The Rotary Club of Ventura has selected Margi Wray as club president for the 2022/2023 year. She follows Rob van Nieuwburg, under whose leadership the club sponsored many charitable and community events, including resumption of the popular Independence Day Family Picnic and Fireworks show, Coats for Kids, a free weekly optometry clinic, supporting a monarch butterfly habitat at Camp Arnaz, supporting the Navajo Water Project, youth activities, and more.
“We have a strong organization thanks to the work of long-standing club members, coupled with new energy and focus of our newer members,” said Margi. Her goals are to serve our community’s needs through corroboration within our club and other service organizations in the community, increase transparency through good communication, and key into members’ talents, expertise and passions to serve our community.
Margi has worked as a sculptor, goldsmith, and wax carver. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Illinois. She is not new to leadership. She served 21 years on the Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board of Education, including four years as Board President. She says, “That experience will serve me well in goal setting, evaluation of performance and in community interaction.”
Having moved to the Ventura area only 3 years ago, she attributes her time in Rotary to rapidly making her feel at home in a new environment. “I have been instantly connected to so many people who have ‘Service above Self’ at the core of who they are,” she explains, “and it has made my transition to involvement and work in this community seamless. If you have ever wanted to be more involved in the community, we look forward to meeting you!”
The Rotary Club of Ventura celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. Its members include business leaders, nonprofit leaders and civic professionals who meet regularly and perform charity and community service in Ventura and throughout the world. It is part of Rotary International, which has more than 1.4 million members in 46,000 clubs in 168 countries. People join the club for fellowship, friendship and to give back to our local community and the beyond. The Rotary Club is actively seeking new members. To learn more, visit https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2868/.
