Posted by Rick Rivkin on Sep 20, 2016
District Govenor Rick Rivkin is pleased to announce that the 2016 D6440 Nominating Committee has selected Suzanne Gibson to be our District Governor for the 2019-2020 Rotary year.
 
Suzanne has been a member of the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club since 2008 where she has served as President (2012-2013)  International Chair and Membership Chair. She has led a Vocational Training Team to Guatemala to introduce the health benefits of soy products and microenterprise skills to women in Sumpango, Sacatepequez, Guatemala.  Recently, she and her husband Mark, also a member of BBRC, participated in a Friendship Exchange to South Africa where they met our District 6440 Global Grant partners and can vouch for the great stewards they are of our funds. Suzanne received the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club’s President’s Citation for Outstanding Service and Dedication Award (2015- 2016) and the District 6440 Shining Light Award in recognition of humanitarian service (2015). She was Rotarian of the Year (2011) and during her presidency the club received the Presidential Citation. In District leadership Suzanne has been an Assistant Governor serving Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg AM and Lake Zurich clubs and is currently the district Community Services Advisory Chair. Suzanne is a member of the Paul Harris Society and both she and her husband are multiple Paul Harris Fellows. We welcome her to this next level of district leadership.
 
Our Manual of Procedure requires that "The Governor shall publish to the clubs of the district the name and club of the nominee within 72 hours from receipt of the notice from the chair of the nominating committee." Suzanne's selection becomes final 14 days after notification has been sent to the clubs (i.e. today) if no challenging candidate is proposed by any club within that time period. This is as prescribed in both our District and the Rotary International Manuals of Procedure.
About Suzanne
 
Suzanne Gibson has been a member of the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club since 2008 where she has served as President (2012-2013) International Chair and Membership Chair. She has led a Vocational Training Teams to Guatemala to introduce the health benefits of soy products and microenterprise skills to women in Sumpango, Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Recently, she and her husband Mark, also a member of BBRC, participated in a Friendship Exchange to South Africa where they met our District 6440 Global Grant partners and can vouch for the great stewards they are of our funds.

Suzanne received the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club’s President’s Citation for Outstanding Service and Dedication Award (2015- 2016) and the District 6440 Shining Light Award in recognition of humanitarian service (2015).

She was Rotarian of the Year (2011) and during her presidency the club received the Presidential Citation.

In District leadership Suzanne has been an Assistant Governor serving Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg AM and Lake Zurich clubs and is currently the district Community Services Advisory Chair.

Suzanne is a member of the Paul Harris Society and both she and her husband are multiple Paul Harris Fellows.

Suzanne is a graduate of Valparaiso University (BA), the University of Illinois, Jane Addams Graduate School of Social Work (MSW) and Greenwich University, PhD. Professionally Suzanne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker recently retired from private practice with a focus on mental health issues. Suzanne was a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) and a Diplomate in Clinical Social Work which represents the highest level of expertise and excellence for clinical social workers.

For the past 9 years, Suzanne has coordinated a mentoring program at Holy Family School in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago where she recruits, trains and young adult professionals to be mentors to 8th grade students to assist them in the high school application process, and build social capital.

In her pre Rotary life, Suzanne served on the Board of Directors of the Barrington Area Refugee Fund where she assisted unaccompanied minors from south east Asia in transitioning to their new life in the the United States and served on the Board of Directors of the Barrington Youth and Family Services.

Suzanne enjoys traveling (the seven continents) running, walking, golfing, bicycling, reading and genealogy research.

Suzanne and Mark have been members of the Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Barrington since 1984.

Suzanne and Mark have been married since 1968, and after moving around the country for Mark’s medical training, have lived in Barrington since 1984. Mark and Suzanne are parents of three children. Jonathan who departed this life in 2005 at age 33; Kristin Kirk and Robert (Talia) and one granddaughter, Eliana.