Guests: There were no visiting Rotarians. Sandy Reid’s guest was Jennifer Lennox from Davey Tree. AV assistance was by Bill Nome, Dave Myers and Asad Khan.

Announcements: President Dave reminded people that dues are due. He also said the Club will not meet at the Methodist Church for the next two weeks. Next week we will meet at Stanton Middle School. The following week at North Water Brewing.

Amanda Senn reminded Rotarians that the Leadership Portage patio party is tomorrow (August 10). She also has arranged for box lunches at Stanton Middle School from Franklin Square Deli and for a lunch buffet from Little City Grill at North Water Brewing. 

Randy Smith, chair of the fundraising committee, distributed paper and pens asking for fundraising suggestions to augment the annual auction.

Birthdays: Jeff Roggow reminded the Club that this year’s birthday question is: What was your first concert and what was your favorite concert?

Roger Kramer led off as he asked for a bye during July birthdays.

August birthdays: David McKeen and Tom Tadsen, August 1; Brian Bialik, August 2; Christine Bhargava, August 3; Chas Madonio, August 6; John Ryan, August 17; Rebekah Wright Kulis, August 25; Harold Hall and Anita Herington, August 26, and Brad Ehrhart, August 31.

Speaker: August Program Chair Denise Baba introduced Renee Romine, President of the Portage County Chapter of the NAACP. Renee recently retired from Kent State University after 35 years as Director of Training and Organizational Development for the Division of Human Resources, Training and Development. She concurrently served in the Army Reserves as Captain and Signal Officer. She has served as a Townhall II call center volunteer and Project Learn instructor. 

Renee holds a bachelor of arts degree in rhetoric and communication from Kent State, a master’s degree in instructional technology from Kent State, and a master’s certificate in educational leadership from The George Washington University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in interpersonal leadership at Kent State. Today she is speaking on Ethical Leadership.

Ms. Romine said ethical leadership is about collaboration if it is in your field or your community. She said the NAACP is the oldest civil rights organization, formed in 1909, following race riots in 1908. The mission is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.

She is excited that students in Windham High School have started a chapter of NAACP and said one of her goals is to revive the Kent State chapter. She explained that the county chapter reports to the state and the state reports to national.

The chapter has several active committees including for criminal justice, economic empowerment, education, health, political issues, and environment & climate. She gave examples in each area of progress and goals.

She said the focus is on one community, not us against them.

The chapter is housed in the Kent United Church of Christ and collaborates with many other organizations in the county. She said everything is governed by collaboration and you can’t be a good leader unless you are ethical.

Response was provided by Roberta O’Keefe.

Respectfully submitted by Anita Herington