Mar. 12, 2026–Mike Sledge, RYLA

Speaker Bio – Mike Sledge

Mike Sledge began his career in the hardware and industrial supply business as a teenager, working as a stock boy in a small, family-owned hardware store in the late 1980s. That early experience sparked a lifelong passion for the industry. He went on to build a successful career with a Fortune 500 industrial distribution company, managing locations across the Southeastern United States.

At age 39, Mike took a leap of faith and, alongside his wife Suzy, founded Coastal Industrial Supply in 2010. Today, their company supplies materials to companies and job sites across the country. A Baldwin County, Alabama resident since 2003, Mike is proud to work alongside his children, Jake and Maggie, who help run the family business. His youngest, Marley, is currently attending the University of Montevallo. Mike and Suzy are also the devoted owners of Woody, their lovable (and slightly dopey) golden retriever.

The Sledges split their time between Alabama and New Orleans, where they recently purchased a small shotgun home in the St. Roch neighborhood, allowing them to stay connected to a city they fell in love with decades ago.

Mike joined Rotary in 2017 and has been an active and dedicated member ever since. He has served as Club President and Assistant Governor and currently serves as District PolioPlus Chair and District RYLA Chair for Rotary District 6880 for the 2025–2026 Rotary year. His commitment to leadership development and global service reflects his deep belief in Rotary’s mission.

Outside of work and service, Mike enjoys restoring vintage automobiles, especially classic Volkswagens, and traveling in search of new adventures. In the summer of 2024, he spent 18 days riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle through the Himalayan Mountains of Northern India as part of the International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians. Along the way, he survived harrowing roads, questionable food, unforgettable hospitality, and some of the most breathtaking scenery on Earth, all while raising funds for The Rotary Foundation.

A little-known fun fact: Mike has two cocktails named after him. If you find yourself at C’est Le Vin in Foley, Alabama, order a “Sledgehammer,” or at The Gemstone in Amory, Mississippi, try the “Mike Sledge.” They are entirely different, equally memorable, and guaranteed to be enjoyed.

 

Feb. 26, 2026–David Rodgers, VP of Economic Development, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

David serves as the Executive Vice President of Economic Development at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. He joined the economic development department in January 2015. David’s department is the lead economic development agency for the City of Mobile and Mobile County. Under his role, David oversees the day-to-day operations of the department, which consists of business recruitment and expansion, international trade, foreign direct investment, workforce development, talent attraction, existing industry relations, and investor relations. Prior to his role as Executive Vice President, David served as the Vice President, Senior Project Manager, and Project Manager, where he managed lead generation, project recruitment activity, and industrial site development for the Mobile area. David has led his team in announcing 10,211 new direct jobs and more than $8.4 billion of new investment in the Mobile community. David serves on various local boards, including the Board of Directors for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission and the Board of Directors for the USA Research and Technology Park. He completed the University of Alabama Economic Honors Program and Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute. In 2022, David earned the designation of CEcD, the highest certification for economic development practitioners. David was born and raised in Mobile and attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He and his wife, Lauren, have two young sons.

Feb. 5, 2026–Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso / Archbishop of Mobile

 Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso was appointed Archbishop of Mobile by Pope Leo XIV on July 1, 2025, and installed on Sept. 3, 2025, at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

Archbishop Rivituso, a native of St. Louis, began serving as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 2017. As Archbishop, he is the episcopal moderator of the United States Conference of Secular Institutes, Region V Representative on the USCCB Priorities and Plans Committee, a member of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and an advisory committee member of the Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition. He also serves on the Boards of Trustees of Notre Dame Seminary and St. Joseph Seminary College in Louisiana, the Regional Office of the Southeastern U.S. Bishops for Hispanic Ministry in Miami and Catholic Mutual Group.

He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, Knights of Peter Claver and Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

 He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis in 1988 by Archbishop John L. May (who coincidentally served as Bishop of Mobile from 1969-1980). Archbishop Rivituso was also named a monsignor in 2005 and served as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of St. Louis from August 2011-August 2017.

Archbishop Rivituso attended Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary, both in St. Louis. He earned a licentiate in canon and civil law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

Born Sept. 20, 1961, in St. Louis, Archbishop Rivituso is the sixth of eight children of August and Rosemary Rivituso.

 

 

Jan. 29, 2026–Denise Riemer, Mobile Co. Public School System-District Social Services Supervisor & Mental Health Services Coordinator

Denise Riemer, LICSW-S, PIP has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS and a B.A. in English and History, magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA.

 Ms. Riemer has 28 years of social work practice experience, ranging from ranging from private outpatient therapy practice to inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment services to school social work and mental health coordination for the largest school system in Alabama.

From 2003 to present, she has worked for Mobile County Public School System, first as a school social worker/homeless and foster care liaison and since 2017 as the Social Services Supervisor and Mental Health Services Coordinator for the district.  Ms. Riemer is responsible for coordinating, developing & implementing programs to facilitate and strengthen the social, emotional, and academic growth of all students by promoting equal access to educational opportunities through the elimination of barriers. She and her team of thirteen social workers serve as liaisons between students, schools, families & the community through support, advocacy, case management, crisis intervention and referrals to community resources.

From 2011-2025, Ms. Riemer worked with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools as a presenter for the REMS/TA Center on disaster preparedness and recovery for school systems, specifically on the topic of resilience, compassion fatigue and self-care for educators and students. Ms. Riemer has presented at national, state and regional conferences regarding collaboration between schools and community partners, the importance of mental health in schools, and addressing students’ educational and mental health needs in crises.

Ms. Riemer is married to Ken Riemer,  a local consumer protection attorney, and they have two children, a daughter, Haley (age 30), and a son, Barrett (age 26) and a golden lab named Cooper (age 12).

Jan. 22, 2026–Shernita Taylor / Workforce Development Manager, Austal

Shernita Taylor is the Workforce Development Manager at Austal USA, serving as the organizational lead for workforce development strategy, labor planning, and skilled trades initiatives supporting advanced manufacturing and shipbuilding operations. She leads the company’s registered apprenticeship and talent pipeline programs. In this role, she works closely with internal stakeholders, workforce partners, and educational institutions to recruit, assess, and prepare talent for long-term careers at Austal.

With more than a decade of experience in workforce development, program design, and partnership engagement, Shernita has built and managed large-scale training and career pathway programs in high-wage, high-demand industries. She previously led the development and expansion of the MAEF Workforce Center, securing grant funding, developing skilled trades pipelines, and supporting youth and young adult learners in earning industry-recognized credentials and employment. She is known for her strategic, employer-driven approach to talent development and her commitment to aligning education with workforce needs to create sustainable career opportunities.