As your District Governor Elect, I am very excited for the upcoming year as I make my way around District 6420 to visit clubs. I’m most interested in hearing from club members about the amazing things you do in your communities, regions, and around the world.
Recently, I attended Rotary’s International Assembly in Orlando. This is the week of training that all District Governor Elects complete before their year as District Governor. It’s similar to what President Elects experience at Midwest PETS, but on a larger world-wide scale.
I met DGEs from around the world. Like me, all were wide-eyed, full of wonder and questions, and hoping to learn from excellent training sessions and be inspired by the amazing speakers, some of which I’m highlighting below. Their names are links to the Rotary website where you can watch the videos.
Avery Jenkins - 11 years old from the Chicago area who started a non-profit to help children in foster care with their special hair needs.
Charles Elwood - Rotarian who shared how his club used Artificial Intelligence to help determine the hidden needs of his community to provide direction on how their club could help.
Michael McQueen - Author who shared his thoughts on the psychology of stubbornness.
Ravishankar Dakoju - Rotarian who was joined by his wife on stage and announced their $50 million donation to the Rotary Foundation. Yes, that’s right. $50 million!!! This came a few years after they donated $15 million! His amazing story of growing up without a father, and his family’s destitution is heart wrenching, but inspirational to hear.
In addition to these amazing speakers, there are others included that can be used in club meetings. Check out the full list of speakers here.
I am really looking forward to 2026-27!