BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Rotary Club recently inducted Newfane resident Martin Cohn as its 63rd club president for the 2012-2013 year.
Cohn is president of Cohn Public Relations, a full-service public relations firm based in Brattleboro.
Rotary Club members serving as officers with Cohn this year are president-elect Stacy Kritsas of Stacy Automotive Center, secretary Jeff Hagstrom of Newton Business, treasurer Jolene Belair of Hampton Inn, vice president June Howe of Raptor Trading, and immediate past president Liz Harrison of Nutrition Education Services.
Active in the Brattleboro Rotary Club since August 2005, Cohn has served on the board for the past four years. Last year, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Brattleboro Rotary Club.
The Paul Harris Fellowship Award, named after the founder of Rotary International, is one of the highest honors Rotary can bestow upon a person. Recipients exemplify the highest ideal in Rotary in placing “Service Above Self.”
Cohn produces the club's Annual International Film Festival, which raises funds for international projects, and chairs the annual Indoor Mini-Golf Tournament.
Cohn has been practicing public relations for more than 35 years for a wide variety of clients. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in public relations from Boston University. He is immediate past president of the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community and served on the board of the Arts Council of Windham County. He is married and has two daughters.
Founded in 1950, the Brattleboro Rotary Club is an active community service club of about 80 members. Every year, the club awards tens of thousands of dollars to the greater Brattleboro area, including scholarships for local high school seniors; awards to support more than 30 local community organizations; and support to various community projects for playground equipment, snowmaking guns, ice rink bleachers, a water park at Living Memorial Park, and the new West River Park on Route 30.
The funds are raised through the club's annual Christmas Tree Sale, Charity Golf Tournament, International Film and Food Festival, and other fundraising endeavors.
The Brattleboro Rotary Club meets every Thursday at 12:15 p.m. at the Brattleboro Country Club on Upper Dummerston Road during the summer, and at the VFW Post on Black Mountain Road the rest of the year. For more information, visit www.BrattleboroRotaryClub.org, or contact Cohn at martin@cohnpr.com.