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Washington Rotary Club, 108 N. Alexander Avenue, Washington, GA (2025)

09/29/2025

Rotary Club of Washington welcomed Jack Patton as our guest speaker last Thursday. He is an aspiring local entrepreneur assisting in the launch of a new start up business know as Georgia Agri Drone.

Based out of Palmer Equipment Company, they are invested in the latest movement of farming called Precision Agriculture which is done by piloting a DJI Mavic Enterprise surveillance-type drone over agricultural fields. The process involves the use of technological advances in censors, controls, data handling, flight efficiency and payload capacity in the drone for mapping, scouting, and the precise spraying and spreading of crops. Drones are becoming an invaluable tool in increasing farm productivity and food supply.

Jack left us with the message that drones are an ever-expanding part of our everyday life and are turning some industries upside down. For the agricultural sector of the economy drones have already saved farmers billions, and will continue to grow as a key piece of equipment for the farm.

He graduated from St Pius X High School in Atlanta and studied for four years at MTSU, Middle Tennessee State University studying unmanned aircraft systems operations.

09/29/2025

We welcome Stasio Rusek as our newest member of Washington Rotary Club!

09/18/2025

Today’s guest speaker at Rotary Club of Washington, GA was Rhonda Rezsofi, owner of the 1896 Wine Room downtown on the Square. Rhonda and Robert opened their establishment one year ago as a gathering place for locals and visitors of our community, featuring speciality wines selected from the Top 100 Wines list in Wine Enthusiast Magazine. They choose value wines that are high quality and serve them at an affordable price.

Robert Vick and Rhonda Rezsofi moved to Washington, GA four years ago when their daughter was a student at the Savannah School of Art and Design. With a degree herself in Psychology from Texas Christian University, Rhonda says this is by far the best job experience she’s enjoyed during her career. Robert custom-built many elements inside the restaurant, most notably the back bar and refurbished the building’s original fireplace and historic mantlepiece. They also exhibit artwork from local artists.

The Wine bar is located between Al’s Pizza and Miller’s Bistro and is open Wednesday- Saturday, from 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm. They do take pizza order’s from Al’s and serve a limited selection of beers

09/12/2025

At this week's Rotary luncheon, members enjoyed a special presentation from Melanie Boatright, manager of A.H. Stephens State Historic Park and Museum. With warmth and enthusiasm, Melanie shared the story of the park’s unique role in preserving both natural beauty and important history. She described how the park is named for Alexander H. Stephens—Vice President of the Confederacy, former Georgia governor, and a distinguished congressman, senator, and lawyer—and how the grounds feature not only miles of scenic trails, campgrounds, and a tranquil lake, but also the carefully preserved historic site that tells the story of Stephens’ life and times.
Melanie spoke about her work in managing the museum, which houses an impressive collection of period artifacts, documents, and exhibits that bring 19th-century Georgia to life. She explained that the museum doesn’t just focus on Stephens as a man, but also on the broader era he lived in. She highlighted his role in the peace talks that sought to bring the Civil War to an end, giving visitors a deeper appreciation of his place in history while also connecting them to Georgia’s cultural heritage.
She also shared updates on programs and events happening at the park—from living history demonstrations and holiday celebrations to educational tours for students and opportunities for families to camp, hike, and simply enjoy the outdoors. Melanie emphasized that A.H. Stephens Park is not only a place to learn, but also a place to gather, explore, and build community. Her presentation was an inspiring reminder of the importance of preserving history while creating meaningful experiences for generations to come.

09/06/2025

Happy be-lated Birthday to Rotarian Michael Horgan- September 5th. Hope you had a great day!

09/06/2025

We were honored to have Alan Kinder, a decorated WW II veteran as our guest speaker on Thursday, August 4th, hosted by Rotarian, Colonel (retired) Andy Anderson. At 100 years old, Kinder made the trip back to Luxembourg, the Ardennes Forest and Bastogne, France this past June to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Prior to leaving, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor award, the European country’s highest decoration, presented by the French Consul General in Atlanta.

The warm reception in France by locals was overwhelming, as it was a year ago when he and other WW II veterans returned to Normandy to celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of Europe. At age 18, Kinder was drafted into the Army and after a short military training period he shipped out to Normandy, France. His unit landed at midnight by boat on Utah Beach, August 17, 1944. Over the course of months as his unit, the 14th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, advanced the fighting intensified. In December of 1944 they were camped outside of Bastogne, France, near the Battle of the Bulge. His Battalion was trained to detect enemy artillery positions with microphone technology. It was a desperate fight against the Germans to contain them in sub-zero, freezing conditions.

Kinder was able to go back and relive his wartime experiences along with other WW II veterans through the help of a charitable nonprofit called Forever Young Veterans. His greatest wish is that all military veterans of foreign wars could be celebrated as they have been. Alan Kinder resides in Gainesville, Georgia today.

09/03/2025

Rotarian Jerry deBin spoke to our club about his 30+ years of experience as a Forester and Certified Wildlife Biologist and how his passion for the outdoors propelled him into a career in natural resources conservation and economic development. Jerry received his Bachelors degree in Forestry at Stephen F. Austin State University and his Masters degree in Wildlife Management at Auburn University. Jerry owns Wildlife Cooperative, a land management company that develops and operates hunting properties across the southeast and midwest. He is also a licensed real estate agent with Southeastern Land Group.

He occupied several seats around the natural resource management table including forester, wildlife biologist, state agency administrator, legislative liaison, marketing executive for a sporting goods company, and owner of a land management company. Jerry led professional teams responsible for public affairs, outreach, and communications for the states of Arkansas and Alabama. His career progression led to the state capitol where he served as public affairs chief for Alabama DNR and speechwriter for five Governors. Jerry directed the state agency’s PR, marketing, communications, and outreach statewide. He published two wildlife management books, and was contributing author of two conservation education K-12 curricula. One of his memorable experiences was participating in the nation’s largest bald eagle restoration project, which now drives successful eagle-watching tourism event.

Jerry shared recent data showing the major economic impact of hunting, fishing, and nature-based tourism on the state and local economy. A few examples: Anglers contribute $1.3 billion in retail sales annually to Georgia’s economy. Hunters contribute $977 million, and target shooters contribute $532 million. The average hunter spends $3,145 per year. Money spent by sportsmen helps create and support 540,000 jobs that pay out nearly $33.5 billion in wages. Over 642,000 Georgia residents hunt. Hunter dollars brought into our local economy during hunting seasons can be enough to keep small businesses operational for another year, and can be the lifeblood for entire communities. Big game hunters spend $22.1 billion per year; more than the revenues of Union Pacific ($21.7 billion), Rite Aid ($21.7 billion), and McDonald’s ($21.1 billion).

08/25/2025

Washington Rotary Club welcomed guest presenter Wilkes Barnett at its August 21st meeting. Hosted by Rotarian Bill deGolian, Wilkes gave an overview of his business enterprises and personal connection and commitment to his hometown of Washington, GA. Born and raised here on the family’s farm, he went on to graduate from the University of Georgia in 1995. His early years were spent selling Peterbilt trucks and farming in Atlanta before entering into the construction business.

Twenty years ago he founded Barnett Contracting, specializing in land excavation, clearing, grading, and erosion control for many development projects throughout the southeast. He is currently constructing a large-capacity saw mill, primarily milling Southern Yellow Pine from foresters in the region. Wilkes expects to open the mill later this fall and employ over 60 people.

Never forgetting his roots at Barnett Angus Ranches, he assumed ownership and management of the cattle company after his father passed away, and has grown the business exponentially since that time. As one of the oldest farming operations of its type in Georgia, Barnett Angus Farm has been recognized nationally for its fifty years as a continuous producer of registered Angus cattle.

Barnett recently purchased the historic Fitzpatrick Hotel downtown on the Square. He and his team will unveil their plans for re-opening after the first of the year 2026. Thank you, Wilkes for all you do for Washington!

08/19/2025

Putting Others First…. At our Thursday luncheon meeting, August 14 2025, Rotarian Lisa Fisher hosted Elaine Filipiak, from The Sanctuary Food Bank in Washington,GA as our guest speaker. The Sanctuary provides a local food giveaway every third Saturday of the month for those who are food insecure. Seniors are most affected by food insecurity and 1 in 4 children in Wilkes County are also food insecure. Golden Pantry is one of our community’s biggest providers of donated food.

Attending with Elaine were Jenny Wilson, Partner Agency Coordinator and Teddy Tripp, V.P. Of Community Impact with Golden Harvest Food Bank in Augusta, GA. They represent one of more than 200 food banks within the Feeding America network and are 1 of 8 food banks within the state of Georgia.

They currently have seven Partners in Washington including The Sanctuary, Clifford Grove Baptist Church and Wilkes County Schools. We thank them for their hard work serving our community!

08/17/2025

Rotarians volunteering and celebrating The Ramp Ministry’s 50th Ramp construction 🚧 yesterday in Washington, Georgia.

Washington Rotary Club

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