Following in his father’s footsteps.
That’s a way to describe J. Bryan Cooksey III, who called the meeting of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville to order Monday for the first time as the organization’s president.
His father, J. Bryan Cooksey Jr., served as the club’s president in 1989-90.
Cooksey also followed in his father’s footsteps at the family business, McCall Service Inc.
After graduating from Wolfson High School in 1979, Cooksey was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
After earning a degree in nuclear engineering, he served as an officer with the 7th Infantry Division in Fort Ord, Calif., before coming home to Jacksonville in 1988 to work with his father and brothers at McCall.
Cooksey and his brothers, David and John, took over management and operations in 2003 when their father decided to step away from the business.
Cooksey gave Rotary members and guests an overview of some of his goals for the club in the next year, including expanding membership.
He was inspired to grow the club’s roster during his trip to Seoul, South Korea, in June for the Rotary International Convention.
Cooksey said more than 45,000 Rotarians from around the world attended the meeting, a three-fold increase from the 15,000 who were there in 2015.
“It’s exciting to be in an organization that’s growing,” said Cooksey. “I want ours to be a vibrant, leading club in the Rotary world.”
Keith Fairchild, 2016-17 chair of the Membership Development Committee, said the club’s membership roll isn’t growing. In fact, it has declined by 20 percent in the past five years — but the club has a plan.
The committee is developing a list of 100 people “who need to hear the Rotary message.”
They will be invited to visit as a guest and then join the club. The goal is to induct at least 50 new members before June 30.
“People don’t know what we’re about. It’s more than eating chicken every Monday,” Fairchild said, referring to the club’s weekly lunch meetings at the Omni Jacksonville or Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront.
Fairchild said the committee plans to “take down barriers” and make joining the club “an easier process.”
The focus will be on diversifying the membership in terms of occupations and industries represented, Fairchild said.
The club’s weekly programs and speakers also will see some changes during Cooksey’s year as president.
Program Committee Chair Jim Agee said speakers will be invited who will attract guests and retain active members.
“There will be a little shift this year,” he said.
Speakers and topics will be what Agee called “more Jacksonville-specific” and many of the weekly programs will be related to local social issues, he said.
Cooksey also pointed out that his year as president will include the 100th anniversary of the Rotary International Foundation.
One of his goals is for every member to become a “Paul Harris Fellow.” The designation, named after the founder of Rotary, signifies donation of at least $1,000 to the international foundation.
“We’re going to try new things,” said Cooksey. “I’m going to need all of you to join me to make this a successful year.”
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