Rowlett Rotary Leaders Attend 2025 Lone Star P.E.T.S.
Rowlett Rotary Club President Emily Stupnik and President-Elect Karl Stupnik attended the 2025 Lone Star P.E.T.S. at the Hyatt Regency DFW, gaining leadership training and strategic insights. Featured speakers included Rotary International President-Elect Mário de Camargo and Rotary Foundation Trustee Martha Peak Helman. Emily and Karl left inspired and ready to strengthen the club’s impact in Rowlett.
Emily Stupnik, the dedicated President of the Rowlett Rotary Club, and her husband, Karl Stupnik, the President-Elect, eagerly anticipated attending the 2025 Lone Star President-Elect Training Seminar (P.E.T.S.). This annual event, scheduled from February 27 to March 2, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency DFW, was designed to equip incoming Rotary leaders with the knowledge and inspiration needed for their upcoming roles.
Upon arrival, Emily and Karl were greeted by a bustling atmosphere filled with fellow Rotarians from across Texas and Southern Oklahoma. The seminar commenced with Plenary Session 1 on Friday at noon, featuring Martha Peak Helman, a Rotary Foundation Trustee from the Rotary Club of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Martha shared her journey in Rotary and emphasized the profound impact of the Foundation’s initiatives worldwide.
That evening, the couple attended Plenary Session 2, where they were inspired by Mário César Martins de Camargo, the Rotary International President-elect for 2024-25 from the Rotary Club de Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil. Mário’s stories of Rotary’s global reach and his personal experiences underscored the organization’s commitment to Service Above Self.
Saturday morning’s Plenary Session 3 introduced them to Kelly Atkinson, a Past District Governor from Utah. Kelly’s narrative of his legislative career and Rotary involvement highlighted the importance of leadership and community service.
The afternoon’s Plenary Session 4 featured Mitty Chang, an entrepreneur and San Francisco Bay Area Rotarian. Mitty’s dynamic presentation on attracting young professionals to Rotary provided Emily and Karl with innovative strategies to invigorate their club’s membership.
The seminar culminated on Saturday night with Plenary Session 5, where Tom Thorfinnson, Past General Manager & Chief Strategic Officer of Rotary International, shared insights from his extensive Rotary career, inspiring attendees to envision the future of their clubs.
Throughout the seminar, Emily and Karl participated in breakout sessions and networking events, exchanging ideas with fellow Rotarians. They left the Hyatt Regency DFW with renewed enthusiasm, ready to implement the knowledge and inspiration gained to lead the Rowlett Rotary Club into a promising future.
