Kevin Katarynick, District 7450 – District Governor (2020-21)

We were privleged to have our District Governor, Kevin Katarynick,

join our weekly Zoom meeting today.

Kevin M. Katarynick joined the Rotary Club of King of Prussia in 2012 and from the start became active in several duties that included the club’s membership and fundraising as well as efforts to increase its social media and web presence. He was elected to the club’s Board of Directors in 2014 and served as president in 2015-16. He served as Area 5 AG in 2016-17. He was elected to the District 7450 Board of Directors as the Member-at-Large for Areas 4, 5, and 6 for 2017-18 while also participating in the District’s Strategic Planning and Bylaws Review Committees. Kevin recently became a Paul Harris Society member.

Kevin graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Administration of Justice. He has spent more than 23 years in the field of public safety, and for the last 21 years has been employed by Upper Merion Township. He is a 23-year member of the King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company.

Kevin is a lifetime resident of King of Prussia where he lives with his wife, Linda. They met when he coached her women’s softball team -she played second base. Linda is a native of Norristown and retired from her career with the Pennsylvania National Guard; her active service included participation in Iraqi Freedom in 2003 through 2004. She and Kevin are sports enthusiasts, and both regularly run 5Ks and half marathons.

Kevin was impressed at our Club's level of attendance, well above that of other far larger District clubs.

He emphasized what he saw as the three keys to leadership he hoped to employ ddurin ghis tenure.

  1. Communication – ensuring that is is both clear and concise.  He also wants communicaitons to be a two-way exercise with Rotaraians across teh District.
  2. Providing Value – working to ensure that when people attend Rotary events that the can com away with a feeling their time was well spent.  He admitted that during his time in Rotary, he had attended meetings which he felt a complete waste of time.  He is also cognizant that rethnking is needed dur to teh present and possible future requirements of working in a virtual environment.  He wants to also ensure ROtarians are aware that many training and other sesisons are available on YouTube for viewing at comveneitn times.
  3. Respect for the Office – a belief that the office of the District Governor needs respect incidental to its present holder but that can only occur through the openness, communicaiton, preceived added value and character of the Distrcit Governor.

Among his goals for 2020-21

  1. Having each club submit a list of at least ten goals it hopes to attain over the next 12 months.
  2. Increase the funding donations for the Rotary Foundation and Gundaker Charitable Foundation.  Information and training for these initiatives will be held on-line.
  3. Increasing the number of clubs in teh District by five.  These migh tfocus on types of businesses, ideological or other mdemographics.
  4. Seeing a net 75 new members joining Rotary.  The key is showing potential memebrs the value which comes form belonging to Rotary.  Kevin is aware of the challneges facing some clubs, such as ours, where new, younger members are sought while ours is an aging, but extremely dedicated Rotarians.  Affordability is also a consideration … which brought up th esubject of dues which technicaly need onlycover the RI, DIstrict and Training mandates.

The bi-monthly District Newletter will be emailed to each Rotarian in the District.

Inter-club cooperation, sorely absent in the past was also discussed.  Kevin that with the asisstance of his ten Assistant District Governors can change for the better.

It should be noted that both Kevin (despite his bad knee) and his wife refistered to participate in our VIrtual Chairty Walk and made a donation to A Woman's Place.