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2024-25 District Governor Paul Thompson
Paul Thompson has served as President of the Hershey Rotary Club, a member of the District Global Grant Scholarship Committee, and has been extensively involved with the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.
Paul and his Rotarian wife, Maria, have four children who have all participated in community and global service projects. Two were outbound exchange students, and the Thompson family has hosted eleven inbound students. In community activities, Paul has served as President of the Hershey Historical Society and Chairman of the Hershey Area Playhouse.
Paul’s academic degrees include a Master of Security Studies, a Juris Doctorate and Master of Jurisprudence, and a Doctorate of Law and Policy. He has travelled to seven continents, resided abroad for extended periods, and is conversant in German, French, and Turkish.
Paul served in career military assignments as a Naval Officer on Amphibious deployment in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, as attache at the U.S. Embassy in Turkey, as a JAGC officer in trial and appellate military justice positions, as senior counsel to the Chief of Naval Operations, and as Executive Assistant to three National Security Advisors at the National Security Council.
Most recently, Paul served as a Professor of Law and National Security at the National War College, and as Associate Professor of Homeland Security at Penn State University.
Paul and Maria are Paul Harris Fellows and Major Donors.
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2025-26 District Governor Mary Brunski
A Rotary member since 2013, Mary has worked in Employee Communications, Services Marketing, as a Pennsylvania Guest Teacher and now in Financial Services. She owns Demeter Financial Services where she provides financial advice, health insurance and Medicare insurance guidance.
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, she moved with her mom to Ohio where she graduated from high school and then attended The Ohio State University. She earned a BS in Communications and Economics before moving to Dallas, Texas with her husband Paul. Much of her work there was in marketing for Architectural, Engineering and Construction Companies. They moved back to Pennsylvania with their two children to be near family.
Mary has been active in the community since moving to Carlisle, volunteering and serving on the Boards of the Amelia S Givin Library, the Helen O Krause Animal Foundation, American Association of University Women and of course, Rotary. She was an Assistant Leader for a local Girl Scout troop, helping four girls achieve the highest award of Gold.
Her focus is now her business, Rotary and continuing to learn new things. Her current favorite quote is: "At the end of life, what really matters is not what we bought but what we built; not what we got but what we shared; not our competence but our character; and not our success, but our significance. Live a life that matters. Live a life of love." Unknown
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2026-2027 District Governor Rebecca Zalit
Becky is a proud native of the Lehigh Valley, hailing from Allentown, PA. She ventured to Central Pennsylvania for her college education and completed her undergraduate degree at Millersville University. Following this, Becky embarked on a professional journey that led her to public schools in Augusta, GA, before finding her way back to the Hershey Area, where she currently resides in Palmyra with her husband, Doug.
Dedicating her career to the service of children and families in the field of Early Childhood Education, Becky boasts over fourteen years of experience. Her professional trajectory has included various teaching roles and leadership as a childcare center director. Presently, Becky holds a Lead Teacher position with Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning.
Becky's involvement with Rotary began with an alternate meeting hosted by the Rotary Club of Palmyra in 2018. Since joining, she served as Club President for two consecutive years. At the district level, she currently holds the position of Assistant Governor for Group C. Additionally, Becky actively contributes to various committees, including the District DEI Committee, Safety Committee, and Four-Way Speech Contest Committee. She is a member of the Paul Harris Society.
Educationally, Becky is a graduate of Millersville University, holding a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She has also earned a Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Pedagogy from the University of Colorado. Her qualifications include Pennsylvania Teaching Certificates for Kindergarten through 6th grade and Nursery through Kindergarten, along with a Pennsylvania Director’s Credential.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Becky enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, volunteering, and exploring new facets of her community.
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2023-24 Immediate Past District Governor Frederick J. Gellert
Fred hails from Detroit Michigan and served 30 years as a US Army officer. A teaching assignment to the Army War College brought Fred to Pennsylvania in 2012 and he now resides in Middlesex Township (Carlisle area). Fred retired from the Army War College as an Army civilian instructor in July 2023.
Fred’s Rotary journey began through his mother Judy Garver who was a District Governor in D6380 in Southeastern Michigan. He joined Rotary in September 2012 and is a member of the Carlisle Sunrise club. In the club, he served as the membership chairman and as the club president (2018-2019). At the district level, he has served as the Area Membership Chair and later the Assistant Governor for Group A. He is presently the District Governor-elect for District 7390 (South-Central PA). He is a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute (2017) and has attended Rotary Zone and International conventions. He is a member of the Paul Harris Society, the Polio Plus Society, and is a Major Donor.
Fred holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from Wayne State University, a Master’s Degree in Astrophysics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College. He has been awarded the Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Service awards by the U.S. Army War College. He was awarded the Army's Pace Leadership Award by the Secretary of the Army in 2005.
Fred and his wife Donna have been married for 38 years. They have two adult sons, the oldest is an Army veteran and now in nursing and the youngest is in the molecular biology research field. Fred is involved in Boy Scouts and teaches firearm safety courses in the local community. He is an avid skeet shooter and enjoys woodworking as hobbies.
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District Rotary Foundation Chair Kathleen Stoup
Kathleen Stoup has been a member of the Rotary Club of Carlisle for more than 25 years. She served as President of that Club in 2017-2018. She and her oral surgeon husband (Charles - Rotary Club of Carlisle Sunrise) have made more than 20 trips to Kenya, primarily volunteering for a month each year at a Rotary dental clinic in a remote area of that country. They have also led major matching grant and global grant projects providing water and economic development to poor communities in Kenya. Building Friendships has been a vital part of their international commitment.
In 2011 Kathleen served as team leader for the District 7390 Group Study Exchange trip to Singapore and Malaysia.
She served ten years as Co-chair of the District 7390 Global Grants Subcommittee and for two years as District International Service Chair and Peace Fellowship Chair.
Both Kathleen and Charles are separate recipients of the prestigious Rotary International “Service Above Self Award”.
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District Executive Administrator Melissa M. Kopp-Smith
Melissa began working for Rotary District 7390 in April of 2007. Her job includes supporting the District Governor and District Leadership team, working with Youth Exchange, RYLA, all Club Presidents and secretaries, website updates, event planning and so much more! Prior to working for Rotary, she worked as a church secretary and the secretary to the principal at a local high school.
Melissa is a PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) official for Track & Field and served as the White Rose Chapter president in 2002-2004. She is a member of VFW Post 8896 Auxiliary in East Berlin and has served as President five times. Melissa is the Wreaths Across America Location coordinator for East Berlin Union Cemetery, Trinity Roth's United Church of Christ, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. She is also the chair of the Wreaths Across America committee at East Berlin VFW. Melissa was the Charter President of the District 7390 Passport Rotary Club where she served from 2020-2022. Melissa was committee chair for Cub Scout Pack 94 in Shiloh and now serves as the Cubmaster.
Her interests include riding motorcycles, hiking, gardening, running and reading books. Melissa lives in York with her husband Brian and son Andrew.
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