Guest Speakers

MITCH BARNHART WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND DUE TO ILLNESS. THE CLUB WAS FORTUNATE TO HEAR FROM MARC HILL, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY. Rotary in Review  UK ATHLETICS AND THE CHANGING WORLD OF INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORTS  It is a familiar sight in sports:  the star athlete goes down with an injury and an eager substitute gets thrown into the action on short notice and saves the day.  Such was the case at our Club meeting two weeks ago, as Marc Hill, Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Kentucky, spoke in place of scheduled speaker UK’s [...]

You likely first heard his name when studying the American Revolution back in your earliest school days. It is estimated that thirty-six cities and towns across America are named after him, along with a local high school.  He even visited Lexington two hundred years ago, an event that was recently immortalized via a recently unveiled interpretive sign in Gratz Park. So, who exactly was Gilbert du Motier, better know to us as the Marquis de Lafayette/ To answer that question, Rotarians will today hear from Dale Henley, past President of the Lafayette Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, in Lexington, and [...]

STATE OF THE WORLD: How to Make Sense of our Political and Commerce Situation For over forty years, Lexington Rotarians have had the good fortune to look at the state of the world as seen through the eyes of the experts at the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce (Patterson School). Returning to the podium to defend his predictions from last year – and to offer new ones - is Dr. Robert Farley, Senior Lecturer at the Patterson School. Dr. Farley has taught security and diplomacy courses at the Patterson School since 2005. He also held an [...]

MORE ROTARY! “More Cowbell” is a hilarious comedy sketch that was originally performed on Saturday Night Live in 2000.  The sketch featured Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken in a studio recording the Blue Oyster Cult song “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”  The fictional music producer Walken repeatedly demands “more cowbell,” and Will Farrell responds enthusiastically in an over-the-top style until, rather than setting the beat, the cowbell completely dominates the song and the action in the sketch.  The skit’s popularity and the phrase “more cowbell” has morphed into a popular American catchphrase which is even defined in dictionaries as “an extra quality [...]

A YEAR OF BOLD STEPS AND DEEPER ROOTS When I took the gavel last July, I knew leading the Rotary Club of Lexington would be an honor. I didn’t realize how much it would also stretch, inspire, and ground me. This year wasn’t about maintaining momentum — it was about charting a future. We began at a crossroads: a club with a proud legacy but faced with the question every legacy organization must confront — how do we evolve without losing who we are? I’m proud to say we didn’t shy away from that question. We faced it head-on with honest [...]

Steve Gardner, PE, SME-RM Mr. Gardner currently serves as President of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME). He was the 2015 President of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Explorations (SME) and recognized as an SME Fellow and Registered Member.He has an MS in Mining Engineering and BS Agricultural Engineering from the University of Kentucky (UK). He has worked on mining projects throughout the US, internationally and early in his career served on a Volunteer mine rescue team. He has served on the advisory Boards of the Kentucky Geological Survey, UK’s Mining Engineering Foundation, Biosystems and Agricultural [...]

The Rotary Club of Lexington will hold its annual Scholarship Day program on Thursday, June 5th. The winning students will be selected from applicants from Fayette County public and private schools. Academics, character, and service to the community are criteria that the awards are based on. Check back here for the winners after the program!

Wreaths Across America and other Patriotic and Veteran Programs Join us as we hear from Patrick Wesolosky, President of the Kentucky Society, Sons of the American Revolution about the Wreaths Across America's mission to remember, honor and teach as well as other programs of The Lafayette Chapter, Kentucky Society,  Sons of the American Revolution that honors our Revolutionary War patriot ancestors by promoting patriotism, serving our communities, educating and inspiring future generations about the founding principles of our Country. The Lexington National Cemetery has approximately 70,000 people interned there and about 1,500 of them are veterans. In 2023, Patrick Wesolosky then [...]

Each year, our Club sets aside a lunch meeting to honor the legacy of one of our own, TommyBell, and to present the Tommy Bell Award. More on Mr. Bell below. Assisting with today’s program is featured speaker Gordon Walls. Born in Campbellsville, Kentucky, Mr.Walls has been a resident of Lexington from an early age. He graduated from Tates Creek High School, where he met his future wife, Karen Rogers. Gordon attended UK and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He has two children, Nathaniel Walls and Megan Walls Heidemann, and six grandchildren. In 1985, he became the [...]

Last year at this time we noted that the week between the close of Keeneland’s spring meet and the rapidly approaching first Saturday in May is magical in Kentucky as thoughts turn to the Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest horse race, run continuously since 1875. This year might require a new adjective, given that when the horses break from the starting gate on that first Saturday in May, it will be the 150th iteration of the Run for the Roses. That, my friends, is staying power! This week, the Rotary Club of Lexington continues its own long-standing Derby tradition by welcoming to [...]