From left: TJ Blitz, Dora Zuniga and Mitch Javid
–Introduction made by TJ Blitz on October 5, 2016
The Member Development Committee has the important responsibility of sustaining and building the membership of the Rotary Club of Madison and encouraging and facilitating a lasting relationship between the Club and its members.
The committee’s goals are to:
- Continue to strive to keep members engaged and participating to increase retention;
- Maintain a process of consistent and effective communications tools for members to use when talking with potential new members;
- and Continue a positive and welcoming experience for new members in their critical first years.
In 2014, the committee developed a new award to recognize a member who is sponsoring new members into our club since this is essential to the future of our club. The award is named the Mitch Javid Award to honor a distinguished member, and it annually recognizes the member who has served as the primary sponsor to the most new members during the past 3 years.
For those who do not know Mitch Javid, Mitch has been in our club for 48 years and has sponsored 56 members and co-sponsored another 10 members. This distinguished and very busy member who was chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery says, “I love Rotary. It is very dear to me. I believe in it and so I want to share it with other good people.” Mitch received the first award in 2014, and Rob Stroud received it in 2015.
I am pleased to announce that the 2016 recipient is Dora Zuniga who has served as the primary sponsor to 6 new members since July of 2013. Those new members are: Nick Curran, Mark Fraire, Jorge Hidalgo, Sandy Morales, Tammy Thayer and Alex Ysquierdo.
Dora joined our Rotary Club in 1994 and recently became the new director of development for Wisconsin Public Radio. She has served on our club board of directors and is a current Madison Rotary Foundation trustee. She is also current chair of our new member Orientation Committee and continues to be active on a number of other Rotary committees. Dora is a great connector, and we congratulate her on receiving the 2016 Mitch Javid Award.
Thank you, Dora, and thanks to all members who are sharing the opportunities available through Rotary with others.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 