Monday, October 15, 2018
Barbara Spangler, District Governor Elect 2018-19
Two and a half years ago, when Barb Spangler learned that she would be District Governor in 2018-2019, she took a deep breath and made Rotary District 5130 a top priority in her life.
After many informal club visits and participating in a number of great club projects, Barb has come to love our District and describes the DG experience as the best job ever.
According to Barb, “It’s a brilliant opportunity to be with and work with Rotarians: Good people at their very best.”
The Rotary International 2018-2019 theme ‘Be the Inspiration’ gives all of us the opportunity to reflect on the people who have given us our core strengths and values, and those who continue to contribute to us by sharing their wisdom and by their actions.
Barb is firmly committed to District 5130 and is convinced that this year’s District theme: ‘Do What Matters’ resonates with all of us as we face the challenges and opportunities in our communities and in our world. We only need to reflect about the many ways we came together in our District over the past 12 months to know that Rotarians Do What Matters when it matters most. We have much to be proud of!
In 2018-2019 the District 5130 goals and focus areas are:
- Support and strengthen clubs
- Focus and increase humanitarian service
- Enhance public image and awareness
“When we do these things, we all become better Rotarians and we make our world a better place,” says the incoming District Governor.
Barb was born and raised in Boston and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in the sciences and business from schools in the Boston area. Her career in Healthcare Technology Research and Development gave her many opportunities to travel, live abroad, and experience the world’s economic and cultural diversity.
She has been to all seven continents and recommends Boston for education, New York for fun, Paris for food, Africa and the Galapagos for nature and wildlife, Antarctica for beauty, and District 5130 for Rotary service and friendships.
In 2010, she retired from GE Healthcare as a Clinical Research Manager in International Cardiology and promptly joined the Valley of the Moon Rotary Club in Santa Rosa. She has been a club president, Assistant Governor, District Training Assembly Chair, and a Zone Institute Emerging Rotary Leader Program participant.
When not at Rotary, Barb lives in Santa Rosa with her husband, Jim, also a Rotarian and their dog, Buddy – affectionately known as Puppyzilla.