District Governor Don Fipps with President Matt Kurth
Don Fipps began his tour of District 5340 clubs at our July 20, 2023 meeting (click HERE to watch the recording). Don began by talking about his and Donna Fipps’ passion: raising puppies for Canine Companions, and he urged members to find support for their passion through Rotary. A life-long Californian, Don’s own journey with Rotary began at a high school convocation when he unexpectedly heard his name announced as winner of a scholarship from the Rotary Club of Delano, which helped fund his education in biochemistry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he had a “meet cute” with Donna while they both were working on a Rose Parade float. This blog post tells Don’s backstory before he joined our club in 2012. Don was club president in Rotary Year 2018-2019 and had an accelerated trip to the governorship after being nominated to serve in October 2021. As a veteran himself, veteran’s affairs are a cornerstone of Don’s term, and reflect the large role the military and veterans play in the San Diego community. Don launched the District 5340 Military Coordinating Committee to leverage the power of district Rotary clubs to help active duty military and veterans in San Diego. If you’d like to get involved, contact committee chairs Mike Fuqua (mfuqua.rbrotary@gmail.com; RC Rancho Bernardo) and Jim Mendelson (jsmclmax@aol.com; RC Fallbrook).
Last, Don encouraged members to register for the District 5340 Conference, which will be a cruise organized by our own Val Myers and Toni Mecaro! Attendees will board the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas that leaves Los Angeles April 26 and returns Monday April 29. Click HERE to check out the video made by Philippe Lamoise and email d5340conference