Liz Link to lead Rotary Club of Eureka, seeks younger members

Liz Link took over as president of the Rotary Club of Eureka for the 2026-27 Rotary year, and she is using the job to push the century-old club toward a more public, more youth-focused role in Humboldt County. Link is a retired U.S. Postal Service postmaster who now works as a commercial specialist and community liaison for Six Rivers Solar, where she helps local businesses and builds relationships across the community.

Her presidential message, “Building Something Beautiful Together,” matches Rotary International’s 2026-27 theme, “Create Lasting Impact,” and both point toward the same goal: making the club easier to see and easier for younger residents to join. That matters in Eureka, where Rotary has long been part of the civic fabric but can still feel like an institution built around existing networks rather than new faces.

The club says it is confronting a familiar membership problem. A 2025 survey it cites found that only about one-third of people under 40 had heard of Rotary, even though many younger adults say they want ways to give back locally. Rotary International makes the same point in its outreach materials, saying only 5% of its members are under age 40 and that clubs need to do a better job explaining their value, their connections and the service opportunities they offer.

That has made visibility part of the club’s strategy. Link and other Rotarians want the club to show up more often at community events and build a clearer case for people who do not already have family ties to Rotary. The broader organization is also trying to grow, with a goal of reaching 1.25 million Rotarians and more than 125,000 Rotaractors by 2030.

The club’s recent grantmaking shows the kind of local work that could anchor that effort. In January 2026, Rotary Club of Eureka awarded $1,600 to the Humboldt Bay Rowing Association for a youth rowing program. In June 2026, it gave $1,700 to Play Street for a new multi-sensory play and education center, and $1,000 to support the Redwood Rafters youth team. Those awards all came while Dale Warmuth was still listed as club president, and they suggest the next chapter will build on projects that are tangible enough for residents to see in youth sports, play spaces and other hands-on services.

Founded in 1923, the Rotary Club of Eureka meets Mondays at noon at the Inn at 2nd and C. Link’s leadership comes at a moment when the club is trying to keep that legacy visible, relevant and open to a new generation of people who want a direct way to help their neighbors.