New Leader for Rotarians, Awardees Announced
2020-21 Rotary President Bill Hale (center, with wife Gail) and (l to r): Hillard Pouncy, Marty Spiegel, Maria Zissimos, Carol Menke, Linton Stables, and Dan Snyder. Photo: Zoran Kovcic
Bill Hale
Bill Hale was selected to succeed Maria Zissimos as president of the Rotary Club of Swarthmore. A retired engineer, Hale grew up in Rose Valley, where he enjoyed both the arts and nature and was active in the Boy Scouts. Since retiring, he has devoted himself to volunteerism and community service.
Zissimos, Chief Operating Officer of the Chester Housing Authority, used her presidency to highlight and support the businesses and people of Chester. She guided ongoing club activities such as raising funds for polio eradication and organizing the club’s weekly speakers series. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, she and other Rotary leaders transformed weekly sit-down lunches into virtual meetings, postponed the annual Fun Fair, recognized local leaders, and awarded funds to a variety of struggling organizations, including Lifeworks Food Pantry at the Foundry Church in Wallingford, Swarthmore Town Center to construct parklets to help struggling restaurants, and the Center for Resolutions in Media to work with young people at the juvenile detention center in Lima.
Under Hale’s leadership, the club will focus on helping those who, because of the pandemic, struggle to afford food. Hale will seek new ways to carry out service projects, possibly individually rather than in groups to allow safe physical distancing. He will continue to support the club’s Thursday lunchtime speakers series, which now meets via Zoom. The first three speakers under Hale’s tenure spoke about reviving Swarthmore’s walking trails, aiding local businesses, and promoting outdoor art.
Swarthmore Rotary recognized the following people with its 2020 service awards:
Vocational Service Awardees
Mike Litka, General Manager of the Swarthmore Co-op was recognized for rising to the challenge of leading the store through the difficulties of COVID-19: “You coordinated volunteers, implemented on-line ordering for pick-up, and provided almost daily communication with Co-op members. Your exceptional dedication and management skills advanced the interests of all Co-op constituencies.”
Anita Barrett, Swarthmore Town Center Coordinator was also recognized for her creative and energetic response to the pandemic: “You updated the Town Center’s regular newsletter and Facebook page to keep us all informed. You worked to pursue legislation through Borough Council to help our local merchants reopen” as Delaware County moved out of the most restrictive phase of COVID-19 closure orders. “Because of you, Swarthmore’s downtown looks fresh and inviting for the summer. Your work for Swarthmore Town Center demonstrates a commitment to service above self.”
Community Service Awardee
Donna Francher
Donna Francher, President of the Swarthmore Food Cooperative’s Board of Directors was recognized for working with Co-op GM Mike Litka “to create an ‘ecosystem’ that has helped stabilize the financial viability and improve overall service and quality of the Co-op. You and Mike redesigned the store, restructured its inventory, and returned it to profitability. You and Mike also developed COVID-19 protocols for the store, secured a Payment Protection Plan grant, and continue to implement innovative strategies to sustain the Co-op through the pandemic.”
