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OUR SPEAKER: Melita Easters | Executive Director, Georgia Win List
“The State of Women in Georgia"
Melita Easters is the founding chair of Georgia WIN List and has served as executive director since 2015. WIN List is a 22-year-old Political Action Committee dedicated to electing Democratic women to statewide office and the Georgia General Assembly.
A UGA graduate, she served as state news editor of The Tifton Gazette and an award winning political reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She was a producer of The Lawmakers on Georgia Public Television and served as press secretary for Roy Barnes during his first bid for governor.
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FRIDAY MARCH 29 Meeting/
Speaker:
Rick Garnitz and Cindy Lundquist
"The Future of Social Security"
Get a sneak peek at upcoming speakers on the website HERE.
MEETING NOTES | FEB. 23
Guest Riley Paré, Rotary Exchange Student going to Italy in September; guest of John Bennett, Chair of the Rotary Exchange Program
Club Announcements
DeKalb Rotary Council 2024 Joint Breakfast: Teacher of the Year Award
Friday, February 23, the DeKalb Rotary Council 6900 held its 2024 Joint Breakfast at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Decatur Rotary member and Decatur Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gyimah Whitaker was the keynote speaker. The focus of the meeting was on education and Dr. Whitaker gave an inspiring talk. Then, the council honored teachers of the year along with the teachers' principals. LEFT: Teacher of the Year Decatur: Henry Tsay (center) with Mr. Duane Sprull, Principal of Decatur High School, Lawrence Sharp, Chair of the DeKalb Rotary Council and Dr. Whitaker.
CENTER: Decatur Rotary Member and Chair of the DeKalb Rotary Council, Lawrence Sharp receives the major Rotary award for the event, “You Are the Key” award from Lorri Christopher.
RIGHT: Dudley Larus, who received the “Show Rotary Cares” award stands with Lawrence Sharp, who received the “You Are the Key” award.
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Welcome back, Elliott
The club is excited to welcome back Elliott Augustine who has been recuperating from injuries suffered in an accident. Elliott received enthusiastic applause from the club welcoming him home.
Elliott Augustine waves to the members as he is welcomed back.
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An Invocation and a Remembrance
Rev. Dr. Speed gave the invocation and a special remembrance for past president and distinguished member, Ray Willoch, who passed away in February. Walt Drake also provided thoughts and fond memories about his friend and fellow Rotarian, Ray.
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Decatur Rotary Welcomes New Member Andrea Arnold
The club is extremely pleased to welcome Decatur City Manager Andrea Arnold to the club as a new member. She has served in her role as city manager since 2019 and has been with the city since 1997. Andrea has her undergraduate degree in Urban Studies and Political Science from Furman University and MPA from the University of Georgia.
She is married to Dave and has three children: Ellie, Ben and Charlie. And, she likes to run marathons!
Alison Weissinger gives Andrea her membership button and credentials.
Andrea, Alison and President Tozzi celebrate the new membership.
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It’s Homecoming Time March 8!
Come on home to Rotary on March 8.
• Reconnect with Rotarians old and new.
• Invite new guests who want to see what we are all about.
• Meet and greet old friends.
• We will honor the history of the club and reflect on many of our great members, past and present.
SPEAKER RECAP
Mayor Patti Garrett Gives the Annual ‘State of the City’ Address to Rotary
City Manager and new Rotary member, Andrea Arnold, introduced Mayor Garrett.
Mayor Patti Garrett delivered her annual State of the City address to the local Rotary club, highlighting the community's achievements, challenges, and future plans. She emphasized the city's economic growth, infrastructure improvements, and initiatives to enhance quality of life for residents. Garrett also addressed concerns such as affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and public safety, outlining strategies for addressing these issues in the coming year. Additionally, she expressed gratitude to the Rotary club for their ongoing support and partnership in building a stronger, more vibrant community.
The Strategic Plan
Mayor Garrett talked about the strategic plan. Unlike previous city plans that provided a broad analysis, this plan focuses its analysis on the six themes that emerged from community conversations, and which serve as the organizing principles for the policies, action items, and the entire plan. The facts and context in the plan directly informed community thinking on these issues: Equity & Racial Justice, Climate Action, Civic Trust, Affordable Housing, Mobility & Economic Growth. Mayor Garrett holds the book, “Building Beloved Communities” which was presented by the club to the Dekalb Library System in honor of Mayor Garrett.
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This n' That
Scenes from around the room at our most recent meeting. Individuals are identified from left to right.
James Herndon and Doug Park
Chris Brannon.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
We are grateful for the support of our local sponsors, and we encourage our members to support them in return.
LEFT: 
Alison Weissinger gives Andrea her membership button and credentials.
Andrea, Alison and President Tozzi celebrate the new membership. 
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