Keely Respass Is '24-'25 Secaucus Rotary Club President

SECAUCUS, NJ — Keely Respass was just named the 2024-25 president of Secaucus Rotary Club. She is the first African-American woman to be named president of the Secaucus Rotary, and she calls it "an honor, as Rotary is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion of women in leadership roles."

Rotary is a civic and business club that is open to all Secaucus residents and business owners in town. They have weekly club meetings at La Reggia, hold social events and also raise money for charities and children in town. If you are interested in joining Rotary, learn more here: https://secaucusrotary.org/

They also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Rotar...

As Respass says "We’re the best-kept secret in town!"

A big part of Rotary is volunteering to help the less fortunate: Respass has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Hudson County, supporting children in foster care. In 2023, she was featured as a keynote speaker for New Jersey City University ASCEND program. In 2016, she produced the first-ever Rotary Club of Jersey City Food Truck and Music Fest, which featured 31 food trucks, 11 bands & artists and 25 community organizations.

A 20-year resident of New Jersey, Respass has a 27-year career in event management planning, program development, marketing and promotions.

Currently, she works as a partner renewals representative at GoTo Technologies, where she serves as a “Mission Possible” Global Service Officer and is a member of both the “Black Experience” leadership team and the “GoTo Gives” social responsibility leadership team.

In past, she's worked for the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden and Court TV. Additionally, Keely is a business artist representative for Justin Lyons, the lead guitarist for Machine Gun Kelly, and she is also co-founder and creative producer of a documentary film company.

In addition to being the '24-'25 Secaucus Rotary President, Respass also co-chairs The Rotarians Combating Human Trafficking and Slavery committee in Rotary District 7490. She was honored as the “Rotarian of the Year” in 2018-2019.

Respass is a Seattle Seahawk fan and true-blue New York Rangers hockey fan.

Respass is not afraid to admit she is a go getter.

"While encouraging a friend, just a few weeks out of her nursing school graduation, to pursue a Ph.D. in nursing and work for the United Nations, she laughed and called me 'extra,'" shares Respass. "I replied, 'What’s the point if you’re not going to dream big? Why settle for less when you’re so much greater?' And as Wayne Gretzky famously said, 'You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.'"