SPEAKER SERIES

Join us as we welcome Rotary Powerhouse Brittany Arthur and Zone 28 & 32 RI Director Drew Kessler for an exciting conversation on how we can create a more inclusive Rotary that welcomes children and celebrates families! Drew and Brittany will be sharing stories about how being a young parent in Rotary is not just possible, but can actually add to the experience not just for kids but for our fellow Rotary members.

​

This event will be moderated by the Vice-chair of the Rotary International Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Brian Rusch.

​

ABOUT DREW KESSLER
Drew Kessler is the Rotary International Director for Zones 28 & 32 and serves as the Treasurer for Rotary International Board of Directors. He is the youngest person to ever serve as a Rotary International Director.

​

Kessler joined Rotary in 2001, at the age of 20. He went on to serve as President of the Rotary Club of North Rockland at age 25 – at that time the youngest president in the club’s than 80-year history. At age 32, he served as District Governor for Rotary District 7210. “For anyone who says that you have to be retired to serve in these positions, I’d like to show that there is another path,” says Kessler.

​

Professionally, Drew is Senior Vice President of the Commercial Real Estate division at M&T Bank, where he manages a large loan portfolio of real estate and commercial ventures with major businesses in the New York City area.

As a husband and father to five children, Kessler prioritizes finding a way to incorporate family into Rotary events, projects, and meetings whenever possible; all of his children have been touched by Rotary either through Earlyact, Interact, RYLA and Rotary Youth Exchange. Kessler and his wife, Vicki – also an Active Rotarian – reside in Hopewell Junction, New York.

​

ABOUT BRITTANY ARTHUR
Having been associated with Rotary for many years, Brittany is a member of the Rotary Club of Berlin-International. Past Rotary Foundation Scholar, Past President of Rotaract Club Berlin and Past Vice-Chair of the Rotary International Joint Committee for Young Leaders and Alumni Engagement. In 2018, Brittany served as the emcee for the Rotary International Convention in Toronto, Canada.

​

Professionally, Brittany specialize in innovation, Design Thinking and Design Sprints in Japan and in Japanese. She founded the Business Karaoke Podcast - the only English-Japanese, innovation podcast in the world. Brittany also founded the ToYoko Design Thinking Network, the only English-Japanese innovation MeetUp. Brittany is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

​

Brittany lives in Tokyo, Japan with her husband and their young son.