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The Rotary Club of Ithaca welcomed five new presidents for the 2015-2016 year. With a creative twist, the club is trying a new approach: five past club presidents have formed a leadership team informally called the Gang of Five. The group is comprised of Jean McPheeters, James Brown, Brian Wilbur, Janet Steiner, and Jim Johnston. Together, they will share responsibility for leading the club and its initiatives during the next year.

Rotary Presidents

"The leadership team has been meeting regularly for the past year in preparation for this unique opportunity to strengthen the club, involve all members in the work of Rotary, experiment and innovate, and enhance our presence and contributions to the local community as well as the world at large," said Janet Steiner on behalf of the Gang of Five. "The Ithaca Rotary Club is a powerful advocate for service to others, through community grants, scholarships, hands-on projects like Share the Warmth, Highway Clean-up and Books for the World, and by its financial support of Rotary International and its goal of eradicating polio worldwide."
 
This year, the Ithaca Rotary Club’s presidents (aka The Gang of Five) are:
  • James Brown is President and CEO of United Way of Tompkins County. James joined Rotary in 1998 and served as president in 2012-2013. He will be working on areas of broader engagement in and outside of the Club.
  • Janet Steiner joined Rotary in 1996. She was Rotary president from 2009-2010, the year she retired as Director of the Tompkins County Public Library. As part of the Club’s Strategic Plan for this coming year, she will be in charge of building capacity and leadership in all areas of the club’s activities.
  • Brian Wilbur is retired Ithaca Fire Chief and current assistant director at the Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response. Brian joined the Ithaca Rotary Club in 1997 and was president in 2005-2006. Brian will focus on engaging members in the work of Rotary, both locally and internationally.
  • Jim Johnston recently retired as the executive director of Family & Children’s Service, a position he held for 40 years. He was Rotary president in 2000-2001 and was a District 7170 Assistant Governor from 2001-2004. Jim joined the Ithaca Rotary Club in 1983. His specific area of concentration this year is enhancing the club’s presence in the community.
  • Jean McPheeters is the president of Jean McPheeters Consulting LLC. She served as president of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce for 14 years, retiring in July 2014. Jean joined Rotary in 1990 and served as club president in 2002-2003. She will concentrate on the recruitment, mentoring, and maintenance of membership this year.
 
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