Sandy Springs

Upcoming Program
Our Next Speaker will be Audra Pittman From the Savannah College of Art & Design

The Rotary Club of Sandy Springs is proud to announce that Dr. Audra Pittman, of the Savannah College or Art & Design, will be visiting our club on Monday, September 28th at 12:15.

Dr. Audra Pittman is Vice President for SCAD Atlanta, where she oversees the quickly growing campus's academics and administration. She brings to her post more than 20 years of arts, education, and business experience.

Prior to accepting the VP position at SCAD, Dr. Pittman served as Executive Director for the Tallahassee Council on Culture & Arts, a clearinghouse for arts and culture in the entire Big Bend region. Prior to the Council, Dr. Pittman chaired the Department of Professional Education at SCAD, where she facilitated the university's first online teacher certification program for Art & Drama concentrations and ensured its accreditation.

Dr. Pittman is an active volunteer in the community. She has served on the board of numerous organizations, including Boys Town North Florida, Thomasville Center for the Arts, United Way of the Big Bend, and the Dean's Advisory Board for the Florida State University College of Fine Arts.

Dr. Pittman has been recognized as one of Florida Trend magazine's "People to Know" in Tallahassee and Leon County, and was also selected as one of the Tallahassee Democrat's "25 Women You Need to Know." She has been featured on the cover of both Tallahassee Magazine and Tallahassee Woman Magazine for her efforts in the arts and cohosted Fox 49's AM Break with Ann & Audra. The Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle honored Dr. Pittman as a "Woman of Distinction" for her service in the arts.

Dr. Pittman's education comprises a BFA from the University of Connecticut, an MA in Teaching from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a PhD in Arts Administration and Art Education from Florida State University. She is married to Attorney Sean Pittman. They have three daughters - Paloma (8) and twins Phoebe and Pilar (6). 

Please join us and give Dr. Pittman a warm Rotary welcome.

More about the Savannah College of Art & Design can be found here: https://www.scad.edu/

Past Program
Sally Platt, How to Think About Community Needs Assessments

This past Monday Sally Platt presented to us how to create a Community Needs Assessment. Her program was about how to make our Rotary projects more effective. Many times, we as Rotarians want to come in and just try to fix everything!

How do we pick projects that will have long term positive results? Sally brought to us not answers but three questions:

1. What is Service? Is it a band aid or a cure? Are we doing it to make us look good or to serve the community?
2. Are our projects effective and how do we know?
3. Are our projects chosen to fill a need that is not already being addressed by other organizations?

She suggested a couple of books to read written by Robert Lupton, “Toxic Charity” and “Charity Detox.” “Toxic Charity” addresses attempts to serve the inner city and the poor. It talked about how charity can be very destructive. It can easily become self-serving to the giver of the charity.

Sally offered her services to us and other Rotary Clubs to help them chose projects and implementation to insure the most effective result with long term positive results.

She refers to it as a Structured Community Needs Assessment. She does this through workshops. 

The Rotary Club of Sandy Springs would like thank Sally for all of her time and effort she's invested into Rotary and the world.

More information about Sally Platt can be found on her LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-platt-60520a11/

These photos and more are available in original resolution at: https://rotaryclubofsandysprings.zenfolio.com/p588462561

Special Event
Family of Rotary Night at The Select

The Rotary Club of Sandy Springs invites all Rotarians and their family to join us for a Family of Rotary dinner at the The Select, Restaurant and Lounge.

September 24th at 6:00pm.

More information about The Select can be found here: https://theselectatl.com/