Committee Reports
Immediate Past President Jessica Pedigo presided over the meeting on behalf of President Cecilia Arango and announced that Metro has received three District Governor 6920 Awards: The Governor’s Gold Award, The Governor’s Best of the Best Award, and The Governor’s Superior Leadership Award to Jessica.
She reminded members that they could earn meeting credits by attending Rotary EClub One meetings. Don’t forget to send your make-up info to metrosavannahrotary@gmail.com
Foundation Committee Chair Laura Lee Bocade announced Metro’s newest Paul Harris Fellows: Ellen Harris, Elizabeth Summerell, Jamie Smith Arkins (+1), Spencer Burch, Jordan Chase (+1), Jasmine Mills, Cari Phelps (+1) and Patrick Phelps (+1).
Contact Program Chair George Seaborough for more information on these upcoming events:
- July 27 — Social at 5:30 p.m. at Taca
- Aug. 3 — Lunch meeting with Maryann Brickey, children’s librarian and branch manager with Live Oak Public Libraries.
- Aug. 3 — Program Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at Taca
- Aug. 17 — Lunch meeting with Tiffany Collins, executive director of Girls on the Run
- Aug. 24 — Social at 5:30 p.m. at Taste of India
Looking for Service Committee opportunities? 1. Donate two pieces of business attire to the Interact Business Clothing Drive. Receive one service credits for every two items donated for a maximum of three credits. 2. A beautification project will be held at the Savannah Center for Blind and Low Vision on Aug. 7. There will be one shift, held indoors, for 8-10 volunteers. Contact Service Committee Chair Kristen Crawley for more information.
Sarah Bockel Smith, Interact liaison for Woodville-Tompkins High School, invited members to present to the club. You are not limited to talking about your career. You can also speak to the students about your involvement in the community and other topics. Contact Sarah for more details.
Sophie Bohl of Sweden, the area’s Georgia Rotary Student Program participant, will be arriving in Savannah Aug. 2. Contact Florence Slatinsky if you would like to help welcome her to Savannah.
Reshma Shah Johnson, The Rotarian Reader, directed the club's attention to Friends in Need from the July issue of The Rotarian. The article describes how an international relationship came full circle when clubs in India provided aid to Detroit in the early days of the pandemic.
Metrotarians in the Spotlight
Bret Bell presented at the Savannah Rotary Club's recent meeting and Julie Wade’s was included in the University of Georgia Alumni Association Bulldog 100 for Park Place Outreach Youth Emergency Services. The list recognizes the fastest growing businesses and organizations owned or operated by UGA alumni in 2021.
Membership Moment: Jamie Smith Arkins
Jamie works in human resources, but talked about what she likes to do outside of work, including her love for live music. She’s looking forward to seeing Hamilton, one of her bucket list items. Jamie grew up in Valdosta and will be visiting this weekend for the first time since 2014. She said her favorite thing about being a Metro member is, “I get to be me!”
Guests
Nate Wayne, a loan officer with the Small Business Assistance Corporation, was the guest of Katie Joyner.
Brad Trower, vice president of development for St. Joseph's/Candler, attended along with Chase Cowart, manager of strategic planning at the hospital. Brad is a member of the Statesboro Rotary Club.
Brad Trower, vice president of development for St. Joseph's/Candler, attended along with Chase Cowart, manager of strategic planning at the hospital. Brad is a member of the Statesboro Rotary Club.
Featured Speaker: Georgia House District 163 Rep. Derek Mallow
Rep. Mallow — a native of Savannah who earned a bachelor's and a master's degree from Savannah State University — outlined the contours of his district, which includes both
affluent areas of the city of Savannah, along with every public housing property.
affluent areas of the city of Savannah, along with every public housing property. He reviewed legislation he considers victories from the last session, including the overhaul of Georgia’s citizens arrest law; Senate Bill 85, which expands the definition of hazing; and a pair of bills which help victims of human trafficking, among others. He explained his main passions as a lawmaker are mental health, education, and criminal justice.
Late Breaking News: Updates from After the Meeting
Whitney Shephard directs our attention to this from Bill Gates: "Thanks to the commitment of Rotary and other partners, as well as the dedicated political leadership of polio-affected countries, I’m confident that we can create a world where no child will ever be paralyzed by polio again." Read more. The Gates Foundation is matching our donations to Polio Plus two to one.