Next Wednesday, we have a rare opportunity to learn from someone who has spent a lifetime not just traveling the world—but understanding it.
Join us on Zoom as we welcome fellow Rotarian, Past President, and retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Bill Center for a conversation on what it truly means to be a global citizen. Bill will be in conversation with Past President Mark Wright—promising an engaging and highly relevant discussion.
Bill’s perspective is hard-earned. Over a distinguished 35-year naval career, he commanded ships and sailors across the globe, advised the Joint Chiefs of Staff on arms control and international agreements, and served as deputy director for international negotiations under Generals Colin Powell and John Shalikashvili. In his final assignment, he led Navy Region Northwest, overseeing one of the Navy’s largest fleet concentration areas.
But as Bill will tell you, being a global citizen isn’t about where you’ve been—it’s about how you show up.
After retiring from the Navy, Bill continued his impact as president of the Washington Council on International Trade and later as a lecturer and senior advisor at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. For decades, he has championed education, nonprofit leadership, and the belief that eliminating extreme global poverty is within reach.
At the core of his message: curiosity about other people and cultures isn’t optional—it’s essential.
This is more than a talk. It’s a call to think bigger about our role in the world—and how each of us, right here in Seattle, can help build a more connected and peaceful global community.
Don’t miss this chance to hear from one of the most respected leaders in our Rotary family.
TOMORROW! 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Rotary Boys and Girls Club
Rotary Boys and Girls Club Annual Clean Up Day
Our club established what is now known as the Rotary Boys and Girls Club in the basement of Plymouth Church 1944. The club grew so popular they moved to their own standalone building in 1954, a building funded by member donation dollars and used to this day.
Each year we return in service for an annual clean-up day, tackling tasks such as landscape improvements, kitchen clean outs, painting, and organizing. There is a role for everyone; we hope you “save the date” and join us!
At the Rotary Club of Seattle’s April 22 meeting, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman delivered a stark yet hopeful message about global health, poverty, and the role of philanthropy in a turbulent world. Speaking to Rotarians gathered under the theme of global citizenship, Suzman argued that the world has the tools to save millions of lives—but risks losing hard-won gains without renewed political will and focused investment.
Suzman opened by linking his own journey to Seattle with Rotary’s long history of service and the legacy of the Gates family. He reminded the audience that the Foundation’s roots run through Seattle and Rotary itself, noting that Mary Gates and Bill Gates Sr. were both deeply involved in the organization and passed those values on to their children. “The same values that have shaped Rotary since the beginning also gave birth to the Gates Foundation,” he said, emphasizing the shared ethic of service above self.
Drawing on his upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa, Suzman described how systemic injustice shaped his worldview. “Systems don’t fail by accident,” he said. “They are a reflection of a society’s values, and when people are denied opportunity at scale, it’s because someone decided explicitly or implicitly that their lives mattered less.” Citing Nelson Mandela’s famous declaration that poverty is “man-made and can be overcome,” Suzman stressed the line that has guided his career: “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.”
Suzman celebrated the global progress of the early 21st century, when child deaths fell by more than half and deaths from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria declined sharply. “That progress was not accidental. It was not inevitable,” he told the audience. “It was the result of deliberate choices, sustained political commitment, scientific innovation and an insistence on measuring what worked and then scaling it for the people who needed it most.”
But he warned that this momentum is now in jeopardy. Conflict, climate disasters, rising extreme poverty and major cuts in foreign aid have reversed trends that once seemed firmly positive. “Early estimates suggest that in 2025, for the first time this century, preventable child deaths went up rather than down,” Suzman said. “The irony is the world has never had better tools for saving lives than we do right now. The problem is not a lack of opportunity, it’s a lack of will.”
What a fabulous weekend to be in Walla Walla for our Rotary District 5030 conference! Our club was so well represented, we got the second-place attendance prize and with it a $1,000 gift to our own Seattle Rotary Service Foundation!
Thanks to all members that attended!
Want to attend next year? Let's talk! -Club Director Mary
Rotary District 5030 RISE leadership program registration opens up on MAY 1!
Get Involved!
Sunday, April 26th Bellevue Downtown Park
Bellevue Breakfast Club All in for Autism 5K Walk/Run
Calling all Seattle Rotarian walkers, joggers and runners!!
Be part of our SEATTLE ROTARY TEAM for the “All In for Autism” 5K Run/Walk.
Let’s show up TOGETHER for the All In for Autism 5K Run/Walk in downtown Bellevue on Sunday morning, April 26th. The Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club is sponsoring the event to benefit local organizations that empower children with autism.
Register in advance for our Seattle Rotary team by clicking on the QR code that takes you directly to our team page or click on this link:
The Future of Public Media: A Conversation with Cascade PBS featuring Chief Revenue Officer Kerry O'Keefe and Director of Original Productions and Content, Sarah Menzies
Tuesday, May 19th 4:00 PM -6:00 PM UW Campus, Founder's Hall, Peek Forum (5th Floor)
Rotary Day at UW with the Business Mentors Program
This in‑person event will bring together Rotary mentors, students, small business owners, advisors, faculty, and community partners to celebrate a year of mentorship, learning, and community impact. We’ll hear from students and business owners, recognize Rotary scholarship recipients, and celebrate the invaluable contributions of Rotary mentors.
Event Details
Location: University of Washington Campus – Founders Hall, Peek Forum (5th Floor)
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Dinner: Will be provided
Parking: Will be provided (after you submit your RSVP, you will receive a confirmation email with parking information)
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Gabriela Michan at gmichan@uw.edu
Thursday, May 21st 5:00 PM -8:00 PM Hotel Sorrento
Major Donors Pinkham & Skeel/President's Circle Reception
The SRSF Board of Directors and donors to SRSF at the $1,000+ level this Rotary year will receive an invitation to our annual appreciation reception. The evening will feature refreshments and updates from grantee organizations on the impact our donation dollars have made to local and international projects.
Wednesday, May 27th 6:00 PM Harissa Mediterranean Cuisine
Fedva Dikmen's Ethnic Dinner
Please pre-register by paying Fedva using the payment methods outlined below.
Saturday, May 30th Shifts from 10 AM-5 PM Rainier Community Center
Volunteers Needed: Launch Learning Family Carnival
Volunteers are needed for several shifts and roles at this annual event benefitting nonprofit Launch Learning. For more information, please see the volunteer info and email Jessica.ivins@launchlearning.org to sign up to volunteer.
In an effort to better inform membership of the health of the club, we will start posting member additions and resignations after each month's club board meeting.
We love to see our Rotary members promoting good works in our community and abroad! If you have a project or fundraiser that you are excited about and would like to promote to your fellow club members, please check in with our Club Director, Mary Goldie, before distributing information or invitations through our email roster. We value the privacy of our members’ contact information and can let you know the appropriate ways to reach out to folks in our club. Thank you!!
Join us from 9 AM - 12 PM for a day in service to the Rotary Boys and Girls Club-the club your very own Rotary Club of Seattle helped establish! If wanting to attend, please RSVP at jared.grose@industriousoffice.com.
Apr 26, 2026 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-07:00)
Join the fun! Register for this 5K run/walk as a member of the Seattle Rotary team. Bellevue Breakfast Rotary is hosting the event in support of local projects helping to empower children with autism. Here is the registration link for Seattle Rotarians: https://runsignup.com/RaceGroups/177622/Groups/2048568
There is a Kids Dash @ 7:50AM; the run/walk starts @ 8:30AM. Dogs are welcome!
Meets 10:30 am on the second Tuesday of each month via Zoom; please contact Jevon Powell for calendar invite and link.
The mission of the Local Service Committee is two-fold: to coordinate hands-on service activities for club members, and to accept and process grant applications for local service projects and forward those applications to Seattle Rotary Service Foundation for final evaluation and award.
Serves to fulfill Rotary's mission of "advancing international understanding, goodwill, and peace." The committee selects projects that positively impact the health, education, and welfare of less advantaged people in other countries, with a particular emphasis on youth. Actively works with clubs in our District and abroad to leverage — via matching grants — the amount of money available for a project. Members get involved through direct knowledge of the project or by volunteering. Prior focuses have included malaria projects in Zambia, Tanzania, and Uganda; microcredit and water projects in India; de-mining projects in Vietnam and Lebanon; AIDS orphan support in South Africa and Ethiopia; education/literacy projects in Nepal, Chile, and Hungary; and more than a decade of wide-ranging projects in Russia.
For more information on this committee, please email info@seattlerotary.org.
We’re pleased to invite you to Rotary Day at the UW Foster School of Business, a special Year‑End Program Celebration recognizing the impact of the Rotary Business Mentors Program and our longstanding partnership with the UW Foster School of Business. Please see the attached PDF invitation for full event details.
This in‑person event will bring together Rotary mentors, students, small business owners, advisors, faculty, and community partners to celebrate a year of mentorship, learning, and community impact. We’ll hear from students and business owners, recognize Rotary scholarship recipients, and celebrate the invaluable contributions of Rotary mentors.
Event Details
Location: University of Washington Campus – Founders Hall, Peek Forum (5th Floor)
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Dinner: Will be provided
Parking: Will be provided (after you submit your RSVP, you will receive a confirmation email with parking information)
These are club membership (not total years of Rotary membership) anniversaries only
1 Year
Roy Wild Rachel Ligtenberg Michael Fors Josh Lieberman
3 Years
Dorothy Echodu
5 Years
Brian Goodwin
Gina Hall
Jenn Gladish
Rachel Smith
6 Years
Dewitt Jensen
8 Years
Nicole Klein
11 Years Jon Scholes
18 Years
Steve Boyd
20 Years
Steve Sundquist
21 Years Linda Cheever
22 Years
Hollie Ellis
Freeman Fong
26 Years
Jean Bateman
33 Years
Michael O'Byrne
39 Years
Bob Parks
42 Years
Jim Burdett
Get Involved
Meet fellow Rotarians and get involved in service. See below for a list of committees. Email the committee chair by clicking on their name. Or, contact Mary Goldie for more information.
4. Invite your connections to a weekly meeting, and let mary@seattlerotary.org know so they may be introduced.
If you don't already have a LinkedIn profile, CLICK HERE to learn how to get started.
SEATTLE 4 ROTARY AUDIO VISUAL SPONSORS
Video of Seattle 4 Rotary Programs are available online thanks to the generous support of our Seattle Rotary Audio Visual Sponsors.
In addition to supporting our club, becoming a Seattle 4 Rotary Audio Visual Sponsor brings many benefits. To learn more, click here, or contact Mary for more details at mary@seattlerotary.org.
Do You Have Any Musical Instruments to Donate to Students in Need?
Music4Life is a non-profit and project of Rotary District 5030 that distributes musical instruments to public school students in need.
We welcome any gently used musical instruments you wish to donate. They can be delivered directly to these local music stores that are now open: American Music in Phinney Ridge and Kennelly Keys Music in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Everett.
Please accompany your instrument with the PDF donation form, linked below.
Our Rotary Cares team is ready to listen and to support you. One of the wonderful things about our club is that you have many friends --you just need to reach out to tap into our amazing network of caring people. Please contact our Rotary Cares Committee Chair to let us know how we can help.
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Rotary Boys and Girls Club
