Longmont Rotary is stepping into its next era as two new presidents prepare to guide the club through its next phase.
Continuing a tradition established by former presidents Rose Crispin and Tim Waters in 2023, Longmont Rotary elected another pair this month to lead the club forward. Roger Lange and Virginia Choung will serve as co-presidents for a year starting July 1. The team replaces co-presidents Andrew Lee and Brian Laartz, who were elected in 2024.
Lange steps into the role of co-president after years of representing Longmont residents in city government. Lange served as mayor of Longmont from 2007 to 2009. Before that, he represented Ward 2 on the Longmont City Council.
Choung is the director of philanthropy at local nonprofit Recovery Café Longmont. The organization provides resources for people dealing with substance abuse issues and mental health challenges.
Choung has been involved with Longmont Rotary for just over two years. She is also the treasurer of the Longmont Rotary Charity Fund, a separate nonprofit that financially supports Rotary projects. Lange has been a Longmont Rotary member for over 20 years.
“I think Roger and I compliment each other really well because of our different experiences,” Choung said.
Lange asked Choung to be his co-president to make the transition easier for both of them, he said.
“I think we both felt comfortable that we shared the job,” Lange said.
Choung said leading the club felt like a “natural addition” to the work she does every day at Recovery Café Longmont, which is all about building a supportive community.
“For a lot of people here, this is their community,” Choung said of Longmont Rotary. “This is where they find purpose. This is where they feel like they can make a difference.”
Choung and Lange want to make a bigger impact on the Longmont community through service projects. An upcoming project for the club is participating in the Supplies for Success program, which donates academic supplies to St. Vrain Valley School District students.
The co-presidents also hope to teach more people about Longmont Rotary and grow the club’s membership. The club currently has around 100 members.
“It’s a gift to the community,” Lange said of Rotary. “We want to be more well-known in Longmont.”
