Canonsburg woman named president of Rotary International

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A woman from the Pittsburgh area was named president of Rotary International.

Dr. Stephanie Urchick is a native of Canonsburg and was just catapulted to the top position in Rotary for the 2024-25 term.

As she travels the globe for the third-largest service organization in the world, she made a stop in Pittsburgh to highlight the successes of the Women Shaping Our Region Campaign, a concept crafted by the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and the Pittsburgh Business Exchange.

"I think Pittsburgh has a unique characteristic," Urchick said. "We're kind people. We're generous people, but we have a spine of steel.  And so when it comes to leadership, that's really important because there are tough decisions you have to make."

Women could not join Rotary until 1989 even though the organization was founded in the early 1900s.

"As more and more women say yes to leadership and rise up through the ranks, I think it will be easier for others to do the same.  Again, I think it's just important for women to take that leap," Urchick said.

Rotary has had a $4 billion impact on service and charitable endeavors since its inception, focusing on needs in health care, education, poverty and food insecurity.