DISCON 2324 – Rotary District 6690

District Assembly & Conference

April 19 – 20, 2024

Deer Creek Resort and Conference Center

“Creating Hope in Your Community and the World!”

The Speakers

Jeris Gaston
Jeris Gaston

Rotary International President’s Representative and District 6860 Rotaract Chair

BIO

Saturday Breakfast Keynote: Presidential Representative Jeris Gaston
Jeris Gaston is a Partner with Bridgeworth + Savant Wealth Management, a financial planning and wealth management firm in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. After graduating from Birmingham-Southern College with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a distinction in leadership studies, she obtained a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to Dublin, Ireland. There she was a member of the Dublin Central Rotary Club and obtained a master’s degree in philosophy with a distinction in women’s studies from Trinity College at the University of Dublin.
She returned home and became a member of the newly formed Rotaract Club of Birmingham and remained a member for the next nine years. Over that time, she served as VP of Membership, President and Chair of the Board. Her primary focus during her time in club leadership was forming more inroads for Rotaractors into Rotary. During this time the club established a formal Rotary Transition committee, started relationships with all thirteen clubs in the city, and created a now longstanding mentorship program with their Charter club. For her service to Rotaract, Jeris was made a Paul Harris Fellow.
As a member of the Rotary Club of Birmingham, Jeris served as VP of Communications and VP of New Generations, and she currently serves District 6860 as Rotaract Membership Chair. She is also an Assistant Rotary Coordinator for Zone 30 and through 2024 she will Co-Chair the Rotary International Membership Growth Committee, working in all capacities to “Grow Rotary.”
Jeris is married to Jordan Gaston and has twin eleven-year-old boys, Graham and Hayes. When she isn’t on the soccer field with the twins or at a Rotary meeting, you can find her trying all the delicious culinary treats that Birmingham, Alabama has to offer!

Carl Chinnery
Carl Chinnery

Past District Governor (D6040) and Polio Eradication Advocate

BIO

Saturday Dinner Keynote: PDG District 6040 Carl Chinnery
Carl Chinnery joined Rotary in 1977. He served as District Governor of District 6040 from 2002 to 2003, the same year he was awarded the Rotary Presidential Citation. He served as the Major Donor Advisor, Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Endowment Major Gift Advisor and Rotary International President’s Representative. His efforts helped grow the local group to the largest in the state.
Chinnery has received numerous awards, including the 2023 City of Lee’s Summit and City of Lake Lotawana Citizen of the Year award. Chinnery is recognized for his service to the communities, civic activities, and legal work for nonprofits. He has been honored at the Truman Heartland Community Foundation’s Annual Citizen’s Reception and its “Toast to Our Towns” Gala.
Chinnery has committed most of his adult life to the elimination of polio, a devastating virus that affected his family as a young boy. Using his family’s experience as a motivator, he has given more than 300 presentations worldwide and was instrumental in the immunization of 160 million children during India’s National Immunization Day. He received the District 6040 Humanitarian Award for Polio Eradication, the 2010 Regional Service Award for a Polio Free World and the International Service Award for a Polio Free World.

Sigrid Solomon
Sigrid Solomon

Past District Governor (D6670)

BIO

Saturday Breakout Speakers
Sigrid Solomon was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She holds a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and an M.Ed. from East Carolina University. She is currently finishing her Doctorate degree from Ashland University. Sigrid has been working in higher education since 1993 at various colleges and universities and currently serves at Wilmington College where she is the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students.

During her Rotary service, Sigrid has presented workshops on DEI at the local, district, and zone levels in addition to serving as a training leader for International Assembly. Sigrid also served for many years on the All-Ohio PETS steering committee, co-chair for the programs for the Zone 30/31 Conference, as well as many other zone and district initiatives. In 2019-2020 she served as District Governor, Rotary District 6670. She was the president of the Wilmington PM Rotary Club (formerly an AM Club) from 2011 through 2012.

Sigrid has two sons 33 and 24-year-old and a host of former foster children. Family and friends are extremely important to her.

Jenny Stott
Jenny Stotts

Zone 30 Assistant Rotary Coordinator
and Rotary Happy!

BIO

Saturday Breakout Speakers
Jenny Stotts currently serves as the Rotary Zone 30 Assistant Rotary Coordinator and is a member of the Paul Harris Society and the Bequest Society. She is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Athens Sunrise. Her favorite Rotary activities include RYLA and Paddle for Polio Plus, an annual event featuring kayaks.
Professionally, Stotts was appointed in 2022 by Governor Mike DeWine to serve as Ohio’s first Youth Ombudsman. She previously served for 9 years as the Executive Director of the Athens CASA/GAL Program and the Regional Coordinator of Southeast Ohio CASA. She is a licensed social worker, a trauma specialist, and a trained forensic interviewer.
Stotts has been recognized in her community and region as the 2018 Young Professional of the Year, the 2020 Women of the Year, Community Leader of Year, and Ohio University’s 5 Under 35 Featured Alumni. She has served as the Chair of the federally mandated Child Welfare Review Panel on Permanency and was elected to the National Leadership Council for CASA. In addition to Rotary, Stotts volunteers her time with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Child Conservation League.

Logan Mallory
Logan Mallory

Leadership and Culture Speaker who focuses on how to live the good life! Former Rotary Interactor

BIO

Friday Dinner Keynote: Logan Mallory
Logan Mallory is a professional speaker on leadership, culture, and living a great life. He has spoken to tens of thousands of audience members internationally. His storytelling and relatable approach inspire audiences and lead them to take action. He has been retained as a keynote speaker on leadership within numerous industries, including financial services, academia, technology, human resources, government, and marketing.

Offstage, Logan is the Vice President of Marketing at Motivosity, an organization that helps companies create winning cultures. In 2023, he was honored as a Utah “40 Under 40”, an award that celebrates professionals who are changing Utah’s business landscape. Logan is also an adjunct professor at BYU’s Marriott School of Business where he teaches marketing and strategy courses. He is in the middle of the publishing process and plans to release his first book in fall of 2024.

Logan has personal ties to Michigan, Texas, Utah and Washington. His wife, four kids, and poodle are all his favorites.

Jennifer Montgomery
Jennifer Montgomery

Rotary Peace Fellow and Global Human Rights.

BIO

Saturday Breakout Speaker and Lunch Keynote: Rotary Peace Fellow Jennifer Montgomery
Jennifer Montgomery is a Rotary Peace Fellow and global human rights advocate. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in advocacy, program management, and strategic communications. She served for 10 years as Director of Human Trafficking Education and Outreach for the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and is a subject matter expert on human trafficking and Gender Based Violence with the Attorney General Alliance Africa Partnership for Justice. Jennifer is currently the Administrative Director of the Kansas Children’s Service League Foundation and Founding President of Magenta Girls Initiative (MGI), an international nonprofit organization mobilizing community support for girls’ education and female empowerment.
Jennifer holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas, an M.A. in Arts Education from the University of Florida and a Postgraduate Diploma in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation from Makerere University in Uganda. Jennifer is a published author and an engaging public speaker able to distill complex ideas into powerful messages to inspire change.

Weekend Overview

updated 4-15-24

FRIDAY
APRIL 19

District Assembly

FRIDAY	Event	Location
8:00 a.m.	Four Way Speech Contest	Burr Oak Room
11:00 a.m.	Registration for District Assembly / Conference	Main Lobby

11:30 a.m.	Lunch	Ballroom

12:15 p.m.	Four Way Speech Contest Winners Present	Ballroom
12:45 p.m.	Ben Shirley – Skid Row Marathon	Ballroom
1:15 pm	Networking/ Beverages

1:30 pm	Exemplary Club Projects Featuring Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus
	Areas of Focus projects 1-4 • Promoting peace • Fighting disease • Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene • Saving mothers and children
2:30 pm	Networking/ Beverages

2:45 pm	Areas of Focus projects 5-7 • Supporting education • Growing local economies • Protecting the environment
3:30 pm	Network / Adjourn

Fran Veverka, District 6690 Executive Secretary will be on hand starting at 11:00 am for in-person coaching or to answer any questions about DACdb.

Terry Rataiczak, District 6690 TRF Chair will also be on hand starting at 11:00 am for in person coaching or to answer any questions about District Foundation and/or Global Grants.

Transition to District Conference

4:00 p.m.	Registration for District Conference	Main Lobby
4:00 p.m.	House of Friendship Opens	Black Oak

4:30 p.m.	The Rotary Foundation Donor Reception (Invitation Only)	Scarlet Oak

4:30 p.m.	Social Hour, Silent Auction, Cash Bar, Live Music with Dan Neeley, Hors d’oeuvres sponsored by Disaster Aid USA.	Foyer outside Ballroom

6:00 p.m.	Opening General Session: Dinner	Ballroom
	Keynote Speaker: Logan Mallory
	“Upgrade Your Team Today: Ideas to Immediately Improve Your People”
8:00 p.m.	Hospitality Suites Opens	Scarlet Oak

SATURDAY
APRIL 20

District Conference

2023-24 theme

Creating Hope in Your Community and the World!

7:00 a.m.	Morning Meditation/Yoga with PDG MJ Shackelford	Parlors
7:45 a.m.	Breakfast Buffet	Ballroom
7:45 a.m.	Registration, House of Friendship and Silent Auction Open	Main Lobby / Ballroom Foyer
8:30 a.m. – 12:00	Youth Services Program	Upper Lobby

8:30 a.m.	Morning General Session	Ballroom
	District Business Meeting
	Keynote Speaker: Presidential Representative Jeris Gaston
	“Rotary Membership: A Journey of Creating Hope in the World”
9:45 a.m.	Breakout Spotlights: Creating Hope in the World, Ourselves, and the Future!	Ballroom

10:30 a.m.	Breakout Sessions 1
	Jennifer Montgomery: Human Trafficking; Hidden in Plain Sight	Scarlet Oak
	Sigrid Solomon: Expand our Reach by Creating a Sense of Belonging in your Club	Parlors
	Jenny Stotts: Thriving Minds: Building Resilience and Happiness	Mezzanine
	Youth Services Team: Explore Youth Services Programs in District 6690	Burr Oak
11:30 a.m.	Breakout Sessions 2 (same as above)	See Above

12:30 p.m.	Midday General Session: Lunch	Ballroom
	Keynote Speaker: Rotary Peace Fellow Jennifer Montgomery
	“Creating Hope in the World: Empowering At-Risk Girls and Women in Uganda.”
2:15 p.m.	Service Project: Creating Hope by Packing Meals to Feed People Around the World	Mezzanine (upstairs)
3:30 p.m.	Free Time, House of Friendship, Silent Auction remain open
4:00 p.m.	Hospitality Suite Opens	Scarlet Oak

5:00 p.m.	Social Hour. Cash Bar Outside Ballroom. Final Auction Bidding!	Foyer outside Ballroom
6:00 p.m.	Closing General Session: Dinner	Ballroom
	Keynote Speaker: PDG Carl Chinnery
	“Creating Hope in the World: Heroes in the War Against Polio”
8:00 PM	Hospitality Suite Open	Scarlet Oak

SUNDAY
APRIL 21

District Conference

2023-24 theme

	Breakfast on your own
8:00 a.m.	Nature Walk with DG David Uhl and family	Meet in Main Lobby
	Enjoy Deer Creek’s Amenities on your own
11:00 a.m.	Check out and depart at your leisure

ACCOMMODATIONS

Deer Creek Lodge and Conference Center
22300 State Park Rd 20 Mt. Sterling, OH 43143

Rate: $129+tax/night

BOOK ONLY VIA PHONE FOR ROOM BLOCK RATE – YOU MUST CALL TO BOOK

Call the hotel at 740-869-2020 to reserve a room under the Room Block Code: GRID

Must book by March 15th to get the Discounted Room Block Rate

ONLY Full Assembly & Conference $199

For Youth and Rotaract $135

Pricing is per person REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Friday and/or Saturday Dinner Only Option available for spouse/partner $50ea.

Four Way Test:

Held during District Assembly on April 19th, the Four-Way Test has captured the imaginations of generations of Rotarians as a simple checklist to help ensure that we are applying this positive and powerful code to how we try to live our lives and serve others. Find more information here.

Silent Auction to Support PolioPlus and Youth Services:

You aren’t going to want to miss the unbelievable auction items available at this year’s District Conference. Proceeds from the auction will go to support Polio eradication efforts around the world and to support our District Youth Services programs.

House of Friendship:

We are excited to welcome vendors to the 2024 District Conference House of Friendship. Email Conference Chairman Matt Wideman to reserve your spot today.

Service Project:

You will have a chance to make an impact around the world during District Conference 2024 by packaging shelf stable, nutritious meals that are shipped to children and families who struggle with hunger and malnutrition around the world.

Yoga with PDG MJ and Nature Walk DG David:

Take advantage of the beautiful surroundings at Deer Creek State Park by waking up early for Yoga with PDG MJ. Extend your stay Saturday night and wake up Sunday for a Nature Walk, hosted by DG David. (there’s a 27% chance we will get lost, but it will be fun!!!).

Hospitality Suite:

Join fellow Rotarians for fellowship after dinner Friday and Saturday night at our District Hospitality Suite.

District Assembly & Conference

April 19 – 20, 2024

Deer Creek Resort and Conference Center

“Creating Hope in Your Community and the World!”

Saturday Breakfast Keynote: Presidential Representative Jeris Gaston

Saturday Dinner Keynote: PDG District 6040 Carl Chinnery

Saturday Breakout Speakers