Meet Our New President: Alex Russell

Posted on Jul 18, 2025
At our July 18 meeting, Rotary Halifax Harbour welcomed Alexandra (Alex) Russell as president for the 2025–2026 year. After an open by‑election—held in the spirit of transparency—Alex was elected by acclamation, following Valerie Bobyk’s excellent service as interim president.
 

Our 2025–2026 Board

Alex joins eight fellow Rotarians to form our board, which can have up to twelve members under our bylaws. You can see our club leaders here.

Alex’s Top Priorities

Drawing on member feedback, Alex outlined three guiding priorities for the year ahead:

  1. Financial Transparency

    • Finalize and publish the 2024–2025 financial statements club‑wide.

    • Keep financial updates at the top of every board and business meeting agenda until complete.

  2. Clear Governance & Communication

    • Distribute a full annual calendar of board meetings, business meetings, assemblies and the AGM.

    • Reinstate monthly Friday‑morning business meetings immediately following each board meeting.

    • Share concise summaries of board decisions with all members within 48 hours.

  3. Community & Engagement

    • Host regular social gatherings, service events and informal meet‑ups to foster connections.

    • Provide more opportunities for members to pitch, lead and grow their own service projects.

Companion Club Update

Our Companion Club was officially commissioned on June 27. Earlier, we had requested Rotary International pause the application process, but that request was not processed correctly. There will be many more discussions in the coming weeks to determine how best to structure and proceed with this new club format.

Creating Space for Your Ideas

Alex’s theme for the year is “Creating a space to enable member passions and projects.” She emphasised that her role is to clear the way, empowering members to bring forward the initiatives they care about most.

Quick Updates & Upcoming Dates

  • Treasurer Vacancy: Damian serves until September; we’re seeking a permanent treasurer.

  • Speaker Coordinator & Directors: A few board positions remain open—see below for how to volunteer.

  • First Board Meeting: Tuesday, August 12

  • First Business Meeting: Friday, August 15

Get Involved

We still need enthusiastic Rotarians to fill a few key roles:

  • Permanent Treasurer

  • Speaker Coordinator

  • 2–3 Additional Board Directors

If you—or someone you know—are interested, please contact Alex by August 5. Together, let’s make 2025–2026 our most transparent, engaged and impactful year yet!