Marilyn Fitzgerald
Chair, Strategic Alliances Committee
Rotary Club of Traverse City
Michigan, USA
District 6290
[email protected]

Committee Members

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Marilyn has recently joint the Rotarian Action Group for Peace as the Chair of the Strategic Alliances Committee and is in her second term to the Board of Directors of the Rotary Action Group for Microfinance and Community Development, as Research & Social Business Director. She also currently serves as the District 6290 Microcredit Advisor and Economic and Community Development Coordinator.

Marilyn is a former Group Study Exchange Team Leader to Bali Indonesia; upon return, she authored a 3-H Grant totaling $475,000 to purchase medical equipment for a new blood bank in Bali. Within three years the Rotary Foundation acknowledged the Bali blood bank was self- sustaining. The original and unique model was duplicated in two African nations and India. She has also
successfully authored numerous Rotary Foundation and District Matching Grants and District Simplified Grants. The Centennial Rotary International Convention 2005 featured Marilyn as speaker for The Rotary Foundation highlighting the successful and sustainable Bali Blood Bank project. She has been honored as a Plenary Speaker for various Zone Institutes, including three consecutive years at the Pacific Northwest President-Elect Training for 1,000+ incoming Club Presidents and District Governors, and a Plenary Speaker and a Keynote Speaker for 15+ District Conferences.

Dr. Fitzgerald consults with organizations investing in projects intended to achieve sustainable outcomes. Marilyn is dedicated to offering assistance by providing opportunity to the economically disadvantaged in collaboratively determining their own sustainable solutions to poverty. Currently, Marilyn is involved in micro-loan-plus projects in rural western Guatemala, working for the empowerment of impoverished families through community development. She is passionate about obtaining sustainable results by recognizing beneficiaries as major stakeholders and partners in the collaboration and integrative negotiation of all projects.

Dr. Fitzgerald designed and conducted original in-field research focused on economic and community development taking place in two Central American countries, the results are published as her dissertation, The Unintended Consequences of Humanitarian Aid; she is also the author of If I Had a Water Buffalo, published May 2012, with the Forward written by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate.

Marilyn served as Centennial President of the Rotary Club of Traverse City, MI (USA), and also as an Assistant Governor for 3 years, and as the Chairperson of the District World Community Service Committee. During her years as District Chair of World Community Service for the first time 100% of the Rotary Clubs in District 6290 were involved in a World Community Service project.

Marilyn is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, a member of the Bequest Society and member of the Rotary Foundation Alumni Association.