(l-r) Don Miner, Gil Ahrens, Kelly Alexander and Natalie Donais
Suffield Rotary is excited to introduce and welcome our two newest Rotarians, Gil Ahrens and Kelly Alexander. Both embrace the Rotary Motto of “Service Above Self” and bring energy and enthusiasm to our club.
Gil Ahrens was born and raised in Suffield and attended public schools before graduating from Suffield Academy. He has spent over 25 years advising high-growth companies in Silicon Valley. Most recently he was Global Head of Venture Capital & Growth Company Investment Banking at Deutsche Bank. He has also held senior roles at J.P. Morgan, Piper Jaffray, and Wells Fargo. He currently advises private growth companies.
Prior to Wall Street, he served as a strategic planning executive at Sanyo Electric Company in Japan and co-founded an award-winning consumer electronics start-up in New York.
Gil holds degrees from New York University (BA, Psychology) and Boston University (MBA), studied music at the New England Conservatory, and is the author of three books.
Kelly Alexander has been a proud member of the Suffield community for the past four years. With a lifelong passion for service, she has participated in multiple mission trips with her hometown church in Hyde Park, N.Y. — including three trips to Haiti with the organization Mountains of Hope for Haiti.
Since moving to Suffield, Kelly has eagerly sought ways to get involved. She began volunteering at the Second Chance Shop and now actively contributes to the Suffield Rotary Club. She also decided to go back to college to obtain her teaching license after 20 years of being a massage therapist and a nanny. Kelly is looking for new opportunities to give back to the community she loves.
A veteran of the New York Army National Guard, Kelly served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. She now lives in town with her husband, Tyler Markkanen and their cat Mittens. Kelly is excited to be part of Rotary and grateful for the warm welcome she’s received from fellow members!