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DOWAGIAC — Thursday’s Dowagiac Rotary Club meeting marked the end of the Rotary year and the beginning of a new era.

The club welcomed Steve Zebell as its new president during its weekly meeting.

Zebell will serve as president from July 2023 through June 2024. A president-elect, who has yet to be chosen, will take his place as president in July 2024.

Zebell will assume his duties next week in the stead of outgoing president Walter Swann, who conducted his last meeting as president by welcoming the new president into the fold.

“You have done so much for the club without being asked to,” Swann said. “You have the club really moving forward and my desire is to work with you and help you. Hopefully, we can get young people involved and continue to move this club forward.”

Zebell has called Dowagiac home for more than 20 years. He works at Starks Family Funeral Homes and co-owns Rosy Tomorrows, 120 S. Front St., with his wife, Claudia. During his term as president, he aims to engage community organizations to spread the word about Rotary as well as working with the youth.

“I’m really excited to be part of the organization,” he said. “I like the idea of being able to think globally and act locally. I’ve spent the last 12 months talking to a variety of organizations and individuals in the community to see who Rotary can partner with to keep the legacy of community development available and to the keep the projects of community service, both on a local level, and raise the awareness of Rotary in the three county areas and then to be involved in global projects as well. It’s a very exciting position.”