July marks the beginning of a brand new ‘club year’ for St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotarians. The club, active in the community for more than 100 years, has elected its new leadership, pledged to continue making a difference and supporting positive groups and causes in Northern Berrien County and around the World through Rotary International.
Club Leadership for 2022-2023:
Board of Directors
President – Lisa Cripps-Downey
President-Elect – Cathy Kreter
President-Nominee – Jennifer Cole
Immediate Past President – Mike Huie
Treasurer – Tom Watson
Secretary – Janice Ferguson
Directors – Constance Adams, Jackie Huie, Cindy Igoe, Charles Jespersen, Lynn Kellogg, Emily Kirchner, Afiya Latham, Andrew Robinson and Rick Villa
Outgoing President, Mike Huie (right in photo), said “It was an honor to serve the Rotary Club of St Joseph & Benton Harbor this last year. I greatly appreciate all the great work our club board led this year and the difference we were able to make in both our local community and around the world. We were able to help make a difference in thousands of people’s lives this last year through all of our youth services initiatives with interact, student mentoring, scholarships, annual track meet, youth leadership development as well as investing nearly $70,000 in local needs through our club foundation. In addition to our local achievements we were able to help make lives better in Uganda and the Dominican Republic. As a club we also welcomed a number of new members to our club, added a diversity committee to our board and are launching a new club website. I look forward to passing the gavel to Lisa and supporting her and the board during her leadership year anyway I can.”
Outside of Rotary, Mike Huie is the President of JohnsonRauhoff where he leads a talented team of creative, tech, and strategic professionals to help clients achieve their goals. JR is a strategic content agency that combines the strengths of a full-service agency with the added efficiency of an in-house studio. Mike is a strategic business leader with 30 years experience leading global business, building brands and loyalty to them.
Incoming President, Lisa Cripps-Downey (left), says she is excited to begin her year as club president. “The Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor is a community of people who really care and want to make a difference in our area and far beyond our borders. That is one of the things I love about Rotary. While we make local friends and connections, we are part of something so much bigger through international service efforts.”
Outside of Rotary, Lisa Cripps-Downey is the President of the Berrien Community Foundation where she works with a team of people who coordinate financial resources in Berrien County to meet the needs of the Berrien County community. She has been active both on stage and backstage at Twin City Players, and enjoys volunteering with several organizations locally.
