President's Message
More than two thousand years ago, Heraclitus observed what we still experience every day: the world never stands still. Economies evolve. Technology advances. Threats emerge. Communities grow. The only question is not whether change will come—but whether we will recognize it, understand it, and respond wisely.
This week’s reflection is about changing times—and about our obligation, as leaders in the civic, professional, and faith communities of Roswell, to stay informed so that we know where and how to serve. Service Above Self is not passive goodwill. It is active awareness. It requires us to look at the world as it is becoming, not as it once was.
Fentanyl
Last week, we heard a sobering and urgent message from DEA Special Agent Jay Chong and DEA Community Outreach Specialist Wanda Wiggins. They spoke plainly about fentanyl—what it is, why cartels are flooding it into illegal drug supplies, and how devastatingly lethal it has become. Fentanyl is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to transport, and tragically profitable. It is being mixed into counterfeit pills and street drugs with no regard for age, background, or circumstance. It does not discriminate. It kills the first-time experimenter as quickly as the addicted user.
What struck me most was not just the science or the statistics—but the reality that education is our first line of defense. Their call to action was simple yet powerful: spread awareness. Talk to our churches. Inform our schools. Engage our parents and teenagers. Stay educated about what is happening in our own backyard. In a time when a single pill can end a life, silence is not an option. This is what adapting to change looks like. The drug landscape is not what it was ten years ago. The danger is more potent, more hidden, and more immediate. If we are to serve effectively, we must understand the battlefield.
Artificial Intelligence
Then, as if to highlight the full spectrum of modern change, this week we turn from a deadly threat to a transformative tool. We will hear from AI specialist William Vestal about artificial intelligence and its rapid evolution. AI is no longer a futuristic concept—it is embedded in healthcare diagnostics, financial systems, supply chains, education platforms, and everyday business operations. It is accelerating at a pace that few industries have ever witnessed.
Artificial intelligence, when used responsibly, is not a threat to humanity but an amplifier of it. It can analyze data at scale, identify patterns invisible to the human eye, streamline inefficiencies, and free people to focus on higher-level thinking and human connection. It can help doctors detect disease earlier. It can help businesses operate more efficiently. It can help nonprofits maximize impact with limited resources.
But like any powerful tool, its impact depends on the character and wisdom of those who wield it. Rotarians—business leaders, educators, attorneys, physicians, entrepreneurs—must understand this technology so that we can guide its use ethically and effectively within our spheres of influence.
GA 400 Expansion
And in two weeks, we will examine change closer to home. Kristin Winzeler will walk us through the Georgia Department of Transportation’s plans to expand express lanes along the Georgia 400 corridor. Infrastructure may not make headlines like AI or fentanyl, but it shapes our daily lives. Traffic patterns influence economic development. Commute times affect family rhythms. Growth requires planning, and planning requires understanding. The expansion of Georgia 400 represents a response to growth—more residents, more commerce, more opportunity. Change in infrastructure reflects change in population and demand. As community leaders, we must know what is coming, how it affects our neighbors, and how to advocate wisely for the good of our city.
Three meetings. Three very different subjects. One consistent theme: the world is moving. From lethal narcotics infiltrating our schools… to transformative technologies reshaping our professions… to highways expanding to accommodate growth—each represents a form of change that demands attention.
Rotary has never been about nostalgia. Since our founding in 1905, we have thrived because we adapted. We have addressed polio when it devastated children worldwide. We have mobilized around literacy when education gaps widened. We have responded to disasters, economic downturns, and global crises. The mission remains constant, but the methods evolve. Service Above Self means more than volunteering hours. It means staying informed. It means wrestling with difficult truths. It means understanding emerging tools. It means paying attention to what is happening around us so that we can respond with wisdom and courage.
Change is inevitable. Complacency is optional. Let us commit to being Rotarians who lean in. Who listen carefully. Who ask good questions. Who carry these messages beyond our Thursday meetings and into our spheres of influence.
Sic Vos Non Vobis
Trummie Lee Patrick III
