The Rotary Club of Galveston held its annual change of leadership meeting on June 18 at Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant in downtown Galveston with the installation of the new president, executive team and board of directors. Pictured (front row, left to right): Kathy VanDewalli, president; Barbara Winburn, past-president; Susan Syler and (seated) Stephan Duncan, seargent-at-arms. (Back row, left to right): Jennifer Kelso, Treasurer; Lauren Suderman Millo, president-elect; Chris Homer, president-nominee; Mari Berend, Ruth Suhler, Secretary; Joseph Hugger, Randall Robinson, Lodie Massey, Jay Sims, Don Davison and Barbara Sanderson. Directors not pictured: Susannah Brown and Judy Johnson.
July 2025
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Rotary Foundation
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Public Image Chair
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Welcome to the Rotary Club of Galveston, Texas
Service Above Self
We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m.
Fisherman's Wharf
2200 Harborside Dr.
Galveston, TX 77550
United States of America
Galveston, TX 77550
United States of America
New members installed at the Rotary Club of Galveston’s July 9 meeting. Pictured (left to right): Kathy VanDewalli, president, Rotary Club of Galveston; Leonard Woolsey, publisher of The Galveston County Daily News and president of Southern Newspapers Inc.; newly installed Rotarians Jeana Watts, Michelle Robinson, general manager and chief revenue officer of The Galveston County Daily News; Teagen Tappe Bradley, Lisa Quiroga-Burus and member sponsors Randy Klibert and Mari Berend.
Leonard Wang, 3rd year MD/PhD student at UTMB, was introduced as the recipient of Rotary International's Global Grant Scholarship which he will use to obtain his MBA at Cambridge University in the UK. Wang is currently completing a Master of Science degree in Health & Social Policy at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK, which was funded by a Fulbright scholarship. Pictured from left to right includes Barbara Winburn, Club President, Wang, and Ulli Budelmann, PDG.
Club members Mark Stasney and Karla Klay presented the Environmentalist of the Year Award to Kyle O'Haver, Superintendent of Galveston State Park. Also pictured is Park Manager, Brenna Ceron. Congratulations Kyle!
Club President and Foundation Trustee, Barbara Winburn, presented a $2,500 grant to Artist Boat for the purchase of kayak supplies. Accepting the grant were Karla Klay, Executive Director, and Artist Boat Board member, Nancy Greenfield.
In partnership with United Way Galveston, the Rotary Club of Galveston installed a Born Learning Trail at Austin Elementary School on February 9, 2025. The Trail consists of 10 interactive signs printed in both English and Spanish along with colorful artwork painted on the sidewalks and adjoining walls.
Mary Brechtel (left) was recently inducted into the Rotary District 5910 Roll of Fame for her distinguished service to Rotary. Club President, Barbara Winburn, (right) presented Brechtel with the award.
TIDES OF MARCH PROJECT SUCCESS!
Six members, one Interactor, and a Friend of Rotary (spouse) teamed up at Artist Boat to transplant an estimated 750-800 pollinator and companion grass seedlings from starter trays to 8-inch pots where they will grow into mature plants ready for planting in the coastal preserve. Thank you volunteers and especially Mark Stasney for coordinating this fun and rewarding project!
Rotary Club of Galveston members (from left) Judy Johnson, Suzanne Sansom, and Richard DeVries were recognized for their continued support of Rotary International programs by receiving upgraded Paul Harris Fellow pins. They are pictured with Club President Barbara Winburn (second from right).
President Barbara Winburn (right) welcomed new Rotary Club of Galveston members Jon Langford (left) of Homewell Care and Monique Batson (center) of the Galveston Daily News.
The Rotary Club of Galveston will be supporting the Salvation Army by participating in their annual Red Kettle Fundraiser. Rotarians and friends will be ringing the bell for donations on December 14 from 10am to 6pm at Walmart and Kroger on Galveston Island. If you can't make it out to one of these locations, please consider donating to the Club's Virtual Red Kettle. The deadline to donate is December 24th.
Many members of the Rotary Club of Galveston's Rovin' Rotarians participated in the recent Walk to End Alzheimer's that took place October 19 at Stewart Beach and completed the 5K walk on the beach along with hundreds of other individuals and groups who participated in support of and/or in memory of loved ones who suffered from Alzheimer's. (photo by Robyn Bushong.)
Four past club presidents were the special program for the Rotary Club of Galveston's March 27th meeting in recognition of Women's History Month. Each president who participated in the program shared the highlights of their year and what an honor it was to serve as President of their club.
At its recent meeting, the Galveston Rotary Foundation of the Rotary Club of Galveston presented a $2,500 award check to the Galveston College Foundation in support of its new Health Science Education Center. Pictured are Kelly Kennedy (Club Member, left) and Christine Courteau (right) from the Galveston College Foundation, and Kristen Carlson (center), Past Club President and Treasurer of the Foundation.
A group of members of the Rotary Club of Galveston served dinner at the Ronald McDonald House at Galveston. This is the first time members have been able to make and serve dinner in person since before the pandemic. Pictured from left to right are Rotarians Judy Johnson, Randy Klibert, Gigi Heffernan, and Tom Delgado.
The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network was the recipient of a $1,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Galveston's Galveston Rotary Foundation, Inc. to fund educational programs for the Network. Accepting the donation on behalf of the organization was Heidi Whitehead (right.) Club Past President and treasurer for the Galveston Rotary Foundation, Inc.,Kristen Carlson, presented the check. (photo by Robyn Bushong.)
Rotarian Neil Nathan was recognized and honored for celebrating 45 years as a member of the Rotary Club of Galveston. Presenting his certificate and gift was District Governor, Demetress Harrell. (Harrell is the Governor for District 5910 - which includes Galveston.)
The members of the Interact Club of Galveston participated in cleaning up fishing lines and cigarette butts at Jamail Park on January 21st. This ongoing project helps keep these items out of our bayou where they could contaminate the water or injury marine animals. The Interact Club was assisted by Rotary Club Past President Mary Brechtel along with Rotarians Casey Brechtel and Ming Tzeng.
The Rotary Club of Galveston recently celebrated their annual Holiday & Family Program by making generous contributions to the annual Toys for Tots program - sponsored annually by the 4th Marine Division in Galveston. On hand to accept the generous contributions donated by the membership were Toys for Tots Coordinator, Sgt Christy (2nd from left) and Sgt. Garner. Also pictured were Club President, Cissy Matthews (far left), co-chairs Rotarians Mike Guarino and Bill Clement (far right.) Also pictured, in front, were Guarino's grandsons Gus and Pip (right) Caballero. (Photo by Robyn Bushong.)
Members of the Rotary Club of Galveston, including Interact members, rang the bell to collect donations for the Salvation Army. Members covered entrances at Walmart and Academy from 10am - 6pm on Saturday, December 10, 2022.
Rotarian Sally Byrom (right) was presented a special award at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Galveston from the Alzheimer's Association of Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter. Stephanie Fitzgerald, Bay Area/Galveston Regional Manager, made the presentation and recognized the Club's Rovin' Rotarians as the top-producing Rotary Club in the United States for raising over $20,000 annually -for the past 3 years - for the Alzheimer's Association. (Photo by Robyn Bushong.)
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