District Governor

Chuck Udell is an active member of the Leawood Kansas Rotary Club, where he served as Club President during the 2018–2019 Rotary year. Under his leadership, the club earned the Rotary Citation with Gold Distinction. Prior to his presidency, he chaired the Club Foundation and International Services Committees. He returned as International Services Chair from 2019 to 2023.

 

Chuck is honored to serve as District Governor for the 2025–2026 Rotary year. His past district roles include Membership Chair (2022–2024), Peace Fellowship Chair (2020–2023), Assistant Governor (2019–2022), District Trainer (2015–2018), Paul Harris Society Chair (2013–2016), and Inbound Panama Vocational Training Team Chair (2014–2015). He also served on the Heartland PETS Planning Committee (2015–2018, 2023–2024).

 

At the Zone level, Chuck served as the House of Friendship Chair for Zones 25B & 29 from 2019 to 2021.

 

Chuck received Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award in 2022, was named Leawood Rotarian of the Year in 2017, and earned the Rotary International Avenues of Service Citation in 2015.

 

Professionally, Chuck was a senior partner with the Essential Action Design Group until his retirement in 2020. He specialized in improving client performance and profitability through enhanced sales, marketing, and leadership development solutions. His work included implementing Kirkpatrick evaluation models. Earlier in his career, Chuck held leadership roles with the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association, Marion Merrill Dow, and Mobil Chemical Company. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

 

Chuck is married to fellow Leawood Rotarian Ester Udell for 49 years. They have two sons, Jeff and Andy, and four grandkids: Isaac, Eli, Caleb, and Rosie.

 

A third-generation Rotarian, Chuck takes great pride in his Rotary heritage. His grandfather was president of the Savannah, Georgia Rotary Club in 1954–1955 and led a project to place Four-Way Test banners in local high schools—a project featured in the April 1955 Rotary magazine.

 

For Chuck, being a Rotarian is about service and connection. He values the opportunity to improve lives and build lasting friendships across the globe.