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When Collins Pettaway III became Selma Rotary Club President last month, one of his goals was to add new members.

Dr. Denisha Hendricks and Jay Gilmer were introduced as new members on Monday.

Both are very active in the Selma community.

Hendricks, a member of the Dallas County chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., is the City of Selma Parks and Recreation Center. She’s also the International Chair of the Board of Directors of Zeta Phi Beta.

Gilmer is Selma Long Term Recovery Committee Chairperson, which provides recovery services to individuals and families affected by the January 12 tornado that devastated parts of Selma and Dallas County. He is also Vice President of Gilmer Management.

The guest speaker was Eleven86 Real Artesian Water CEO Marquis Forge, a Selma native.

Forge shared the story of how his life changed since graduating as valedictorian from Autaugaville High School in 1995.

“During my valedictorian speech, I made a promise that if I was to go off and be successful, I won’t forget where I come from,” Forge said.

Forge recalled when Eleven86 Real Artesian Water held its grand opening on April 27, 2018. Along the way, he was turned down by 18 different banks.

“I can’t tell you how many banks laughed at us, told us that we would never do bottled water,” Forge says. “MAX Credit Union was professional enough to come out and give us an opportunity.”.