Michelle Holcomb of Rio Verde to serve as Arizona District Governor in 2024-25

Michelle Holcomb, a member of The Rotary Club of Fountain Hills and a resident of Rio Verde, was installed as Arizona Rotary District 5495 Governor for 2024-25 during a celebration held June 29 at Rio Verde Country Club in Rio Verde. Ms. Holcomb takes over as District Governor from Kevin Pitts, governor for 2023-24. Michelle was sworn in as governor by Past District Governor David Simmer (2019-20). A member of The Rotary Club of Sedona, Mr. Simmer will serve as Ms. Holcomb's vice governor during her term. She has been a member of The Rotary Club of Fountain Hills since 2010 and served as club president in 2015-16, 2016-17 and co-president in 2018-19 and again in 2021-22. She has served as a District 5495 Assistant Governor, is a graduate of Rotary Leadership Institute and Rotary's President-Elect Training Session. The ceremony featured a number of year-end district awards presented by the outgoing governor. Several clubs were recognized for earning Rotary Presidential Citations and the district's Five Avenues of Service awards. The Commitment to Excellence Award was presented to the Rotary Club of Mesa West and the Rotary Club of Sedona Village earned the End Polio Now Champion Award. Past District Governor Craig T. Wilson of the Phoenix 100 Rotary Club received the Champion for Peace Award and Linda Fulmore of the Rotary Club of Scottsdale North was presented with the Create Hope in the World Award. Past District Governor Bret McKeand of the Peoria North Rotary Club was inducted into the District 5495 Ring of Honor and Stephen Phair of The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes received the Leadership for the Second Century Award. Ms. Holcomb introduced and swore in her Assistant Governors and Presidents-Elect for 2024-25. The theme for the new Rotary year is "The Magic of Rotary," and the new governor encouraged all Rotarians to serve others and share "the magic of Rotary." "Rotary Means Business" is Ms. Holcomb's theme for 2024-25. She encouraged Rotary members to support  vocational training, entrepreneurship with the district's microcredit program, small business community development, mentoring programs and local networking. District 5495 includes 65 Rotary clubs that serve communities in the Valley of the Sun and all of northern Arizona and Laughlin, Nev.