LEWISTON – Jan Barrett assumed the presidency of the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club on July 1. Barrett is a native of Lewiston-Auburn and attended local schools. She earned a degree in hospitality management (summa cum laude) in 1997. Barrett and her husband, Mike, own and operate the Ware Street Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Prior to becoming an innkeeper, Barrett worked for U.S. Sens. Edmund Muskie and George Mitchell for nearly 20 years.

Also, Barrett has been a caterer and professional cook, winning awards and recognition for a number of her recipes.

Community service plays a major role in her life, particularly Rotary International and the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce. She has, for several years, worked within Rotary at the district and local levels and is responsible for the creation of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program in District 7790.

As a member of the chamber’s board of directors, Barrett is active on the Regional Image Committee and is part chairwoman of the Ad Hoc Fund-Raising Committee.

During her inaugural remarks, Barrett said, “Our club has had outstanding successes during its over 85 years of existence.” She added, “We have laid a solid foundation upon which to continue to build our tradition of service to our community and to the world.

“In addition to projects we have supported over the years, we will broaden our participation and partnerships with other organizations to serve those who need us. We will increase our visibility with the sole purpose of strengthening the message of Rotary. We will strive to instill in our members a strong desire to be active and dedicated in their participation in our endeavors on behalf of our communities.”

She concluded, “It is indeed an honor to have been chosen to lead this fine Rotary club in the 100th anniversary year of our international organization. The confidence conveyed by our club’s membership is humbling. It will be my pleasure and privilege to do my best as I follow a family tradition of service and leadership in Rotary.”

In addition to her Rotary duties, Barrett is a member of the Maine Innkeepers Association, the Maine Tourism Association and the Professional Association of Innkeepers International.

She participates on the Maine Lakes and Mountains Tourism Council, is a USM Corporate Partner, serves on the board of directors of Southern Maine Technical College’s Hospitality Education Program, as well as the board of directors of the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, is a member of Maine Congressman Mike Michaud’s Small Business Advisory Team and is a founding member and past president of the Inns of Central Maine.

On a lighter note, she is a founding co-queen mother of The Scarlet Chapeaux, Lewiston-Auburn’s first chapter of the Red Hat Society.