Dinner Speaker

Sylvia Whitlock, Ph.D. is an educator, therapist, and trailblazing Rotary leader best known as the first woman to serve as president of a Rotary club following the landmark 1987 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing women into Rotary. Born in New York City and educated in Jamaica and California, she holds advanced degrees in education and marriage and family therapy and has dedicated her career to education, counseling, and community service.

A longtime Rotarian, Dr. Whitlock has served in numerous club and district leadership roles and has spoken at Rotary events around the world. Her humanitarian work has supported projects including water wells in Nigeria, an AIDS center in Jamaica, orphanage support in Mexico, and education initiatives for girls in India. Rotary International named its annual Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award in her honor. The award recognizes a Rotary member each year who has actively worked to advance women in Rotary, and Dr. Whitlock herself was the inaugural recipient. She is also a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and recipient of numerous honors, including the NAACP Woman of the Year Award, and remains a passionate advocate for service above self.