Dear Fellow Rotarians and Friends,

 

I have watched something happen at our Rotary Club events that I cannot stop thinking about.

 

When our youth show up to serve alongside our experienced members, something shifts in the room. The young people come alive. And so do the seasoned professionals beside them — people with decades of business wisdom, life experience, and hard-won perspective, suddenly reminded of exactly why those things matter. It is not charity in one direction. It is energy moving both ways. A genuine exchange. A win for everyone in the room.

 

That is the moment I knew what this year had to be about.

 

What each generation has is exactly what another generation needs.

 

As I step into the role of President July 1st I carry deep gratitude for what this club has already built — college scholarships awarded, Veterans given cars, over 8,000 hygiene kits delivered to girls in Uganda. This is a club with real history and real heart. My goal is not to change what we are. It is to open the doors wider so more people can be part of it.

 

Because here is the honest truth: there are people in our community right now who would love to serve — who need this community — and we are not yet reaching them. The young parent stretched thin who wants to give back but cannot commit to a rigid schedule. The high schooler who does not yet know what she is capable of. The empty nester ready for a next chapter with purpose. The older adult in our community who has a lifetime of stories worth hearing. They are out there. And we are going to meet them where they are.

 

This year we are launching four initiatives built around that belief:

 

CAREER COMPASS

Connecting high schoolers with our members for mentorship, college application guidance, and scholarship support. Our experience is their launchpad.

 

FAMILY SERVICE DAYS

Evening and weekend service events designed around real family life — because busy parents deserve a seat at the table too.

 

MENTOR CIRCLES

Structured connections between our experienced members and emerging leaders — wisdom flowing in both directions, just like those moments that changed my thinking.

 

STORIES & LEGACY — PILOT PROGRAM

This year we are piloting something close to my heart. Our youth will visit older adults in our community — including those living with dementia — to sit with them, listen to them, and share stories together. It is companionship. It is connection. It helps with isolation! And it reminds all of us what service at its most human looks like.

 

My background is in special education and real estate. I have spent my career learning to see what people need and helping them get there. I bring that same lens to this role — listening first, building with intention, and never losing sight of the person in front of me.

 

Service Above Self has always been our motto. This year, it becomes our movement.

 

With Gratitude,

Joyce Bartel