also honored and remembered the club members who passed away this Rotary year: John Carroll and Tom Carruthers, Jr. 

Additionally, Gordon showed appreciation for each and every RCB member.

“Thank you for supporting our club, for your commitment to Rotary, and for your dedication to serving the Birmingham community,” Gordon said. “It is because of each one of you that our Club is so strong, adding 24 new members this year.”