LAKEPORT, Calif. – At one of the last in-person Rotary Club meetings at O’Meara Brothers Brewery preceding the shelter-in-place, Rotarian Jennifer Strong was presented as the Rotary district governor for 2022-23.

In attendance to honor Strong was District Assistant Governor Duane Barnes from Middletown and District Governor Kathy Flamson from Calistoga, as well as a multitude of past district governors from throughout the district.

As district governor, Strong will represent 47 Rotary Clubs in six counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma.

She will put her leadership experience to work assisting these 47 clubs in moving their community and international projects forward as well as increasing engagement in each of the clubs and their communities.

The Lakeport Rotary Club has traditionally served our community through projects such as the annual Easter egg hunt and Christmas basket giveaway, and also provided a variety of donations to local clubs, organizations and schools.

She has served as the local president twice and was chosen as the district governor for her leadership and commitment to the Lakeport community as well as the surrounding communities throughout the district.

The Konocti Challenge Bicycle Ride, a focus of the Lakeport Rotary, has been a benefit to the entire county and mainly managed by Strong. Many riders from all over the US claim this ride to be their favorite, citing the Lake County scenery, friendliness of the locals, and the effective organization of the event.

Strong has also played a major role in establishing the Lake Area Rotary Fire Relief program in 2015 during the Valley fire and then assisting its expansion to a District Fire Relief fund during the Tubbs fire in 2017. The funds have raised more than $3 million to date for fire survivors affected by the numerous disasters over the past five years.

Strong also spearheaded the community tree planting event in March of 2018 in the fire-ravaged Middletown Trailside Park when hundreds of people from all over Northern California came together and planted more than 3,500 native trees in one day.

This is only the second time that Lake County has earned the honor of having a Rotarian selected as district governor.

Cameron Reeves served as district governor 25 years ago. At the time Reeves was serving his post, he saw Strong coming into Rotary and has expressed his “pride in the way Jennifer has enhanced the image of Rotary.”

He said that both he and his wife Sharon are “cheering her on and offer their support.”

Reeves knows that Strong will face challenges working as the district governor in this virtual meeting world, but she will meet this challenge.

She also has the entire Lakeport Rotary membership behind her and just as the Konocti Challenge has put Lake County on the map, Strong has already put Lakeport on the map throughout the Rotary community.

The Lakeport Rotary said it is truly honored to have Strong as its member, past president and district governor. “We look forward to supporting her success in our district and beyond.”