The Rotary of Macomb meets Tuesdays at noon at the First Presbyterian Church.
November 25, 2025 The 20th meeting of the Rotary year was formally initiated by President Seth Minter, who called the session to order by ringing the Rotary bell. The invocation was delivered by Larry Adams, followed Chris Adams who led the members in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Attendance was reported by Bob Baumanni: 27 members attended in person and 1 on Zoom, representing 53% of the club’s membership.
Three guests were also present, Paull Bubb and Summer Quesenberry from WIU, and Dave Bormet bringing total attendance to 31.
Seven Rotarians contributed “Happy Money” in recognition of recent significant events. The 50/50 drawing took place next, with Bruce Biagini holding the winning ticket; however, he was looking for the 6 of Hearts but drew the Ace of Spades and could not claim the $36 prize.
President Seth reminded members that the meeting on December 2, 2025, will be held at the Western Illinois Museum and will include a program and tour. Also, there will be no meetings on December 23, 2025, and December 30, 2025, to let members enjoy the holidays.
He also reminded the club of the two days for the Salvation Army bell ringing which will be 12/11/25 and 12/13/25 with times to be determined The Rotary Annual Scholastic Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2026; further information will be provided.
He had announced 3 great things our Rotary Club has done this week. The Rotary Board of Directors met earlier today and voted to donate $500 to each of the major food pantries in McDonough County. He announced with a great personal donation and other donations from the club a nice amount was raised for Loaves and Fishes. The Shoes for Kids program also has had a nice donation amount from members built up and with the $500 donation made from the board from last month, that program has a good start.
Todd Lester then introduced the speakers for the session: Paul Bubb, Director of Athletics at WIU, and Summer Quesenberry, Director of Student Athlete Experience at WIU. Todd noted that while Paul is a familiar face at Rotary meetings, Summer is new to Macomb and recently began her position overseeing the student athlete experience. She will lead the university’s strategy regarding name, image, and likeness (NIL) initiatives. She brings relevant experience, having coached basketball at the University of Illinois Springfield, and has relocated from Florida.
Summer began by describing the two primary sports platforms at WIU: the Leatherneck Club and the Leatherneck Exchange.
While the Leatherneck Club continues to be successful, she focused her remarks on the Leatherneck Exchange.
The Leatherneck Exchange is designed to strengthen ties between student athletes and the university by offering internships, increasing support during athletic events, assisting with retention, and integrating students into the broader community.
The platform recognizes the importance of student athletes’ NIL not only in athletic competition, but also as a foundation for career development.
From a marketing perspective, the program provides opportunities to leverage a student athlete’s presence, particularly via social media, both during their academic careers and post-graduation. Summer emphasized that building a personal brand should begin early in a student’s collegiate journey.
Serving as a marketplace, the Leatherneck Exchange acts as a direct vendor for the student athlete platform. It highlights student contributions to local initiatives and supports holistic development, resulting in sustained community relationships.
She outlined five key steps for connecting student athletes with the community: 1. Registration and onboarding 2. Browsing profiles of registered students 3. Proposing agreements between vendors and student athletes 4. Managing agreements and facilitating payment 5. Arranging payments The process is straightforward and accessible for vendors, donors, businesses, organizations, or collectives.
Currently, 52 student athletes are registered, with additional participants expected.
During the Q&A session, attendees asked several questions, which both Summer and Paul addressed comprehensively. Many expressed appreciation for the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics and thanked the speakers for elucidating available resources for those interested in supporting WIU Leatherneck student athletes.
The meeting concluded with the recitation of the “Four Way Test” and the sounding of the Rotary bell, encouraging all members to make Rotary Part Of Their Life – and to “Unite For Good”.
Interested in speaking at Rotary or becoming a member, contact Tom Stites at tastites902@ gmail.com.
