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February is Peace and Conflict Prevention Month

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ROTARY CLUB OF
Dunwoody

LEADERSHIP

This Week's Speaker
Dr. Dana Rickman, President, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education

Join us this Friday at Maggiano's to welcome Dr. Dana Rickman, the President of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. Dr. Rickman is the fourth President of the Partnership, serving before that as vice president and as research and policy director. In those roles, she led the EdQuest Georgia Coalition, coordinated the Education Policy Fellows Program (EPFP) and was the primary author of the Georgia Partnership’s annual Top Ten Issues to Watch report and the Economics of Education. [read more]

Join John Vinyard at Barnes and Noble Book Signing - February 28

Our own John Vinyard and co-author Walt Carter will have a book signing for "Stop Driving Behind Idiots - Leadership Systems for Breakthrough Performance" on Saturday, February 28 from 2-4 pm  at Barnes & Noble, East Cobb, 4475 Roswell Road, Marietta, GA  30062, (470) 289-3365. Jon and Walt spoke about their book at our club earlier this Rotary year. 

Golf Tournament Update
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall ... Who's Helping with the Auction?

We all know that our annual FORE! the Memories Golf Tournament is coming up ... May 18, 2026 at St. Marlo. The Auction enjoys a special place in the golf auction fundraiser. It fills that space between the end of the tournament and before dinner & speeches. It’s a place for merriment, for curiosity, and for making a little extra money for those who like to shop more than they like to golf.

And we need help making it happen! We need help gathering the auction items, sorting them, and then displaying and executing the auction at the event itself.

Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you:

• have always fancied yourself having an eye for bargains?
• describe yourself as an aficionado on the restaurant and entertainment scene in the Greater Perimeter of Atlanta?
• have great ideas for getting the party started—even in ways that are only distantly related to the idea of auction?
• are newer to the club and looking to make social connections with fellow Rotarians?
• simply want to be on the committee whose meetings will be buoyed by the best cocktails in town?

If your answer to even one of these questions is YES, contact Neal MacDonald now! He will gladly welcome you to the committee! He can be reached at 309-530-4752 or neal@proof66.com. We will be meeting very, very soon! Don’t waste a second!

Want to know more about the tournament or become a supporter in other ways. Visit the website which is active and capable of taking your donation!

Mark Your Calendar: March 13 - DeKalb Rotary Council Breakfast

It is time for the annual Teacher Appreciation Breakfast and this year the event will be held on March 13, 2026, at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Rotarians and their guests are invited. Breakfast is catered by Edible Heirloom and will be served beginning at 7:30am. Please let Rick Woods know if you will be attending this breakfast.  As always, each DeKalb County Rotary Club will honor a teacher of the year and name a Rotarian to be honored as its Bill Mulkey Show Rotary Cares Award, in honor of our own PDG and President Emeritus Bill Mulkey. The Council will also honor one of our DeKalb County Rotarians with the Bob Grant You are the Key award. Our keynote speaker will be Nicole M. Golden, DeKalb County Tax Commissioner.
[read more]

Getting to Know You
Cathie Brumfield, Legacy of Sustainability

When Larry Hart first invited Cathie Brumfield to a Rotary meeting in 1997, she was a burgeoning business owner who initially felt the club was "all work and no play." Little did she know she would eventually lead the organization through one of its most transformative eras, proving that "fun" is the secret ingredient to a sustainable club.

Reshaping the Rotary Rhythm

As President from 2019–2020, Cathie’s leadership was defined by a practical, member-first philosophy. One of her most famous pivots was the formalization of Thirsty Thursdays. While many remember it as a budget-saver, the inspiration was far more human: Cathie realized members were tired of socializing on Thursday nights only to drag themselves to an early meeting on Friday morning. To preserve everyone’s energy (and sanity), she "killed" the fourth meeting of the month, avoiding a rate increase while creating a beloved social staple.

Success Through Sustainability

Cathie’s "Sustainability" mantra extended deep into the club’s engine room. A numbers-oriented leader, she spent years—both before and after her presidency—overhauling the Treasurer function. By moving billing away from third-party platforms and refining financial reporting, she ensured the club’s data was actually useful for long-term management.

This focus on efficiency was paired with a major shift in club culture. Cathie recognized that if Rotary felt like an "onerous unpaid job," leadership would suffer. By prioritizing enjoyment, she helped transform the leadership pipeline into what it is today: a path that attracts top-tier candidates because the work is as rewarding as it is impactful. As Cathie often recognized that "a volunteer’s time is very expensive."

Service with a Smile

Whether she was hosting GRSP students, painting at the Dunwoody Nature Center (DNC), or pulling invasive species, Cathie has done it all. For her, the specific project matters less than the company; her favorite activities are simply those that involve working with fellow Rotarians to do good while having fun.

After years of dedicated service to our club and the DeKalb Rotary Council, Cathie is taking a well-deserved break. This year, she and her husband, Ritchie, are trading DNC invasive species for Italian vineyards as they head to Italy, for her son’s wedding this summer in a castle about an hour away from Florence.