The Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving Meal Project

Past District Governor Hamsa

Past District Governor Hamsa is the president of Innovation Business Development, Inc. (IBD), an innovation management training and consulting company helping client organizations to grow with new products and services.
Hamsa is a member of the St. Simons Rotary Club since 1978 and served as its president from 1983-84. In 1985, he received Rotary International District 6920 Governor's New Club Builder Award for starting two new Rotary Clubs-the Rotary Club of Jekyll Island and the Rotary Club of Camden County. He served as the Coastal Georgia Area Coordinator for the first Polio Plus Campaign during 1986-1987. He served as the Governor’s Group Representative for five District Governors during 1984-89. In 1988-89 Hamsa served as the District Group Study Exchange (GSE) Chairman and exchanged GSE Team with India. The St. Simons Rotary Club recognized him as the Man of the Year for outstanding service to the Rotary and community in 1991. In 2002 Hamsa received the Four Avenues of Service Citation from Rotary International. In 2021 he received the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award and District Avenues of Service Award.
District Governor Hamsa served the Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) as a Host Family, Line Trustee (1993-2000), District Endowment Vice-Chairman (2001-02), and District Chairman (2003-2009). He is an Emeritus Trustee of GRSP (Since 2010), Treasurer of the Georgia Rotary Student Foundation Inc., and District Rotary Foundation Chair from 2020-23.
Hamsa led the Group Study Exchange (GSE) team to India in 2010. He organized the Polio camps in his grandfather’s village in south India (2004-05) and constructed latrines and drinking water wells for the village poor (2001-02). Under the Future Vision program and with funds from the Rotary Foundation (2011-2016), he distributed wheelchairs for Polio victims, sewing machines for village women, and partnered with D3150 in India to transform government-run schools in Andhra Pradesh (south India) into Happy Schools.
Hamsa is a Major Donor, Paul Harris Sustaining Member, Ed Bruce Fellow of the St. Simons Rotary Club; and Hue Thomas and Ronnie Waller Fellow of the GRSP. He is married to formerly Sindhu Shah, an Ophthalmologist. Dr. Sindhu Thota is a Paul Harris Fellow and Ed Bruce Fellow. They have two children. Daughter Devi is an Engineer and Economist and works with Hamsa as a consultant. Son, Commander Darshan is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, an Emergency Medicine Physician, and an Operational Medicine Liaison at the Defense Health Agency Health Informatics.

Tim Echols - Public Service Commissioner

Shortly after graduating from UGA, Tim and his wife Windy founded TeenPact, a training experience for conservative high school students. The program began at the Georgia Capitol and now operates in all 50 states, having trained 60,000 students. After building TeenPact, Echols ran for and was elected to statewide office in 2010 serving as Public Service Commissioner.
The PSC's primary job is energy regulation. When Echols took office, Georgia was 34th in solar power. Now, the state is 9th in the nation for installed solar. In 2020, Conservatives for Clean Energy dubbed Echols the "Solar Architect of Georgia." Georgia will be 4th in installed solar by 2024.
Echols has also created the Clean Energy Roadshow that has traveled the state every summer for the last eleven years. This educational event travels to cities around the state helping commuters, businesses and municipal governments evaluate alternative fuel for their transportation and residential use.
Tim authored the December 2017 motion to keep Plant Vogtle moving forward. He believes carbon-free nuclear energy plus solar is the way forward for Georgia. He has represented the United States at the World Nuclear Exhibition for the last eight years.
Tim has tried to lead by example. He added solar hot water heating to his Athens home just before being sworn in. He bought a natural gas car, a propane van and now owns an electric car. Tim also led the effort to provide the Salvation Army and two other agencies with $5 million to help low income seniors in Atlanta with heating assistance. That program continues today. Tim created a pilot program to provide specially equipped IPADS to the hearing impaired to help them function more productively. Tim also led the PSC to increase the number of pediatric hearing aids in a program the PSC oversees.
Most recently, Tim rallied donors and the solar community to build and donate to the Hog Hammock Foundation a 16-panel solar pavilion for the community library on the remote island off Georgia’s coast. Sapelo is the home of one of the last remaining Gullah Geechee communities and this array provides free electricity to the library for the next 30 years. With help from YellaWood, Southern Current and EDF Renewables, Echols led the way to build this lasting asset.
Tim also has been at the forefront in fighting human sex trafficking. He created the "Unholy Tour" that helps policy makers see first-hand the harms of human trafficking. As a part of his efforts to educate the public about the harms of trafficking, Echols created the Wilberforce Fellowship that meets once per year at Jackson Lake in Newton County. Tim and Judge Tim Batten head up this effort.
Tim has a weekly radio show called Energy Matters airing on Cox Media Group and in four other Georgia media markets.
Tim most recently finished up a historical fiction book about the founding of the Jekyll Island Club entitled “Jean Marc of Jekyll.” The book is about the power of remarkable friendships.
Tim and his wife, Windy, have been married 39 years and they have seven children. He has 3 degrees from the University of Georgia and lives in Hoschton, Georgia.

District Governor Heather Kellen Visits Dublin Rotary

Heather holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and has practiced for 17 years holding positions of area director and vice president of operations for outpatient and rehab organizations. She also works as an adjunct teacher at Central Georgia Technical College instructing Physical Therapy Assistants. Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Journalism and worked in Alaska and Washington as a news reporter for newspaper, radio, and television before moving to Florida for graduate studies.
Heather is a proud member of the Perry Rotary Club where she has been a member since 2008. She has been active in the club serving as Community Service Chair, Youth Services Chair and Club President in 2014-2015. She has served District 6920 as Disaster Response Chair, End Polio Now Ambassador and Rotary Leadership Institute Director and Facilitator. Heather has represented Rotary International administering polio vaccines in India, as member of a Vocational Training Team to Myanmar, and as a participant in Rotary Day at United Nations.
 She also contributes time and energy into her local community serving as a member of Toastmasters International, Perry Chamber of Commerce, and Board member of the Perry Convention and Visitors Bureau.
 Heather was recognized with the Star President Award and Club of the Year recognition during her term as Club President. She received her club’s Rotarian of the Year award, the Governor’s Leadership Award, and Emerging District Leader Honor. She is a Paul Harris Major Donor, Paul Harris Society member, and Will Watt Fellow.
 Heather was born and raised in Washington State and Alaska. She moved to Florida for graduate school and stayed in the South to practice physical therapy in middle Georgia. Heather is the mother of two daughters; Kayla 33, and Lauren 26 and grandmother to four grandchildren; Alta, Jayden, Gwen, Naomi. Heather loves the outdoors and spends free time travelling, hiking, biking, scuba diving…and has jumped out of a plane a few times. She is a huge movie buff and roots for the Seattle Seahawks.

High School Coaches: Area Football Update

(L-R) East Laurens High School,Coach Bin Turner,Dublin High School,Coach Roger Holmes, Bubba East -Rotary Club, Trinity Christian School,Coach Jed Marsh, West Laurens High School,Coach Kagan McClain

Mr. Davila was appointed as the Medical Center Director for the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in January 2022.
He previously served as the Associate Director for the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana since November 2018, he was previously the Associate Director at the West Texas VA Health Care System in Big Spring, Texas. A U.S. Army Veteran, during his career, he has held various positions to include Chief of Facilities Management, Chief Biomedical Engineering, Chief Logistics Officer as well as other management roles. Mr. Davila is a lifetime member of Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology, member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), associate member of the Society of International and Organizational Psychologists, member MBA Alumni Association and holds membership in various other professional organizations. Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mr. Davila hold Bachelor of Science of Business Administration (BS) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Phoenix and the academic completion of a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Walden University.

Ashlee Torpy, installed as 2022-2023 Dublin Rotary Club President.

We are excited for a new year and all that is to come under President Ashlee’s leadership!
About President Ashlee:
Ashlee Torpy is Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Morris Bank. Ashlee holds a BBA in accounting from Mercer University. After graduating from college, she began working in Dublin with the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as a financial examiner before joining Morris Bank in 2004. She is past chair of Georgia Bankers Association’s Women in Banking Committee.
Ashlee is a graduate of the 2006 Class of Dublin Laurens County Leadership. She recently retired as a “True Blue” member of Dublin Service League after serving in various roles including Treasurer and President. She enjoys baking, gardening, and playing pickleball.

Dublin Rotary members representing at District Assembly 2022-2023

Congratulations to our Students of the Quarter winners!