Today, we extend a Warm Union City Rotary Welcome to Rotary District 6760’s District Governor, Jim Springer.

Jim as a member of the Columbia, Tennessee Breakfast Rotary Club. He is a retired CPA and financial planner. He was born and reared in Columbia, graduating from Tennessee Tech earning a BS degree, accounting major, and served three years as an officer in the United States Army. After a career in public accounting, in private industry as controller and chief financial officer, and as a self-employed licensed security representative, insurance agent and financial planner, Jim retired in 2009.

Jim is past president and charter member of the Columbia Club. The Club was chartered in June 1997. Jim has maintained perfect attendance since that date and selected twice by his club as Rotarian of the Year. He is a multilevel Paul Harris Fellow, served three years as Assistant Governor, and is a graduate of District 6760 Leadership Academy.

Active in his local community, Jim has served on the boards of Maury County Red Cross, Leadership Maury, Boys & Girls Club of Maury County, Rippavilla Plantation, Maury Vision 20/20, and Maury County Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. He is also a graduate of Leadership Maury.

Consisting of nine members of the Senior Class of 2010-11, representing all three high schools in Obion County, including, Jacob Cleaver of So. Fulton High School, Trey Maddox, Chase Bowling, Jasmine Davis, Lakevius Turner, Kassadie Mullins, Megan Hickman, Cameryn Fishel of Union City High School and Alton Alexander of Obion County Central High School.

Each student took a turn at the podium describing one of the places or events they enjoyed while abroad and each one had high praise and gratitude to the Rotary Club for the generosity shown them, enabling them to enjoy and learn things most people only read about.

They were accompanied on the trip by Union City High School English Teacher, Joanna Wisener and her husband Clark, who were also present last week. Joanna also expressed her appreciation and informed Rotarians that the students represented the club and the United States well in every aspect during the time they were traveling.

The students described their trip as follows. It began with a crossing of the English Channel and on to Paris for two nights. Then on to Lucerne, Switzerland after a brief stay there it was on to Italy with a stop in Verona, then on to Venice, which was described as fantastic with all the waterways. From there they were on to Florence. Then the Cosmos Travel Bus took them to Pisa with their final stop being Rome.

After two days there the exhausted group boarded a flight which would eventually bring them back to Memphis and then a bus ride back to Union City where they were met by members of the dedicated committee members who helped make it all possible and anxious family members.