Philippe Lathrop & Isabel Scarinci Receive Rotary Club of Birmingham’s Top Honor
Past President Philippe Lathrop and Rotarian Isabel Scarinci receive RCB’s highest honor
During the July 30th Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) meeting, Past President Bruce Rogers presented the Spain-Hickman Award for Distinguished Service to Past President Philippe Lathrop and Rotarian Isabel Scarinci with the assistance of past recipient Leslie Carlisle.
The Spain-Hickman Award for Distinguished Service is the club’s highest honor, named for Past RCB Presidents Frank Spain and Roy Hickman, who both served as Rotary International presidents. Each year, RCB selects one or more individuals who exemplify to an exceptional degree a commitment to the ideals of Rotary, and especially by their adherence to the tenets of the “Four-Way Test” in their personal life, vocational responsibilities, and community service, including service to the club.
Isabel, who serves as Vice Chair for Global and Rural Health in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Senior Advisor for Global Cancer at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, was recognized for her leadership of OPERATION WIPE OUT, a statewide initiative to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat in Alabama that evolved from the club’s decade-long international cancer elimination project in Sri Lanka. Isabel launched the program while serving as RCB VP of International Service in 2019 due to the high incidences of HPV and cervical cancer in Alabama.
“Six years later, look where we are,” Bruce shared on Philippe’s behalf. “Operation Wipeout is now a statewide health priority here in Alabama, and cervical cancer elimination is spreading through the Rotary world like wildfire. And Isabel is the principal fuel and driving force, as evidenced by the standing ovation she received at the Rotary International Convention.”
Philippe, who serves as Vice President of the Lathrop Helmers Group, was recognized for his longterm leadership in Rotary at the club, district and international levels. He served on the Rotary Trail fundraising committee, participates regularly in community service activities, was an early supporter and mentor with the Rotaract Club of Birmingham, and served as an Assistant District Governor, in addition to leadership roles with multiple community initiatives. Philippe served as RCB President during the unprecedented 2019-20 term.
“Rotary is all about meeting in person, having real conversations and connecting with one another at lunch each week,” said Leslie. “But, when Covid hit in March 2020—and there were more questions than answers, Philippe did not miss a beat. With creativity and a positive attitude, resources were gathered quickly, and hard decisions were made. He found a way for us to use technology to meet weekly, hear great programs, and keep the momentum going, all while they maintained a great smile and a good joke.
