RI Director Marty Helman kicked off her Impact Tour in July with plans to visit all 40 districts in Zones 28 & 32 during her two-year term on the Rotary Board of Directors (2026-2028). Our district was honored to host RI Director Marty Helman in late July and early August when she visited districts in Michigan and Ontario. Her visit to D6290 highlighted Rotary's local impact with stops at two of the district's largest clubs: Muskegon (264 members) and Traverse City (159).
In Muskegon, Helman toured two Rotary micro forests — dense urban plantings that mature up to ten times faster than conventional forests, cooling cities, absorbing stormwater, and restoring wildlife — and planted a tree at one site. She also visited outdoor musical parks, a Rotary Club of Muskegon project that raised nearly $100,000 to install interactive instruments at eight locations.
As keynote speaker at the club's luncheon, she addressed 150 Rotarians, emphasizing The Rotary Foundation's impact and the principle that local clubs decide how Foundation funds are used. She met with major donors to The Rotary Foundation, enjoyed dinner with Rotarians, and took a sunset cruise on Muskegon Lake.
During her visit to Traverse City, Helman toured the former Traverse City State Hospital, an 1883 asylum redeveloped into a mixed-use community by local Rotarian Marsha Minervini and her husband Ray. Minervini guided Helman and District Governor Julie Schumaker through the building, followed by dinner at a wine bar with club members.
The next day opened with breakfast at Rotary Charities of Traverse City, founded in 1977 after the club discovered oil and gas on its camp property. Since then, the organization has invested more than $80 million in the Grand Traverse region, now holding $50+ million in assets and distributing over $2 million in grants annually.
Helman spoke to 85 Rotarians at the club's luncheon and met major donors to The Rotary Foundation at the Hagerty Center, whose Rotary Hall entrance was funded by a major gift from Rotary Charities. She toured several Rotary Charities-funded projects: Discovery Pier, a former coal dock turned waterfront community space; the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center, supporting Blue Tech growth; and Rotary Square, a downtown civic and green space. She also visited Fish Pass, a high-tech project reconnecting the Boardman River to Lake Michigan while blocking invasive species like sea lamprey.
On her day off, Helman visited Grand Haven — designated "Coast Guard City, USA" by Congress in 1998. Hosted by PDG Gernot Runschke, she attended the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival and had dinner with the festival's Executive Director, Rotarian and former US Coast Guard Commander Tracy Riley.
Helman was graciously hosted by Rotarians in Traverse City, Muskegon and Grand Haven and saw up close the impact of Rotary in District 6290.