Tourism & Convention Bureau head to fill Rotary district governor role
Jack Cohen, Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau president, is next in line to fill a leadership role with the local branch of the Rotary International organization.
Starting at the beginning of July, Cohen will become the district governor of Rotary International District 7280, a region that includes Butler County but stretches as far up as Erie and encompasses 42 different Rotary clubs.
Rotary clubs, along with their sister Rotaract clubs in colleges and Interact clubs in schools, work together on community service and volunteer projects that benefit domestic and international causes.
Cohen described his responsibilities in the upcoming district governor position as centered around communicating to the various different clubs in the region, along with keeping them up to speed on the projects and activities of the larger Rotary International organization.
“My job is to make sure they have all the information they need, and whatever else they ask of me,” Cohen said. “My job will be to go visit with them, talk about what I can do to help them, and in turn share the international message that comes from our international president.”
Cohen was first selected for the role three years ago, as the process of finding a district governor starts far in advance. He will serve in the role for a year, after which fellow Rotarian John Marshall of John Marshall Catering will become district governor for the next term.
Cohen was a founding member of the Cranberry Sunrise Rotary, and served as its president in 2003. His professional experience, he said, helped draw him in to being involved with the Rotary organization.
“I (have) come from the service industry my entire life, so it was a no-brainer for me,” he said. “When you see all these terrible tragedies across our nation and in the world and in your backyard, most people (ask) ‘What can I do to help?’ This is an organization that says we can do what you’re looking for, and everybody wants to step up.”
During his term as district governor, Cohen plans to visit all of the Rotary clubs located within District 7280.
“I have a whole year to get to 42 different clubs, visit them, and help them with projects if they need my help, or suggest some things to help them get their projects underway,” he said.”
To prepare for the role, Cohen said he has attended a number of training seminars over the past three years.
“I’ve been to different training places and classes since that time frame,” he said. “There’s so much information, from the international all the way down to community-based things. The more you learn about Rotary, the more commitment you have to it.”
To Cohen, Rotary is a way to serve his community.
“When there’s major world issues like we have unfortunately today, we work for those too,” Cohen said. “We raise funds and pieces of equipment. Whatever it might be, we step up and we get busy. It’s something in everybody’s hearts. We understand how fortunate we are, and there’s a whole lot of people that don’t have what we have. We want to share some of the hard work that we do so that people can understand that you're not alone.”
