Bret McKeand
2021-22 District Governor
 
Bret McKeand, a member of Peoria North Rotary Club, will serve as our District Governor for 2021-22.
 
Originally from Illinois, Bret relocated to Arizona after graduating with a journalism degree from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. in 1981.
 
He has spent his entire career with Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA, retiring in 2018 as president of the company’s Arizona operations.
 
He joined Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA in 1983 as a reporter for the Sun City Independent; his titles over the years have included editor, publisher, vice president and eventually president of the company’s Arizona operations, which include a daily newspaper, several weekly and monthly community publications, a digital news platform and a commercial printing plant.
 
He still works part time for the Independent as Senior Executive Editor, where his focus is on coaching the editorial teams, assisting with community relations and pursuing grants/donations to support the company's journalistic mission. In 2020 he established the Community Services Journalism Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to support community journalism, enhance civil discourse and promote civics education.
 
Bret’s civic involvement over the years include serving as president of Northwest Valley Chamber of Commerce (1999 & 2000); president of the Arizona Newspapers Association (1999); president of the Arizona Newspapers Foundation (2000); president of the Peoria Diamond Club (2002-2003); president of the Sun Cities Area Historical Society Board of Trustees.
 
He joined Rotary in 2007 as a member of the Rotary Club of Sun City West. His Rotary experience includes serving as president of the Peoria North Rotary Club (2016-17) and District 5495 Assistant Governor (2017-2019). He has participated in the district’s Caborca (Mexico) Polio Immunization Trip, traveled to Mexico as part of a district Micro-Lending excursion and served as an adult counselor at RYLA. He served as chair of the district's Public Image Committee the past two years and has taught classes at Rotary Leadership Institute, Club Leadership Academy and PETS. He was chosen a district Emerging Leader in 2018 and is a graduate of Rotary Leadership Institute and Rotary Leadership Academy.
 
He is the author of "Images of America: Sun City," a book published in 2010 in cooperation with the Sun Cities Area Historical Society. Bret and Michelle live in Peoria and have two grown children (Lindsey and Brady).