A member of the Rotary Club of South Charleston received a high honor during the recent Rotary District 7550 Conference held at The Resort at Glade Springs. South Charleston Rotarian John Powell was elected to be District Governor Nominee Designate. Powell will spend the next two years training in preparation to serve as District Governor in 2016-2017. As District Governor, Powell will be responsible for providing leadership, support and motivation to the clubs in Rotary International District 7550.
Rotary International District 7550 is one of 534 Districts worldwide. District 7550 covers southern West Virginia, with over 1,350 members and 28 clubs. Rotary International is a service organization of over 1.2 million people. As District Governor, Powell will travel to meet with each of the clubs in the district.
Powell is the Chief Procurement Officer for BridgeValley Community & Technical College. He is a former President of the Rotary Club of South Charleston and became involved in Rotary because he “wanted to be a part of an organization that was doing service and making a difference on a global scale. The fight to end polio was what really caught my attention in the beginning.” During his tenure as President, Powell was able to achieve his goal of becoming involved in the fight to end polio, by holding a local “Pilsners and Pops for Polio” event. Funds raised during this event were donated back to Rotary International’s Fund dedicated to eradicating Polio. Last year, Powell was recognized by Rotary International as Paul Harris Fellow. The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute or who have contributions made in their name of at least $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation.
In discussing the honor of being named District Governor Nominee Designate, John Powell states “It’s the culmination of a journey that began years ago. Being District Governor will allow me to make a difference in our part of West Virginia.” It is a particular honor for the Rotary Club of South Charleston, which is a small club of 22 active members, to have a District Governor coming out of their membership.
During the Rotary District Conference, the Rotary Club of South Charleston also received accolades for the 2013-2014 Rotary year. The Club was honored with the Presidential Citation Award. The Presidential Citation Award is presented to rotary clubs that fulfill a wide-range of requirements, including community service, education, membership recruitment, and fundraising. The Rotary Club of South Charleston was one of only five clubs in the District to receive this honor.
The Club was also recognized for achieving 100% Sustaining Membership. Sustaining Membership means that every member of the South Charleston Rotary donated at least $100/each to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund. These contributions help carry out a broad range of local and international projects, including providing medical treatments, clean water, supporting peace efforts, restoring schools, providing vocational trainings, and more. Adding to these accomplishments is the fact that the Rotary Club achieved both for the past two years, which is not a common feat.
The Rotary Club of South Charleston meets every Tuesday at noon at Little Creek Country Club. For more information about joining Rotary, visit www.southcharlestonrotary.org.
