Winnipeg Summit

Title: What’s Next? Staying Relevant, Impactful, and Engaged

You’ve led, you’ve served—and you’ve seen the best and worst of Rotary leadership. But what comes after the Governor year? What does meaningful, fulfilling service look like now? Join PDGs Melissa Rathbun and Shirley-Pat Gale for a dynamic, honest, and forward-thinking day of facilitated conversation, connection, and real talk.
This session is about leveraging your experience, reigniting your purpose, and discovering what it means to serve in Rotary now—as a mentor, a changemaker, a bridge-builder, and yes, as a disrupter. We’ll name the elephants in the room—ego, irrelevance, burnout—and turn fear into fuel for curiosity, courage, and collaboration. You’ll leave with practical ideas, new connections, and a clear commitment to bring one action back to your club or district.

Session Agenda
8:45–10:15 | Session One: Sharing Our Stories – From Fear to Curiosity
Let’s get real. Why did you say “yes” to District Governor? What are you afraid of now? How do we deal with the invisible hand of fear—the one that creates egos, silences innovation, and makes leadership feel like a closed circle?
Let’s start by spilling the tea—sharing stories that move us from fear to curiosity, from frustration to insight.

10:30–11:45 | Session Two: Better Together – Speaking Truth, Building Purpose
What is our role now? PDGs hold the potential to shape culture, mentor emerging leaders, and advocate for innovation—but only if we intentionally create that role. Let’s explore how to use our Time, Talent, and Tools to build something new—and support others doing the same.

Lunch Break

1:30–3:00 | Session Three: Taking Action – Coming Full Circle
Let’s bring it home. You started at the club level, grew through leadership, and now you’re back—seasoned, skilled, and maybe a little jaded. How can we close the loop and serve differently today? What’s one action you’ll take to reignite impact in your club or region?

3:15–4:45 | Session Four: Celebrating (Being) the Change
What did you learn today? What ideas will you duplicate, adapt, and share? Let’s celebrate the courage to evolve—and the commitment to stay relevant, inclusive, and deeply engaged.

Facilitators:
Melissa Ward-Rathbun & Shirley-Pat Gale
Try. Fail. Learn. Understand. Act. Repeat.

Join us for a dynamic Public Image Track Day designed to equip Rotary leaders with the tools, strategies, and inspiration to elevate your club’s image and impact. Dive into sessions like Brand Champions: Building a Public Image Committee That Shines and learn how to form a strong, creative team. Discover how to Work with the Media and explore alternative options to secure free coverage across your district. We’ll explore Expanding Our Reach through new technology and platforms, and test your skills in quick, fun branding challenges like Oops! Is That On Brand? Using Real-Life Examples. You’ll also learn to craft Stories of Impact that move people to action, get answers to your Top Public Image Questions, and explore innovative uses of the Brand Center in our Public Image Strategies discussion. Plus, enjoy opportunities to connect and network with fellow public image champions, share ideas and resources, and build a supportive community of inspired communicators. Whether you’re new to public image or a seasoned pro, you’ll walk away with fresh ideas, valuable tools, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Public Image Track Day Sessions

1. Brand Champions: Building a Public Image Committee That Shines
   
2. Working with the Media: Building Relationships with Local Press & alternative media options
   
3. Expanding our Reach: Using new technology, innovative tools & platforms for Public Image
   
4. Quick sessions on using the brand correctly may be called 'Oops! Is That On Brand?' (we have real life examples that we can show)
   
5. Sharing Stories of Impact: crafting compelling Rotary stories that inspire action
   
6. Top Public Image Questions & tools & resources
   
7. Public Image Strategies: Discussion questions could be innovative ways to use the brand center, using AI and video/reels