Dave McCleary Highlights Rotary's Role in Combating Human Trafficking

RCB President Nancy Goedecke and Rotarian Will Ratliff with Dave McCleary

This week, the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Dave McCleary, Global Chair of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, for a presentation on Rotary's growing role in preventing and combating human trafficking around the world. McCleary shared how his work with Rotary has led to partnerships with governments, nonprofits, law enforcement agencies, and businesses to raise awareness, strengthen prevention efforts, and support survivors. He also recognized the RCB for its longstanding commitment to peacebuilding, Rotaract, and community initiatives that reduce vulnerability to trafficking.

McCleary explained that human trafficking often begins through fraud, coercion, and manipulation rather than abduction, making education and awareness critical tools in prevention. He highlighted Rotary-supported initiatives including law enforcement training, school-based education programs, youth engagement through Interact and Rotaract, and partnerships surrounding major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup. He also shared examples of Rotary collaborations that have led to trafficking victims being identified and rescued, emphasizing that Rotary's global network enables members to create meaningful, lasting impact in communities around the world.

Bio for Dave McCleary

Dave McCleary is a devoted husband, father, and small business owner from Roswell, Georgia, with a deep commitment to making a meaningful impact in his community and beyond. His passion for combating human trafficking began in 2012 after volunteering at the Passion Conference in Atlanta. There, he recognized that human trafficking was not only a global crisis but also a local issue affecting communities across the United States—something that resonated deeply with him as a father of teenage daughters.

As President of the Rotary Club of Roswell, Dave mobilized support for the fight against modern-day slavery, leveraging Rotary’s global network of 1.2 million members. That same year, he founded End Human Trafficking Now, an initiative focused on raising awareness and driving action through business engagement, law enforcement partnerships, and survivor support.

Dave’s leadership expanded globally when he was appointed Chair of Rotarians Against Slavery in 2019, working to engage more than 35,000 Rotary clubs worldwide in coordinated anti-trafficking efforts.

He has served as a workgroup chair on Georgia’s Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force and led a World Summit on Human Trafficking in 2015 alongside President Jimmy Carter. Dave has also moderated panels for Rotary Day at the United Nations and collaborated with the U.S. State Department and International Justice Mission on awareness initiatives.

In 2019, Dave chaired the Super Bowl Anti-Trafficking Task Force and helped organize a business engagement panel with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. His work has earned him Rotary International’s prestigious “Service Above Self” Award. He was also appointed to Georgia’s GRACE Commission to combat human trafficking and invited to participate in a White House Roundtable on Human Trafficking.

Currently, Dave is leading an international effort to showcase Rotary’s impact and combat human trafficking during the upcoming FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Through his relentless dedication, Dave McCleary has emerged as a respected leader in the global movement to end human trafficking and empower survivors.