Lions International president Manila-bound for 60th OSEAL Forum

MANILA, Philippines – Lions International President Dr. Patti Hill is set to arrive in Manila on October 30 to attend the 60th Orient and South East Asia Lions (OSEAL) Forum slated on November 2-5 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Immediate Past International President Brian Sheenan of the United States will accompany Hill and her husband Greg Holmes.

Hill of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was elected to serve as international president of Lions International at the Association's 105th International Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, from July 7 through July 11, 2023. As international president, she heads the largest service club organization in the world, with more than 1.3 million members in 49,000 clubs, serving 200 countries and geographic areas worldwide.

Since their founding in 1917, Lions worldwide have been rallying for the five global causes of vision, hunger, the environment, childhood cancer, and diabetes. She oversees the activities of all member countries grouped into eight constitutional areas worldwide, including OSEAL, to which the Philippines belongs.

The theme for this year is "Changing the World." Lions explains, "Changing the World is a journey with no middle and no end. There is only a beginning — and it starts with every Lion member. It happens through the many small choices and acts of kindness we make every day. Together, the sum of our efforts makes the world a better place, one life, one relationship, and one community at a time."

Hill is the president of a consulting firm. With 30 years of experience as an educator and psychologist, she has mentored graduate students and psychologists in training. She has also championed the rights of children and youth who are deaf and/or blind.

A member of the Edmonton Host Lions Club since 1990, Hill has held many offices within the association, including the district chairperson for Membership, Environment, Convention, and International Cooperation and Understanding. Additionally, she has served as a committee member for the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum, multinational coordinator for Campaign Sight First II, Secretary for the Lions Eye Bank (Alberta) Society, Vice President of the Lions Eye Research Institute of Northern Alberta, and presenter at many forums and conventions. She is a founding member of the Lions of Canada Consultative Committee.

In recognition of her service to the association, Hill has received numerous awards, including several International President's Awards. She has been honored with the Ambassador of Goodwill Award, the highest honor the association bestows upon its members. She is also a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow and recipient of numerous other fellowships.