Speaker Biographies

SYLVIA WHITLOCK

District Governor, 2012-2013

Born in New York City

Educated through High School in Kingston, Jamaica

• International baccalaureate from Cambridge University, England
• A. Psychology – Hunter College of the City University of New York
• A. – Education, Cal Poly, Pomona
• D. Education – Claremont Graduate School
• A. Marriage and Family Therapy – Azusa Pacific University
• California State Teaching and Administrative Credentials
• Licensed in Marriage and Family Therapy by Board of Behavioral Sciences, California
• Licensed Supervisor – Marriage and Family Therapy

Joined Ex-Rotary Club of Duarte in 1982

• Held every office at club level
• First Woman President worldwide, in Rotary International
• Made up at clubs in England, Scotland, the Caribbean, Australia, South
• Africa, India
• Chaired Four-Way Test Speech competition for 6 years
• Chaired Ambassadorial Scholarship Committee for 6 years
• Served on District Finance Committee
• Chaired Simplified Grant Program
• Served as Assistant Governor
• Recipient of Rotary Foundation District Service Award
• Recipient of Sylvia Whitlock award, established and presented at the 2017 International Convention

• Participated in NIDs, established AIDS clinic in Jamaica, supported orphanage in Mexico, sank wells in Nigeria, raised almost $90,000. for Education for Girls in India
• Is multiple Paul Harris Fellow, Benefactor and Member of the Bequest Society
• District Governor 2012-2013
• Has spoken at more than 100 District Conferences, numerous clubs in the United States and overseas, Institutes and Zone events
• Addressed all 530 incoming governors at 2013 International Assembly

Other community activities, (past and present)

• Member of the Rotary Club of Claremont, CA
• Member of the Board of Spanish Trails Girl Scout Council
• Recorder for Blind and Dyslexic
• Commission Member at Tri-City Mental Health Authority
• Trainer in Mental Health First Aid
• Volunteer at Pomona Valley Hospital
• Chair of Pastor Parish Relations Council at Trinity U.M. church
• Member and Past President of Beta Mu Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International

Academic Activities

• Chair of Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation Teams
• Member of California State Committee on Credentials at California State Department of Education (2004-2010)
• Distinguished Alumna at Cal Poly, Pomona
• NAACP Woman of the Year
• Global Citizen Award from United Nations Association – Oct. 2013

Sylvia had three adult children, one of whom is Human Resources Assistant at University of California, Berkeley.  She considers raising her children the most satisfying and enjoyable job she has ever had, almost comparable to enjoying her first grandson, and now a new granddaughter and another grandson.  Likes tennis, the Stanford Cardinals Football Team, the Seahawks, the Golden state Warriors, especially Steph Curry, and the Los Angeles  Angels.  She is also a world traveler.

July 2020

Jenny R. Stotts, MA, MS, LSW
Membership Chair, Rotary District 6690
Executive Director, Athens CASA/GAL Program
Regional Director, Southeast Ohio CASA Program

Brief Introduction Bio

Jenny Stotts currently serves as the Membership Chair of Rotary District 6690. She is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Athens Sunrise. Her favorite Rotary activities include RYLA and Paddle for Polio Plus, an annual event featuring kayaks. Professionally, Stotts is the Executive Director of the Athens CASA/GAL Program and the Regional Coordinator of Southeast Ohio CASA. She describes herself simply as: Mother, Wife, Friend, Social Worker, Rotarian and Trouble-Making Millennial.

Full Bio

Jenny Stotts currently serves as the Membership Chair in Rotary District 6690. She is a member of the Paul Harris Society and the Bequest Society. She is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Athens Sunrise. Her favorite Rotary activities include RYLA and Paddle for Polio Plus, an annual event featuring kayaks. She developed and is leading a large scale service event called “The Big Project” which benefits her hometown by bringing together more than a dozen Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, and Civitan Clubs, which she describes as her “dream project.”

Stotts is the Executive Director of the Athens CASA/GAL Program and the Regional Coordinator of Southeast Ohio CASA. She is a licensed social worker, a trauma specialist and a trained forensic interviewer. She has devoted her career to serving foster children. This work is near to her heart as she was adopted from the Ohio child welfare system as a child and grew up in a working foster home. She and her husband, also a Rotarian, continued the tradition, building their family through adoption, as well.

Stotts was recently recognized in her community and region as the Young Professional of the Year, Community Leader of Year, and Ohio University’s 5 Under 35 Featured Alumni. She serves as the Chair of the federally mandated Child Welfare Review Panel on Permanency and was elected to the National Leadership Council for CASA. In addition to Rotary, Stotts volunteers her time with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Child Conservation League.

She describes herself simply as: Mother, Wife, Friend, Social Worker, Rotarian and Trouble-Making Millennial.

Dean Rohrs
Rotary Club of Langley Central
District 5050

Dean, her husband Rhino and their 3 children emigrated to Canada from South Africa 32 years ago.  Dean grew up in Zambia and after marrying Rhino lived in Malawi, Namibia and South Africa.  Dean was born into a Rotary family and when Rhino joined Rotary in 1986 became an active Rotary Ann until she joined Rotary in 1989.  On arriving in Vancouver both Dean and Rhino joined the Rotary Club of West Vancouver and at present are members of the Rotary Club of Langley Central in District 5050.

Dean has had a varied career from the early days of being an Operating Room Nurse on Professor Christiaan Barnard’s first heart transplant team to running a Nursery School in Malawi.  Together with Rhino they now owner manage a company that is involved in soil stabilization during road construction.

Dean has served on District and Zone committees; which include:

Regional Rotary Coordinator and Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Pacific Northwest PETS Chair, District Governor in 2007/2008 and Rotary International Director 2016-2018, Rotary International Vice- President 2017-2018.

However, her best experience is leading teams of Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors to Africa and seeing how this volunteer experience changes their lives.