Council of Governors
Meet The Governors
Learn more about our Past District Governors from interviews that were completed in 2021.
Nelson French, 1987-88
William Stout, 1990-91
Roger Viers, 2000-01
Past General Officers of Rotary International From District 6690
Carl E. Steeb, PDG – Columbus
Director, 1932-33
Theodore D. Griley II, PDG – Newark
Director, 1990-92
Trustee, TRF – 2001-05
Richard F. Slager, PDG – Upper Arlington
Director, 1994-95
Vice President, 1995-96
Rotary was founded in 1905 in Chicago. Ohio has six (6) of the first 100 clubs that were chartered including Cincinnati in 1910; Cleveland in 1911; and Columbus, Toledo and Dayton in 1912. Springfield completed the group in 1914. Districts were first formed in 1916 and all of Ohio was placed in District 7 at the time.
Past District Governors
DISTRICT 7 (8 clubs – number of members unknown in 1915)
- 1915 Charles F. Laughlin*, Cleveland
- 1916 Jacob A. Oswald*, Dayton
- 1917 Ed R. Kelsey*, Toledo
During 1918-1919, District 7 was changed to District 10.
DISTRICT 10 (21 clubs – 2,397 members in 1918)
- 1918 Charles H. Brown*, Columbus
- 1919 John R. Bentley*, Cleveland
- 1920 Samuel H. Squire*, Elyria
- 1921 Robert Patterson*, Dayton
During 1922-1923, Ohio was divided into two districts. The northern part of Ohio was placed in District 21 while the rest of Ohio was placed in District 22.
DISTRICT 22 (27 clubs – 2,157 members in 1922)
- 1922 George C. Mitchell*, Coshocton
- 1923 James A. Maddox*, Columbus
- 1924 Charles D. Simeral*, Stubenville
- 1925 Samuel C. Carnes*, Cambridge
- 1926 C. H. Peterman*, Cincinnati
- 1927 Frank L. Beggs*, Newark
- 1928 Robert D. Hughes*, Dayton
- 1929 Carl E. Steeb*, Columbus
- 1930 Meeker Terwilliger*, Circleville
- 1931 Frank B. Pauly*, Middletown
- 1932 Fred H. Johnson*, Zanesville
- 1933 William H. Diehl*, Columbus
- 1934 Homer C. Selby*, Portsmouth
- 1935 E. A. Baker*, Cincinnati
- 1936 Thomas J. Summers*, Marietta
During 1936-1937, Ohio was divided into three (3) districts. Most of central and southern Ohio was placed in District 159.
DISTRICT 159 (45 clubs – 2,765 members in 1937)
- 1937 Robert R. Bangham*, Wilmington
- 1938 Bert F. Downey*, Springfield
- 1939 Joseph W. Fichter*, Oxford (RC of Hamilton)
- 1940 Orville B. Littick*, Zanesville
- 1941 Hermann K. Balthaser*, Lancaster
- 1942 Colin C. Campbell*, Washington Court House
- 1943 Charles C. Evans Jr.*, Chillicothe
- 1944 Walter D. Shultz*, Cincinnati
- 1945 William A. Miller*, Xenia
- 1946 Carl M. Everson*, Columbus
- 1947 John Lloyd Snook*, Portsmouth
- 1948 Louis S. Jacobson*, Dayton
During 1949-1950, districts were renumbered and District 159 became District 231.
DISTRICT 231 (59 clubs – 4,128 members in 1949)
- 1949 Vernon Burkhart*, Barnesville
During 1950-1951, District 159 was divided into two (2) separate districts. District 232 was created and included most of southeastern Ohio including Delaware, Licking, Coshocton, Guernsey and Belmont Counties south to the Ohio River.
DISTRICT 232 (31 clubs – 1,890 members in 1950)
- 1950 James W. Blair*, Delaware
- 1951 Harold V. Tom*, Zanesville
- 1952 Harry B. Reese*, Wellston
- 1953 Nicholas H. Holmes*, Chillicothe
- 1954 Phil A. Floyd*, Lancaster
- 1955 Charles T. Stewart*, Zanesville
- 1956 Merrill R. Patterson*, Marietta
During 1957-1958, Ohio’s four (4) districts were separated into five (5) districts and all renumbered. District 232 became District 669.
DISTRICT 669 (31 clubs – 2,066 members in 1957)
- 1957 Darrell S. Jones*, Newark
- 1958 Homer E. Felty*, Ironton
- 1959 Fred D. Learey*, Columbus
- 1960 C. E. “Chic” Jacoby*, Granville
- 1961 Hayward W. Strecker*, Marietta
- 1962 Frederick Stecker*, Columbus
- 1963 Wilmer H. “Bill” Driggs*, Cambridge
- 1964 Lawrence G. Worstell*, Athens
- 1965 Arthur L. Schultz*, Westerville
- 1966 George H. Chamblin*, Columbus
- 1967 James W. Miller*, Lancaster
- 1968 Charles R. Duncan*, Martins Ferry
- 1969 Edgar E. Barnett*, Columbus
- 1970 Robert C. Battat*, Newark
- 1971 Robert G. Smith*, Circleville
- 1972 Carl H. Roberts*, Athens
- 1973 Edwin H. Harman*, Columbus
- 1974 Charles W. Morrison*, Zanesville
- 1975 Joseph M. Christner*, Wellston
- 1976 Theodore D. Griley II, Newark
- 1977 Raymond E. Mason Jr*, Columbus
- 1978 Frank B. Amrine Jr.*, Marietta
- 1979 Michael H. Williams*, Portsmouth
- 1980 Richard F. Slager*, Upper Arlington
- 1981 George F. Kramer*, Zanesville
- 1982 Thomas C. Fitzpatrick*, Columbus
- 1983 Carl G. Dahlberg, Wellston
- 1984 James C. Taylor*, Cambridge
- 1985 Howard N. Stevenson, Circleville
- 1986 George A. Drach*, Athens
- 1987 Nelson French, Columbus
- 1988 Donn E. Alspach, Newark
- 1989 George F. Renkert*, Upper Arlington
- 1990 William A. Stout, Circleville
During 1990-1991, districts were renumbered and District 669 became District 6690.
DISTRICT 6690 (45 clubs – 3,789 members in 1991)
- 1991 Richard W. Siegel*, Westerville
- 1992 Richard F. Thompson, Ironton
- 1993 Michael J. Knilans*, Upper Arlington
- 1994 Ponney G. Cisco*, Jackson
- 1995 David Lusty, Athens
- 1996 Morris F. Briggs*, Westerville
- 1997 G. Roger Wells*, Whitehall-Bexley
- 1998 Mel P. Simon, Gallipolis
- 1999 Dennis O. Cook, Marietta
- 2000 Roger F. Viers*, Gahanna
- 2001 Richard M. Brixner, Cambridge
- 2002 Brian E. Stanfill, Delaware
- 2003 Robert H. McGaughy, Newark
- 2004 George M. Hale, Jr., Hilliard
- 2005 Peggy D. Murgatroyd, Cambridge
- 2006 J. Luke McCormick, Columbus
- 2007 James G. Flaherty, Westerville Sunrise
- 2008 Thomas L. Kokensparger, Lancaster
- 2009 Atmaram “Ram” Gawande*, Athens
- 2010 Calvin T. Gebhart, Circleville Sunrise
- 2011 Brent D. Rosenthal, Westerville
- 2012 Michael R. Brown, Olentangy
- 2013 Bart Mahoney, Whitehall-Bexley
- 2014 Randy Davies, Chillicothe, First Capital
- 2015 Tara Craaybeek, Lancaster-Sherman
- 2016 Steve Sandbo, Upper Arlington
- 2017 Shane Pyle, Coshocton
- 2018 Craig Maxey, Reynoldsburg-Pickerington
- 2019 Gary Vaughan, Columbus Short North
- 2020 Steve Heiser, Columbus
- 2021 Maryjane Shackelford, Zanesville Daybreak
*Deceased
![]() | David A. Uhl Year of Service: 2023-24 |
![]() | Price D. Finley Year of Service: 2022-23 |
![]() | Maryjane Shackelford Year of Service: 2021-22 |
![]() | Steven L. Heiser Year of Service: 2020-21 |
![]() | Gary R. Vaughan Year of Service: 2019-20 |
![]() | Craig G. Maxey Year of Service: 2018-19 |
![]() | Shane A. Pyle Year of Service: 2017-18 |
![]() | Stephen D. Sandbo Year of Service: 2016-17 |
![]() | Tara L. Craaybeek Year of Service: 2015-16 |
![]() | Michael R. Brown Year of Service: 2012-13 |
![]() | Brent D. Rosenthal Year of Service: 2011-12 |
![]() | Calvin T. Gebhart Year of Service: 2010-11 |
![]() | Thomas L. Kokensparger Year of Service: 2008-09 |
![]() | James G. Flaherty Year of Service: 2007-08 |
J. Luke McCormick Year of Service: 2006-07 |
![]() | Peggy D. Murgatroyd Year of Service: 2005-06 |
![]() | George M. Hale Jr. Year of Service: 2004-05 |
![]() | Robert H. McGaughy Year of Service: 2003-04 |
![]() | Brian E. Stanfill Year of Service: 2002-03 |
![]() | Richard M. Brixner Year of Service: 2001-02 |
![]() | Dennis O. Cook Year of Service: 1999-00 |
![]() | Mel P. Simon Year of Service: 1998-99 |
![]() | Richard E. Thompson Year of Service: 1992-93 |
![]() | William A. Stout Year of Service: 1990-91 |
Donn E. Alspach Year of Service: 1988-89 |
Nelson French Year of Service: 1987-88 |
Theodore D. Griley II Year of Service: 1976-77 |