ROBERT HUFFMAN

RRobert Huffman is an active community member, incredible philanthropist, and deeply dedicated Rotarian. Every room he walks into is instantly brighter. Regarding community service, not only does he talk the talk- he walks the walk.

Robert regularly inspires us to be better, more passionate community members. Recently we got the chance to chat about what he has been up to lately.

Where are you from, and why did you choose Clarksville? What do you do, professionally?

My first military assignment was to Fort Campbell in 1978, I was fortunate enough to spend 15+ years assigned to Fort Campbell. When we elected to retire in 2007, Montgomery County is where we felt most at home. We have built a home on a small parcel of land where we enjoy entertaining friends.

You are incredibly involved philanthropically; what organizations are you a part of?

Immediately, after retiring I was serving on a number of boards or associations, my commitment was a mile wide an inch deep. As my involvement in Rotary grew so did the realization that we Rotarians could serve all of these various groups via Rotary’s areas of focus. Slowly, I extricated myself from these other various commitments to focus on getting deeply involved in Rotary.

What accomplishment are you most proud

of? 1. Donna and I have been married for almost 37 years. Donna brings so many blessings to our lives, she is the best partner, friend and teammate in life. Donna comes first in all consideration; we are a team in all we do. 2. I’m very proud of having been an Army Aviator, and becoming a Chief Warrant Officer Five but that doesn’t define who I am today. 3. Within Rotary being the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Chair since 2011 has reaffirmed my faith in America’s youth. We have this tremendous generation of young adults developing their leadership skills to serve their communities in a selfless manner. As a Rotary Club President, Betty Burchett, Leo Jordan, Jeff Groves and I we able to complete the Heritage Park Rotary Splash Pad and two all-inclusive playgrounds. We partnered with Mark Tummons the City Parks Department and Sarah Swartz from the Montgomery County Community Health Foundation on this project. This all-inclusive playground has become the catalyst for our Rotary Field of Dreams in Civitan Park, Smyrna Rotary Clubs new allinclusive playground in Freedom Park and Brentwood’s two all-inclusive playgrounds. We demonstrated that partnerships with governmental and non-governmental agencies work for the betterment of our communities.

You just finished a banner year as District Governor for Rotary, how long have you been a Rotarian?

I’ve only been a Rotarian since 2008 when Jeannie Beauchamp extended an invitation to join her Rotary Club. Serving our Rotary District’s 62 Clubs and 3500 Rotarians was truly a tremendous opportunity. That our Rotarians are the only District that earned the Rotary International Presidential Citation of Excellence within our Zone of 31 Districts is a testament to all our District did prior to and in the early months of COVID. Our Million Dollar Dinner was a legacy event for our Rotarians to build an endowment that will serve Middle and Western Tennessee in the years ahead. To think that we planted that seed together is satisfying.

Why are you passionate about Rotary?

Look around our community and you see a dedicated Rotarian at work making Montgomery County a better place to live, work and thrive. Rotarians are on the cusp of eradicating Polio from the face of the earth, only the second disease behind Small Pox to be eradicated. We only know of two confirmed cases of the Wild Polio Virus this year, one in Afghanistan and another in Pakistan. Imagine being a part of ensuring that another child isn’t paralyzed by Polio and playing a small role in making this happen. What an amazing accomplishment it will be.

Your Mountains to Sea sojourn is simply awe inspiring. What was the catalyst to embarking on this adventure?

Boy Scouting introduced me to hiking or trekking. Walking the AT immediately after retirement was something we had discussed, God had other plans for me.

What have you learned from your journey?

I’m learning that if something doesn’t bring positive value or joy to our lives that it isn’t worth doing.

What has been the most challenging part?

Having my trail buddy break his foot and reorganizing this as a solo trip.

What has been your favorite, most rewarding part thus far?

Being unplugged and focused on the beauty around us. Climbing 5000+ foot mountains with a full pack is strenuous, seeing the views are such a reward. If we can raise awareness of Rotary’s Polio Eradication efforts that is an added bonus.

What do you think is next for Rotarians to take on?

If we Rotarians and our partners can eradicate Polio, what can’t we do next? On a local level, our Rotarians will continue to make Montgomery County a better place to live, work and thrive.