On July 21, 2023 at Lincoln South Rotary Club we heard from 2023-24 Rotary District 5650 Governor Kathryn Schubert. During this Rotary Year the theme is Create Hope In The World.
Kathryn started by sharing how she started her Rotary Journey.
It was in 2008 when we were in a recession. Her youngest child was born about a week back. Merrill Lynch, where she had worked and built a career for 15 years, announced they were filing for bankruptcy. Like many she was just unsure of what would happen to her and her family. But then Bank of America decided to purchase Merrill.
She realized that she was one of the lucky ones - surviving the recession without too much trouble. But, she knew that there were many that had suffered a great deal during the recession. She wondered how she might help others in the community. A co-worker suggested that she should join a service organization. She was introduced to Omaha Suburban Rotary.
At first she was just enjoying her weekly meetings, making new friends, enjoying the lunches. But she wanted to do more. So she began to serve in club positions. She learned more about Rotary but wanted to learn more. She attended Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) and met people from other clubs in the District. There she learned about how other Rotary Clubs in our District worked and the impact we had on our communities.
She was inspired to apply to be the District Governor and honored that she was selected. As District Governor-elect she attended Zone meetings and learned more about Rotary and, again, how different Rotary Clubs work. She met District Governors from a number of states and Canada. Then she attended the Rotary International Assembly where she met District Governors from around the World. She was trained by Rotary Board Members and Foundation Trustees and realized all of the resources that are available to us.
She is excited to bring this all back to us and make Rotary District 5650 the best District in the Universe!
She introduced us to Gordon R. McInally the Rotary International President for 2023-24 and a couple of his initiatives.
Mental health is one of Gordon's priorities. He tragically lost his brother to suicide and he continues to ask himself what they could have done to prevent that. He hopes that we can bring the need to the forefront and make sure people get the help that they need.
He wants to continue the initiative started a couple of years back - Empower The Girl. He wants us to continue to elevate the voices of women and unlock the power of women around the world. Not all girls and women around the world have the same opportunities that we have.
Kathryn wants to make it possible for all of us to make more connections - take our stories to a wider audience. She hope to find and make virtual connections using the concepts of Youth Exchange and Friendship Exchanges.
She talked about how Rotary is back - that we have rebuilt since COVID. She pointed to Youth Exchange which was suspended. We could not have a Youth Exchange when they could not travel. RYLA camp is also back and she encouraged everyone to participate - you can stay with the kids at camp or participate as a volunteer. She said she also hopes to bring RLI back.
Speaking on things coming back, she said she is bringing back the Top 10 Clubs - where points are given for projects and activities. She said the awards for her Rotary Year would be given next October - after the close of the Rotary Year.
She also asked for our help. She is looking for a few Rotarians to share their time and talent on District committees, task forces and work groups. She hopes to have a wide variety of volunteers from small and large clubs, newer Rotarians to veteran Rotarians, from clubs that are rural and urban. She hopes to bring more diversity to the district decisions.
And, she asked us all to come to the District Conference in October. She presented a puzzle piece for Lincoln South Rotary Club. A member from our Club will bring the piece to the District Conference to complete the district puzzle.
BIO
Kathryn was raised in Nebraska. She graduated from Papillion LaVista High School and then went on to
receive a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration in 1994 from the University of Nebraska at
Omaha, with a focus in Commercial Banking and International Finance. Kathryn is a Certified Financial
Planner® and a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch. She started her career in Omaha upon
graduation from UNO, and now works in both the Omaha and Lincoln communities. Together with her
team, she provides sophisticated financial strategies and solutions for high net worth individuals and
families all across America. In February 2022, Kathryn was named to the Forbes “America’s Top
Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” list.
receive a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration in 1994 from the University of Nebraska at
Omaha, with a focus in Commercial Banking and International Finance. Kathryn is a Certified Financial
Planner® and a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch. She started her career in Omaha upon
graduation from UNO, and now works in both the Omaha and Lincoln communities. Together with her
team, she provides sophisticated financial strategies and solutions for high net worth individuals and
families all across America. In February 2022, Kathryn was named to the Forbes “America’s Top
Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” list.
Kathryn is an active member of the Omaha Suburban Rotary Club in Omaha, Nebraska, and has been
since 2009. She is a Paul Harris Fellow and a Patron of the Suburban Rotary Charitable Foundation. She
is a past member of the board of Suburban Rotary and past President. She is also a past Trustee and past
Chairman of the Suburban Rotary Charitable Foundation. She has served as Sergeant-at-Arms and has
chaired both the Membership Development and Fundraising committees at Suburban Rotary. She is also
a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute and has served as the Membership Chair and Chair of the
DEI committee for District 5650. In 2021, Kathryn was nominated to be the District Governor for 5650 to
serve in 2023-2024.
Kathryn lives in Lincoln with her husband, Craig, and 3 children: Zachary is 19 and will be a Sophomore
at the University of Kansas studying Math and Physics; Annabeth is 17 and will be a Senior at Lincoln
East High School; Isabelle is 14 and is going into her Freshman year at Lincoln East High School..
Together as a family, they spend a lot of time around the ice rink. Both her son and her youngest
daughter play ice hockey. When they are not at a rink, they are either in a theater where Isabelle is active
in dance or at a school where Annabeth is competing in Speech for the Lincoln East Speech team. They
are also a musical family. Both Kathryn and Craig played instruments in the school band when they were
young and now all three kids are in the school orchestra. Zachary plays the violin, Annabeth plays the
cello and Isabelle plays the viola.
at the University of Kansas studying Math and Physics; Annabeth is 17 and will be a Senior at Lincoln
East High School; Isabelle is 14 and is going into her Freshman year at Lincoln East High School..
Together as a family, they spend a lot of time around the ice rink. Both her son and her youngest
daughter play ice hockey. When they are not at a rink, they are either in a theater where Isabelle is active
in dance or at a school where Annabeth is competing in Speech for the Lincoln East Speech team. They
are also a musical family. Both Kathryn and Craig played instruments in the school band when they were
young and now all three kids are in the school orchestra. Zachary plays the violin, Annabeth plays the
cello and Isabelle plays the viola.
INTRO BULLET POINTS:
• graduated from Papillion LaVista High School
• Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha
• Certified Financial Planner®, Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch in Omaha and
Lincoln
• February 2022 named to the Forbes “America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” list
• member of the Omaha Suburban Rotary Club since 2009
• Paul Harris Fellow and a Patron of the Suburban Rotary Charitable Foundation
• Served on Board, past President, trustee and Chair of the Suburban Rotary Charitable Foundation,
Sergeant-at-Arms, Membership Development and Fundraising chair at Omaha Suburban Rotary
• graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute
• District Membership Chair and Chair of the DEI committee
• Kathryn lives in Lincoln with her husband, Craig, and 3 children
• graduated from Papillion LaVista High School
• Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha
• Certified Financial Planner®, Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch in Omaha and
Lincoln
• February 2022 named to the Forbes “America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” list
• member of the Omaha Suburban Rotary Club since 2009
• Paul Harris Fellow and a Patron of the Suburban Rotary Charitable Foundation
• Served on Board, past President, trustee and Chair of the Suburban Rotary Charitable Foundation,
Sergeant-at-Arms, Membership Development and Fundraising chair at Omaha Suburban Rotary
• graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute
• District Membership Chair and Chair of the DEI committee
• Kathryn lives in Lincoln with her husband, Craig, and 3 children