Mary Helen Darah
Joe Szafarowicz, of PT Link Physical Therapy, took the helm to lead the Sylvania Rotary Club when he began serving as president on July 1. A celebration dinner was held at Highland Meadows Golf Club on June 30 where outgoing president Ben Malczewski passed the gavel to the new leader. Rotary Club members and their guests enjoyed a picnic-style dinner, mingling, and a presentation by Malczewski. He comically showed before and after photos of himself, thanks to his technical prowess, demonstrating how being president has aged him. He also showed digitally enhanced photos of what he believes the new president will look like after his year in the office.
“The theme this year for the Rotary Clubs internationally is ‘Imagine.’ I see that as having our Rotary Club imagine new ways to help the community besides what has been done traditionally. I would like us to partner with other local Rotary Clubs and different organizations. For example, we worked with the local Sylvania Lions Club on a bench project at Pacesetter Park. By joining efforts we can do more good that will have a greater impact.”
The newly appointed president is most excited about a project that is already underway. “I am thrilled about a new event that we started working on last year called ‘All in Sylvania.’ We have been collaborating with Downtown Sylvania Association and Red Bird Sylvania to bring a unique event to our community that will highlight how much we have to offer,” he noted. “Another thing I would like to focus on is to utilize our group to network a bit more. In the past we had done things such as ‘Get to Know Your Rotarians’ where members had a chance to speak and share their knowledge and experiences. I think bringing this back will help to get to know members better and we can support the diverse businesses and services our members provide.”
PT Joe, as Szafarowicz is often referred to, is looking forward to an exciting, productive year as president. “I am very honored to be asked to fill this position. I have gained a great deal of knowledge from the leaders before me. I look forward to becoming even more involved in the community, growing our club’s membership and assisting those we can,” he stated.