Pam Hickson-Stevenson is the Executive Director of the Akron-Summit County Public Library where, previously, she was the Deputy Director. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Mount Union and her master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University.
Currently, she serves on the boards of Child Guidance & Family Solutions and Summit Education Initiative. She is a past president of the Board of Directors for the International Institute of Akron and for the Ohio Library Council. She also served on the Downtown Akron Partnership Executive Committee, the governing board of the American Library Association and the advisory board for Ohio Living Rockynol. She is a graduate of Leadership Akron’s signature program as well as the community leadership programs in Medina County, Portage County, and Wooster.
Photo: Katy Miller with her District 6630 President-Elect classmates.
I knew going into this weekend that I would be attending formal training sessions, but what I didn’t expect was how much I would learn from my fellow President-Elects. The honor and privilege of representing our club moved me deeply. Most of you know I can be a bit sarcastic and maybe even irreverent at times, but this experience truly humbled me while also filling me up in ways I never anticipated.
Sharing best practices, brainstorming ideas, and discussing what’s working—and what isn’t—in other clubs was just as impactful, if not more so, than the structured training sessions.
People always say that as a Rotarian, you are welcome in any Rotary Club. Now, I truly understand what that means.
Throughout the weekend, I sent myself emails to capture my thoughts and feelings in the moment, and the common theme in all of them was this: I felt I was exactly where I was supposed to be, surrounded by like-minded leaders.
Looking ahead, I am both excited and inspired. As Rotarians, we love to serve—it’s who we are as an organization. But sometimes, when we talk to those outside our Rotary “bubble,” we forget to highlight one of the most magical aspects of our experience: the friendships.
As we work to bring in new members, let’s remember to share not just our passion for service, but also the friendships we build—while eating together, volunteering together, and learning together. Because that is where the magic truly happens and from there we can UNITE FOR GOOD!
Akron Rotarians were on hand March 15th to celebrate Katy Miller's commissioning and subsequent pinning by Immediate Past District Governor Julie Brandle at All Ohio PETS Training in Columbus.
Katy will officially take on the role of Club President July 1, 2025.
I hope this message finds you well. It is time again for our semi monthly service project. We're teaming up to support the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank (ACRFB). Together we'll help ensure that families in our community have access to the food and resources they need.
Details of Event:
When: Wednesday March 26
Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Where: Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307.
This is a great opportunity to bond with fellow Rotarians while making an impact in our community.
The service project typically involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries.
RSVP by Friday March 21st.
Please let me know if you're able to join us by replying to me at dhall@preferredlegacy.com or texting me at 330-714-1044. Family and friends are welcome so please bring a guest.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER WITH ACRFB. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me.
Let's come together to embody the Rotary spirit and make this event a success. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
Location: Open M 941 Princeton Street, Akron, OH 44311
You can sign up directly on the Rotary Club of Akron website by clicking here. We appreciate your participation and look forward to making this a great event together!
Happy New Year! I hope that each of you and your families had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season overall!
It's that time of year again where I send out everyone's favorite email - plus, you will get to hear my voice even more than usual at club meetings (cue the eyerolls and groans - I know you can't wait!) as I announce the need for volunteers to assist with the following roles at our club meetings for the 1st half of 2025: Greeter (& "Daily Lotto" sales), Invocation Speaker, & Meeting/Technology Set-Up.
My most sincere appreciation and gratitude goes out to the faithful “regulars” I have been able to consistently count on to help fill the respective roles or jump in last minute to cover an empty slot (you know who you are). I also appreciate the handful of "newcomers" (both established and newer members) who helped throughout the course of last year or expressed a willingness to do so moving forward.
I would like to encourage anyone that has either never served as Greeter or Invocator (or who has only done so sparingly) to consider volunteering for a few slots during this 1st half of 2025 - I'd be immensely thankful to see my list of "regulars" grow. Not only are these roles a much appreciated and valued service to the club, but they also present an excellent opportunity to immerse oneself in the weekly meetings.
If you need help signing up, please let me know and I can direct you to the appropriate location on the Rotary Club of Akron website, or I will gladly fill in your name for whatever date(s) you are able and willing to volunteer. For convenience, here is the public URL to the relevant volunteer sign-up page:
For Greeters, please plan to arrive by 11:40ish (if possible) and be prepared to help sell Daily Lotto raffle tickets and have the speaker pull the winning ticket at the end of the meeting.
For Invocation Speakers, I have provided some links with sample invocations below. You are quite welcome to create your own invocation, of course, but please know that custom content is not a requirement! I am happy to assist with this too. In fact, I'll even provide an invocation for you to read if that's what it will take for you to sign up. I assure you, this need not be an intimidating volunteer role for the meeting!
For Meeting/Technology Set-Up, the duties currently require:
Ensuring the computer, projector, and microphones are all up and running smoothly before the start of the meeting. NOTE: Brian Kosarko, Michael Gladysz, or I can/will help train new volunteers - we would certainly appreciate expanding the rotation for this role.
If necessary, correcting the flag positioning so that when viewed from the audience, the U.S./American Flag is to the left of the speaker/podium and the Ohio Flag is on the right.
Thank you in advance for volunteering!
Yours in service,
CJ
Connor G. Jarvis, CFP®
Sergeant of Arms
Rotary Club of Akron
Some links with sample invocations (if needed/desired):
We are encouraging our Rotarians to participate in this fun activity sponsored by Playhouse Square.
How to participate:
Spread kindness around Akron by completing as many kindness challenges as possible!
We would love for you to share your journey of kindness with us! To participate, take a photo of you completing one of our kindness challenges & share it with us!
By completingany of the challenges, you will be entered for a chance to win some cool prizes!
One lucky winner will receive a pair of tickets to see Come From Away at E.J. Thomas Hall on March 25, 2025!
There are three different ways you can share your photos with us:
1) Post your photo and tag us on social media using:@broadwayakron and @wecomefromaway
2) Send a Direct Message to BroadwayAkron on Facebook or Instagram with a photo of your act of kindness!
3) Email us a photo of your act of kindness at playhousesquare@gmail.com
Sandy Naragon, Chair
Yours in service,
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