WELCOME to the newsletter of the Rotary Club of Livonia AM. Our club meets weekly to socialize, discuss the needs of our community and the world around us, and take action to address those needs. Please consider visiting our club or joining us on a service project.

All Are Welcome!

Meeting Notice and Club News

Member News

Club Meeting Featuring City of Livonia Mayor, Maureen Brosnan

March 18, 2026

Our meeting opened with President Nancy Darga leading us all in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Invocation was then given by Victoria Haltom, with a recitation listing all the happenings in March, such as the end of Daylight Saving time for the year, the Ides of March, and the first day of Spring. Then Sharon Pommerville happily collected Happy Bucks. Greg Greene was happy he had 3 new volunteers and that one of them, Justin Gooch, was joining us on Zoom.

President Nancy welcomed 2 guests, Michelle White, a friend of Erin Dobbins and visiting us for the second time, and Drew Buatti, a member of the Livonia Noon Rotary and a frequent visitor.

Announcements were made. The annual Easter Egg hunt, organized by the Noon club, will be on April 4 at Rotary Park, and the egg packing will be on March 28. Nancy then let members know that the Giving Committee now has 2 new Co-Chairs, as Bill Friske is stepping aside due to other Rotary commitments. Greg Greene and Marlene Katafias will be the new Co-chairmen. At the March Giving Committee meeting, the committee members approved 2 Grants, one for $2,000 to the LPS Foundation and one to the Schoolcraft Foundation, also for $2,000. Nancy asked the club members to vote on the 2 grants, and there was unanimous approval. Nancy also confirmed that one Churchill student had signed up for the RYLA Leadership Training.

President Nancy then introduced our special guest, Mayor Maureen Brosnan. Mayor Brosnan announced the date of her 2026 State of the City Address. It will be on March 25 at 3:30 PM and will be held in the Vista Tech Center at Schoolcraft College. The Mayor gave a synopsis of many events that took place in Livonia in 2025. The completion and opening of the new Senior Wellness Center on the East end of the Rec Center and the upgrades and remodeling currently being done to the Rec Center as a result.. The new senior center is a HUB for cards, yoga, crafts, plus there are 3,000 sq. feet of flexible use rooms. Anastacia and Katie’s Coffee Shop also has its second Livonia location in the senior center.

The Rec Center has added 4,000 sq feet with 2 new west gyms and a remodeled main gym with a multi-purpose room. The Mayor went on to talk about a new partnership with Schoolcraft College that offers new small business Grants and Mentorship.

Livonia has become the home of several new businesses the past year and will see more open their doors in 2026, Skooters, Lickety Split, a smaller Meijer store, the Shops at College Park at 6 and Haggerty, Whole Foods, Nino Salvaggios, Capital Grill, Cooper’s Hawk Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steak House. There are new Townhomes and Apartments going up which will attract younger people to come to Livonia.

Wayne County is investing much needed road dollars in re-paving many of Livonia’s main roads. There is a millage renewal coming up for our public safety departments, and Livonia still rates as one of the safest cities in Michigan. With all of this and more, Livonia is a city on the rise. President Nancy Darga then presented Mayor Brosnan with our Rotary Soccer Ball, and the meeting was adjourned.

Marlene Katafias

🌟 Livonia A.M. Rotary Shines at PELS in Kalamazoo

March 19-21, 2026

Club members Erin Dobbins, Tammy Bonifield, Bill Friske, Bob Carris, and Dave Stechholz represented the Livonia A.M. Rotary Club with distinction at the annual President Elects Learning Seminar (PELS) in Kalamazoo this past weekend.

President‑Elect Erin attended to prepare for her upcoming year of leadership and to ensure she is equipped to serve as the best Club President she can be. Tammy Bonifield participated in multiple capacities—District Treasurer, 4‑Way Test soccer ball booth operator, and on‑call support for District Governor‑Elect Kim Spirou. Her versatility and commitment were on full display throughout the weekend.

Assistant Governor Bill Friske attended to support his incoming club presidents, helping them get the most value from their PELS experience.

Bob Carris made the trip on Friday to assist Tammy in the booth, and Dave Stechholz followed on Saturday to lend his support as well. Their teamwork ensured the booth ran smoothly and made a strong impression.

⚽ Our New 4‑Way Test Soccer Balls Make a Big Impact

The debut of our new Rotary 4‑Way Test soccer balls was a major success. Over the course of the conference, we introduced the project to more than 350 future club presidents representing seven Rotary districts. The enthusiasm and interest were overwhelming, reinforcing the potential of this initiative for youth engagement, fundraising, and international outreach.

🌍 A Special Guest: Rotary International President‑Elect “Yinka.”

We were honored by the presence of Rotary International President‑Elect Olayinka Hakeem Babalola, known affectionately as “Yinka.” He attended the entire weekend and graciously autographed two of our soccer balls. These special items will be auctioned at a future date, with all proceeds going toward Polio eradication—a meaningful connection between our local project and Rotary’s global mission.

More Photos

Upcoming Club Meetings

03/25/2026 - Bill Craig, President, Holliday Nature Preserve Association, Invocation by Rev. David Stechholz.

04/01/2026 - Club Assembly, Invocation by Bob Carris.

04/08/2026 - Jim McConnell, Livonia Historical Society, Invocation by Greg Greene.

04/15/2026 - Robb Drzewicki, Vice President, LPS Education Foundation, Invocation by Mike Ladwig.

04/22/2026 - Dave Zarek, President, Livonia Lions Club, Invocation by Victoria Haltom.

Join Us

VISIT OUR CLUB IN PERSON

We meet at the

Livonia Recreation Center

32001 Five Mile Road

Livonia, MI 48154

Every Wednesday, 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

ALL are Welcome!

Visitors and friends are welcome to sign on and participate with our meeting on ZOOM.

Please introduce yourself to the
group when recognized at the
start of the meeting.

Upcoming Events

03/25/2026 - District 6400's Newest Rotary Club, The Rotary Club of Riverview's - Charter Ceremony Celebration, at Arnaldo's Baquet Center, 6:00 PM, RSVP by March 18th to Andrew Swift, Club President, aswift@cityofriverview.com.

04/16/2026 - Livonia Rotary (Noon) Club, Grub Crawl, 5:30 to 8:00 PM, Event Details HERE.

04/18/2026 - District Assembly, Plymouth Cultural Center, 8:00 - 12:00 PM, $35, Registration Details to Follow.

04/21/2026 - Adopt-A-Road Cleanup, 8:30 - 11:00 AM, Breakfast at Sam's Place Restaurant to Follow, Signup to follow.

05/01/2026 - District Conference at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Registration Details HERE.

05/15/2026, The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Three-Day Camp Experience, at Camp Copneconic in Fenton, MI, Registration Details HERE.

06/26/2026 - Wine Tasting Event at the Livonia Spree, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Details to Follow.

06/30/2026 - Meet The Governor, Harrow, Ontario, 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Details to Follow.

11/12/2026 - District 6400 Foundation Dinner, Crystal Gardens, Southgate, 5:30 to 9:00 PM.

Upcoming Committee Meetings

06/15/2026 - Giving Committee Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 PM.

09/21/2026 - Giving Committee Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 PM.

12/21/2026 - Giving Committee Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 PM.

03/15/2027 - Giving Committee Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 PM.