The Rotary Club of North Fulton had its first Women in Rotary social in 2017, but over the course of 2018 the event has matured to a whole new level and, in fact, has become quite the talking point amongst the six North Fulton-area Rotary clubs in District 6900. Led by RC North Fulton Rotarian Tracey Craft, RC Johns Creek-North Fulton Past President Nicole Lawson and RC Alpharetta Rotarian Emily Metallo, these socials now involve more than 60 female Rotarians and their guests in socials held at Hotel Avalon in Alpharetta three times a year.

“Women in Rotary began its buzz with club announcements and email invites, but this year we put a logo together, built a Facebook page, got on Instagram, and adopted an Evite format to directly invite each woman Rotarian in our six-club North Fulton area to our socials,” said Lawson, who is instrumental in creating and maintaining Women in Rotary’s branded identity. “We are very proud to say we have tripled our participation!”

Women in Rotary leaders Craft, Lawson and Metallo asked each of District 6900’s North Fulton Rotary clubs to appoint a representative to be a link for Women in Rotary within their clubs.They also asked each representative to approach their Rotary Board for budgetary support so Women in Rotary could have print materials, signage and sponsor select women-based community events. This past year, the group bought sponsorships and received recognition at the March of Dimes Women of Distinction awards luncheon, the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce’s inspiring Women Who Walk the Walk bi-annual luncheon benefitting the Drake House and the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce’s Women and Wine networking event benefitting the North Fulton Community Charities Santa Shop. They stuffed 1500 swag bags with Rotary contact information for participants of the annual Alpharetta Mayor’s Corporate Challenge, a 5K foot race. They intend to additionally sponsor the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce’s spring 2019 Women Who Walk the Walk and other community events that focus on motivating and promoting women in leadership roles with hearts for giving back.

“Though initially conceived as a fellowship opportunity amongst female Rotarians in our District, Women in Rotary has huge potential and now the expectation to become a member-recruitment vehicle, simply by increasing the presence of Rotary within our community,” said Tracey Craft.

Each of the North Fulton, Johns Creek and Alpharetta clubs have had visitors based on the social media and social events put in place by Women in Rotary this year, and most likely the other three area clubs have as well. “We will track our results after we have been active a complete year, but for now we are very excited about the steady increase in Women in Rotary participation and the opportunity to share with others what Rotary is all about,” said Craft.

“I have appreciated being able to get face-to-face with such a high caliber of women,” said Metallo. “Women in Rotary socials have brought together women company presidents and CEOs, general managers, business owners, consultants and philanthropists for casual cocktails and conversation, and inevitably the topic of service is addressed. It’s been great to share our passion amongst ourselves and with others.”

Next up: Women in Rotary social February 6 at the Hotel Avalon, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Admission is free and open to all women Rotarians and their guests. Cash bar. Horderves provided by Hotel Avalon.

Women in Rotary is a group of women Rotarians representing the six North Fulton area Rotary Clubs: Alpharetta, Johns Creek-North Fulton, Milton, North Fulton, Roswell and Sandy Springs. Our objectives are to share Rotary with women leaders, mentor new women Rotarians, and provide fellowship opportunities to get to know each other better.For more information, please visit us on Facebook @WomenInRotaryNorthFulton, find our socials on the Alpharetta, Johns Creek or Greater North Fulton Chambers of Commerce calendars, or email us at tracey.ackermancraft@gmail.com, nicolel@ymcaatlanta.org or emetallo@comcast.net.