Ken Futernick, Ph.D., began his career in education as a teacher in the Rescue Union School District and has devoted his career to education and strengthening communities. He later served for 22 years on the faculty at Sacramento State and currently serves as a trustee on the El Dorado County Board of Education.

Futernick co-leads Bridging Divides – El Dorado, a local initiative that works to build trust and respect, promote civil dialogue and encourage collaboration among people with differing perspectives.

He also hosts “Teacher Stories,” a podcast he launched in 2018 celebrating the lasting impact teachers have on their students and communities. In 2021, he launched Courageous Conversations About Our Schools, which brings together education stakeholders for respectful conversations about challenging issues facing schools today.

Futernick will introduce Rotarians to Bridging Divides – El Dorado and its efforts to bring people together and strengthen relationships throughout the county.

Dr. Bill Wittich challenged members to rethink how Rotary attracts the next generation of leaders, particularly professionals in their 30s, 40s and 50s. He said younger adults are not necessarily rejecting Rotary — many simply don’t know what Rotary does or see how it fits into their lives. 

According to Wittich, younger professionals are already volunteering and contributing to their communities, but they are less attracted to traditional club structures and meetings. What they are looking for, he said, is flexibility, meaningful community impact, friendship, professional connections and opportunities to lead. 

“Rotary does not have a recruitment problem; it has a positioning problem,” Wittich said. Rather than inviting someone to attend a weekly luncheon, clubs should show prospective members what Rotary accomplishes. He encouraged members to promote opportunities to “Serve with Rotary” rather than simply asking people to “Join Rotary.”

Wittich said younger professionals want to know, “What difference will I make if I join?” Clubs can answer that question by highlighting projects such as mentoring students, addressing food insecurity, improving their communities and participating in Rotary’s worldwide effort to eradicate polio. 

Once younger members become involved, Wittich encouraged clubs to give them meaningful responsibilities quickly. Let them lead a project, organize a networking event or bring new ideas to the club rather than expecting them to wait years for leadership opportunities. Rotary can also provide something younger professionals value — mentorship from members with decades of professional and community experience. 

He also stressed the importance of social media, particularly Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, to tell Rotary’s story and reach people where they already communicate. Just as important is making newcomers feel welcome. Wittich suggested introducing a guest to at least three members, learning about the guest’s profession and interests, and following up within 24 hours.

His message was simple: Stop asking, “How do we get young people to join Rotary?” Instead ask, “How do we build a movement of young professionals serving together?” “Don’t say, ‘Join Rotary,’” Wittich concluded. “Say, ‘Come work on something that matters.’”

In lieu of receiving a speaker gift, Wittich presented President Dan Gott with a copy of his book, The Three R’s: How to Recruit, Retain, and Reward.