Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) —  A new Rotary club is offering young professionals along the Alabama Gulf Coast a more accessible way to serve their community. Rotary District 6880 launched YoPros, a first-of-its-kind club designed for professionals ages 21 to 45. The Gulf Shores-Orange Beach Rotary Club sponsors the club. Twenty-one founding members were inducted into the new organization, marking a new chapter for Rotary in the region.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 21 young professionals were officially inducted into YoPros during a ceremony in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area. Penny Hughey, Lower Alabama Rotary District 6880 Governor Nominee, created the club. Hughey designed the club to remove barriers that often keep younger adults from joining traditional Rotary clubs.

YoPros members pay $25 per month, with an automatic payment option available. Members meet in person once a month rather than weekly and stay connected between meetings via a texting platform. Despite the flexible structure, members retain full Rotary status and receive the same benefits as traditional Rotarians.

Hughey said she had heard concerns for years about declining Rotary membership as longtime members age and fewer young professionals join traditional clubs. Rather than simply pointing out the problem, she built a new model around the schedules and realities of today's generation.

"Traditions are great, but you also need to adapt and change with the times if you want your organization to continue to grow," said Hughey. "We need young professionals at the table now, not 20 years from now, if we want Rotary's incredible legacy of service to continue for another 121 years."

Steve Weaver, District Governor of Rotary District 6880, said, "In every club visit this year, I've talked about opening new doors to Rotary, because the people who want to serve are already out there. Our job is to build a door they can walk through,". "YoPros is exactly that kind of door. Rotary does too much good in our communities and around the world for us not to plan for its future. Penny and these 21 young professionals aren't waiting for that future. They're building it now, and I couldn't be prouder of them."

The 21 inaugural members have already volunteered to support two local organizations' fundraising events in the coming weeks. The group is also developing additional hands-on service projects across the community. In addition, GS/OB YoPros is working on a Rotary Global Grant project that could benefit the area's tourism economy, environment, and fishing and diving industries, as well as storm-surge protection.

YoPros' vision extends beyond the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area. The club has created a blueprint other Rotary clubs can follow, with the goal of launching additional YoPros clubs throughout District 6880's Lower Alabama region and, eventually, across the United States.

"This isn't simply about starting one new Rotary club," Hughey said. "It's about creating a model that can be replicated and giving the next generation an opportunity to become part of an organization that has been serving communities for more than a century."

Founded in Chicago in 1905, Rotary has spent 121 years connecting community and business leaders around the principle of "Service Above Self." The organization now has more than one million members worldwide who work on initiatives ranging from eradicating polio and providing clean water to supporting education, health, and economic development.

The founding members of GS/OB YoPros are:

• JP Midkiff, Chairman
• Samantha Harris, Secretary & Chair-Elect
• Candice Martinez, Treasurer & Chair Nominee
• Amanda Jeppson, Public Relations & Social Media
• Tara Fitzsimmons, Membership Chair
• Captain Ty Flemming, Leadership Team Member
• Raphael Martinez, Leadership Team Member
• Aaron Jackson
• Adam Creasey
• Alicia Watts
• Amanda Creasey
• Amy Crawford
• Chance Mancuso
• Christopher Dickhute
• Cole Walker
• David Hancox
• Dylan Roeck
• Emily Freeman
• Jared Herrell
• Shelby Mancuso
• Tyler Morgan

Young professionals interested in joining YoPros can contact Penny Hughey at PennyPHughey@gmail.com for additional information.