Hudson, WI August 13, 2018– Every year the 4th of July brings us fun on the water, parades and fireworks. During this stretch of fun, Daybreak Rotary adds their own fireworks by bringing on a new leadership team. To insure continued success the Hudson Daybreak Rotary nominates their President’s two years in advance of them officially taking on the role. This July Daybreak Rotary passed the baton from Amy Schneider to Todd Gillingham.
Schneider Sets the Bar
The outgoing President, Amy Schneider, leaves her post in the highly qualified hands of Todd Gillingham. During Amy’s time as President the Daybreak Rotary Club continued to see growth both in membership and grants awarded back into the community. In a time when some charities are struggling around the country, Daybreak Rotary thrived under Amy’s leadership.
“Serving our club as President for the past year has been a great honor. I am blessed to work with such great people who have a common goal of improving lives in the Hudson Community and beyond. I look forward to continuing to serve the community through Rotary, Camp St. Croix, and many other great organizations in the community. It makes it easier to walk away knowing someone of Todd’s caliber is taking over to lead the next phase of our club’s growth,” said Amy Schneider, Executive Director YMCA Camp St. Croix.
Although there are many accomplishments under Schneider’s leadership, one of the most significant must be Daybreak Rotary passing the $1 million milestone in giving. You don’t have to walk far in Hudson to come across a person, structure, or program that has benefited from Rotary. In addition to the growth in grants locally the club also doubled their support for the Guatemala Clean Stove Project.
“Amy Schneider is an example of what it means to be a leader in the Hudson Community. From her role with Camp St. Croix to Rotary and everything in between, she exemplifies what it means to make the world a better place. I have big shoes to fill in replacing Amy, but I can do it with confidence knowing I have her support and the support of our entire Rotary Club which is made up of leaders just like Amy,” said Todd Gillingham, Hudson Daybreak Rotary President.
Get to Know Todd Gillingham
Question: Tell us about your family?
Answer: My wife Kristen and I have lived in Hudson for 25 years raising our three sons David(26), Ben(26), and Jacob(20). Kristen retired recently after a 29-year career as Professor and Bio Statistician for the Dept. of Surgery at the U of MN. David is completing his Masters in Environmental Engineering from the U of MN, Ben has begun is third year of medical school at the Medical College of WI in Milwaukee, and Jacob is a Junior at St. Olaf College.
Question: What is that you love most about Hudson?
Answer: The short answer is this is home. Our roots run deep in the community back to Kristen graduating from HHS. We love our friends, neighbors and community as everyone seems willing to help whenever called upon. The natural beauty of Hudson and entire St. Croix Valley makes it a great place to live and raise a family.
Question: What do you do for fun?
Answer: The most fun we have is stepping out of our hectic lives and allowing time for Kristen and me to spend with our three sons. Kristen and I run, which is painful for me, but a great way for us to spend time together. If we can carve out extended time we enjoy heading to our cabin near Cable, WI which is great year-round especially in the winter for skiing as we are only 3 miles from the Birkie Trail.
Question: Do you cheer for the Packers or Vikings and Badgers or Gophers?
Answer: Packers and Badgers.
Question: What is your career?
Answer: I am a Wealth Advisor/Co-Owner of the Landmark Group of Thrivent Financial. I started with Thriven Financial in 1989 after two years as a Tax Attorney and never looked back. We perform comprehensive and holistic financial planning for our clients, who become like a second family to me and my team. We celebrate milestones and grieve when tragedy befalls our clients just as they are family but, in the end, we take great solace in knowing we have clients prepared what lies ahead in their lives.
Question: What impact has Rotary had on your life?
Answer: My Dad was a Rotarian in New Prague where I spent some of my youth. Seeing how he and his friends served the community and had so much fun doing it made a major impression on me. For our Daybreak Rotary Club, there is little in life better than helping others, while learning and having fun with friends that will always have your back. It’s hard to describe in words, it is in something one almost must feel and experience for themselves. It has become a very close-knit community that I depend and rely on.
Question: What role do you see Rotary playing in Hudson?
Answer: I think both Noon Club and Daybreak Rotary Club are two humble, quiet, and the best kept secrets in our community. With an emphasis on getting the word out about both clubs, we hope to grow membership and be a greater positive force to help spearhead small and larger service project in our community, and around the world. To do this we need to grow our membership and continue our efforts of making more people understand what it meant to be a Rotarian. Since 1990, Daybreak Rotary has raised over $1 million to give back to our community. The giving back to our community in time and dollars, while laughing and having fun is part of what it means to be a Rotarian.
Hudson Daybreak Rotary is a diverse group of community members who strive to make a positive impact on the greater Hudson community, especially enhancing opportunities for youth in the community. Daybreak Rotary meets on Wednesdays from 7:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. at the Hudson House Grand Hotel located at 1616 Crest View Drive, Hudson, Wisconsin. Guests and prospective Rotarians are welcome to attend meetings and events. By getting to know more community members and broadening Rotary awareness, we can have a bigger impact.