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Community Connection
Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: December - 2022
For Rotarian Dave O’Harra, “coming home” to Highlands meant getting involved directly in the life of the community.
Cindy Alewine and Dave O’Harra
When Dave O’Harra first traversed Highlands’ Main Street in 1986, he felt “at home,” and he began visiting the town until he decided to relocate from Florida in 2013 and become a full-time resident. However, it was important to him to not only live in Highlands, but to become fully invested.
The Indiana-born O’Harra, though currently retired, is one of the founding members of the Cullasaja Club. Since his father and grandfather were Rotarians, he decided that joining the Rotary Club of Highlands in 2018 would be an excellent way to truly plug into the Highlands community.
“I learned from a (former) associate pastor at the Methodist church what makes this community work,” said O’Harra. “She said, ‘Coming together in unity and making things happen.’ And that truly is the spirit of our Club. I felt that becoming a Rotarian would be a good way to give back to the community and get to know people – the police chief, publication editors, the mayor, educators, organization leaders, and so many business owners in town who are in partnership with the Club on projects. So many people make this community work, and I wanted to be one of those.”
Even though O’Harra is well-traveled, having visited all 50 states and many countries, he expressed, “There is no question that I am in the best place. It’s hard to describe this community, but it is certainly very special.”
A year after O’Harra became a Rotarian, he was asked to head the public image committee, which he did for two years. “Then I was asked to be the president nominee and then president-elect, which is what I am now. I will become president in July 2023.”
Overseeing the Public Image Committee truly connected him with the community in that he was tasked with putting out weekly press releases to newspapers and radio stations about meetings, speakers, topics, as well as communicating Rotary activities to the community
Regarding the Rotary Club of Highlands, O’Harra said it is currently a 90-plus member organization, with more members added recently.
And even though Rotary is an international and regional entity, he pointed out, “We focus on our local community and have for 77 years. In fact, we are very involved in the Highlands School, The Literacy Council, Food Pantry, and so much more. We do so much in terms of meeting needs and making this a better place to live.”
