The Greatest Secret of Rotary

August is membership month. Please join us for this informative presentation on Rotary Fellowships and how you can meet Rotarians from across the globe who share your hobbies, interests and travel destinations. 

Alicia is originally from Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. She first came to the US with The Rotary Group Exchange in June 1971, sponsored by the Lancaster Rotary Club and the Morelia Rotary Club, to learn about the educational system in this country. Alicia was a Junior High Social Studies teacher. For three months, six Rotarian families hosted her. In February 1972, she became a legal permanent resident.

Alicia had a successful career with PPL Electric Utilities, holding high level positions, among them as Residential Marketing Manager for the Northern Division and Corporate Projects Manager. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Allentown Promise Neighborhood (APN), known today as the Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, and retired permanently in 2012.

Alicia joined the Scranton Rotary Club in March 1990, a year after women were accepted in Rotary. As a result of career moves, when she and her family moved to the Lehigh Valley, Alicia joined the Allentown West Rotary Club, later on transferring to the Allentown Rotary Club, and upon her second retirement, she transferred to the Emmaus Rotary Club, her current club.

Alicia is Past President of the Allentown West Rotary club, and has been very active in Rotary, serving at the Club and District level. At the Club level, she has been a Board member in every club, as well being a Chair and serving on multiple Committees. Currently, she is the Chair of the International Women’s Day Celebration. 

At the District Level, she was the Chair of the Group Study Exchange and a member of the Rotary Grants, The Rotary Foundation, the Rotaplast, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committees. Alicia has also served at the International level as the official Interpreter of Rotaplast Medical Missions (cleft lip and palate surgeries) in Chile, Venezuela (2), Colombia, and Guatemala, as well as participating in many Rotary District Friendship Exchanges along with her husband Mike, a Rotarian with the Allentown Rotary Club.

Alicia has also been a Rotary Leadership Institute(RLI) Faculty member for sixteen years.

In addition, Alicia is very active with the Rotary Fellowships, being a member of the International Travel and Hosting Fellowship, VP for USA Northeast Area, and a member of the Virtual Travel Committee. She is a Board member of the Wine Appreciation, and a member of the RotaLatinos and Rotary History Fellowships. She is also an active member of the American Wine Society Lehigh Valley Chapter, and a Memoir Writers group.

For her community work, Alicia has received recognition as a Founding member of the PPL Women’s Network, VIP Volunteer award from the Allentown Civic Theatre, the Latino Leadership Award from the Hispanic Business Council of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Leadership Recognition Award from the Latino Leadership Alliance of the Lehigh Valley, the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley, Founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Fé Foundation of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the Lehigh Valley where she chaired the Nominating Committee for five years and served as Vice President for two years. She is a former Board member of the Latino Leadership Alliance of the Lehigh Valley, the Hispanic Business Council of The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Old Allentown Preservation Association, the Allentown Community Music School, the Adult Literacy Center, the Yale Club of the Lehigh Valley, and the Advisory Board of Weed & Seed. She also served in PA Governor Wolf’s Advisory Council on Latino Affairs.