Breckenridge Rotary Club installs new officers for 2023-25
By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
The Rotary Club of Breckenridge installed new officers at a special evening meeting and ceremony on Tuesday and introduced some changes that the service organization will be implementing.
Outgoing President Luke Grider passed the gavel to incoming President J.B. Sparks, who will be the Breckenridge Rotary’s first two-year president.
According to club Secretary Sherry Strickland, the members decided to opt for two-year officer terms after the organization’s district governor visited and said that a lot of the smaller clubs are using that structure to give the officers more time to accomplish their goals and plans for the group.
On Tuesday evening, outgoing Rotary Club President Luke Grider passed the gavel to J.B. Sparks, the 2023-25 president. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
The 2023-25 Breckenridge Rotary Club officers are:
President: J.B. Sparks
President-elect: Raymond Quillin
Secretary: Sherry Strickland
Treasurer: Becky Downing
Immediate Past President: Luke Grider
Membership Director: Jenny Coffee
Social Media Director: Yuri Huntington
Rotary Foundation Director: Jonathan Newton
Director for Community Programs: Les Strickland
Director for Polio Eradication: Eric Brennan
Youth Directors: Melinda Lane and Karen Martin
Executive Secretary: Emily Lester
After the new officers were sworn in, Sparks addressed the club members. “One of the many things that caught my attention with our club was that of the rotary motto, ‘Service Above Self,'” he said. “It should remind Rotarians to think of how we can help others instead of always focusing on ourselves and our situation. It’s not an easy concept. Trust me, I know firsthand, as many in this room do as well, the cost of serving others. It is my hope that in the end of this journey, that our club can be known as a group of people that live out the Rotarian motto, within the confines of our community.”
Sherry and Les Strickland presented Grider with a plaque and pin for his service as the organization’s president in 2022-23.
Additionally, Sharron Brown and Sparks were presented with Paul Harris Fellow pins for their commitment and contributions to the Rotary Club.
Rotary Club secretary Sherry Strickland presented member Sharron Brown with a Paul Harris Fellows pin for her contributions to the organization. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Outgoing Rotary Club of Breckenridge President Luke Grider was presented with a plaque for his service by club secretary Sherry Strickland. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Cutline, top photo: Newly installed officers and directors of the Rotary Club of Breckenridge include, from left, J.B. Sparks, Sherry Strickland, Melinda Lane, Les Strickland, Jenny Coffee, Luke Grider, Raymond Quillin, Emily Lester and Jonathan Newton. Not pictured are Becky Downing, Karen Martin and Yuri Huntington. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
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