We were pleased to hear from Jenny Stotts an inspiring message about Rotary Membership. Jenny is one of the most energetic leaders in our district and will be sure to reignite the spark in all of us to share the message of Rotary with prospective members.
Jenny R. Stotts, MS, LSW volunteers as an Assistant Rotary Coordinator in Rotary International Zone 30 and as the Public Image Chair in her local club. She is a major donor, a benefactor, a member of the Paul Harris Society, the Polio Plus Society and the Bequest Society. Each member of her family, including her two children, are Paul Harris Fellows. She is a charter member and past president of the Rotary Club of Athens Sunrise, a past Assistant Governor, and previously served as the Membership Chair in District 6690, creating several resources and toolkits that are now used worldwide. In 2023, she spearheaded an effort to train Rotary members across southern
Ohio in Mental Health First Aid. Her favorite Rotary activities include RYLA and Paddle for Polio Plus, an annual event featuring kayaks.
Professionally, Stotts was appointed in 2022 by Governor Mike DeWine to serve as Ohio’s first Youth Ombudsman. As Ohio’s Youth Ombudsman, she is responsible for investigating and resolving complaints and concerns submitted by foster youth, including suspected violations of Ohio’s foster youth bill of rights. She previously served for 9 years as the Executive Director of the Athens CASA/GAL Program and the Regional Coordinator of Southeast Ohio CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), supporting the development of three new court-based child advocacy programs in Appalachia. She developed a hybrid volunteer training program that has been scaled and implemented nationwide. Prior to that she worked as a children services investigator and worked in higher education at Ohio University’s Department of Social Work. She is a licensed social worker, a trauma specialist, and a trained forensic interviewer. Notably, she has taught courses on evidence-based communication, conflict resolution, and trauma-informed care. She holds a black belt in Lean Six Sigma and is a graduate of Leading in Appalachia. She has devoted her career to serving foster children. This work is near to her heart as she was adopted from the Ohio child welfare system and grew up in a foster home. She and her husband, also a Rotarian, continued the tradition, building their family through foster care adoption, as well. She is an outspoken advocate for youth voice and youth rights.
