Get ready for your district governor to visit your club this year! Kathy Shulte (Missoula) is setting up her visit schedule for 2026-27 and your club is on the list. 

“I am eager to speak to all the clubs in District 5390,” says DG Kathy, “And to meet new Rotary members, as well as see familiar faces.” 

Kathy will be contacting clubs to schedule a date for each visit. Needless to say, it's a huge task to schedule all 45 clubs, so grouping clubs that are located not too far from one another is helpful for each outing. District Chief of Staff Victoria Emmons (Missoula) will assist Kathy with communications and preparations for the visits. With the club leadership's assistance, each visit should be welcoming and productive. The DG's inspirational message is important for members to hear, so encourage attendance when Kathy is in town.

 

 

“I have always felt that the more you give to Rotary, the more Rotary gives back to you.”                                     

– District Governor Kathy Schulte, 2026-2027

 

Kathy Schulte has been preparing for three years to take over as governor of Rotary District 5390 on July 1 of this year. Reading her lengthy bio, one might say that Kathy has been preparing for it her entire life. 

“I am truly honored to have been chosen by my fellow Rotarians from across Montana to serve as district governor this year,” Kathy said. “I love Rotary and everything it stands for. The opportunity to serve others, strengthen our communities, and make a difference in people’s lives is incredibly rewarding. I have always felt that the more you give to Rotary, the more Rotary gives back to you.”

MEET DG KATHY

A native of New Jersey, Kathy graduated in 1970 from Ridge High School, Basking Ridge, NJ. She was active as a teenager playing guitar in a church folk band and participating in gymnastics. Kathy was selected as her high school’s Prom Queen and given the “Most Polite” award.

In Fall 1970, she moved to Missoula to attend the University of Montana (UM). After completing two years of college, Kathy married, postponing her degree for 20 years. During that time, she earned her real estate license, worked as a real estate broker and trainer, and transitioned into the banking industry. She also became active in the community. When Kathy later returned to UM, she completed her degree in Business with an emphasis in Finance in 1990.

Kathy began her banking career in residential mortgages as an originator and trainer specializing in federal housing programs. She developed a training program for Western Federal Savings and Loan, which the bank later purchased. After earning her degree, Kathy established a residential mortgage department for a local bank president in exchange for learning commercial lending and continued her banking career until 2016, later earning her Certified Valuation Analyst designation focusing on business evaluation.  

Following personal challenges, including the loss of her parents, her husband’s health, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kathy retired. She remains active in volunteer work today, including Rotary.

DG KATHY’S ROTARY STORY

A Rotary member for more than 20 years, Kathy explained that her first experience with Rotary in 2001 was walking a downtown Missoula sidewalk where she happened upon Betty Wilkins, a member of the Rotary Club of Missoula. When Betty asked where Kathy was headed, she told her she was going to lunch. Betty promptly said, “No, you’re not. You’re going with me to Rotary!” And thus began Kathy’s love affair with Rotary.

Betty sponsored Kathy to join the Rotary Club of Missoula in 2005. Since then, Kathy has taken on countless leadership roles, serving in both her Missoula club and District 5390. She was club treasurer, Foundation chair, club president in 2010-2011, ZAVIT (Zoom-AV-Information Technology) Committee, In Tune Missoula Fundraiser Committee, and participated in countless other community and international projects. A guitarist and singer, Kathy is routinely asked to perform at the Rotary Club of Missoula meetings which offer live music each week. 

Making friends through Rotary is one aspect of membership that Kathy relishes most. Not only meeting new people around Montana, she and her husband Bob hosted a Rotary International Youth Exchange student several years ago and attended his wedding in Pakistan last year. 

“Asad is just like a son to us and a member of the family,” she said about her Rotary Youth Exchange host son, now living in the St. Louis area with his wife, Dr. Farah Chohan.

At the district level, Kathy joined the District Training Committee and helped craft and present PELS workshops for emerging leaders in Rotary clubs throughout Rotary Zones 26/27, which includes a multi-state area of the North American west coast and Canada. She served as secretary of District 5390 and was then tapped in 2023 as a future district governor. 

Kathy is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and a member of the Paul Harris Society, charitable giving categories of The Rotary Foundation named for Rotary’s founder.         

In addition to her Rotary volunteer work, Kathy has served as board chair for a local housing nonprofit for many years. She is the author of the book Pathways to Heaven: 21^st Century Words of Jesus.  

Kathy is the mother of two adult children and grandmother of seven. She says she divides her time between Missoula, where her daughter Jodi lives and works as nursing director of a surgery center, and Columbia Falls, where her son Jesse, a financial advisor, lives. In addition to singing and playing guitar, she enjoys walking, hiking and drying herbs. Kathy and her husband Bob celebrated 26 years together in February 2026.

Our thanks to Betty Wilkins for first introducing this marvelous Rotary leader – District Governor Kathy Schulte -- to Rotary.

 

 

Although Rotary license plates are no longer being issued (but can be purchased if your county still has them in stock), those who have kept their plates continue to help fund our Foundation.  The Foundation is also a great way for those clubs that do not have their own club foundation to accept tax deductible contributions for projects and fundraising. Funds donated to the District Foundation for a club's restricted projects are then returned to the club to meet the intent of the donor. 

Our District 5390 Foundation board includes the current District Foundation Chair, District Governor, District Governor-Elect, District Governor Nominee, Treasurer, Secretary, Immediate Past District Governor and at least one other person who has served at the district level.

 

“I love Rotary and everything it stands for.”                           

– District Governor Kathy Schulte

 

July 25, 2026, MISSOULA, MT – As Past District 5390 Governor Lucy Smith(Kalispell) sang her farewell to Rotarians around Montana, new District 5390 Governor Kathy Schulte (Missoula) quietly launched her official role on July 1.  Rotary District 5390 includes 57 Rotary, Rotaract and Interact clubs throughout Montana. “DG Kathy,” as she is fondly called, has been preparing to step into the governor job for the past three years. 

            “I am truly honored to have been chosen by my fellow Rotarians from across Montana to serve as district governor this year,” Kathy said. “I love Rotary and everything it stands for. The opportunity to serve others, strengthen our communities, and make a difference in people’s lives is incredibly rewarding. I have always felt that the more you give to Rotary, the more Rotary gives back to you.”

            Wasting no time, Rotary District 5390’s newest governor was busy her first day on the job working out bus transportation arrangements for students attending Camp RYLA. She said she attended RYLA on the last day of camp and was very impressed with the caliber of the students and the learning and fun they were all having together. 

LEADERSHIP TEAM

DG Kathy has also been working to complete her leadership team. The 2026-27 District Executive Team includes Immediate Past District Governor Lucy Smith (Kalispell); District Governor-Elect Jeff Langlinais (Townsend); District Governor-Nominee Jackie Vick (Bozeman); and District Treasurer Jim Oates (Polson). 

Assistant/Area Governors for this year are Area 1 – Heather Howlett (Bigfork); Area 2 - Dean Fiedler (Missoula); Area 3 – TBD; Area 4 – Kelly McDermott (Helena); Area 5 – Laura Kuntz(Bozeman Sunrise); Area 6 – Chelle Fried (Great Falls); and Area 7 – PDG Sandy Wong (Billings).

Kathy appointed Victoria Emmons (Missoula) as chief of staff, a new position to serve on the District Executive Team and assist the DG throughout the year. A Rotary member for 34 years, Victoria has served twice as club president, editor of her club newsletter and District 5390’s Big Sky News, member of the district training committee, district lieutenant governor, and chair of the public image committee. 

Other district officers and directors include Chief Inclusion Officer Andy Nelson (Missoula Sunrise); Council on Legislation Mike Mayott (Billings); Finance Committee Kathy Schulte (Missoula); Foundation Chair Bob Minto (Missoula Centennial); Grant Stewardship Brian Furey (Whitefish); Interact Chair Nikki Powers (Anaconda); International Service Chair Mary Hubbard (Bozeman Sunrise); Literacy Project Roy Beekman (Kalispell); Membership Chair Kyle Waterman (Kalispell Daybreak); Ombudsman Emily Rice Anaconda); Paul Harris Society Administrator Roger Barnes(Bozeman Sunrise); Peace and Conflict Resolution Chair Emily Rice (Anaconda); PELS Registrar Matthew Buerkle (Anaconda); Polio Plus Chair Lucy Smith (Kalispell); Protection Officer Mike Mayott(Billings); Public Image Chair Diana Rahdert (Kalispell); District Registrar Matthew Buerkle(Anaconda); RI Convention Chair – Barcelona Jeff Langlinais (Townsend); Risk Manager Barbara Prescott (Bozeman Sunrise); RYLA Chair Jeff Langlinais (Townsend); SW PELS Planning Committee D5390 Representative Barrie Mathews (Miles City); Youth Exchange Committee Mike Mayott (Billings); Youth Exchange Inbound Coordinator Chad Kriskovich (Billings West).

Kathy is still finalizing five district committee chairs. A complete list will be available soon on www.montanarotary.org.

“I am happy that so many outstanding Rotarians have volunteered their time to serve the district and the clubs all around Montana,” said DG Kathy. “Your clubs and their success remain our priority. As your district team, we promise to serve you in the best way possible. Contact any of us whenever you have a question or need advice and we’ll try to head you in the right direction. We’re all in this together.”

Need a graphic of the Rotary logo used with your club name, or the Rotary theme logo for the year, perhaps a black and white version of the wheel or the Interact logo? Rotary International offers Brand Guidelines spelled out in great detail on its website at MyRotary.org. Look for the Brand Center at https://brandcenter.rotary.org/en-us

No other organization is quite like Rotary. By using our voice consistently in all our messaging, we can ensure that our communications reflect our distinct character. (Ref.: MyRotary.org)

Our impact on education 

The Rotary Foundation supports education through scholarships, donations, and service projects around the world.

Rotary members make amazing things happen, like:

Opening schools: In Afghanistan, Rotary members opened a girls’ school to break the cycle of poverty and social imbalance.

Teaching adults to read: Rotary members in the United States partnered with ProLiteracy Detroit to recruit and train tutors after a study showed that more than half of the local adult population was functionally illiterate.

New teaching methods: The SOUNS program in South Africa, Puerto Rico and the United States teaches educators how to improve literacy by teaching children to recognize letters by sounds instead of names.

Making schools healthy: Rotarians are providing clean, fresh water to public schools in Guatemala so students can be healthier and get a better education.

Enhancing educational systems: In Kenya, Rotary clubs are working with the Global Partnership for Education and local and national governments to advance life-long learning opportunities for poor and marginalized children.

Our District 5390 Literacy Project Contact 
For more information on project ideas for your club's Rotary literacy program and a list of resources, watch the video below. The Rotary District 5390 Literacy Project Coordinator is Roy Beekman of Kalispell; contact Roy at beekmanroy@gmail.com.

 

Rotary clubs can support our troops by helping their children experience the generosity of Rotary.

What an impressive way to show how Rotary responds to disaster..... Go to www.rotary.org and search for Shelter Boxes for incredible photos and information!

The District Leadership plan has been updated and is now available. You can download a copy from this site.