Our Future Governors
Meet the Rotarians preparing to lead District 5330 in the years ahead.
Each year our District Governor serves while their successors prepare to lead — the Governor-Elect, Governor-Nominee, and Governor-Nominee-Designate. Get to know the leaders who will guide District 5330 in the Rotary years to come.
Meet District Governor-Elect Brian Pellis
District Governor-Elect Brian Pellis is a lifelong resident of the Inland Empire and of Rotary District 5330. He was born at March Air Force Base Hospital in Riverside County and raised in Redlands. Brian was first introduced to Rotary in 1994 when he was selected by the Rotary Club of Yucaipa to participate in a Rotary Youth Exchange program in Newmarket, England. In 2020, Brian joined his current club—the Rotary Club of San Bernardino—which was founded in 1918 and is the oldest club in District 5330. He held several club-level positions including President, Director, Foundation Trustee, Program Chair, Sergeant-at-Arms, and author of his club’s weekly newsletter, the Orange Peal.
Brian’s commitment to volunteerism and the concept of Service Above Self took root in 1996, when he decided to attend the police academy and become a volunteer Reserve Police Officer with the San Bernardino Police Department. Over the next decade, Brian volunteered many of his weekends to serve as a Reserve Police Officer on the tough streets of San Bernardino while he completed college and law school, and while practicing law as an attorney handling police civil rights litigation and employment law matters in state and federal courts. Brian was later appointed as the Acting Assistant Inspector General for the Los Angeles Police Commission where he was responsible for monitoring and oversight of LAPD operations. In 2008, Brian decided to make law enforcement his full-time career, working a wide variety of assignments as a police officer, serving in every division of the San Bernardino Police Department, and rising to the executive level of Police Captain. Following the conclusion of his law enforcement career in May 2024, Brian resumed practicing law as an attorney and formed a new law practice in Redlands where he represents clients in estate planning and related matters.
Brian is a 1995 graduate of Yucaipa High School and he holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Government from Claremont McKenna College, a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) Degree from the University of Southern California, a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from Loyola Law School, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Wealth Management from Texas A&M University School of Law.
District Governor-Nominee 2028–2029: nomination in process
Dess Benedetto has submitted her resignation as District Governor-Nominee and is relocating to San Diego in order to care for family matters. District 5330 thanks Dess for her service and wishes her the very best.
The District Governor-Nominee must attend the Governor Nominee Learning Seminar (GNLS), held August 30 – September 6, 2026 at the Zone Institute in Phoenix. Because of that timing, the district is running an accelerated nomination process to select a new nominee for 2028–2029.
Key dates
- Wednesday, August 19, 2026 — absolute deadline to submit signed resolutions to Nominations Chair PDG Dan Goodrich (end of day).
- Saturday, August 22, 2026 — interviews at a central location to be announced. The decision will be made that day.
- August 30 – September 6, 2026 — GNLS at the Zone Institute, Phoenix. Attendance in full is required.
Who should apply
Please submit a resolution only if you are able to attend the interview on August 22 and attend GNLS in its entirety.
The nomination packet consists of an information sheet and a resolution that must be signed by your club secretary and by the candidate. The district is using the existing paperwork prepared for the 2029–2030 DGND nominations, so please note that the position is DGN and the year is 2028–2029. If you have already submitted an application for 2029–2030 and would like to be considered for the DGN position, no new paperwork is needed provided you meet the eligibility requirements.
To request the information sheet and resolution form, or to ask about eligibility, please contact Nominations Chair PDG Dan Goodrich through the District Leadership page.