Beverly Hills Fire Department Chief Gregory Barton has recently taken office as the newest president of the Rotary Club of Beverly Hills. A member of the club since 2017, Barton will serve as president for the upcoming year alongside his role as Beverly Hills Fire Department Chief.
“I didn’t expect to become a board member, let alone get to the position I’m in now,” Barton told the Courier.
“I’ve been in Beverly Hills almost 30 years. And during those 30 years, this community has taken me in as a firefighter and done so much for me and my family. I just want to give back,” Barton said.
Giving back is at the heart of the Rotary Club’s mission. Founded by Paul Harris in Chicago in 1905, the organization adopted its code of ethics upon the principles of “Service Above Self”—a notion that continues to be upheld to this day across the Rotary’s 46,000 clubs, especially here in Beverly Hills.
The Rotary Club of Beverly Hills is involved in several community service initiatives, such as Music Mends Minds and the Blanket Drive, which collects and distributes blankets for the Salvation Army Westside Transitional Housing.
Last year, the Rotary Club donated $90,000 to a range of charitable organizations, from the Children’s Burn Foundation (on whose board Barton sits) to various organizations that support mental health.
“Everybody wants to help. And the Rotary Club is a great way to centralize those efforts and help people,” Barton said.
This December, the club will celebrate its centennial.
“My goal is to highlight what Rotary has done for the first 100 years for the community of Beverly Hills and focus on what the next 100 years look like,” Barton said.
Although the club is considering rolling out global grants, its focus remains on supporting the local community first and foremost.
“There are a lot of people in need here, so we’re looking to do multiple community events in Beverly Hills to help people out and also hopefully secure more grant money to give out to more people. Whether it’s providing food, support from a grant or fall protection for some of the aging population, we’re looking to do all of that,” Barton said.
Barton’s path to the presidency began when he was nominated for the board.
“It wasn’t my goal to be in this position. A few other Rotary members thought I’d make a good board member, so they nominated me for that position. And then a few more thought I was serving well, so before I knew it, I was elected to the Executive Board,” he explained.
Executive Board members first serve as secretary before progressing to president-elect in their second year. Barton, now in his third year of this process, is serving as president, and starting July 2025 he will become past president when former Beverly Hills Mayor Julian Gold, M.D. takes over.
But until then, Barton remains focused on doing the best he can for the club’s 100th year ahead. The role will complement some of the philanthropic work he is already doing through his role of Fire Chief at the Beverly Hills Fire Department, a position which Barton has also held since 2017.
“Both organizations, the Fire Department and Rotary Club, provide a service to the community and are here in times of need,” Barton said.
The main difference between the two is that Rotary Club members volunteer their time and donations. But Barton highlights how the club helps the same type of people who are also helped by some of the Fire Department’s initiatives, like the nurse practitioner programs, emergency medical calls and fire calls.
“Even if it’s just helping people like the elderly with things around the house or social services, what we do at Rotary fits in well with the Fire Department. The two go hand-in-hand. It is a great opportunity to work together collaboratively.”
Barton is eager to make an impact throughout the year ahead. His first step is to finalize plans for the 100th-year anniversary before turning his attention to other community events.
“I’m excited to do it, and I feel very honored to be president,” he said.
