By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
She made the 216-mile, three-and-a half hour trek from Pikeville to Covington to address the Covington Rotary Club this week at the Radisson Hotel.
Seema Sachdeva calls her speech, The Power of Rotary.
She has no script – and doesn’t need one. She’s done this routine before – many times before.
As Rotary District 6740 District Governor, Seema Sachdeva travels to the 36-plus Rotary Clubs from Lexington and East in the Commonwealth. And if that’s not impressive, well try this.
Rotarian Ken Harper, Dr. Sachdeva, and Rotary President Florence Tandy.
Sachdeva – make that Dr. Sachdeva – is a practicing pediatrician with specialty training in pediatric emergency medicine. She has been serving the pediatric needs of children in Eastern Kentucky for over 25 years. Presently, she is the Founding Vice-Chair and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the
University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine since 1997.
She follows the four-way Rotary test to a tee:
• Is it the truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
“My goal has always been to help others and care for children,” she told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “And, as for Rotary it’s very dear to me.”
So much so, she’s traveling across the Commonwealth to increase Rotary membership.
“We lost close to 250 members during the pandemic,” she said, “Our goal now, is a 10 percent increase across the board.”
Sachdeva says she not only would like to see more members, but younger ones as well.
“And women,” she said, “By June 30, I’d like to see a 30 percent increase.”
Dr. Seema Sachdeva
A passionate member of Rotary Club of Pikeville, she served as the President in 2007-08 and Assistant District Governor from 2008-11. She founded and sponsored Rotary Youth Leadership Program for Pikeville from 2003-13. In 2006, she founded and organized International Dinner – now called, The Taste of the
World. It continues to be the largest annual fundraiser for the Pikeville Club.
“I’ve always wanted to work in my District,” she said, “For my youth.”
Sachdeva said the Rotary Foundation raised some $434 Million and responded with 225 disaster response grants in the Commonwealth after the tornado destroyed parts of Western Kentucky.
“We had three phases for the response,” she explained. “In the first month we gave out
$150 gift cards; next we gave students in the region cards worth $250.”
Then, she said, 250 space-heaters were purchased.
“We had an additional $7,500,” she said, “and that money was split between two schools in the region.”
That’s the Power of Rotary.
When the region was hurting for clean water, Rotary was there for new septic tanks – with some $25,000. And when Turkey was recently devastated by a recent earthquake – 80 percent of their hospitals were destroyed – Rotary International stepped in with $300,000 to establish a clinic/hospital situation.
“The district contributed $10,000 for that effort,” Sachdeva said.
Facilitating a multitude of global grants in areas of maternal and child health, water and sanitation, and literacy promotion is noting new for Sachdeva. She is passionately devoted to the Empowering Girls Initiative and led a successful symposium on Empowering Girls of Appalachia, sponsored by the Pikeville Club.
She is married to a fellow Rotarian and PDG Rakesh Sachdeva, MD. They are Rotary International Foundation Major donors and Benefactors of the Rotary Foundation.
That’s Rotary Power.
She’ll continue to take her message to Rotary Clubs in the Commonwealth.
