FEATURED SPEAKERS
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Thomas A. Gump
Edina Morningside Rotary
Aide to Rotary International President 2024-2025
Tom Gump serves as Presidential Advisor to Rotary International’s 2025 Calgary International Convention Committee and the 2025 Presidential Peace Conference - Istanbul. He serves on the Boards of Directors for the Past District Governors & Friends Fellowship, EClub Fellowship, and Multi-District PETS Alliance, which he will Chair in 2025-26. He is currently working with Rotarians around the world to form The Rotary Fellowship of Artificial Intelligence. Tom has served as an International Assembly Learning Facilitator, General Chair of the Rotary Zones 25B and 29 Institute and as a President’s Representative to multiple districts.
Tom is an accomplished Rotarian with a long-standing commitment to growing Rotary membership, raising funds and participating in projects for The Rotary Foundation (TRF), promoting Rotary and inspiring leadership. Tom will Chair the 2025-26 Rotary International Membership Growth Committee. He is a former Rotary Coordinator for Zones 25B & 29. He founded, helped form and/or inspired more than a dozen new and creative clubs around the world, including the first clubs in the world to serve veterans and end human trafficking. He also formed a Rotary Community Corps for Refugees, which served hundreds of refugees in Minnesota, USA. He was named to The Gold Level of The Membership Society for New Member Sponsors for bringing in more than 50 members into his club. Zones 28 and 32 awarded him with its “Individual Membership Innovation Award.” As a speaker and writer, Tom now inspires others to grow Rotary membership, regularly speaking on the topic of membership at all levels of Rotary. His tips for attracting and retaining members and forming new clubs have been featured in various Rotary publications.
Tom also fundraises for TRF and its End Polio Now campaign. As District Governor (DG), he led his district to become only the third district in the world to ever have all of its clubs designated as 100% Paul Harris Fellow Clubs. Also, as DG, he led his district in raising over $642,000 for TRF’s End Polio Now campaign. He has led and/or partnered on 20 international, district and club grants totaling more than $4 million dollars. The TRF Trustees awarded Tom the Citation for Meritorious Service in recognition of his outstanding service to The Rotary Foundation, and its Regional Polio Free World Award.
He has promoted Rotary through serving as Zone Promotion Coordinator for both the Toronto and Honolulu Conventions and has served on various Rose Bowl Parade Float Committees.
The Rotary International Board of Directors awarded Tom its highest honor – the Service Above Self Award. Tom’s impressive contributions to Rotary and TRF make him a valuable member of these organizations and a source of inspiration for others.
Tom is a proud member of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club, his wife, Catherine, is a member of the Edina Noon Club and their son, Andrew, is the President of the Twin Harbors Rotaract Club (in formation). The Gump family have hosted seven fabulous Rotary Youth Exchange students over the years.
Brian King
Director of Membership Development
Rotary Club of Evanston, Illinois, USA
Brian was born in Nairobi, Kenya where he lived until he was 7 years old. He then moved to Des Moines, Iowa where he grew up. Brian earned his Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Psychology from the University of Iowa. He completed his Master’s at the University of Florida in Anthropology, with a specialization in African studies and development administration.
He resides in Evanston, IL the home of Northwestern University and World Headquarters of Rotary International. Brian began working for Rotary in 2001. He has held a number of positions within The Rotary Foundation’s development office including the Director of International Fundraising and Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations. He currently serves as the Director of Membership Development for Rotary International, a position he assumed in December 2014.
As Director of Membership Development, Brian leads a global team who develop and implement targeted efforts at the club, district, zone and organizational level, with the ultimate objective of strengthening each club’s capacity to attract and engage a vibrant and diverse member base.
In his free time, Brian coaches youth soccer and enjoys running, gardening and most things outdoors. Brian is also a proud member and past president of the Rotary Club of Evanston, a Rotary Foundation benefactor and a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.