(SOUTHEAST, GA) Mike Muldowney has been selected as District Governor 2019-20 of Rotary District 6920, which represents 63 Rotary Clubs in southeast Georgia. Muldowney and his family were recognized at the All Clubs District Conference on May 5, and he began his new role on July 1.
Muldowney has been involved with the Rotary since 2001, when he joined the Rotary Club of St. Simons Island. He served on the club’s Board of Directors from 2005-2007, as club President from 2011-2012 and on the St. Simons Island Rotary Scholarship Fund from 2006 to 2015, becoming Chair from 2009-2015. Muldowney has earned the recognition of Bruce/Tharpe Fellow for his contributions to the Scholarship Fund, in addition to being a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, a Sustaining Member and a Will Watt Fellow.
Muldowney’s involvement with the Rotary has included co-chairing a literacy program in local Pre-K classes, organizing club socials, coordinating the Red Badge program, and assuming an integral role in organizing the Veterans Walk project on St. Simons Island. He and his wife Nancy were a GRSP (Georgia Rotary Student Program) Host Family in 2013-14, and Muldowney was a Trustee to GRSP from 2013-2017. Muldowney has also served as the 2018 District Conference Chair and as an Assistant Governor from 2015-2018.
One of his favorite experiences with the Rotary was attending his first Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, Ga., where he found the speakers inspiring and was amazed at the alacrity with which masses of driven, community-oriented people could become friends.
Raised in northern New Jersey, Muldowney graduated from Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pa., with a degree in Food Technology. He began his 37-year professional career with a small vegetable processing company and went on to hold quality control and production management positions across the northeast that dealt with products such as breakfast foods, pet food, Kool Aid and salad dressings. He spent the final 25 years of his career as VP of Operations with seafood processing companies from
Newfoundland to the Georgia Coast, the last of which was King & Prince Seafood Corp. in Brunswick, Ga.
Muldowney and his wife subsequently opened and operated two picture framing stores in Brunswick and on St. Simon’s Island. They retired to St. Simon’s 11 years later. After 53 years of marriage, the couple has two children: Brian and Allison, and three grandchildren: Christian, Patrick and Brenna.
Muldowney’s widespread community involvement extends to serving as past president of the United Way of the Golden Isles, past board member of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, past president of Coastal Coalition for Children, past board member of Junior Achievement of greater Boston, a past SCORE counselor and a member of various other committees.
During his year of leadership, the Rotary’s theme will be Rotary Connects The World, with the vision statement: “Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”
“I see Rotary in southeast Georgia as embracing this dedication to connection and change through unity,” said Muldowney. “We will work to bring new members from across the communities we represent into local clubs so they can help us continue our service to these communities and to the projects and goals of Rotary International both locally and around the world.”
Rotary International is the oldest Service organization in the world with over 1.23 million members, serving 210 countries with a moto of Service Above Self, with major initiatives in the 6 areas of focus: women and children’s health, community development, clean water, prevention of disease, education, and peace and conflict resolution.
The next District Assembly will be in late July at Oconee Fall Technical College in Dublin, Ga. Visit http://www.rotarydistrict6920.org/ to register.
The Hinesville Rotary Club meets at 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday at La Quinta Inn and Suites on Oglethorpe Highway in Flemington. For information, go to hinesvillerotary.org.