JOSEPH — The Rotary Club of Wallowa County got a visit during Chief Joseph Days from its District 5100 governor who was returning to the town where he grew up, according to a press release.

Steve Williams grew up in Joseph, where three of his brothers still reside. Williams attended school in the county and was a member of a prominent local family.

His father, Bill Williams Sr., was a longtime superintendent of the Joseph School District, a founding member of the Rotary Club of Wallowa County and involved in every aspect of community life, including coaching Little League baseball.

His mother was equally active in community groups, as well as keeping track of six children and her busy husband.

The grown Williams children found it natural to be active in their communities. Brothers Bill Jr. and Bob have been in Rotary in the past and are involved in other community organizations.

During his visit here, Steve Williams talked about his experiences as a member of the Hermiston Rotary Club and hosting Rotary Exchange students from the Philippines, Argentina, Japan, France and Taiwan. He and his wife, the former Janet Wells of Enterprise, traveled to the Philippines in 2009 to check on progress of the water and sanitation project that the Hermiston Rotary Club shared jointly with the Daevao City, Philippines Rotary Club. Their attendance at International Rotary conventions has taken them to Chicago, Lisbon in Portugal and Houston, where they met members of Rotary Clubs from around the globe.

Williams began his one-year term as district governor July 1. During that time, he plans to visit all 60 Rotary Clubs in the district, which includes the northern portion of Oregon and a part of Washington along the Columbia River.

He praised the Rotary Club of Wallowa County for its service to the local community through the Coats for Kids program, Project Heartbeat and for its involvement with high school students through the Rotary International Interact program and its projects of service globally.

He said his goal for his term of office is to spread the word about the good that Rotary does in local communities like Wallowa County and around the world. He told them he wants to grow awareness of Rotary’s service fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, supporting mothers and children, promoting peace, caring for the environment, supporting education and growing local economies.

Williams said he wants everyone to know the value of service and the fulfillment of working together to serve others.

“When there are more Rotary members working together on projects locally and around the world even more good works will be accomplished,” he told the local club.