Bret Hrbek new president of Rotary Club of Front Royal

Bret Hrbek, a 19-year member of the Rotary Club of Front Royal, was sworn in as its president by retiring president Kym Crump, who administered the oath of office at the club’s regular weekly meeting June 28

Hrbek, active on various key Rotary committees “since day one,” is perhaps best known for his continued leadership of the “Doc” Smith Christmas Basket Project, benefiting needy community families with door-to-door deliveries of seasonal gifts and food for the past 17 years.

In addition, he is a former president of Front Royal-Warren County United Way; a board member of Zeta Beta Tau International Foundation; a member of the Council of Finance and Administration, Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church; and a board member of the National Capital Soccer League.

Hrbek works as a financial advisor for the firm of Edward Jones.

He and his wife, Jessica, have four children aged 7 to 15. Noah,15, and Annie, 13, both are members of Rotary Interact Clubs of Warren County High and Middle Schools respectively. Hunter, 10, is a member of Rotary’s Earlyact Club at Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School. Luke, age 7, is yet to undergo an early Rotary experience.

Their dad is a 1992 graduate of Warren County High School and Virginia Tech (1996) and holds a master’s degree from Bentley College.

Before a large gathering of club members, guests and family members, Hrbek listed five specific goals to be met during his year of office: to reach a club membership of 100; to attain 100 per cent membership in two finance raising groups known as Paul Harris and Rotary Foundation; to establish a partnership with an African club in Zimbabwe on a water project for a local school; and to help increase fundraising and awareness for Rotary International’s polio eradication project.

In addition to the Front Royal club’s annual scholarship awards covering sports and academics, Hrbek announced creation of two more scholarships for student-artists at Skyline and Warren County high schools. The awards will be named for retiring president , executive director of the Blue Ridge Arts Council, and for Betsy Blauvelt, a former Front Royal Rotary president and active locally in the arts, theater, and music.