Current Club Leadership

Club Officers

Club President 2021-2022: Debbie Eller

Executive Director of Communities in Schools of Caldwell County

Member of Rotary Since 2008

Paul Harris Fellow

President Elect 2022-2023: Stephen Starnes

NC Dept of HHS Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Past President 2020-2021: Ethan K. Gilley, AAMS®

Financial Planner Edward Jones Investments 136 Tremont Park Dr NE Lenoir, NC

I first learned about Rotary from my father, who is a past President of Rotary Club as well as a PHF. I joined Rotary back in 2015 and was sponsored by my dear friend and our long time Club Treasurer Lee Pennell.

By trade I am a Financial Planner with Edward Jones Investments and I feel very strongly that God put me on this earth first and foremost to contribute and help as a Financial Planner. It is my calling and what I do best. I became a financial advisor because of my firm conviction in serving others to help them reach their financial goals. Coming from a family of multiple successful financial advisors, my passion has been engrained from being around the financial world and the Edward Jones culture my whole life. Open communication, trust, honesty and deep personal relationships are the foundation of my practice.

While I have a heart to serve all, my focus is working with clients who are serious long-term investors with in-depth financial needs as well as their friends and family, through multiple generations. Before starting our partnership, I sit down with you to understand your goals and what's most important to you. We then assess your current financial situation to help you fully understand. Next, we will use our established process to set reasonable expectations, then build long-term personalized financial strategies tailored specifically to help you achieve those goals. I will partner with you throughout your life, as well as with your tax and legal professionals, to monitor your financial situation on an ongoing basis to help you stay on track.

Outside my practice, I enjoy spending time with family and serving the community/world as Rotary President (2020-21), Paul Harris Fellow, Foundation Sustaining Member and Benefactor. I am an active Caldwell Senior Center board member and I serve as an usher at my church. I am a member of the Appalachian State University Alumni Association, a 10-year member of the NPC as a drug free promoter/athlete and a car/motorcycle fanatic.

I am ranked in the top 1% of Edward Jones financial advisors when it comes to documenting client goals, risk tolerance and portfolio performance to help implement tailored solutions by way of investments, insurance and appropriate services. Since joining Edward Jones, I have received over half a dozen other internal awards. I also serve on our leadership team, helping other Edward Jones financial advisors.

Secretary: Michelle Colvard

Owner of Anything Office Lenoir NC

Treasurer: Pete Kidder

Director of Habitat For Humanity Lenoir NC

Past President, Past District Govenor (DG 2020-2021): David Waechter

Owner of Hibriten Construction

David Waechter is a native of the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. He grew up south of Asheville in Fletcher, NC. His parents and grandparents raised him to appreciate and honor hard work with respect and dignity. David’s core values are loyalty, integrity, reliability, honesty, and service.

David has been leading from an early age. He was President of the West Henderson High School Class of 1991. He attended Appalachian State University and graduated with bachelors degrees in Biology and Anthropology with Honors. He has been a student of the diverse wildlife of the Southern Appalachians since childhood carrying his love for nature into a graduate program in Botany at Western Carolina University. David earned his Masters in Public Administration magna cum laude demonstrating his passion for the public interest and fair governance. He has worked in corporate strategy, education, business development, agriculture, and renewable energy. He is a certified Corporate Social Responsibility Practitioner and also a Professional Energy Manager having earned his Energy Management Diploma from North Carolina State University. He studied building science with the Building Performance Institute (BPI).

David is a service-oriented person having served upon many local boards including the School for Young Children, Caldwell Adolescent Health, Western Piedmont Workforce Development, Caldwell Chamber of Commerce, Caldwell Habitat for Humanity, and also his parish council. David is a proud Rotarian who embraces the motto, “Service above Self” and also insists his corporate culture adhere to the 4-way test of ethics. He has served as a president, an assistant governor, and most recently, a district governor for Rotary District 7670.

Waechter is known for being demanding and precise. He has an ever-expanding network of friends and business associates which he draws upon to execute high levels of service to his clients. He is a natural for the honorable work of building. He loves to use his vision and problem-solving skills to create beautiful work for his customers. David has worked in the muddy ditches and in the c-suite, so he has an appreciation of his humble roots yet knows how to meet high expectations from well-healed clients.“Our team at Hibriten Construction is dedicated to constructing beautiful homes and commercial properties that compliment the natural surroundings of our communities. We strive to exceed buyer expectations with each new project we build and we take pride in our growing base of satisfied customers.”