Welcome to District 5495 News

2025 Conference of Club Photos Available!
 
The 2025 District 5495 Conference of Clubs was held May 1-3 at the We-Ko-Pa Resort and Casino in Fountain Hills. District Governor Michelle Holcomb and District 5495 Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors celebrated our district's accomplishments over the 2024-25 year! Check out the excitement and download photos HERE.
 
Special thanks to our photographers -- Wayne General and Joe Zuccaro!
Let's celebrate our year at this weekend's Conference of Clubs!
 
We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to all attendees of the Rotary District 5495 Conference of Clubs May 2-3 at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort near beautiful Fountain Hills, AZ. 
 
As you prepare for this inspiring weekend, we hope you are as eager as we are to engage in the enriching and fun activities we have planned.
 
Scroll down further to see the full conference agenda.  Friday evening is the Rotary Foundation Celebration dinner followed with live entertainment and Club "Fun & Games" in the courtyard.  Saturday evening, enjoy music by Harold Payne and a keynote address by Danny White, former ASU and Dallas Cowboys quarterback.
 
Dress for the event is business casual, with cocktail attire suggested for Saturday evening. 
 
We look forward to sharing this special occasion with each of you and hope it will be a memorable and impactful experience. Let us come together to celebrate our combined efforts, exchange ideas, and create lasting connections.
Welcome to the Rotary District 5495 Conference of Clubs!
 
DG Michelle Holcomb 
Read more...
Rotary Leadership Institute planned May 31 in Anthem
 
District 5495 will conduct its next Rotary Leadership Institute on May 31. All three sessions will be held, and registration is now open.
 
SATURDAY, May 31, 2025 - Sessions I, II, & III
8:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

At:
ANTHEM CIVIC BUILDING, 3701 W Anthem Way, Anthem, AZ 85086
COST: $65.00 (Most Clubs will cover this cost)

Includes:
Continental Breakfast
Lunch
Study Materials

First time attendees, please select Session I
Others, select Session II or Session III based on what you have already completed

Why Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)? Participant Interaction and FUN!

Come interact with fellow Rotarians about:
Rotary Basics Community Service Ideas
Leadership Styles Rotary’s Impact Worldwide
Ethics & Vocation Engaging Members

RLI is a world-wide organization that some refer to as Rotary’s “College of Knowledge.” RLI touches on
“everything Rotary” and is not a “leadership” course to become an officer of your Club. RLI is made up of
three one-day Sessions to give you an overview of what Rotary is and what it does worldwide. Its goal is
to create ENTHUSIASM for Rotary and show the enormous potential of Rotary service and how with
knowledge and excellent leadership in Clubs, the world will benefit.
 
To register, click the link below:
 
DGND Joe Sweeney puts out call for 'Chief of Staff' for 2026-27
 
Dear Rotary Friends,
 
As I continue in preparations for my term as District Governor in 2026-2027, I’m looking to bring on a Chief of Staff—someone with the right mix of energy, experience, and organization to help us move District 5495 forward in a big way.
 
This is a volunteer position (approx. 8–10 hours/week) that begins May 15, 2025, and continues through my District Governor term. The Chief of Staff will help manage communications, coordinate meetings and calendars for our 61 clubs, and assist in overseeing our incredible team of committee leaders.
 
I’m reaching out to ask for your help in identifying someone who may be a great fit. Gender is not important—what matters most is competence, creativity, a strong work ethic, and a desire to make a meaningful impact through Rotary service. Ideally, the person has:
 
  • Rotary Club President-level experience or above
  • Good leadership, tech, and organizational skills
  • Familiarity with tools like ClubRunner, Zoom, and even AI (ChatGPT or similar)
This is a unique opportunity to build relationships, develop leadership, and serve at the District level in a high-impact way. If someone comes to mind—or if you yourself are interested—please reach out to me directly at Rotaryjoe5495@gmail.com or call/text me at (928) 642-4252 or (602) 935-6910.
 
Please feel free to forward this to anyone you believe would be a great asset to our team.
 
In Rotary Service,
 
Joe Sweeney
Rotary Club of Prescott Valley
Co-President 2025-2026
Assistant Governor 2018-2025
District Governor Nominee 2026-2027
Rotary Means Business (RMB) Organizer
Past President 2017-2018 & 2021-2023
Facilitating and Training for Clubs
Rotary/Red Cross Blood Program Leader
 (928) 642-4252
Clubrunner hosts seminars to help prepare for yearly changeover
Our annual Changeover Webinar Series is back - running from May 20 to June 3, and it's designed to help you start the new Rotary year strong with ClubRunner.
 
Whether you're part of a club or district, these sessions are tailored to your role, so you get the most relevant tips, tools, and updates to succeed in the year ahead.
  • Discover what's new in ClubRunner
  • Brush up on key features and best practices
  • Set your leadership team up for success
Ask your questions during the live Q&A with our Product Specialists.
 
 
Can't make it live? No problem! All sessions will be recorded and shared!
 
A Sneak Peek at Nova 🚀
 
We're also excited to feature Nova, the modernized version of ClubRunner - now in open beta!
 
Join us for a live walkthrough of Nova's sleek new design, intuitive navigation, and powerful new features. Clubs have already made the switch and shared invaluable feedback that's helping shape the future of ClubRunner.
 
Come see how Nova is evolving - and why we think you'll love it.
 
Join us on Tuesday, June 3 at 6pm Eastern Time for an in-depth webinar where we'll:
  • Showcase Nova's powerful features
  • Highlight the latest updates
Share our rollout plan and what to expect! Click here to register for the Nova webinar.
 
 
Program agenda finalized for D5495 Conference of Clubs
Join District Governor Michelle Holcomb and your fellow District 5495 Rotarians to celebrate our achievements in 2024-25 at the “Conference of Clubs” to be held May 1-4 at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort in Fort McDowell.
 
This year’s district conference will focus on the theme “Rotary Means Business: Investing in our communities, our youth and ourselves.”
 
The conference kicks off May 1 with a fundraiser at Saguaro Lake for The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona. The conference continues May 2-3 and ends with a golf on May 4. Cost for the two-day full conference is $300.
 
 
An agenda for the conference is copied below and includes a number of great speakers, programs, break-out sessions and lots of fun! Highlights include:
 
* A TRVFA fundraising Dinner Cruise on Saguaro Lake on Thursday, May 1.
* Council on Legislation 10 a.m. Friday, May 2.
* Christopher Zambakari, a Rotary Peace Fellow and "Lost Boy from Sudan" speaking at noon Friday.
* Foundation Dinner Celebration 6 p.m. Friday, featuring President's Representative Scott Rainey.
* Fun and Games on the Courtyard at 7:45 p.m. Friday.
* Former NFL quarterback Danny White is the keynote speaker at dinner 6 p.m. Saturday.
 
Rooms at the We-Ko-Pa Resort are $129 per night through April 10, then increasing to $199. RV parking is available. To book a hotel room, click on the following link:

Rotary International District Conference Room Block 2025

Group Code: 2505ROTARY

Password: Rotary25

Rooms are also available at the Hilton until April 2:

Spark by Hilton reservation link:  

 
Registration Questions:  Please contact Sandy Abalos:  abalos.sandy@gmail.com
 
Other questions:  Please contact:  Jackie Wasik:  jacquelinewasik@gmail. com
 
Read more...
DG Michelle appears on Channel 12 to promote The Prom Closet
 
District Governor Michelle Holcomb visited the NBC Channel 12 studios on March 31 to appear on a news segment promoting the Peoria North Rotary Club's annual Prom Closet service project.
 
Michelle and Past District Governor Bret McKeand (a member of Peoria North) were interviewed by Channel 12 news anchor Tram Mai.
 
You can view the entire segment HERE.
 
Michelle and Bret shared news of the history of the Prom Closet and dates for the project's final weekend, as well information on Rotary.
 
The Prom Closet is a service project that provides formal wear for high school teens attending their proms. Gowns, suits, tuxedos, shoes and more are provided at no charge.
 
The event takes place March 29-30 and April 5-6, 2025. For more information, visit www.thepromcloset.com.
 
RIPE Mario encourages Rotarians to 'Unite for Good'
 
Rotary International President-elect Mário César Martins de Camargo asked members to Unite for Good by embracing growth, service, and connection as he outlined a plan to expand “the best-qualified team of volunteers on the planet.”
 
“Rotary’s greatest asset is not our history, our projects, or even our unmatched global reach. It is our members,” de Camargo said at the organization’s International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA, on February 10.
 
He noted praise from one of Rotary’s partners about “the extraordinary dedication” of Rotary members. “That recognition from an outsider deepened my understanding: Rotary’s greatest gift to the world is its people.”
 
De Camargo, a member of the Rotary Club of Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil, emphasized the importance of seeking out new perspectives and strengthening Rotary’s service to communities around the globe. He outlined three “essential pillars” for growth: innovation, continuity, and partnership.
 
District 5495  promotes 'Rotary Week of Service' during Earth Week, April 16-22
District 5495, in conjunction with district 5500 is conducting its fifth annual Rotary Week of Service, April 16-22, 2025 -- Earth Week.
 
This year we are asking each assistant governor to coordinate with the clubs they serve to come up with one service project for that group of clubs. As we have 16 assistant governors, in theory, we would have 16 regional
projects during April. This method will allow for larger projects and collaboration of clubs within a geographical area.
 
Understanding that clubs may have other activities planned for this week, flexibility is key but an emphasis around mid to late April.

Our goals are:

• Collaboration among clubs - with flexibility as required
• The theme is Environmental projects - with flexibility as desired
• Involve non-Rotarians to participate - great opportunity for new members
• Promote the project with social media, press releases, getting a local mayor(s) proclamation of “Rotary Week of Service”, etc. For the larger projects we will try to get TV coverage as we did with the Bed Build
project, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a few years ago.
• Enjoy meeting and working with Rotarians from neighboring clubs