Your MD-21 Council is comprised of two District Governors and the Council Chair. They provide guidance, support, and years of knowledge to the Lions of Arizona that form Multiple District 21. They conduct four council meetings throughout the year where reports are given and Multiple District-wide decisions are made.
Meet the 2025-2026 MD-21 Council:
Ken Leja
MD-21 Council Chair
MaryJane Barjose
District 21-North Governor
Richard Stevenson
District 21-South Governor
Council Chair’s Message – July 2025
It’s a new Lions year. In a few weeks, Lions Maryjane Barjose and Richard Stevenson will be installed as District Governors at the International Lions Convention in Orlando, Florida. As their Council Chair, I’m excited to be working with both.
Collectively, we have a shared vision for Lions of MD-21 for the 2025-2026 year. I’m truly impressed with their focus and demonstrated enthusiasm for Lions, servant leadership, and respective visions for success. Each has been planning, preparing, and calendaring the year for each district and the multiple.
And I’m humbled to be following in the footsteps of Chris Gibbs, our immediate past council chair. He has pushed forward many initiatives to improve the infrastructure of our state operations – a five-year strategic plan, an updated procedures manual, and more. He’s truly been… “Awesome!”
While the district governors continue to focus on strengthening each of the districts, my intent is to continue what PCC Chris has begun at the multiple district:
- Continue to implement that “flowing” five-year strategic plan for membership, club and service growth;
- Update our governing documents and organizational infrastructure; and
- Reignite the close cooperation among district leaders from both North and South.
To that effort, I’ve added a few additional areas of focus to further the impact of Lions in our state and Multiple District in the new year:
- Improve our tools and renew focus on Effective Communications, with emphasis on improved social media outreadh, an updated MD website, and making available dynamic club websites;
- Engage Arizona Lions with the America250 celebration;
- Present the Emerging Lions Leadership Institute (ELLI) in MD-21;
- Complete the MD Procedures Manual and constitutional updates;
- Create an MD-21 Foundation to help fund our state projects, secure sponsorships
I invite you to click on these links (bold italic above) to read more about these additional areas of focus. Yes, these links will expand to highlight each point without taking up more scrolling space in this edition of Canyon State Lion. Each secondary article will link you to the MD-21 website where there is more details and background. Feel free to email me should you have any comments or questions.
Bottom line: We have a lot of new ideas. We want to improve how and to whom we communicate, as well as engage younger Lions all-the-while educating and embracing those of us technologically challenged.
Together, let’s expand our member numbers through actively promoted service efforts and “Share the Pride in Serving our Communities” via our network of communications tools to ALL our audiences.
Let’s Make our Net.Work!
MD-21 Council Meetings
- Saturday, August 2, 2025 — D21-N Kickoff
- St. Joseph Catholic Church 11001 No. 40th Street, Phoenix
- Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 — MD21 MidYear Leadership Conference
- Hilton Phoenix Airport 2435 So. 47th Street, Phoenix
- Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 — 21-South District Convention
- SunBird Golf Resort auditorium 6250 So. Sunbird Blvd., Chandler
- Friday, June 12, 2026 — MD21 State Convention
- DoubleTree by Hilton Phoenix Mesa 1011 W. Holmes Avenue, Mesa
The Multiple District 21 Council of Governors meets four times a year. At those meetings updates are given on MD projects and committees, business is discussed and decisions are made.
Your attendance is encouraged. It’s a great way to learn what’s going on in the multiple district, as well as what’s being planned for the immediate future and long-term.
When the agenda for the next council meeting is posted, a link will be noted here.
Multiple District 21