Membership Growth Through Open Doors

District Governor Steve Weaver returns to the club that started it all — Kansas City Plaza Rotary sponsored the charter of Steve's home club, Waldo Brookside Rotary, and in this talk he traces that journey with some good-natured Kansas City humor before turning to the theme closest to his heart as District Governor of Rotary District 6880: membership growth through open doors. Using his hometown of Fairhope, Alabama — home to three Rotary clubs serving just 26,000 people — as a case study, Steve makes the case that different meeting formats and structures aren't redundant, they're how Rotary reaches people the traditional model leaves out. Woven throughout is his district's theme, "The Power of Us," and an honest look at the work still ahead: reversing declining membership, having difficult conversations about long-held habits, and his personal goal of chartering three new clubs in District 6880 this year.

Steve Weaver is serving as District Governor of Rotary District 6880 for 2026-2027, leading the "Power of Us" tour to all 46 clubs across the district. A former business owner and M&A Advisor with Apex Business Advisors for over 20 years, Steve has spent his career helping business owners navigate change, build lasting value, and position their companies for the future — the same eye for growth and sustainability he brings to Rotary. Steve joined Rotary in 2014 as a charter member of Waldo Brookside Rotary in Kansas City, where he helped charter a brand-new club to over 50 members. Steve has held every leadership position at the club level and realized that membership was his passion, going on to serve at the district level in membership growth, retention, and new club development. After selling his family business, Steve and his wife Andrea moved to Fairhope, Alabama, where he joined Fairhope Sunset Rotary and later served as club president. He and Andrea have been married for 22 years and have 4 children. Steve attended the University of Alabama, and this year he's applying that same advisor's mindset to strengthening clubs, growing membership, and forming new clubs that fit today's Rotarians — because when we come together, we create lasting impact.