Rotary celebrates women leaders
Rotary clubs in West Hawaii celebrated “30 Years of Women in Rotary” with an afternoon tea April 25 at Hulihee Palace in Kailua-Kona.
The first woman District Governor for Rotary District 5000 was Linda Coble in 2000-01. Since that time, Rotary District 5000 has had a total of five women governors. Currently serving as district governor is Nalani Flinn, who has roots in Kona.
Participating in the tea were Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Kona, Rotary Club of North Hawaii, Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise and Rotary Club of Kona Mauka.
Women have been part of Rotary since 1989, when the Rotary International board of directors voted to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide, according to Rotary International’s website. In June 1990, the number of female members in Rotary was 20,000. By 2010, the number of women was approaching 200,000.
Queja earns degree
Rena Queja of Kailua-Kona is among more than 1,200 spring graduates of the University of Alaska Anchorage Class of 2018. She received a bachelor of social work degree during a celebratory ceremony at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage on May 6. Her parents are Patricia Hardy and Richard Gorloff, and her husband is David Queja.
The University of Alaska Anchorage is Alaska’s largest university, educating nearly 18,000 students annually.