President of Rotary Club

Serving as president of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth for 12 months was remarkable, challenging, and unforgettable.

The year required our members to master Zoom almost immediately. The pandemic disrupted familiar meetings and traditions, but it also pushed the club to reconsider how people could stay connected and continue serving the community.

We created space for meaningful conversations about religion, law enforcement, supporting communities of color, and strengthening minority-owned businesses. These topics could easily have produced division. Members worked to approach them with civility, dignity, and respect.

The club also provided funding to important nonprofits, recognized community heroes, and found ways to serve while COVID continued affecting families and organizations across Fort Worth.

Leadership during a crisis is rarely about having every answer. It is about creating enough trust for people to remain engaged, acknowledge difficult realities, and make decisions together. The year taught me to communicate more clearly, listen more carefully, and become more comfortable adjusting plans that once seemed certain.

The experience left me better than it found me. I gained a renewed appreciation for the people who commit their time and relationships to community service.

Rotary’s Four-Way Test asks whether our words and actions are truthful, fair, beneficial, and capable of building goodwill and better friendships. Those questions remain useful far beyond a Rotary meeting. They offer a practical standard for leaders, business owners, parents, and anyone responsible for how a community treats its members.

Best wishes to incoming president Courtney Garner Lewis as she takes the helm. I am grateful for the year, proud of what the club accomplished, and confident that its service will continue growing.