Welcome to the Rotary Club of Fairfield

 
Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group who share your drive to give back.
About Our Club

We meet In Person
Mondays at 12:30 PM
Gaelic American Club
74 Beach Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
United States of America
Meetings are In-Person unless otherwise noted on the Calendar. No Meetings Held on National Holidays.

Club News

Fairfield Rotary At A Glance

Our focus is to encourage and foster the ideal of Service Above Self. We seek to make our communities, and our world, a better place by being people of action.

Our Philosophy and Public Service

It starts with people getting to know other people.

  • Through the power of acquaintance and by being an active member within our community, we find opportunities for service.
  • By maintaining high ethical standards in business, our professions, and our individual pursuits, we find opportunities to connect, do business, serve others, and give back.
  • By advancing international understanding, goodwill and peace, we create a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideals of service.

These principles have been developed over the years to provide Rotarians with a strong, common purpose and direction. They serve as a foundation for our relationships with each other and the action we take in the world. Read more about how we are People of Action!

Shred Fest 2026: April 25th in Fairfield – Secure Your Document Destruction & Support Great Causes

Fairfield Rotary Club Hosts First Selectman’s Forum

WHAT: Public forum featuring candidates in Fairfield’s upcoming First Selectman special election.

WHO:

  • Fairfield First Selectman, Christine Vitale, Democrat
  • CT State Senator, Tony Hwang, Republican

WHEN:

  • Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, 11:45 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Snow date: Jan. 26, 2026

WHERE: Gaelic American Club, 74 Beach Road, Fairfield, CT

FORUM DETAILS:

  • Candidates will answer pre-selected questions submitted by the public and Rotary members. Each candidate will deliver a closing statement.
  • Admission is $20, which includes entry and buffet lunch.

REGISTRATION:  Registration is a two-step process. RSVP by January 8th. Pre-payment required.

  1. Register and submit your questions here: Forum Registration & Questions. (via Survey Monkey portal)
  2. Pre-Pay here: Forum Payment (via Square portal)

CONTACT: Mark Perlman, firstdiv@optonline.net

The Fairfield Rotary Club announced the Club’s annual Community Grant Awards to local organizations. Through its Club Foundation, Fairfield Rotary annually distributes funds to local service groups who apply for and demonstrate a need for capital to finance a project. In the past twenty years, the Club has given over $500,000. The following groups were granted funds in 2025:

  • Adam’s House
  • Bridgeport Rescue Mission
  • Caroline House
  • Center for Family Justice
  • Circle of Care
  • Covenant School
  • CT Housing Partners
  • Fairfield Theatre Company
  • Fairfield Police Department
  • Fairfield Police Explorers
  • Greater CT Youth Orchestra
  • Groundwork
  • Habitat for Humanity Coastal Ffld County
  • Hall Neighborhood House
  • Help for Kids
  • Klein Memorial
  • Norma Pfriem Breast Center
  • Nourish Bridgeport
  • Operation Hope
  • Recovery Community Development
  • SHU Discovery Museum
  • Smart Kids with Disabilities  
  • St. Catherine’s Center
  • St. John’s Family Center
  • Team Woofgang & Co

Halloween on the Green

Little witches and goblins (and their adults) are invited to join us for the ninth annual Halloween on the Green. We’ll be offering trick-or-treating, art-making activities, a bounce house, food trucks, and more. October 26, 12-4pm

We will have 300 pumpkins to decorate and give out. 

This free family event takes place on the Museum Commons behind the Fairfield Museum. This event is presented by the Fairfield Museum, the Town of Fairfield, Fairfield Community Services, and Experience Fairfield.

Visit fairfieldhistory.org for more information.

Congratulations to our long-standing members of service to Rotary all with over 25 years of membership and active service: 

  • John Marshall Lee (50+ years) 
  • John Beckmann (50+ years)
  • Bruce Carter
  • Guy Hatfield            
  • Peter Ambrose    
  • Renato Gasparian  
  • Robert Vossler
  • Sheryl Shaughnessey     
  • Richard Huber                     
  • Peter Ventriglia    
  • Kevin Lesko
  • Douglas Williams          
  • Timothy Russell
  • Norma Peterson     
  • Janet Barillari                   
  • Harry French   
  • Robert Price
  • Thomas Walsh Jr.

Thank you to Past President Alon Sapir and the 2024-2025 Fairfield Rotary Board for your service. The Pass the Gavel celebration this past Thursday brought in our new Board and our next President Brendan McKeon - we look forward to your leadership.

Position 2024 - 20252025-2026
PresidentAlon SapirBrendan McKeon
Immediate Past PresidentDoug WilliamsAlon Sapir
Past President Doug Williams
President-Elect N/ATom Sansone
SecretaryJeff WarrenJeff Warren
Assistant Secretary Sheryl Shaughnessey
TreasurerJanet BarillariJanet Barillari
Sergeant-at-ArmsVance HancockPat Matteson
Community Service ChairTim RussellOPEN
Fellowship ChairBeverly BalazBeverly Balaz
International Service ChairBill LlewellynBill Llewellyn
Membership ChairTom SansoneTom Sansone
Program ChairSteve ElworthyMark Perlman
Public Image ChairBen WilliamsonBen Williamson
Youth Service ChairJohn HooverJohn Hoover
Rotary Foundation ChairDebbie ClancyAlon Sapir
Song LeaderBob PriceBob Price

Welcome to Fairfield Rotary's newest member Jennifer Jennings. A lifelong Fairfield resident, Jennifer brings both deep community ties and a broad perspective shaped by travel across the country and parts of the world. For the past 30 years, Fairfield has been home to her husband and Jennifer, where she continued to channel her passion for service, wellness, and connection.

Jennifer currently serves as the Special Events & Development Coordinator at the Norma Pfriem Breast Center, part of Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale New Haven Health, where she helps lead impactful community outreach and fundraising initiatives. Her background includes roles such as Hospitality Director for the Gathering of the Vibes music festival and General Manager of Yoga for Everybody in downtown Fairfield. She is also a certified yoga teacher, animal lover, outdoor enthusiast, and competitive table tennis player.

We look forward to Jennifer's contributions to the club and community!

Fairfield Rotary welcomes Scott Nickel as our newest member. Scott is currently a Sales Executive with AssuredPartners Northeast, serving clients from their offices in Westport and Shelton, Connecticut, where he has worked since May 2022. He previously held a similar role at SIG Insurance in Stamford from 2018 to 2022 and has been active in the insurance industry since 2011.

Before transitioning to insurance, Scott built a strong background in automotive sales and parts, having worked in new car sales from 2001 to 2011 and in auto parts sales from 1985 to 2001.

Scott has a long-standing commitment to community service, particularly through his involvement with organizations supporting disabled athletes and veterans. He has been a dedicated volunteer with World Team Sports since 2002 and served as a guide for blind veterans through Ride 2 Recovery/Project Hero from 2011 to 2016.

A part-time DJ with a passion for giving back, Scott has generously donated his time and talent to several charitable events. He has been the DJ for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk in Westport every October since 2016, and he also supported Relay for Life at Ludlowe High School in 2018 and 2019.

Scott is married to his high school classmate, Jocelyn Eppich, from the Darien High School Class of 1978. Together, they have a blended family of four grown children. In his free time, Scott enjoys kayaking on Long Island Sound and is a lifetime member of the Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club.

For the 14th consecutive year, during the Memorial Day Parade in Fairfield on Monday, May 26th the Rotary Club will be collecting non-perishable food/canned goods and money (cash, credit card, or checks made out to “Homes for the Brave”) along the parade route to donate and support local Veterans. As is tradition local Veterans will be riding in the truck and helping collect.

Marchers will walk along the parade route collecting items including canned goods, coffee, powder creamers, twin sized sheets, towels, and any toiletries.

The Club is honored to help support Homes for the Brave, a non-profit in Bridgeport, CT whose mission is to help homeless veterans with housing and services necessary to help them return to productive and meaningful life. On any given night in the United States, there are approximately 40,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness. 

For the 67th year in a row, Fairfield Rotary recognized the top 10 students from each of the local high school senior classes. The students recognized for the class of 2025 are:

FAIRFIELD COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

  • Thomas Adams

  • Sebastian Cruz

  • Daniel Guzman

  • Andrew Kopchick

  • Evan Marshall

  • Joseph Martino

  • Cam Paisley

  • Daniel Tristine

  • Ryan Voytek

  • Samuel Woody


NOTRE DAME PREP OF SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY

  • Jules Damon

  • Anthony Dente

  • Kyleigh Higgins

  • Isabel LaBaw

  • Christabelle Laurenard

  • Julia Litwinionek

  • Celeste Marin

  • Kate Mitchell

  • Barbara Pohlen

  • Natalie Roberts


FAIRFIELD LUDLOWE HIGH SCHOOL

  • Victoria Beniston

  • Jacob Cohen

  • David Dai

  • David Dupont

  • Samhitha Kunichetty

  • Amber Lin

  • Ellery Walker

  • Julia Walters

  • Lucas Weaver

  • Caitlyn Yang


FAIRFIELD WARDE HIGH SCHOOL

  • Lisa Elbrish

  • Amogh Ganjikunta

  • Miriam Grosman

  • Helen Hen

  • Michael Ivanov

  • Elizabeth Lake

  • Maria Murphy

  • Arianne Shepherd

  • Sophie Spelman

  • Julia Zagar

Jennifer Farrington is the founder and owner of YourMarketer LLC, a full-service marketing consulting firm based in Fairfield, CT, specializing in matching companies with industry-specific marketing experts. An award-winning marketing executive with a proven track record, Jennifer brings a wealth of experience from her executive leadership roles at Mazars US, Buck Consultants, Grant Thornton, and PwC. Across her career, she has built high-performing teams, driven strategic brand transformations, and delivered measurable business growth, including improving Net Promoter® Scores by 30 points and earning multiple prestigious marketing awards. Jennifer holds a dual B.A. in psychology and communications from Bethel College, Indiana.

Jennifer’s life is also deeply rooted in giving back to her community and supporting meaningful causes. For the past 13 years, she has contributed to fundraising efforts for K9s for Warriors. This organization rescues and trains dogs to serve as loyal companions to veterans suffering from PTSD, providing both therapeutic relief and companionship to those who have bravely served the nation. Alongside this, she is also involved with Healthwagon, an organization committed to delivering mobile healthcare to uninsured and underserved patients living in Central Appalachia. She sees the importance of bridging healthcare gaps in communities that face limited access to medical services.

Personally, Jennifer is a rose gardener, quilter, landscape artist, and an avid reader who loves to curl up with a book with her famous 11-month-old standard goldendoodle Brady – who has his own TikTok following of 8100 people! She enjoys travelling around the US and Europe with her college sweetheart of 31 years, and has an amazing niece, 14, and nephew 15, that she can talk about for hours. She is originally from St. Charles, Illinois, and moved out to Fairfield 23 years ago in 2002 when she fell in love on a visit to the town.

The club and the community look forward to your contributions!

Originally from Brazil but now based in Fairfield, CT, May has a background in HR and over a decade of experience in customer relations.

Currently, May works as an Auctioneer Advisor at Tranzon Auction Properties, guiding clients through the auction process for both Personal Property and Real Estate.

She is passionate about traveling, learning, and discovering new places and their histories. She also dedicates a great deal of time to reading, listening to books, and caring for her family. 

May loves taking on new challenges, especially when stepping into something and learning all about it, including ways to make it better. Whether it's at work, in her community, or even at home, May always wants to contribute in a meaningful way. We look forward to May’s contributions to Rotary and the Fairfield community! 

Born in the Bronx, NY, Mary Elizabeth, or “Mea” to many of her friends, and her family moved to Fairfield, CT at age six. She attended St. Thomas Aquinas in Fairfield and Notre Dame in Bridgeport.

Mea has worked for Crystal Restoration Services in Norwalk, CT for twenty-two years, providing emergency services for water, mold, and fire remediation. Originally hired as Accounts Receivable Manager, Mea took over claims and dispatched crews and eventually focused on Marketing efforts there. In 2022 she started marketing for a&a Windshields supporting the state of Connecticut.

Within Rotary, Mea has been an active member, a member of our Grants committee and supporting events like Pillars of the Community, Shredfest, Paddlefest, our collections for veterans during the Memorial Day parade, our annual Golf tournament, as well as volunteering at the Operation Hope food pantry and Bridgeport Rescue Mission food truck. 
We thank Mea for her active participation and embodying Rotary’s mission of “service beyond self”.

The Norman K. Parsells Award,  is presented annually to honor the memory and spirit of Norm Parsells.  He was a dedicated Rotarian who served his community and Rotary, demonstrating Rotary’s ideal of “Service Above Self”. This year’s recipients of the Award will be recognized as Rotarians who personify the same spirit and dedication to their community and Rotary that Norm represented during his lifetime. Clubs in Areas 4 and 5 participate. (Bridgeport, Fairfield, Trumbull, Monroe, Stratford, Milford, Devon, Orange and Derby-Shelton). 

Welcome to Patricia A. Berg, Fairfield Rotary's new member. Patricia is both an internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and a Diplomate Certified Craniosacral Therapist. Patricia is no stranger to Rotary. She has previous service with the Wilmette, Illinois Rotary Club.

Patricia has been an enthusiastic photographer since college, specializing in nature photography, and has exhibited frequently. Her other interests include theater, music and scuba diving. Her self-described greatest achievements are her two sons and seeing them in the men they have become, along with seeing her one son as a father today. 

We looks forward to Patricia's contributions to the club and community!

The Fairfield Rotary Club announced the Club’s annual allocation of grants to local organizations, giving out $36,000. Through its Club Foundation, Fairfield Rotary annually distributes funds to local and international service groups who apply for and demonstrate a need for capital to finance a project. In the past twenty years, the Club has given over $500,000. The following groups were granted funds in 2024:
  • Bridgeport Rescue Mission
  • Caroline House
  • Center for Family Justice
  • Circle of Care
  • CLASP Homes
  • CT Burns Center
  • CT Housing Partners
  • Filling in the Blanks
  • Habitat for Hummanity
  • Operation Hope
  • Norma Pfriem Breast Center
  • Nourish Bridgeport
  • Pequot Library
  • The Pilot House Foundation
  • SHU Discovery Museum
  • St. Catherine’s Ctr for Special Needs
  • St. John’s Family Center
  • Team Woofgang
  • YMCA in Fairfield  

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Club Executives & Directors
President
President Elect
Immediate Past President
Secretary
Treasurer
Community Service Chair
International Service Chair
Foundation Chair
Membership Chair
Recording Secretary
Youth Services Chair
Sergeant-at-Arms
Public Image/Webmaster Chair
Programs Chair
Fellowship Chair

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