YOUR 2027-28 GOVERNORS

Lee Peters, DISTRICT 6600

Lee Peters joined the Bryan, Ohio Rotary Club in 1999 and was later a member of clubs in Omaha, Nebraska, Atlantic Iowa, the Westerville Sunrise, Ohio, Norwalk, Ohio and currently the Ashland, Ohio Rotary Club. Lee’s proudest accomplishment was expanding the service program in Ashland by creating Make Ashland Sparkle! a spring clean up day that has attracted from 80 to 150 volunteers annually.

Lee has attended four international conventions, a National Immunization Day polio event in India, Rotary Leadership Institute and multiple District Conferences. He is passionate about the environment and is a member of the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group. The goal for his Governor year is for the district to create value to each of the 58 clubs in the district.

As an Eagle Scout and 50 year member of Scouting America, Lee is an active volunteer in the Scouting program, holding several leadership positions. He also serves as the District 6600 Coordinator for the International Fellowship of Scouting Rotarians. Lee also serves as an advisor to The Ohio State University’s Alpha Phi Omega chapter, a coeducational service fraternity based on the ideas of the Scouting program. He also serves on the Center for Nonviolence advisory committee at Ashland University.

Lee and his wife Dawn have been married for 32 years and reside in Ashland, Ohio. They are adaptive parents of two adult sons.

Richard ‘Rich’ Cole, DISTRICT 6630

Rich Cole is a proud member of the Rotary Club of Port Summit, which he joined in 2016. Rich has served District 6630 as Assistant Governor (2021-2024) and Rotary Four-Way Test Speech Chair (2023-present). He is a twice Past President of his club, and has also served as Treasurer, Secretary, Executive Secretary, and Foundation Chair.

Rich, also Lakemore Mayor, is known for his volunteer work in the community, and for the last 10 years he has been the Co-Director of the Lakemore Food Pantry. Rich is also a charter member of the Lakemore Lions Club, Past Master of New Franklin Lodge #803, F.&A.M. of Ohio, and member of the Valley of Akron Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, the Billow Chapter 483 Order of the Eastern Star, Royal Arch Masons, Royal and Select Masons, Knights Templar, and the Shriners International, Tadmor Shrine, Akron.

He also serves on the Board of the Friends of the Springfield/Lakemore Branch Library, GASP (Guardians Advocating Child Safety and Protection), JOG (Jobs for Ohio Graduates), Lakemore Dogs Homeward Bound, PRAISE (Preparing Real Access in Student Education), Rock the Docks, Spartan Snack Pack, the Springfield/Lakemore Chamber of Commerce, and SUPER Learning Center.

Rich is a 1991 graduate of Springfield High School, and 1995 graduate of Harvard College, where he concentrated in Government with Economics and Spanish as his allied fields. For nearly 20 years following college Rich lived in New York City where he mastered his leadership, negotiation and collaboration skills working in the commercial Real Estate Industry. Since 2013 Rich has served as Director and teacher at SUPER Learning Center in Lakemore, a private, faith-based, K-12 school specializing in teaching neurodivergent learners.

Rich and wife Jenny have been married since 2020. He has one sister Julie, one stepson Conner, and one stepdaughter Becca, and new to the family, their granddaughter and future Rotarian, baby Zoey.

Julia Wetstein, DISTRICT 6650

Julia A Wetstein

Julia joined Rotary in 2003 after being a part of a GSE Team to RI District 2090 in Central Italy. She is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Carbondale, Illinois. In 2009 and 2010 Julia lead two Rotary International Extension missions into the Republic of Cuba. A graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute, Julia subsequently became an RLI Faculty Member.

In 2013, she joined the Rotary Club of Warren, Ohio and served as President in 2016-17. During her presidential year she established a microlending bank for survivors of acid attacks in Kampala, Uganda, a partnership between her Club and The University of Pittsburgh. For District 6650, Julia was an Assistant Governor for six years and also served as District Learning Facilitator.

Born in Carmi, Illinois to a family who has owned a farm there for over 130 year, she attended Southern Illinois University earning a BFA, MBA and Master of Economics before joining the University as staff, serving 23 years as Assistant Dean of Agriculture and Science, as well as a Major Gifts officer for the SIU Foundation.

Julia has been a trustee for the Illinois United Methodist Children’s Home Foundation, Capital Campaign Chair for a $3 million expansion of the First United Methodist Church of Carbondale and was the founding board chair of the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale. In Warren, Ohio she has been asked to be a trustee of the Warren Library Association, Sutliff Museum Board member, Campaign Steering Committee for the Museum of Science Fiction and Fantasy Arts, and volunteers to give tours of the historic Trumbull County Courthouse. She retired in August of 2021. Julia and her husband Mark live on East Market Street in Warren.

Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Huber, DISTRICT 6670

Beth Huber has had the opportunity to learn and serve and play with the Wilmington Rotary Club for over 20 years. Within a few years after joining the club she was Secretary and then was President of the Club in 2009-2010. Falling absolutely in love with the PETs event and her “class” of Presidents, she followed her year as President with some time as a Facilitator at PETs and then as an Assistant Governor. Finding the District Leadership team fun and engaging, she explored different District events and began working with the District 6670 4 Way Test Speech contest. She has now chaired that District Committee for 10 years and served as an Assistant Governor in two stints for eight years.

Strengthening her connections with District Rotarians, Beth has attended the District Conference annually, as well as other district dinners and events. She attended Rotary International Conferences in Atlanta and Toronto. In 2018 she had the opportunity to go with a group of Rotarians from Ohio and around the world to India on a Polio Immunization trip (and highly recommends it to others!).

Beth came to Wilmington to attend Wilmington College. Shortly after graduation she began her career with Airborne Express/ABX Air, where she worked with Communications, Community Relations and Marketing until the company reorganized in 2009. She also ran a tour program showcasing the overnight sort operations for several years. In 2010, she joined the staff of the Clinton County Port Authority where she is now the Chief Operating Officer. The Wilmington Air Park, where she had spent the last 30+years, was donated to the Port Authority and she was part of the team to reimagine it and ensure its continued viability as the largest regional job center. Today her work involves a variety of tasks including airport administration, economic development, contract management, community relations and more. The Wilmington Air Park is the highest volume cargo airport in Ohio and 23rd in the U.S., and home to 15 businesses and over 4,000 employees.

While working at ABX Air, Beth earned her MS in Aeronautical Science with concentrations in Adult Education and Airport Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. She was a member of the Leadership Clinton Class of 1999 and later a member of the Board. With her co-worker, she was recognized by the Cincinnati PRSA with a Bronze Anvil Award. Since joining the Clinton County Port Authority, she has earned accreditation as an Ohio Certified Economic Development professional and has served as a mentor to successive classes.

Beth learned about community service from her parents who were always involved in continuing learning and community events. She has two sons, Christopher (a Zanesville Rotarian) and Daniel (Beavercreek) and they have built wonderful families, bringing two daughters-in-law (Amanda and Erika) and four grandchildren into her life.
Beth is excited to learn as much as she can as she advances on her Rotary journey in this new role as District Governor Nominee Designate and is looking forward the next several years working with District 6670 club members and leaders.

Darnell Perkins, DISTRICT 6690

Darnell Perkins is a member of the Rotary Club of Dublin-Worthington and has been a Rotarian for 25 years. He is active in his club, serving in several club leadership positions and as club president in 2009-10. In the District, he served 2 terms (6 years) as Assistant Governor and 2 years as District Grant Coordinator. Darnell is a passionate advocate for Rotary’s core values of service, integrity, and fellowship. He is a Rotary Foundation Major Donor and Paul Harris Society member.

An avid believer in service to others, Darnell has volunteered on numerous community organizations. Most recently he served on the Worthington Community Relations Commission, the Worthington Chamber Orchestra board, and the Endowment Committee of the Worthington Food Pantry and Resource Center. He is an Army veteran who served a tour in Vietnam as a medic.