Franklin Moreno
Blacksburg Rotary Club
Franklyn Moreno was president of our Rotary club during 2000 -2002.
Franklyn was born in the City of Chicago in 1938 of an Italian father and a Polish mother. He was raised in an “American” household. He attended the University of Illinois and graduated at the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with a Bachelor's degree in Design and a Masters Degree in Community Development there. He worked with and was inspired by the legendary inventor Buckminster Fuller.
He is married to Bonnie. He has four children and she has two, from previous marriages. He likes woodworking, reading, and keeping contact with family and friends.
Franklyn worked several jobs in Illinois, mostly in Southern Illinois, until 1990 when he moved to the New River Valley, Virginia, as first executive director of the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance. After leaving that position, he worked with his wife in her company, MBDesign, handcrafting personal and home accessories. In 2005, they closed that company and have declared themselves retired.
Franklyn joined the Rotary Club in 1984, before leaving Illinois, and rejoined in Blacksburg upon his arrival in Virginia. He has served on several committees in our club, both before and after his term as president. Interestingly, he inherited the position when President Pat Cupp died tragically in an automobile accident only a few weeks into his term in 2000. Franklyn finished Cupp’s term and then served his own in 2001-2002, making him president for just shy of two years. About his service as president, he said, “Pat’s death really shook up everybody. It was tragic. During my tenure, we put in new bookkeeping systems, a local charitable foundation and developed some new fund-raising events, including our golf tournament, which we still do.”
He added, “I also tried to get our club more visibility within the district. The evening club was the established club and we were the new guys. We became larger because we were working harder to attract new members."
“I have led one Group Study Exchange, going to Korea in 2007. It was a worthwhile experience.
“I have always been involved with social and service clubs. What has impressed me about Rotary are their international health efforts, particularly relative to polio eradication. I am very keen on direct service on an international level.”
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