RCB Honors Warren Callaway with Spain Hickman Award
Spain-Hickman Award Recipient Warren Callaway with RCB President Jeff Stone, Past President Gordon Martin
During the June 10th meeting, Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) President Jeff Stone presented the Spain-Hickman Award for Distinguished Service to Rotarian Warren Callaway. Assisting in the presentation were 2025 recipients Rotarian Isabel Scarinci and Past President Philippe Lathrop.
The Spain-Hickman Award is the club’s highest honor, named for Frank Spain and Roy Hickman, the two RCB Past Presidents who went on to serve as Rotary International presidents. The club’s board selects one or more recipients based on nominations from club members and recommendation from the Spain Hickman Award Committee, comprised of Rotarians Leslie Carlisle, Cal Dodson, Nancy Goedecke, Alesia Jones, Will Ratliff, Bruce Rogers, and Jeff Stone.
Warren joined RCB in 1994 and was previously a member of the Rotary Club of West Chester, PA. Following a successful career in hospital administration, he was inspired by Christian mission work to reinvent himself as a filmmaker in retirement. He has served on the Rotary Foundation’s Cadre of Technical Advisors and is a Paul Harris Fellow.
Warren was selected in recognition of his longstanding commitment, quiet leadership, and unwavering dedication to the ideals of Rotary and commitment to RCB. Over many years, he has rendered exceptional service to RCB and the wider community, often working behind the scenes, quietly and without seeking the spotlight. He consistently exemplifies the principles embodied in the Four-Way Test. Beyond direct service, he helps to promote and uphold the ideals of Rotary by example through humility, reliability, and dedication, inspiring others within the club and reinforcing the values Rotarians strive to share with the broader community.
Warren served on RCB club’s board as VP of Communications from 2018-2021. When lives and club operations were upended by the pandemic in 2020, he quickly troubleshooted and found a way to transition the club to a virtual format to allow members to continue meeting and engaging as a club. He managed the club’s social media pages, created presentation slides, and helped train the club’s first communications staff member. He helped select and install new equipment in the AV booth at The Harbert Center to enhance virtual and in-person meetings.
Warren preserved history by capturing before images of “The Cut” and exceptional drone footage of Rotary Trail, the club’s centennial gift to the City of Birmingham, upon its completion in 2016. He has produced promotional videos to encourage club members to attend annual Rotary Trail celebrations and is recording the stories of the trail’s development during this anniversary year. He has captured audio and video at countless events, including the 2023 International Peace Conference and the 2025 Operation Wipeout Summit, and he is the first member RCB staff members call when assistance is needed in the AV booth on a Rotary Wednesday.
The nominating member wrote: “Warren consistently supports his fellow Rotarians and steps forward whenever help is needed. His willingness go the extra mile is not occasional; it is a defining characteristic. This nomination is not only a recognition of what Warren has done, but of how he has done it—with consistency, integrity, and a genuine spirit of service above self. He truly embodies the essence of Rotary and is most deserving of this honor.”
Warren received a standing ovation from his fellow members upon his announcement as recipient of the 2026 Spain-Hickman Award for Distinguished Service. President Stone added, “Warren, congratulations. We are thankful for all you have done and all you continue to do to support our club.”