Rachel-Maria Brown
"I love being part of something that brings people together and makes a difference."Rachel has made an impression. A very, very good impression. Since joining Rotary in July 2024, Rachel has given her all. She's volunteering for whatever she can, and she's doing it with a friendly smile and "we can do it" nature. What's really cool about Rachel is that she believes so much in the spirit of volunteerism, she has been passing that passion on down to her kids. "I'm truly proud of my involvement in community events - especially when I get to volunteer alongside my kids."
Rachel's a go-getter, and we'll be seeing a lot more of her in the years ahead...and we're looking forward to it.
Maria Smith
"I have a deeply personal relationship with my Pinterest boards, which I am still trying to organize."
This is why we love Maria. This girl boss presents herself as equal parts professional & approachable. Her fundraising savvy not only benefits her employer/ our friends at Mountain Lake PBS - she brings her A-game for our Rotary Club.
This DDD (Dynamic Development Diva) also LOVES to cook -graduating from culinary school prior to attending University. On any given day you might find her hanging out with her fiancé (her favorite taste-tester) cooking up fine cuisine & hanging with her bold & beautiful pup, Berkeley.
Maria - it's been our pleasure getting to know you, you've been doing amazing things for MLPBS & your community. Now, get those Pinterest boards in order!!!
— Interview by Sandy Young-Brady
Vicki Marking
Vicki's been smiling for years. Like, for real - smiling. Her unending optimism & charisma make her a natural leader, which is why Vicki is a household name for marketing professionals in our community. We’ve watched her rise up the ranks with LayerEight & Primelink, and she’s the first in line to help lift up other women in ‘the biz’. She's been a beloved Rotarian for the past 18 years, serving as President in 2013 and as Chair for many long-time events, such as the Rotary Bed Race, a popular pre-Battle of Plattsburgh Parade tradition.Probably where we’ll see Vicki smiling the most, would be when she’s traveling or when she’s chilling out with her partner Bryan and her large extended family on Lake Champlain or Chazy Lake. Her proudest smile comes when she’s updating you about her daughter, Alexis who is in her senior year at New York Law in Manhattan.
John Ray said “Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.” Vicki leads with kindness and empathy - coinciding beautifully with Rotary’s vow to serve others, promote integrity and to ultimately, seek peace on earth. Thank you for your service, Vicki…and oh, keep smiling!
Ken Knelly
Mr. Ken Knelly…… Administrator-in-Charge Ken Knelly…Boss-man Knelly….No. Wait! Got it –Captain Ken Knelly - He steers the ship, but he’ll also walk the plank. A tried & true member of the crew. He’s been steering the Clinton Community College 'ship' for the past several months and doing so with conviction. “I really believe in higher education; I believe having higher education available to Clinton County residents is critical.” The Captain said. “That’s why I’m doing it.”
For several years, Captain K steered SUNY Plattsburgh as the Chief of Staff, so when news came that CCC would be moving their campus to the neighboring campus – it was Ken that they looked upon to keep the ship on course.
Ken’s the kind of fella that ‘gets to work’. Titles, commendations, accolades….meh. Ken’s in it for the big picture at work & as a Rotarian. To him, everybody deserves a good education – and a good education is and always will be – extremely valuable. And it's people like Ken, that are extremely valuable to future students, their families and our community as a whole. Goodspeed to you, Captain Ken.
Betsy Vicencio
Remember in the Sound of Music how Maria teaches all the kids the 'do-re-mi' song and they happily skip through beautiful scenery singing harmoniously? This is how we imagine Betsy’s as she goes about her day. Wherever she goes, happiness follows.
A beloved Rotarian since 2010 – and she continues to charm & entertain on a weekly basis. She loves Rotary for the comradery and fellowship, and we love her for her leadership and well, she’s fairly freaking cool. Betsy and her partner Jon presented to the Club a while back on a “once-in-a-lifetime trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon” and we were all left in awe. Betsy’s a lifelong skier, hiker, swimmer, paddle boarder & an adventurer seeker, who is equal parts leader and team player.
Betsy’s a Girlboss, to be sure. She’s leads with humor, empathy and she’s just so generally like-able…it’s inspiring. She’s a mom & grandma to both humans & dogs and describes her granddaughter Rayne as her ‘most fabulous granddaughter’.
So yeah, Betsy’s pretty cool. She’s an influencer, but she can read a room. She’s confident, but in an unassuming way.
She’s a Maria of the modern era, but she’d probably climb a higher mountain, she’d ford a wider stream, and she wouldn’t follow a rainbow…she’d be that rainbow. You’re a good one, Betsy. Thanks for all you do for our community & for Rotary, truly.