President of Rotary International will visit Guatemala

News

The following is from an article originally appearing in Guatemala.
Click here for a PDF version.

By Edgar Quiñonez | [email protected] | August 22, 2019

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT MALONEYFrom Saturday, August 31 to Tuesday, September 3, Mark Maloney, President of Rotary International 2019-2020, will be visiting Guatemala.

Schedule

Mark Maloney‘s activities will begin on Saturday 31, with a participation in a conversation with members of Interact clubs sponsored by Rotary International. This conversation is aimed at young people from 12 to 18 years old and aims to foster leadership, companionship and goodwill through community service.

On Sunday, Mark Maloney will visit the department of Escuintla to visit and learn about the projects and programs carried out to benefit those affected by the eruption of the Fuego volcano on June 3, 2018. Later, he will move to La Antigua, Guatemala to unveil a commemorative plaque on the Cerro de Casa Santo Domingo, plant trees and share with Rotarians during lunch.

On Monday, he will move to Sumpango, to learn about the mechanical cow or soy milk production project, which seeks to reduce malnutrition in that area, a project that has been replicated in other communities. Similarly, you will see how the WinS program (water, sanitation, good hygiene and education habits in schools for its acronym in English) has been implemented locally , of which Maloney is a promoter and Guatemala is one of the countries that implemented the pilot plan.

Then, Mark Maloney and his wife will move to the capital, to participate in the Interpais lunch, where Rotarians from across the nation will meet. After that, he will have the honor of changing the Rose of Peace in the National Palace of Culture and will witness the renewal of the cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Education to support the WinS Program, which aims to improve the study environment and increase student attendance levels.

To conclude the day, he will be named Distinguished Visitor of Guatemala City by Mayor Ricardo Quiñónez.

On Tuesday, September 3, prior to his departure, he will inaugurate the tenth digital X-ray team, together with officials from the Ministry of Health. In total, a total of 29 digital x-ray machines will be installed in health centers throughout the national territory. This activity will be carried out in the General Directorate of the Comprehensive Health Care System (SIAS) in zone 1.

A professional with more than 39 years of Rotary life

Mark Daniel Maloney of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama (USA) is president of Rotary International in the 2019-2020 period. He is a lawyer by profession and a principal partner of the law firm Blackburn, Maloney and Schuppert LLC, a firm that specializes in tax, agricultural and estate plans.

He fulfills an active work in the religious community of Decatur, where he is president of the financial council of the church to which he belongs and integrates the directive of a local Catholic school. He has also served as president of the Community Foundation of Greater Decatur, Morgan County Meals on Wheels, and as director of the United Way of Morgan County and the Decatur-Morgan Chamber of Commerce.

A Rotarian since 1980, Maloney has held various positions in Rotary, among others: director of Rotary International (RI), fiduciary and vice president of The Rotary Foundation, aide to the president of RI 2003-2004 Jonathan Majiyagbe.

He has also participated in the Legislation Council as president, vice president, legislative advisor and instructor. He served as an advisor to the 2004 Osaka Convention Committee and chaired the Sydney Convention Committee.

Prior to serving as district governor, Maloney led a Group Study Exchange in Nigeria.

Maloney also served as vice president of the Future Vision Committee, moderator of the Foundation Training Institute, national advisor to the Foundation Permanent Fund, member of the Rotary Peace Centers Committee and advisor to the Water Supply Committee and Sanitation in Schools.