Rotary Noon Club of Decatur

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Decatur, AL
Rotary Noon Club of Decatur

A network of business leaders gathering together for fellowship, and focused on community service projects that positively impact our city and world.

The Rotary Noon Club of Decatur is one of Decatur's oldest and most prestigious network of business leaders gathering together for fellowship and focused on community service projects that positively impact our community and our world. Member login: https://www.directory-online.com/Rotary/SecLogin.cfm

Mailing: P.O. Box 222, Decatur, AL 35602-0222

Meetings: Noon on Mondays at Doubletree by Hilton Decatur Riverfront, 1101 6th Ave Ne, Decatur, AL 35601

06/23/2026

Our speaker today was past Alabama governor James E. Folsom, Jr. He was Alabama's governor from 1993-95 and instrumental in bringing the Mercedes-Benz plant to the state which opened the door for other automotive plants and spin off companies to come to Alabama.

Folsom is a great storyteller and shared interesting and funny stories of the process to beat out other states and get the deal for Alabama!
Julia Smeds Roth, Jeff S. Brown

06/19/2026

We were honored to welcome mayor Tommy Battle to the Rotary Club of Decatur this week!

Mayor Battle shared perspectives on the growth and success of Huntsville, highlighting the importance of economic development, innovation, and strong community leadership. Under his leadership, Huntsville has become a major hub for technology, business, and job creation in Alabama.

Thank you, Mayor Battle, for joining us and sharing your insights with our club!

05/14/2026

Last week, the Rotary Club of Decatur had the pleasure of welcoming Barbie Peek as our guest speaker.

Ms. Peek shared an outstanding presentation on the Port of Huntsville and its tremendous economic impact on North Alabama and beyond. She discussed the Port’s unique role in connecting air, rail, highway, and international trade operations, while highlighting the continued growth and opportunities taking place across the region.

With 36 years of service to the Airport Authority, Ms. Peek has helped lead major expansion efforts involving passenger air service, cargo operations, industrial development, and international commerce. Her leadership has played a significant role in strengthening North Alabama’s economic footprint and positioning Huntsville as a nationally recognized hub for aerospace, logistics, and business growth.

Ms. Peek also brought along a special prize giveaway, which was won by Rotary member Joel Weinbaum.

We sincerely appreciate Ms. Peek for taking the time to speak to our club and for sharing her insight, leadership, and passion for our region’s future. It was an informative and engaging program enjoyed by all.

04/29/2026

Monday, we recognized our outstanding Rotary scholarship students and Top Ten Students from Decatur High School, Austin High School and Career Academics of Decatur.

Recipient of the Mark Daniel Maloney Scholarship award was presented by our own Mark Maloney to Ellen Brewer of Austin High School.

Our second recipient, named in memory of Mr. James Rankin was presented by Elizabeth Weinbaum to Emma Hensley McMasters from Decatur High School.

The Dr. Jeanne Payne award was presented to Faith Gremaus by our member Jeanne Payne. Faith attends Career Academies of Decatur.

Our final award was named in honor of Bearl Whitsett. Presenting the Bearl Whitsett Scholarship award was Bonnie Black to Jaidyn Wiley from the Career Academies of Decatur.

Demond Garth, Austin HS principal, Jeremy Mitchell, Decatur HS principal and Leesa Chittam, principal of Career Academies of Decatur proudly presented their top 10 students. Each principal expressed such pride in their students.

Austin High School top ten students:
Charlie Jane Barnes
Allie Catherine Brown
Arden Grace Breedlove
Addison Grace Crumpton
Addison Kate O'Connell
Ellen Elizabeth Brewer
Wittman Ray Ellis
Oscar Chen
Lily Magnolia Hartsfield
Kendal Ryanne Davis

Career Academics of Decatur top students:
Danica Stewart
Corelia Melchor-Rueda

Decatur High School top ten students:
Emma Hensley McMasters
Joshua Bachuss
Annabelle White
Mallory McRee
Nathan Moebes
Harper Douglas
Caroline Coulter
Ella Tourney
Reynolds Ratliff
Sarah "Bes" Botto

We wish all these exceptional students in the Class of 2026 much luck in the next chapter of their life. Seize every opportunity, embrace challenges, and continue to strive for excellence in everything you do.

Lastly, President Julia Roth presented Certificates of Establishment to the principals of Austin HS and Career Academies of Decatur for formalizing an Interact Club. The Rotary Club of Decatur is proud of its relationship with the Interact Clubs of all three high schools, and we look forward to our continued relationship.

A very special thanks to Craig Baker, scholarship committee chairman for coordinating this outstanding student recognition program.
Julia Smeds Roth, Jeff S. Brown, Mark Maloney, Jeanne Duke Payne, Baker

04/27/2026

This past week, the Decatur Rotary Club had the pleasure of welcoming our guest speaker, Steve Flowers.

Steve is the voice behind “Inside the Statehouse with Steve Flowers,” Alabama’s leading political column, published weekly in more than 60 newspapers across the state. With 16 years of experience in the Alabama State Legislature, he brings a unique and insightful perspective on Alabama politics.

He shared an engaging look at the current political landscape in Alabama, along with a few stories and reflections that highlighted the state’s rich and colorful political history.

It was a fun and informative program, and we appreciate Steve taking the time to speak with us!

04/17/2026

We had the privilege of hearing from Sid Trant, Chancellor of the University of Alabama System, at this week’s Rotary meeting.

A proud Alabama native and first-generation college graduate, Chancellor Trant shared his passion for expanding access to education and the life-changing impact it can have. He leads the University of Alabama System, which includes The University of Alabama System, made up of The University of Alabama, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), along with the world-class UAB Health System.

Chancellor Trant spoke about the System’s continued growth and impact across the state, including record increases in student applications, over $1 billion in research expenditures, and an economic impact exceeding $18 billion. His leadership emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and ensuring that students across Alabama have access to exceptional educational opportunities.

We are grateful for his time, leadership, and commitment to shaping the future of higher education in our state.

04/09/2026

Our speaker this week was Jimmy Hodges, EdD, the President of Calhoun Community College. He has over 40 years of experience spanning higher-education administration, manufacturing and drafting and design technology.

Since stepping into the role of President, Calhoun has seen significant growth, recently surpassing enrollment of 10,000 students.

With Hodges as President, he has worked tirelessly on many major projects including a new Student Union, a 55,000 sq ft expansion of the Advanced Technology Center, and the expansion of the Alabama Center for the Arts. Also, in the works Hodges is working with architects for plans to build a student housing complex and a culinary school.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions with Calhoun Community College Senator Arthur Orr presented Mr. Hodges with a Paul Harris Fellow award.
Julia Smeds Roth, Jeff S. Brown, Senator Arthur Orr, Jimmy Hodges,

04/06/2026

Jessica Payne, Executive Director of the Community Free Clinic of Decatur-Morgan County was our speaker last week where she is dedicated to expanding access to quality healthcare for underserved residents.
She is actively involved in statewide leadership as Treasurer and Past President of the Alabama Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.

We thank Jessica for her informative presentation on the Community Free Clinic and the good works they are doing.

Julia Smeds Roth, Jeff S. Brown, Larry Payne, Rick Paler, Jessica Hogland Payne

04/04/2026

At this week's meeting our club recognized Ronnie Dukes and his wife, Vicki as a Rotary Foundation Major Donor. We were excited to have our own Mark Maloney, Ken Schuppert and club president Julia Roth present Ronnie and his wife with the award as he received a standing ovation in appreciation for his many years of service to club and community.

Ronnie Dukes has served this club in an exemplary way for many years as past president and by serving on many other committees. Ronnie now serves as the Rotary RI Foundation Chairman for the club.

A Rotary Foundation Major Donor award is presented to a member that has contributed $10,000 or more to the Foundation.
We again thank Ronnie for his continued service to Rotary and to our community.
Julia Smeds Roth, Jeff S. Brown, Mark Maloney, Ronnie Dukes, Lynn Schuppert

03/27/2026

This week’s meeting was a special one as we recognized service and welcomed new members to our club.

We honored nine Paul Harris Fellows for their commitment to the ideals of Rotary International: Kathy Hammond, Jeremy Nails, Barney Lovelace, Mark Moody, William Tipton, Mike Wahl, Matt Pride, President Julia Roth, and Bill Wyker.

Together, these members contributed $36,000 to The Rotary Foundation. As of March 22, our club has given a total of $1,999,195 to the Foundation, a reflection of the impact our members continue to make locally and around the world:

We also heard from our newest members, Wilson Smith, Director of Operations at Riverside Senior Living, and Gabe Peluso, Banking Officer at Renasant Bank, as they gave their Red Badge speeches. We’re glad to have them as part of our club!

Congratulations to our honorees and welcome to our newest Rotarians!

Address

DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel 1101 6th Avenue NE
Decatur, AL
35601

Opening Hours

Monday

12pm - 1pm

Telephone

(256) 355-3150

Website

http://rotary-decatur.org/

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