Rotary Club of Grand Rapids

09/05/2026

What a great night at Club 77!

A big thank you to Rose Street Advisors and Rotarian Jon Andrews for hosting this month’s social and networking gathering.

Rotarians and guests enjoyed delicious appetizers and drinks while sharing conversations and ideas about how we can continue to do good in the world.

Every first Thursday of the month we come together at a member’s place of business or a fun local spot around town for these Club 77 events.

They’re a wonderful way to connect, recharge, and strengthen the bonds that make our club so special.

Thanks to everyone who joined us — see you at the next one!

Club 77 = Rotary Club of Grand Rapids was the 77th chartered Rotary Club in the world.

08/28/2026

Congratulations to Rotarians Cathy Cooper, Jackie Taylor and Andy DeVries on being honored by Senior Neighbors as a 16 over 60 honoree. We agree - you are all inspiring and dedicated to leadership and service in West Michigan.

In case you missed it, meet our 2026 16 Over 60 Honorees! 🌟

Their stories inspire. Their impact matters. And on November 18, we'll gather at Frederik Meijer Gardens to honor their achievements.

Don't miss this unforgettable evening of celebration, connection, and inspiration.

🎟️Get your tickets now: https://bit.ly/getyour2026galatickets

08/27/2026

Rotarians have been enjoying summertime in West Michigan! From the West Michigan Whitecaps, to the Grand Rapids Chamber - we've been building relationships and promoting peace!

08/24/2026

Scott Souter of First Community Bank - Michigan has joined the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids Michigan. Scott is a true community leader who will be an asset for our club in many ways:

JOB JOB: Vice President of Commercial Lending

FOCUS: Commercial Banking/Small Business Lending
LOCAL YOKEL: 42 years in Grand Rapids
MATRICULATION: Bachelor's degree from Aquinas College, MBA from Grand Valley State University and University of Phoenix
SPORTS: Played soccer at Aquinas; serves as Junior Varsity Girls Soccer Head Coach and Assistant Varsity Girls Soccer Coach at Grandville High School
FAMILY: Wife Pam and children Isaac and Caitlyn

HOBBIES: Guitar, boating, fishing, reading, running, hiking
VOLUNTEERING: Safe Harbor Children's Advocacy, Peoria Football Club United, Junior Achievement, BizPac, Midwest Food Bank, marriage mentor, sound technician
READING: Leading by Alex Ferguson
FUN FACT: Been stranded on a deserted island

WHY ROTARY: To serve our community
3 Adjectives: Inquisitive, Sincere, Passionate
Farthest Traveled: Central Mexico on the Baja peninsula
YUCK/YUM: Plain noodles/breakfast
SURPRISING: Mix sound for his church

A special thanks to his sponsors, Chip LaFleur & Jim Gilbert.

08/14/2026

What a great Rotary Club of Grand Rapids luncheon today!

We were fortunate to hear from Nicholas Abraham, Manager of Regulatory Strategy at ITC Holdings Corp., who delivered an insightful presentation on the power grid, energy reliability, and the interconnected systems that keep our communities powered. He also shared valuable perspective on the growing impact of data centers on energy demand—timely and thought-provoking information for all of us.

It was especially meaningful to have Nicholas with us, as his mother, JoAnn Abraham is a longtime and valued member of our club.

We also shared some exciting news:

The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids has been awarded its first-ever Rotary International Global Grant!

In partnership with the Rotary Club of Harare Central, our application to drill boreholes at eight schools in Shamva, Zimbabwe—providing clean and accessible water for students and communities—has been approved by The Rotary Foundation and The Rotary Foundation Canada. The grant award is US $64,200.

A special thank you to Sienna Mavima, Chair of our World Community Service Committee, for her hard work and dedication in leading the grant submission process. This achievement would not have been possible without her leadership.

This is a proud moment for our club and a powerful reminder of the difference we can make when we work together across borders.

08/13/2026

A hearty welcome to Catherine Gagnon of Tamarisk Legal Advisors PLLC, who has joined the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids. A brisk biography of beauty and benevolence follows:

CAREER: Multilingual attorney bridging European and American legal experience; previously worked for Rockford Construction

FOCUS: Estate planning for individuals, families, and business owners

FAMILY: Husband Zach and children Jack and Lea

BACKGROUND: French native who worked for global construction leader VINCI in Berlin🌍

3 ADJECTIVES: Detailed, quiet, informed

LOCAL YOKEL: 6 years in Grand Rapids

WHY WEST MICHIGAN? Husband grew up in Alpena. After living in Germany together, decided to move back to Michigan after children were born

HOBBIES: Walking & hikes🚶🏼 , reading📖 , swimming 🏊🏼

FAVORITE TASKS: Vacuuming

READING: Short-story collection "Brawler," by Lauren Groff

FARTHEST TRAVELED: Tanzania and Zanzibar in 2016

FUN FACT: Would put Buffalo Wild Wings' Spicy Garlic sauce on nearly everything

WHY ROTARY: To establish friendships with like-minded people and for service opportunities

SUPRISING: Played in Women's Hockey League for a season. Not well.

VOLUNTEERING: CASA of Kent County

COMMITTEE: Intrigued by the World Community Service committee

A special thanks to her sponsors, Chelsea Dubey and Brian Hauenstein, CSA.

08/11/2026

⚾ PLAY BALL! ⚾

Join the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids + Fans of Valley Field for an unforgettable night at LMCU Ballpark!

🏟️ Exclusive Family Fare Clubhouse Suite
🍽️ Food Buffet Included (sponsored by Fans of Valley Field)
🚗 Parking Included
⚾ Whitecaps Game
🍺 Alcohol available for purchase
🎟️ Only $25 thanks to the generous sponsorship of Jackie Merritt & Alliance Financial & Insurance!

Come enjoy great baseball, meet new people, and build new connections with two amazing organizations.

📅 Wednesday, August 26
Seats are limited—grab yours before they're gone! ⚾💙💚

🎟️ Purchase tickets via this link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/rotary-club-of-gr-fans-of-valley-field-baseball-outing?fbclid=IwY2xjawTgeTFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeXhHmYrWIL06uGZvfVI1WPnW6Ndsgw9CtR5GSIWd7GKvpYDA7CrZqIKDIcDc_aem_ZH5-wRuWoytxTs2Gv4q0Zw

08/05/2026

Let's get grounded and intentional and welcome John King Professional Counseling, PLLC to the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids. We are lucky to have his leadership and vision in West Michigan:

WORK: John King Professional Counseling, PLLC

FOCUS: Mental health counseling

SPOUSE: Kathleen King

3 ADJECTIVES: Deliberate, kind, nostalgic

HOBBIES: Piano, making music, reading, motorsports

READING/WATCHING: Dune/Ted Lasso

FUN FACT: Has a strong Irish ancestry despite a lack of "Irish wit"

LOCAL YOKEL: 8 months

WHY WEST MICHIGAN: To be closer to family in Michigan and Wisconsin

FARTHEST TRAVELED: Krakow, Poland

YUCK/YUM: Totino’s pizza rolls/olives

ROTARY REASON: Learning from others’ expertise and forming long-lasting relationships

COMMITTEE: Community Engagement

WHEN HE GROWS UP: Race in Formula 1

SURPRISING: Big Elton John fan. Can name every song on his first 8 albums

A big thanks to his sponsors, Chuck Caldwell & Michael Sytsma.

07/09/2026

Another week of Rotarians in the Wild! Golfing, serving, traveling, biking and getting our nails done...we love doing life together.

07/09/2026

The moment has come to welcome Donny C. Nguyen of VanderWinn Consulting to the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids Michigan. Let us familiarize ourselves with his bountiful bona fides:

WORK: Entrepreneur, consultant, and real estate investor

SPECIALTY: Helping business owners grow their businesses

EXPERIENCE: 15 years in corporate roles across sales, supply chain, operations, finance, and project management for Pfizer, Amway, Belwith-Keeler

FAMILY: Wife Thao and children Kyler, Grayson, and Emery

VOLUNTEERING: Ada Business Association

READING: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

WHY ROTARY: Give back to the community and be of service with his family

3 Adjectives: Intentional, Social, and Reflective

FAVORITE TASKS: Financial reconciliation

FURTHEST TRAVELED: Vietnam

WHY WEST MICHIGAN? First job with Pfizer

YUM/YUCK: Pizza/Olives

SURPRISING: Has a collection of video game consoles but does not play video games often



A special thanks to his sponsors, Jon Andrews and Jon F.