Committee Reports
President Cecilia Arango reminded club members that June is Rotary Fellowships month. Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world and explore shared hobbies, professions, and interests. She also announced July 1 is the deadline to pay dues for the coming Rotary year.
Service Committee Chair Kristen Crawley reminded members they can still volunteer for Bike Walk Savannah bicyclist and pedestrian counts.
Program Committee Chair George Seaborough said details on the June social will be announced soon.
Annual Service Partner Committee Co-Charis Cari Phelps and Chelsea Sawyer announced that Brightside Child and Family Advocacy has been selected as this year’s service partner. Stay tuned for details on service opportunities.
Membership Committee Chair Katie Joyner announced Lexi Henigman and Campion Usry are moving through the projective member program.
Guests
Connor Buchanan was the guest of Cecilia Arango.
Charles Pace was the guest of Zerik Samples.
Lexi Henigman (Prospective Members Program) was the guest of Chelsea Sawyer.
Brendan West was the guest of Katie Joyner.
Aileen Gabbey was the guest of Sarah Smith.
Kelley Waldron’s guest was her son, Charlie.
Opollo Johnson was the guest of Kristen Crawley.
Featured Speaker: Dr. Amy Williams, Savannah Philharmonic
Executive Director Dr. Amy Williams described the changes the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus has undertaken to overcome barriers to participation so that all members of the community can attend concerts, including adjusting pricing, relaxing concert dress codes, and finding additional concert locations. She explained how programs such as Phil the Neighborhood, Phil the Park, Phil the Squares, the On the Road Series, and the Subscription series are aimed at making performances more accessible to communities in our region. Williams also talked about the education initiatives the Philharmonic has launched to build programming which provides all students at every school with equitable access to high-quality music education.
Mackie McIntosh spoke to the club about her experiences as a Chatham County poll worker for the last three years. She emphasized that election processes and equipment and secure and that election officials have developed contingency plans for every possibility. She said working at the polls has been a great experience and she is impressed with the training poll workers receive, the machines, and the expertise of the technicians who maintain the machines.
Lexi Henigman is a California native, but lived in New York City for 15 years before coming to Savannah. She earned a B.F.A in Film and Television from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and works as a video editor and director. Lexi is currently working as an editor on Right Over the Edge, a feature documentary about the extremely endangered North Pacific Right Whale. In New York, she was involved with Hour Children, a Queens-based non-profit that helps women and their families during and after incarceration and equips them with tools to build their futures. She lives in Savannah with her husband, Steve.
Savannah City Manager Jay Melder talked about the large investments that have been made in the areas of sanitation, streets and sidewalks, drainage and stormwater, utility billing improvements, digital process improvements, and recruitment and personnel. He described these physical and process improvements as, “getting back to basics.” He said the city is also making a “historic” $19 million investment in initiatives to address homelessness and housing. 