Larry Lunsford Named President-Nominee for 2027-2028
EVANSTON, Ill., USA (Sept. 15, 2025) — Larry A. Lunsford, member of the Rotary Club of Kansas City-Plaza, Mo., was today confirmed as president-nominee of Rotary International – the association of the membership service organization’s 45,000 clubs worldwide – and will begin his one-year term on July 1, 2027.
Lunsford, a member of Rotary since 1991, is committed to inspiring Rotary’s 1.2 million members across continents and cultures to deliver real, long-term solutions to the world’s most persistent issues, while building professional and leadership skills through meaningful connections.
From fighting disease to supporting education – Rotary members work toward building the optimal conditions for more peaceful and resilient societies. “Our greatest strength lies in our ability to unite people of all cultures and generations through a shared commitment to doing good,” said Lunsford. “We exist without borders and boundaries, and we see each other as part of our collective Rotary family. I am inspired by our members’ relentless belief that peace is possible and will encourage them to continue to be the torchbearers of hope. Our world needs this today, more than ever.”
Rotary members throughout the world develop and implement sustainable, community-driven projects that fight disease, promote peace, provide clean water, support education, save mothers and children, grow local economies and protect the environment. More than US$5.5 billion has been awarded through The Rotary Foundation – Rotary’s charitable arm that helps clubs work together to perform meaningful, impactful service – to support these initiatives over the last 100 years.
Lunsford will also oversee Rotary’s top goal of ending polio. Alongside its Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, Rotary has achieved a 99.9 percent reduction in polio cases, and contributed more than US$2.9 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 3 billion children from this paralyzing disease.
About Larry Lunsford:
A certified public accountant, Lunsford spent seven years working for Ernst & Young before joining a family-owned business, Bernstein-Rein Advertising, in 1990. He is currently executive vice president and chief financial officer for the Bernstein group of companies.
Lunsford is currently on the boards of Global Ties KC and the Church of the Resurrection Foundation. Previously, he has held positions on the boards of the Kansas City Spirit Festival and the Variety Club as well as serving as director of a local bank and treasurer of the Epilepsy Foundation for the Heart of America. He has also served on Truman State University’s alumni and foundation boards and received the university’s Distinguished Service Award.
Born and raised in Macon, Mo., Lunsford attended Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., on an academic scholarship, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. He first encountered Rotary when he received a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship to spend the 1981-82 academic year at the University of Newcastle in Australia.
About Rotary: Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary connects 1.2 million people of action from more than 45,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit rotary.org.
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Contact: Michael VanDam, +1-312-375-0872, michael.vandam@rotary.org