TUCSON, ARIZONA -- The Rotary Club of Tucson is returning to Downtown for its weekly lunch meetings. The Club started downtown 100 years ago.
The Rotary Club of Tucson is the largest in the State of Arizona (dwarfing anything in Phoenix). It is also the 38th largest Rotary club in the United States. Out of 35,000 (yes, 35,000) Rotary clubs in the universe, it is the 53rd largest. There are a dozen Rotary Clubs in metro Tucson but for perspective, the Rotary Club of Tucson is larger than all five Clubs found in Northwest Tucson combined.
Just to be clear, the Rotary Club of Tucson did not actually leave downtown, downtown left the Club when the Central Business District grew old and tired. It was at that time the Club moved to the Doubletree Hotel on Alvernon, about 40 years ago, for its weekly meetings. Given the pandemic, the Club has not met at that venue either in over a year.
After an exhaustive search in which 12 venues were considered, the finalists were Westward Look, Hilton East, and the Tucson Convention Center. All were field tested by Club members by holding a few meetings at each.
This historic move back to its birthplace coincides with Mark Irvin becoming the Rotary Club of Tucson’s 100th President on July 1st. Seems fitting since there is no one more dedicated to the revitalization of downtown than Irvin, who serves as Vice-Chairman / Secretary and the longest tenured board member of the Rio Nuevo District that has played a vital role in bringing Downtown Tucson back to life.
Irvin is Managing Member of Mark Irvin Commercial Real Estate Services and holds professional designations as both a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and Society of Industrial and Office Member (SIOR) Office Designate. He has held both designations for 25 plus years and was the first to hold both in Tucson.
Irvin is engaged in many charitable and professional organizations in various leadership positions including, the Metro Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Club of Tucson, Pima Community College Foundation and is an Honorary Commander at Davis Monthan Air Force Base as well as a Co-Founder of the Arizona Bowl.
To learn more about what's happening with the Rotary Club of Tucson go to https://www.tucsonrotary.org/