Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Elects Youngest President in Its History

The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara, the oldest club between San Francisco and Los Angeles, has recently inducted the club’s youngest president in its 95-year history.

Christopher Clemens, 29 years old, has been chosen by the membership to lead the club for the 2013-14 Rotary year.

Clemens, originally from Indiana, has been calling Santa Barbara home since 2006. A member since 2008, Clemens joined the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara intent on getting involved in the community and has served in various positions on the club’s Board of Directors.

In 2012, Clemens left Santa Barbara for five months to hike the Appalachian Trail — 2,184 miles from Georgia to Maine. He returned to Santa Barbara just in time to prepare to take leadership of the club.

Other club board members include Katerina Zamyatina (president-elect), Kathleen Blake, Jim Stretchberry, David Starr, Michael Self and Randy Figgins (past president).

Clemens works with HG Data, a tech startup in downtown Santa Barbara, and lives in town with his wife, Amy (a member of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise), and his dog, Pre (de facto Rotarian pooch).

The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara supports projects both locally and internationally, including the Foster Children of Santa Barbara County, SEE International, clean water projects in Brazil, health clinics in Nicaragua and more.

The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara meets at Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays.

Laurie Small is the public relations chairwoman for the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara.
Published in Noozhawk: https://www.noozhawk.com/article/rotary_club_of_santa_barbara_elects_youngest_president_20130724