Countdown to PELS 2026
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Please support the victims of SoCal Wildfires
A request from our Zone 26-27 Director
As you know, the Los Angeles area has been devastated by large fires that are burning out of control in several areas. Many thousands of homes have been destroyed, and tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated.
Our Rotary colleagues in the affected Districts – Districts 5280 and 5300 – have activated District Disaster Relief Funds to assist the victims of the fires. District 5280 (Los Angeles) has also created a Resource Directory and online spreadsheet for In-Kind Donations.
To access information and links to District 5280’s Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund and other resources, please click HERE.
To access information and a link to District 5300’s Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund, please click HERE.
Thank you,
Daniel C. Himelspach
RI Director 2023-25
Why Attend Southwest PELS?
Rotary President-Elect Learning Seminars (PELS) are essential events for incoming Rotary Club Presidents to prepare for their year of service. As club presidents-elect prepare to lead and guide their club, PETS provides an incredible opportunity to learn their role and work with others to set goals.
PELS is more than leadership training. It’s an experience – and for many Rotarians, it’s one of the most memorable and inspiring experiences of their Rotary careers! You’ll have the opportunity to meet Rotary International leadership, hear from great speakers and celebrate your district’s efforts to change our world!
Southwest PELS is a partnership of 11 Rotary districts encompassing five states. The first multi-district PETS established in the United States, today it has the distinction of being one of the largest multi-district PETS in the country!
This inspiring and informative seminar exposes Presidents-Elect to the latest trends and techniques in the operation of a Rotary Club. The PETS experience is also a wonderful opportunity for great fellowship and networking with over 600 Presidents-Elect from throughout the Western United States!
This website will assist in your preparation for PELS and can also be used as a resource at any time.
Building Future Rotary Leaders!
Leadership Training & Development
The PELS Training Team has developed a diverse curriculum based on its considerable experience and on the feedback received from previous attendees. The training is aimed specifically at giving practical information and best practices to prepare incoming Presidents for their year of service to their Club. Also during our meal sessions, we are treated to some of the very best speakers in the Rotary world.
Every year this unique PELS experience transforms those selected to lead their Clubs, giving them the knowledge and confidence to lead with innovation and inspiration. PELS is a participation sport, the more you put in, the more you get out, and the more your Club will benefit.
Olayinka “Yinka” Hakeem Babalola
Rotary International President-Elect
Bablola was elected to serve as the President-elect of Rotary International on 28 August 2025, and he will assume the role of RI President on 1 July 2026, serving through 30 June 2027.
He holds a degree in engineering and spent more than 30 years in the oil and gas sector, including senior leadership roles at Shell PLC. He founded the Riviera Technical Services Ltd., an oil and gas infrastructure delivery firm, as well as Lead and Change Consulting, an executive coaching and organizational performance consultancy.
Babalola is a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Institute of Safety Professionals, and the Association of Change Management Practitioners. He also belongs to the Jericho Business Club, a civic organization in Ibadan that contributes to national policy dialogue. Following his professional retirement, he now devotes much of his time to his humanitarian interests and service to his community and the world through his membership of Rotary.
He started his Rotary journey as a Rotaractor in 1983. A Rotarian since 1993, Babalola is a member of the Rotary club of Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt District 9141, Nigeria. He served on the Rotary International Board of Directors from 2018 through 2020 and as Vice President of Rotary International for the 2019-20 year.
Babalola has experience on several Rotary committees including the Joint Operations Review Committee, Fund Development Committee, Sao Paulo Convention Promotion Committee, Joint Partnerships Committee, RI Membership Growth Committee, RI Board Executive Committee, Elevate Rotaract Task Force, and Vice Chair of the End Polio Now Countdown to History Committee. He has served as Adviser to the Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee for many years, playing a leading role in The Rotary Foundation’s effort to eradicate polio in Nigeria and Africa, leading to the region’s eventual certification by the World Health Organization in 2021.
He previously served on the Peace Major Gift Initiative Committee, helping to launch the Africa Peace concert, which raised over $300,000 USD for the Rotary Peace Centers, and as End Polio Zone Coordinator, Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator and Endowment Major Gift Adviser. Through these roles, he led and inspired the effort that grew the Arch Klumph Society membership (donors who have contributed $250,000 USD) in Africa from four in 2013 to 30 in 2023. As District Governor, he raised over a million US dollars for the Rotary Foundation from an area normally considered as economically disadvantaged.
As International Assembly Learning Facilitator, Governor-elect Learning Seminar Leader, Regional Leaders Training Institute Facilitator, and Moderator for the 2024 Global Support and Global Philanthropy Seminars, he has helped prepare and inspire many future Rotary leaders.
Babalola is passionate about Growing Rotary. As club President in 2002-03, he won the Rotary International Global Quest Award for highest percentage net membership gain worldwide and was recognized onstage at the Brisbane Rotary Convention for this achievement. As District Governor, he grew membership by a net gain of over 650 members, emerging as one of the top three performing districts in the world and was recognized on stage at the Bangkok Rotary Convention.
As RI Director, he inspired the growth of Rotary in Africa from 19,000 to over 44,000 members. Under his watch, Districts of his paired zones became the fastest growing districts in their region.
Babalola served recently on the Board of Trustee of Shelterbox, a UK charity and Rotary’s partner on emergency shelter needs for those displaced by disasters and conflicts. He also served as the Director of the Safeblood Africa Project, a multi-district Rotary initiative to establish sustainable systems for safe blood donation in the region. He is a faculty member and the founding Registrar of the Nigerian Division of the Rotary Leadership Institute, a Rotary Positive Peace Activator, and an Alumnus of the Positive Peace Academy – a program of Rotary in partnership with the Institute of Economics and Peace.
Babalola has received the Service Above Self Award, the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service, and the Service Award for a Polio-Free World. He supports the Rotary Foundation through a named endowed fund and is a member of the Arch Klumph Society.
He has attended several Zone and international institutes and over 25 Rotary conventions.
Welcome to Southwest PETS 2025!
Congratulations to all those Rotarians chosen by their clubs to serve as president in 2025-26. You are about to embark on one of the most challenging chapters in your Rotary career – but as everyone will tell you, certainly one of the most rewarding years you’ll ever experience in Rotary!
Presidents Elect Training Seminars – better known as PETS – is a Rotary-created program designed to provide incoming presidents with the knowledge and skills needed to lead their clubs and ultimately enhance our organization’s ability to impact our communities and our world.
It’s been said that everything great about Rotary starts and ends at the club level. Our presidents-elect are crucial to not only Rotary’s current success, but critical to its future. Building a positive club culture, growing the organization and providing opportunities for club members to impact the lives of others are just a few of the many responsibilities of a great club president.
Southwest PETS was the first multi-district PETS program launched in the United States and today is one of the largest. This year’s PETS will include 11 districts from throughout the Western United States representing over 600 Rotary clubs! We especially wish to welcome our newest attendees from Utah and Montana who are joining us for the first time.
PETS is more than leadership training. It’s an experience – and for many Rotarians, it’s one of the most memorable and inspiring experiences of their Rotary careers! You’ll have the opportunity to meet Rotary International leadership, hear from great speakers and celebrate your district’s efforts to change our world!
But your PETS training doesn’t start and end during the three days we meet in Los Angeles in February. Our Southwest PETS team has expanded and enhanced our website this year to include a comprehensive pre-PETS curriculum using the Rotary Learning Center, virtual classes on a variety to Rotary topics and a Tool Kit of helpful resources available year-round, including once you take office as your club president.
All of those serving on the Southwest PETS team are volunteers. Our only mission is to provide club presidents-elect the training, resources and support they’ll need to be GREAT ROTARY LEADERS!
We look forward to meeting you and working with you as you prepare for your year as president. Again, thank you for accepting a leadership role in Rotary – and we’ll see you in Los Angeles!
Bret McKeand
2025 Chair, Southwest PETS
Past District Governor, District 5495
Member and Past President of the Peoria North Rotary Club (Peoria, Arizona)
Build connection in Taipei
Make new connections and create unforgettable memories at the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei City, where traditional and contemporary culture intertwine beautifully.
Unsure what awaits you at a Rotary International Convention? Explore articles, videos, and photos from past conventions for a sense of their inspirational power. In Taipei, you’ll join fellow changemakers from around the world to share innovative projects, exchange best practices, and form enduring friendships. The convention is packed with exciting breakout sessions, speakers, and more.
Discover Taipei’s many charms and find more opportunities to connect by registering for the Host Organization Committee’s Signature Events.
Unite for good with us at the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan, 13-17 June 2026.
