North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By D.G. Schumacher
Little River resident Diane Billard is Rotary International District 7770 Rotarian of the Year. District 7770 includes several clubs in Horry County and Billard is assistant governor for four of the clubs.
Billard’s award was announced at the annual district conference March 20-22 in Charleston, where more than $7,000 was raised in Billard’s name for Rotarians Against Trafficking Humans.
District Governor Sandy Morckel said the award is “so well deserved for going above and beyond throughout this past year in countless ways for your Club, Area 11, the Grand Strand, our District and your District Governor [Morckel].
“I am so proud of my Assistant Governor and long-time friend,” Morckel said. The two were Rotarians and friends in the same district in Ohio. The award recognizes Billard’s special commitment to our District with your leadership, “Service Above Self” approach and efforts to “Unite for Good.” The latter two are mottos for Rotarians around the world.
Morckel noted that Billard organized in 2025 the Concerts for the Cure, a joint fundraiser for the Grand Strand Rotary Clubs to benefit End Polio Now, a global initiative of RI, along with Coins for Alzheimer’s Trust Fund, which benefits alzheimers research. Billard also is a five-time host Mom for Rotary youth exchange students in Ohio and is a past president of the Rotary Club of Little River, and the Rotary Club of Columbus, Ohio.
Billard currently is Assistant Governor for the clubs of Conway, Carolina Forest, Little River and North Myrtle Beach.
District 7770 has a total of 82 clubs, including Rotary Satellite (10) and Rotaract (4), and 3,083 Rotarians, plus 80 Honorary Rotarians, 26 Rotaractors and 26 Honorary Rotaractors. Rotaract is an organization for young, typically university-based adults.
Billard is a retired attorney. She was chief legal counsel for three Ohio state agencies, and was a Franklin County, Ohio, prosecutor, handling business cases. Prior to the public sector, she was a partner in two large law firms in Columbus. She is a graduate of Ball State University in her native Indiana and the University of Toledo College of Law.
Billard is married to Francois Billard, current president of the Rotary Club of Little River.
