New Rotary Club member prepares for presidency – The Tribune

By Joseph DiCristofaro
The Ironton Tribune

Promoting community change has been a goal of the Ironton Rotary Club for decades, and now those change efforts will continue under the leadership of incoming president Sarah Simmons.
“I have been a member of Rotary for several years, but my workload has prevented me from taking on a more senior role in the organization,” said Simmons. “Now I have a little more freedom and am excited to be able to help in additional ways.”
Simmons plans to align Rotary’s goals closely with the organization’s core values ​​and encourage ideas from current members to improve the club and community.
“I want all Rotary members who have a goal to bring it to the club and see how we can all help achieve it,” Simmons said. “I want to give people the opportunity to get involved in the way they want.”
For Simmons, it was an opportunity to learn in new ways from many dedicated Rotary members, and she plans to use this opportunity to improve her leadership skills in the club.
“We have many long-time members who have not missed a meeting in decades, and I look forward to continuing to learn from them,” Simmons said.
Through her membership in Rotary, Simmons had numerous opportunities to give back to the community, and her dedication and passion led her to run for president, succeeding current President Marty Conley on July 1.
“Help clean up, make pancakes for our pancake breakfast, the proceeds from that fund nursing scholarships,” Simmons said. “Helping people in the community and serving the community is what has kept me here.”
“It’s always nice when people receive scholarships and know that they can continue their education a little easier,” she said.
Through his involvement with Rotary, Simmons has made new connections and created opportunities to serve communities outside of Ironton and the United States.
“I’ve met a lot of people and made friends through Rotary. I recently had the opportunity to visit an organization that we fund for our international work,” said Simmons. “I was in Guatemala in March. The group supports indigenous Mayan communities.”