Barbara Risher Welch - RRIMC Zone 26 2007-2010

Barbara was President of the Montebello Rotary Club in 1996-1997 and was the first woman President in the history of the club since its charter in 1924. She joined the Montebello Rotary Club in 1991 and has had perfect attendance ever since her induction. She is very proud of the fact that her father is also a Past President of the same club in 1973-74 and reached 46 years of perfect attendance.

Barbara held numerous board positions within her club. At the district level, she has held the office of Assistant Governor, District Community Service Chair, RYLA Chair and RYLA committee, District Governor nominating committee and fundraising committee, and finally District Governor for District 5300 in 2003-2004. She was one of the organizers of the first District 5300 Teen Leadership Camp in 2000, a RYLA camp for 8th grade students.

Barbara is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, a Rotary Foundation Benefactor and began the Paul Harris Society in District 5300, and has been a member since 2004. She is a PRLS recipient, Rotarian of the Year for 3 years, and is on the District 5300 Board of Governors. Barbara was the Rotary International Membership Coordinator (RIMZC) for Zone 24 from 2004-2006 and is currently serving a 3 year term as Regional Rotary International Membership Coordinator (RRIMC) for Zone 26. She has served on the faculty for the Governor Elect Training Seminar (GETS) for Zones 23 and 24 from 2005 to present, a trainer for the 2006 Southern California/Nevada President Elect Training Seminar (PETS), and has been on the Zone 23/24 Institute committee for 2 years.

Barbara recently was a member of the Host Organizing Committee for the RI convention in Los Angeles. During her Governor year she led the first district-wide service project to Puerta Vallarta to deliver containers of wheelchairs through the Wheelchair Foundation. Barbara has had the distinct honor of representing RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar at the District 6600 Conference in Ohio and RI President Wilf Wilkinson at the District 5830 Conference in Texas.

Barbara was raised in Montebello and lived there until 1992 when she and her husband and children moved to Seal Beach. She attended UCLA after high school, transferred to CSULA where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1981. Barbara works as an emergency room RN in Montebello, though her main profession is working in her family's funeral home, Risher Montebello Mortuary as a licensed funeral director.

Barbara is also involved in her community as a member of the Montebello Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and past Chairwoman. She was also the Chairwoman of the Montebello Chamber Ambassadors. Barbara is in her 2nd term as President of the Beverly Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, a Beverly Hospital guild member, and was a charter member of the Business and Education Partnership Foundation. Barbara also assists with both of her daughter’s Girls Scout troops, and was an AWANA leader for her children's youth group at church.

Barbara and Greg were married in 1982 and have four children, Nathan, Zachary, Kaylie and Jenna ranging in age from 12-21 years. Together they have traveled to nine Rotary International conventions, and Nathan had the privilege of riding on the Rotary Rose Parade Float as a RYLA student in 2004. As a family they enjoy snow skiing, water skiing, wakeboarding, scuba diving and motorcycle dirt bike riding. She also enjoys playing tennis, running, kickboxing, scrapbooking and being a soccer mom.