Liza Rassner, Director of Community Relations
Sometimes the things that change our lives begin with a simple invitation.
I came to Rotary during a difficult chapter in mine. After experiencing a profound personal loss, I was trying to figure out what life was supposed to look like next. I wasn’t necessarily looking for an organization to join or a new title to hold. I was simply trying to find my footing again — and, somewhere along the way, a little purpose and happiness.
Then a longtime Rotarian invited me to attend a meeting. She had been involved with Rotary for many years, going back to the early days when women were first becoming members. She understood something I hadn’t discovered yet: sometimes the best way to find your way forward is to become part of something larger than yourself.
So I went to one meeting.
That was really all it took.
I met people who weren’t simply talking about helping their community — they were doing it. They had ideas, enthusiasm, compassion and, most importantly, a willingness to show up. They gave their time because they believed their community was worth investing in.
I quickly realized that Rotary doesn’t require some extraordinary set of skills. What it does seem to attract is a particular set of values: compassion, integrity, generosity, curiosity, and a genuine desire to leave things a little better than you found them. That resonated deeply with me.
Before long, I found myself becoming involved in community outreach, meeting local leaders and organizations, exploring partnerships, inviting new people into the club and looking for opportunities where Rotary could make a difference. Today, I have the privilege of serving as Director of Community Relations for the Rotary Club of Surprise & Sun City West, a role that has given me an opportunity to use so much of what I’ve learned throughout my life in an entirely new way.
And somewhere in the middle of all that activity, something else happened.
I started looking forward again.
Rotary didn’t erase the sadness that brought me to this chapter of my life. But it reminded me that there are still people to meet, work worth doing, friendships waiting to be made and plenty of reasons to get excited about tomorrow.
Even the little things make me smile now — including putting a Rotary license plate on my car and knowing that everywhere I go, I’m carrying a small reminder of an organization I’ve become very proud to represent.
Sometimes an invitation to one meeting really can lead somewhere you never expected. Mine led me back to community, purpose — and a little bit of joy.