Patricia Peters took over the reigns as District Governor of Rotary District 5790 on July 1, 2023.
Patricia "Pat" Peters, an Austin, Texas native, has lived in Denton since 1981. After receiving a scholarship from the Rotary Club of Austin, she earned a Bachelor of Musing degree from Southwestern University. Pat also holds Master's degrees in English Literature and Library Science, both from the University of North Texas. She has had a 25-plus year career in public libraries.
Pat is a member of the Rotary Club of Decatur, having served in many roles since joining in 2013, including Club President in 2015-2016. Pat has been a RYLA counselor, District Literacy Coordinator, Assistant Governor, charter member of the Visioning/Planning Team, District Secretary, and Lone Star PETS facilitator. Pat is a Paul Harris Society member and a Rotary Leadership Institute facilitator.
Pat is married to Jeff, a musician and retired IT guy who is also a member of Decatur Rotary. They have two adult children: Kerri and Chris. Long-time members of First United Methodist Church of Denton, Jeff and Pat sing in the choir and Pat is the church librarian.
For the 2023-2024 Rotary year, Pat's priorities are:
- Peace initiatives. including supporting Peace Fellow programs, sending aid to areas in need around the globe, planting peace poles and peace gardens, and learning to manage conflict in our individual lives;
- Mental Health, focused on supporting mental health awareness and access, and taking the sigma out of talking about mental health;
- Education and literacy, supporting reading and basic education as well as other forms of literacy; and
- Empowering girls and women, including providing access to education as well as hygiene products and health care.