SV Rotary Club names new president

The Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley has named Scott Murray as club president for its 2022-2023 Rotary year. 

Murray joined the club in 2017 and has previously led the club’s membership and governance committees.

“I knew from the history of the club and from Rotary plaques all over the Sonoma Valley that Rotary had improved the quality of life in the community in all sorts of ways,” said Murray. The club’s response to the October 2017 wildfires showed the power of Rotary to support the community in the time of a disaster, he said.

“Our club again stepped up during the Covid 19 pandemic, partnering with the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund to raise $200,000 in grants to small businesses impacted by the shutdowns.”

The Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley has several activities planned for this coming Rotary year, including its annual St. Patrick’s Day “Luck of the Irish Raffle” that funds grants to local non-profit groups and various community improvement projects. 

Murray said the club plans to continue partnering with other community organizations, like the Sonoma Ecology Center and Jack London State Historic Park, to support hands-on service projects.  

“We’re very excited about our partnership with Jack London State Historic Park to restore, improve, and harvest the historic groves, an effort that will involve all the Rotary clubs in Sonoma Valley from Oakmont to the City of Sonoma,” he said. 

“One of the great strengths of Rotary is the connections we make within the community, across the country, and around the world,” Murray believes.  “So, we also continue to look forward to supporting projects that improve conditions beyond Sonoma Valley.”  

The Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley recently led an effort to raise $75,000 from Rotary clubs around the world to provide new sanitation facilities for schools in remote western Nepal. And this past June, the club formally announced its first international sister club relationship to explore joint projects with the Rotary Club of Makati, Philippines.

The Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley meets at noon on Wednesdays at the Sonoma Golf Club. Visitors are welcome. Contact John Coulston at [email protected] to attend.