Wednesday, June 23, 2021
By: Whitney Ashe DollClub member Whitney Doll shares about her background and connection to Rotary.
When I moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 2006, I discovered something about myself that I hadn’t previously known – I love the urban life. I grew up in many different U.S. states, including California, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania, but always in suburban or rural areas. Moving to D.C., I was amazed and excited by the culture, food, and activities available.
I’ve worked in communications, fundraising, and marketing for a number of nonprofits. Today I am the Executive Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives for the International Code Council, a nonprofit membership association that develops the building safety codes used in all 50 U.S. states and many other countries. I’ve learned so much about building safety over the past four years, which has been incredibly rewarding. Although we spend much of our time in buildings, most of us know very little about how they are built and the rules that keep us safe.
In a normal year, I travel quite a bit for my job, and I don’t get the chance to attend Rotary meetings as much as I’d like. But, Rotary has been an important part of my life for many years. When I was a teenager, my mom joined her local Rotary Club in Pennsylvania and was a very active member helping to run the youth exchange program. My parents had many exchange students in their house over the years, and my sister spent a year abroad in Belgium at the age of 16 through Rotary.
A few years ago, my husband took a temporary assignment in rural Nevada and we moved there for 3 years. During that time, he joined Rotary and invited me to join as well. I jumped at the chance! When we moved back to D.C., I transferred my membership to the D.C. Rotary Club, and I’ve been a proud member of this club for about 4 years.
In addition to my husband, I live with my 5-year-old son. Most weekends find us exploring our backyard, our neighborhood, and our larger community. We like to take bike rides, visit museums, hike, and bake. And, we all love to travel and hope that the circumstances during 2022 allow us to continue exploring the world together.Read More