It is with great pleasure I announce that the District Nominating Committee has interviewed and chosen Ralph Brandt of the Rotary Club of Bloomfield, New York as the District Governor Nominee Designate. Ralph has graciously accepted the invitation to serve and has already begun her training as a member of the DG Track to serve as District Governor in the Rotary year 2022-2023.
Since joining the Bloomfield Rotary Club in 1991, he has served as 3 terms as President and 2 half-year terms. His Rotary career includes serving as Treasurer and Secretary and as a Board member for 27 years. More recently, Ralph has also served as the Assistant Governor for Area 5 for 3 years.
He is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and recipient of many club awards. Ralph has also been on the Board of RL (Rotary-Lions) Concessions for 28 years.
After graduating from Syracuse University, Utica College he accepted a position at Eastman Kodak. Realizing he and the corporate world were not ready for each other he went on to be a partner in The Firehouse and Shuffletons restaurants in Cleveland, Ohio for the next 13 years.
When his daughter Lauren was starting kindergarten, he wanted to be available for her school experience. This resulted in leaving the restaurant business and moving to Canandaigua, NY, to purchase a Manufacturing Representative business.
Ralph spent the next 26 years representing companies in plastic packaging. During that period, he was a Board member, Officer, President and Chair of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP). Ralph is a Fellow, Lifetime Certified Packaging Professional and Lifetime Honorary Member of IoPP.
Ralph also served the Town of Canandaigua by serving 9 years on the ZBA, 2 years as Chairperson, 16 years on the Town Board and10 years as Deputy Supervisor. He currently is a member of the Ontario County Board of Ethics.
While working at a restaurant Ralph met the love of his life Janet and they were married for 46 years. Janet passed away from complications of Leukemia in March of 2019. Ralph resides in Canandaigua, NY with his daughter Lauren and son-in-law Brian, both Bloomfield Rotarians.
Ralph looks forward to the challenge of ensuring District 7120 has the members needed to meet Rotary’s mission globally, in our communities and in ourselves.