How Honorees are Selected
Georgetown 5 Under Forty recognizes five individuals under the age of 40 whose professional excellence, leadership, and commitment to service are shaping Georgetown’s future. Honorees are selected through a structured, multi-step review process designed to ensure fairness, integrity, and community representation.
Eligibility Overview
​To be considered, nominees must:
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Be under the age of 40 at the time of selection
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Live, work, or serve in the Georgetown area
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Demonstrate professional achievement and community impact
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Full eligibility details are available on the Nominations page.
Selection Criteria
​​Nominees are evaluated based on their professional accomplishments, leadership potential, and meaningful contributions to the Georgetown community.​
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Key considerations include:​
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Demonstrated leadership and professional success in their field
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Positive impact within their organization, industry, or community
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Commitment to service through civic, charitable, nonprofit, or volunteer involvement
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Initiative, integrity, and sustained achievement over time
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Passion for Georgetown and a demonstrated desire to give back
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Nominees may come from a wide range of industries and sectors, including but not limited to: education, health care, business and professional services, social services, nonprofit organizations, government and public service, financial services, information technology, skilled trades, and related fields.
Values That Guide the Review
As part of the evaluation process, nominees are assessed in alignment with the core values of Rotary International:
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Fellowship - Building relationships and strengthening community connections
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Integrity - Upholding ethical standards and honoring commitments
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Diversity - Embracing diverse perspectives and backgrounds
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Service - Using leadership and expertise to improve communities
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Leadership - Leading by example and inspiring others
Additional Considerations
These items help ensure consistency and broad representation:
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Self-nominations are permitted and are reviewed using the same criteria as all other submissions.
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Letters of recommendation are required as part of the nomination materials to support the nominee’s impact and leadership.
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Organizational representation: Multiple nominees may be submitted from the same business or organization. To ensure broad representation across the community:
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No more than one honoree will be selected from a small business
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For larger organizations (500+ employees), up to two honorees may be selected, provided they represent different departments
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Professional tenure & growth: Nominees are typically individuals who have been with their current organization for at least 12 months and who have demonstrated meaningful progress or achievement within the past 12–24 months.
Review & Selection Process
The selection process follows a clear and consistent structure:
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Nominations are collected during the open nomination period.
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A Review and Recommendation Committee composed of community leaders evaluates completed nominations and supporting materials.
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Nominees are scored based on leadership, professional achievement, and community impact.
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Final recommendations are submitted for approval through the program’s governing review process.
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Selected honorees are notified prior to public announcement.