By Stephen Witt
Charles Hamilton spent his youth playing lead guitar in rock bands around Los Angeles. These days, he spends his time steering one of the city’s oldest civic institutions — and pairing veterans with service dogs on the side.
Hamilton, a certified financial planner with Fortify Capital, a private wealth management group affiliated with Northwestern Mutual, took over in July as the 2026-27 president of the Los Angeles Rotary Club, informally known as LA5 for being the fifth-oldest Rotary chapter in the world.
Rotary International traces its roots to Chicago; Los Angeles followed about three years later, edging out most of the country to become the fifth chapter founded.
Hamilton’s path to the club runs through his late father, a Rotarian in rural Northern Virginia who became president of his own local chapter. Hamilton tagged along to meetings growing up and, after his father died in 2014, went looking for ways to reconnect with his community in Los Angeles. He found a club meeting across the street from his own office.
“They wrapped their arms around me and just didn’t let go,” said Hamilton. “Fourteen years later, I’m still here.”
As president, Hamilton is pushing the century-old club to lean back into in-person service work after several years of pandemic-driven virtual meetings pulled members away.
“This is a real opportunity for members of the community who want to have something to do on an evening or a weekend day where they roll up their sleeves and get involved and actually pitch in with hands-on service events,” said Hamilton.
His own signature project reflects that shift. Hamilton is sponsoring a service dog for a disabled or traumatized veteran through a partnership between LA5 and Shelter to Soldier, working with the San Diego-based animal rescue Wags and Walks. The club recently selected the dog for the program, and its training is now underway.
LA5 also works with member-affiliated nonprofits on youth homelessness and foster care, including Wellnest, a Los Angeles nonprofit with a century-long history serving young people and families, and A Place Called Home. Both organizations’ executive directors are club members.
Hamilton said the club stays relevant to a changing Los Angeles not just through service work, but by bringing in speakers from the industries reshaping the city.
LA5 recently hosted a panel on artificial intelligence, where members discussed which professions — including, Hamilton said, financial advisors and attorneys — are likely to be reshaped by AI in the coming years.
“This is out on the forefront of community service and thought leaders and community leaders here in Los Angeles,” said Hamilton. “It’s a great opportunity to do some networking, build some relationships, but also stay on the cusp of what’s happening in your city.”
LA5 meets Fridays at the City Club in downtown Los Angeles and describes itself as strictly nonpartisan, though Hamilton said the club regularly partners with local elected officials’ offices to raise awareness on issues or recruit volunteers for events.
The club continues that forward-looking programming with “Beyond the Launchpad: The Science, Business, and Story of Space,” a panel exploring the science and business behind the space industry. The panel features NASA JPL’s Jordan Evans, Director for Flight Projects and former Project Manager of the Europa Clipper mission, and Dr. Luther “Luke” Beegle, a 25-year JPL veteran and principal investigator on the Mars Perseverance rover’s SHERLOC instrument.
The event is slated for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at The City Club LA, 555 Flower Street, 51st Floor, Los Angeles. More information and registration, including a virtual attendance option, are available at rotaryla5.org or by contacting Rotary LA5 at (213) 624-8601.
Those interested in getting involved with LA5 can reach Hamilton directly at charles.hamilton@rotaryla5.org or visit rotaryla5.org.
