Rotary Meeting April 5, 2022
PRESIDENT BOB MILLER (VP, Business Services, First US Community Credit Union) called us to order and thanked our Meeting Sponsor, SHARNA BRAUCKS (President and CEO, YMCA of Superior California) and Chair of the Day JUSTINO SANTANA (Nonprofit Business Development Manager, eFundraising Connections). He shared that while LATOYA has left the position of Executive Director, she remains a fellow Rotarian. We look forward to seeing you LATOYA in the cheap seats with the members. PRESIDENT BOB announced that the Club has named a new Executive Director, our very own STEVE HEATH (Non-profit CEO), who has already taken the reins. Thank you, STEVE!
A very special thank you to our wine sponsors; the dynamic duo of ELFRENA FOORD and BRUCE HESTER!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
MAGGIE BRINKOETTER HOPKINS (Loan Officer, Capital Premier Lending) encouraged us to make a habit of ensuring that our words & thoughts are serving us well. Our mindset makes up our habits, approach to situations, self-talk and our general outlook on life, and affects of overall health and well-being. If we pledge to use nourishing, supportive and healing thoughts – and allow ourselves to “change our channel” away from negative thinking – we can ensure long-term success.
WELCOMING GUESTS
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS GIULIANO KORNBERG (Executive Director, Sacramento Philharmonic) introduced our meeting guests, Visiting Rotarian LYNETTE ANDERSON; and Prospective Rotarian DEE JOHNSON.
MEETING SPONSOR
SHARNA BRAUCKS (President and CEO, YMCA of Superior California) educated us about the history of the YMCA in California, which predates California’s founding as a state! We have the YMCA to thank for several professional sports, the invention of Father’s Day as well as the concept of night school. The “Y” aims to inspire all people to live a healthy life – in mind, spirit and body. In addition to fitness classes, swimming and youth sports, our local YMCA offers a dozen childcare locations in our area as well as an overnight camp in Tahoe National Forest. Thank you SHARNA for all you do.
COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT
MEGAN WYGANT (Executive Director, CLARA Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts) represented the Meeting Sponsor Committee. MEGAN and KATHE NATHAN have recruited Sponsors for the remainder of the Club’s April and May meetings but have openings in June and July. Please contact them to reserve your spot. This year sponsors contributed $8,400 to our Club, which helps fill the gap between Club dues and our operating costs.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- PAST PRESIDENT PETER DANNENFELSER, Membership Chair, reminded us about this Saturday’s District Assembly, in-person at 12 Bridges High School from 9:00-12:45. Register for free online.
- CLAYTON LEE, International Service Chair, invited members to consider joining the Committee and have the opportunity to travel around the world while making a global impact.
- SARAH HODGE (Association of California Water Agencies) invited Rotarians to consider hosting a Brown Bag session on May 10. Each host location should be able to accommodate 10-15 guests.
- PAST PRESIDENT SUSAN SHERIDAN shared some photos of NORM MARSHALL (President, Headwaters Construction Inc.) who is doing well after open-heart surgery. SUSAN also encouraged everyone to save the date for this year’s Sacramento Century Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 1. Registration opens June 1.
- NORM, we are all wishing you a quick and full recovery!
- BRYAN MURRAY (Bender Insurance Solutions) asked everyone to save the date – May 6 for our 100th Golf 4 Kids fundraiser at Land Park. We are in need of auction items and golfers! To participate please contact Bobby Reed.
LET’S GO FOR A RUN
ELFRENA FOORD donated in honor of NANCY SMITH-FAGAN’s brilliant idea to move the wine reception into the main meeting space.
ANN SOLOMON donated because she’s about to become a grandmother.
SHARNA BRAUCKS donated in honor of her 50th birthday.
BOBBY REED donated to celebrate the end of the Sacramento teachers’ strike.
CELEBRATING OUR NEWEST MEMBER
MATT PAGE (Partner, Lucas Group Financial Planners) is a former Active 20-30 member and University of Oregon alum who began his career as a financial planner working with Foord, Van Bruggen & Pajak Financial Services. MATT was nominated to join the Rotary Club of Sacramento by PRESIDENT-ELECT LINDA GEERY and DAVID BRANDENBURGER (Managing Director, Newmark Knight Frank). Welcome MATT!
GUEST SPEAKER
Chair of the Day JUSTINO SANTANA introduced TONY LOPEZ (Vice President, Manufacturing & Logistics for PRIDE Industries. TONY has served on the board of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Metro Chamber, and currently serves as President of the Board of Trustees for the Wheatland School District.
TONY shared how PRIDE Industries fulfills is mission to create meaningful employment for people with disabilities by partnering with businesses in the community. Now active in 16 states across the country, PRIDE has 6,100 employees (3,600 of whom have some type of disability). They help individuals with disabilities build skills and prepare for the workplace; help employers gain an understanding of the value that people with disabilities offer as employees; and match individuals to the right job and provide any support they need.
PRIDE places employees in fields including custodial services, facilities management, landscaping, manufacturing (including medical devices and electronic manufacturing), packaging and fulfillment/supply chain services.
In addition to employment preparation & placement, PRIDE’s services to individuals with disabilities include on-the-job support; transition services; independent living; community access; and employment re-entry services.
TONY shared how much more work there is to be done in order to secure a job for every client in need of PRIDE’s services: 30 million people in the U.S. have some form of disability, and 70% of them are unemployed. PRIDE continues to grow their offerings, most recently launching the I Am Able employment helpline (1-844-I-AM-ABLE). Last year the organization’s earnings were $400 million, which is reinvested into additional job training and services to individuals with disabilities.
Click here to view their PowerPoint.
DRINK UP!
CLAYTON LEE (International Service Chair) and KATHY HERRFELDT(retired) reported on the Rotary’s critical water project.
With International Women’s month, we have been honoring women and girls around the world.
Did you know that the task of collecting water around the world falls heavily on women and girls? They are also disproportionately affected by a lack of access to safe sanitation facilities and menstrual hygiene education at home and school.
This is why our club is committed to helping women and girls access the services they need. The result: girls are empowered to stay in school and women help transform their communities.
To date, our club has changed the lives of 80,000 women with clean water.
Click here to view their video.
BREAKING NEWS REPORT
DAVID BRANDENBURGER, chair of the Speech Contest reported that JORDAN “MARI” KEANON won second (2nd) place in the semi-finals. You will remember MARI for speaking enthusiastically on the need to love yourself at our last meeting for 30 minutes without notes, props, or visual aids of any kind. Congratulations MARI – next year you will surely be in the finals!
THANK YOU
Hearty thanks to the Rotarians who served as Greeters: NANCY SMITH-FAGAN (Philanthropy Manager, International Bird Rescue) ERIC SOLIS (Managing Director, Solis Financial Strategies Group) and JIM CULLETON (President, Strong & Associates); Wine reception hosts ELFRENA FOORD (Foord, Van Bruggen & Pajak) and BRUCE HESTER (Retired, Colliers International); Photographer KATHY TOSCHI (Financial Advisor, Edward Jones); and to DANIELLE MCGARRITY our pulse reporter in the field and the author of this newsletter.
NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting is on April 19 when we will have AMI BERA available to provide an update on the fox attacks on capitol hill and other perhaps more important topics. We will also have RICHARD LEWIS, Executive Director of Broadway Sacramento with an update on all things musical theater…
UPCOMING MEETINGS AT A GLANCE:
- 4/26 – Willie Whittlesey – Forest Management
- 5/3 – DARK – No Meeting
- 5/10 – BROWN BAG DAY!
- 5/17 – Thien Ho – Running for Sacramento District Attorney
- 5/24 – Veterans Armed Forces Day – You don’t want to miss it!