Club President Gail Carr

President Gail Carr

A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Gail owns Genesis Design, LLC, a full-service graphic design and marketing firm in Edmond. An active member of the Edmond community, she serves on the board of directors of the Fine Arts Institute, participates on the Chamber of Commerce Steering Committee for Leadership Edmond, and is a member of the marketing committee for A Chance to Change Foundation. She is a graduate of Leadership Edmond Class XX.

Gail joined the Rotary Club of Edmond Central (one of the two predecessor clubs that merged a year later and kept the name of the other, the Rotary Club of Edmond) in 2004, and has been an active Rotarian ever since. A third generation Rotarian (her grandfather helped start Rotary in China), she knows what Rotary is all about. Fulfilling the Four-Way Test is a regular part of who she is. Those who know her well see in Gail someone who fully embraces and practices the Rotary Motto of Service Above Self. She brings to her new job a quiet, organized energy that will lead our Club to do great things over the next year.

Gail and her husband, Ron, are active members of Henderson Hills Baptist Church, and have served in leadership capacities in several ministry areas over the past 20 years. They enjoy traveling and are the proud grandparents of identical twin boys, Luke and Blake.

Past President

Andy Lester, the fifth President of the Rotary Club of Edmond since its merger with the Rotary Club of Edmond Central, first became a Rotarian in the mid-1980s when he joined the Rotary Club of Enid. He joined the Edmond Central club in 1997, and has previously served as its International Service Director, Sergeant-at-Arms, Secretary and President-Elect. He is a founder of the Edmond law firm of Lester, Loving & Davies, P.C.

You can reach Andy by email at alester@lldlaw.com, or call him at 405.844.9900.

Following is Andy’s initial speech to the Club as its president:

Why did you join Rotary? Was it to be a part of the premier service club? Was it to meet and get to know local leaders? Was it to be of service to the community? Was it because of Rotary’s international commitments? If you’re like me, all of those reasons, and others, impelled you to join Rotary.

I became a Rotarian over 20 years ago when I joined the Rotary Club of Enid. Before discussing where we go from here, I’d like to take you briefly back to the day I became a Rotarian. Exciting things were happening then in Rotary. Let me point to three of them.

When I became a Rotarian, Rotary International had just kicked off its Polio Plus campaign. I remember Dr. Tagge, then the Enid Rotary president, making a presentation on Polio Plus. It sounded like pie in the sky. Yet, this mission of Rotary International became so successful that it has virtually eradicated polio around the world.

When I became a Rotarian, Edmond had only one Rotary club. But in the works was an expansion to two Edmond clubs. The Rotary Club of Edmond Central, one of the two predecessors to this club, did not yet exist. Just a few months later, with the help of the Rotary Club of Edmond, our other predecessor club, the Edmond Central club received its charter and soon grew to be the third largest Rotary club in our district. We still have several active charter members of the Edmond Central club. Thank you, charter members, for your continued service.

When I became a Rotarian, Rotary had no female members, though that was about to change. It’s hard to imagine today that no woman was officially a Rotarian. But consider how far we’ve come. I was preceded by two women as President of this club, and will be succeeded by another. I was just inducted as president of this club by Michelle Schaefer, a woman who serves as our Assistant District Governor. And, by the way, our District Governor, Tamie Babb, is a woman.

I joined the Edmond Central club about 10 years later. Mike Forth, a charter member, was my sponsor. Jane Sutter was the president. And, speaking of past presidents, let me mention the names of our past presidents who are still members of this Club: Dalt Adamson, Amzi Gregory, Benjie Wechsler, Phil Arnold, Steve Murdock, Jack Warner, Steve Kreidler, Ruth Boss, Charles Lamb, G. Kay Powers, Bill Moyer, Sam Vinall, Clark Jolley, Natalie Bonney, and Mitzi Hancuff. I’d also like to mention those charter members who are still active in our club: Mike Forth, Lax Godhania, Rusty Hale, Barry Rice and Benjie Wechsler. Think about these people. They represent what Rotary represents – Service Above Self. They are the embodiment of the Four-Way Test.

Our Rotary Club of Edmond is in great shape. We’ve done things the right way. In this month’s Rotarian magazine, the new Rotary International president, John Kenney, says he wants to go “back to the future. His priority for membership is quality, not quantity.” I’m glad to hear that. For that’s what we’ve always done here.

We have a balanced budget. We are active in the community in so many ways – giving scholarships, supporting our schools, cleaning streets, helping numerous non-profits, aiding the poor, actively engaged in projects around the world. We are a sustaining club. Each member supports the Rotary Foundation every year. We have our own Rotary Club of Edmond Foundation. And this list doesn’t even mention how the individual members of this Club do so much for so many with their talents, their time and their tithes. The members of this club are generous, repeatedly giving well beyond the call of duty.

I have taken us on this historical tour to show why I hope we continue down the same path we’ve been on. Our new board reflects that hope, for the board has both continuity and change.

We owe thanks to our outgoing board members: Natalie Bonney, whose tenure on the board, until today, has coincided with mine, became our treasurer when our funds were depleted. She got us back on the sound financial track we continue to enjoy. Phil Spurlin has kept us ahead of the curve by scheduling regular, top-notch programs. And Scott Streller, our outgoing Sergeant-at-Arms, has kept us entertained – though I’m not sure he’s been able to keep us in line. Thank you, Natalie, Phil and Scott, for your past and continued service as members of the Rotary Club of Edmond.

Please welcome to our board Dan Chavez. Dan has already served this club in so many ways. He is undertaking the difficult job of trying to fill the shoes of Phil Spurlin, and already has some fantastic programs on tap for us. Also coming onto our board is Krista Jones, our new International Director, who is already busily trying to complete our partnership with a Rotary Club in Fortaleza, Brazil. And finally, Clark Jolley will be rejoining the team of officers and directors as our Sergeant-at-Arms.

Do you see something our Club should do? Do we need an historian? Would you be willing to focus on alumni recruitment? Anything else? If so, please feel free to contact me. Or please contact any of our directors. We already have several committee chairs, who are heading up various special projects. Please join me in thanking Joe Davis, John Flewelling, Keith Kersten, Don Thiery and Robert Gibson for agreeing – or rather for agreeing once again – to chair committees.

Thank you for the honor of serving as your president. Rotary International is a great organization, as is the Rotary Club of Edmond. I knew very few of you before I became a Rotarian. But you are my friends. You are the reason I so greatly enjoy being a member of the Rotary Club of Edmond.