James M. Rochford
President Kiwanis International 2017-2018
Kiwanis Club of Peoria

James “Jim” Rochford has been elected president of the board of trustees of Kiwanis International.  Rochford, of Peoria, will assume the leadership role on October 1, 2017.

Rochford was elected to the one-year term during the 102nd Annual Kiwanis International Convention in Paris.  He has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Peoria for 36 years, where he has served as club president. During his time with Kiwanis, he has personally invited 1,500 new members to the service club and has opened 105 new Kiwanis clubs.

Kiwanis International is a global service organization with more than 700,000 members, all dedicated to helping children in their communities and in communities around the world. Kiwanis clubs sponsor youth leadership programs for students in elementary, middle and high schools, and at colleges and universities, by giving students the opportunity to learn valuable leadership skills
while performing volunteer services.

Rochford has served in Kiwanis district leadership roles and has been an advisor for high school Key Clubs and Kiwanis university-level Circle K clubs. Within Kiwanis, Rochford is a certified trainer and is a George F. Hixson and a Walter Zeller fellow.

Outside of Kiwanis, Rochford has been Tri-County Citizen of the Year, has received the JC Penney/Golden Rule Award and is a past president of the Peoria Jaycees. He is founder and president of the Peoria Irish AAU basketball program.

Rochford, an attorney, and his wife, Debra, have two daughters, one son and four grandchildren.

Dr. Naresh Aggarval
Lions International President 2017-2018
Batala Smile Lions Club

Dr. Naresh Aggarwal, of Batala, Punjab, India, was elected to serve as International President of Lions Clubs International at the association’s 100th International Convention, held in Chicago, Illinois, USA, June 30 through July 4, 2017.

Dr. Naresh is chairman of companies specializing in steel and agricultural products.

A lifetime member of the Batala Smile Lions Club since 1974, President Dr. Naresh has served with great distinction as club president and international director. He also served as chairman of the Council of Governors for MD 321 in 1989-90.

Dr. Naresh served as international director from 1998 to 2000. He earned great appreciation by achieving significant membership growth while serving as Global Membership Team area leader. He was a faculty and group leader for DGE Seminars at three International Conventions.  He also served as international board appointee three times, and as Global Leadership Team
constitutional area leader (CA-6).

Dr. Naresh is trustee and vice chairperson of Lions Quest in India Foundation and has also served on the National SightFirst Committee. He is the chief patron of Dainik Prarthana Sabha, which operates charity projects in Batala. He is vice president of Age-Care India, a charitable society for the care and welfare of elderly people. He has been trustee and patron to many other projects.

Dr. Naresh has received 23 International President’s Medals and the Ambassador of Goodwill Award.

He is a major lead gift donor and humanitarian partner of Lions Clubs International Foundation.

Dr. Naresh and his wife, Navita, also a Lion and Melvin Jones Fellow, have two sons, one daughter and seven grandchildren. Dr. Naresh also shares a birthday with the founder of Lions Clubs International, Melvin Jones.

H. Nick Prillaman Jr.
Optimist International President 2017-2018
North Perimeter Optimist Club

President Nick began his involvement with Optimist International as a charter member of the Cumberland-Vinings Optimist Club in 1985. He has served as Club President, Vice President, New Club Building Chairman, and Membership Chairman. He was a member of the club’s Board of Directors for 19 years. In 1990, the Cumberland-Vinings Club named him “Optimist of the Year”. In 2009 Nick became a member of the Atlanta-Buckhead Club and served as its President during the 2012-2013 Optimist year. At present, Nick is a member of the North Perimeter Optimist Club. He serves as a member of the Club’s Board of Directors.

Nick has offered himself in service at the District level for many years. He has served as a Lieutenant Governor, New Club Building Committee Chair, Candidate Qualifications Committee Chair, Co-Chair of the District Ad-hoc Planning Committee, Leadership Development Chair, Conference and Convention Chair and Marketing Chair. After his election in 1991, Nick held the office of District Governor during the 1992-93 Optimist year. Under his leadership, the Georgia District was an Honor and Distinguished District. In 1997, Nick was inducted into the Georgia District Hall of Fame and in 2013-2014 he was selected as the Georgia District’s Optimist of the Year.
Nick has served as a member of the Credentials Committee, the Convention Committee, the Governance Committee and Membership Committee. During the 1997-98 Optimist Year, Nick served as Host Area Committee Chairman for the 80th International Convention held in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2000-2001 Nick served as Optimist International Vice President. He oversaw five Districts as well as served on the Optimist International Board of Directors. In 2003-2004, Nick was appointed as the Chair of Optimist International’s Membership Services Committee. He was reappointed to this position in 2004-2005. During the 2009-2010, ”Promise Yourself for the Kids ” Optimist year, he served as a member of the International Leadership Development Committee. He was reappointed as a member of this committee for the 2010-2011 year. Nick also serves as a Certified International Trainer for Optimist International. From 2009-2012, Nick was a member of Optimist International’s Certified Trainer Board, and during the 2011-2012 year, he served as the Board’s Chair.

During this same year, he also served as the Chair for the Optimist International Member the Marketing Committee in 2012-2013. The following year, he was reappointed to the Leadership Development Committee and in 2014-2015 he was selected to chair this committee. In 2015-2016, President Dave Bruns selected Nick to chair the International Marketing and Communications Committee.

In 2015-2016, Nick was elected as President Elect for the 2016-2017 year.  Nick was born in Baltimore, Maryland, raised in southern Virginia and for the last 44 years has called Atlanta, Georgia his home. A graduate of Virginia Tech, he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and a Master’s Degree of Architecture in Urban Design.  He is the President and Owner of Graphix, Inc. a graphic design and advertising firm he founded in 1981.

Nick and his wife Dottie have been married for 48 years. They have no children.