Sacramento’s role as an emerging leader in global culinary circles was celebrated at the club’s Tuesday luncheon.
John Wood took the stage to deliver the Thought for the Day—which, in true Rotary fashion, included a few well-aged jokes about bad cooking. Rumor has it, Gordon Ramsay may have shed a single tear.
In the meeting sponsor slot, Capital Public Radio’s Gary Vercelli took us on a journey through the history of CapRadio, where he started back in 1980—when their signal barely made it past Sacramento. Fast-forward to today, and they’ve expanded to two stations that now reach across the region. Public radio has come a long way from the days of “Can you hear me now?”
Welcome, Sedrick Burkes! David Brandenburger and Harold Bellamy introduced our newest member, Sedrick Burkes, who works for The Federal Savings Bank. A Florida native, Sedrick has made the brave decision to trade humidity for California traffic.
Jamie Furlong had the honor of announcing two exciting district grants:
- Bee Boxes in West Sacramento – these will help boost biodiversity and give our local bees a much-needed real estate upgrade.
- Ralphville at the Ralph Richardson Center – a mini-city where disabled children will learn how to navigate safely through public dangers like crosswalks.
Put Me In, Coach!
Members were in a giving mood! PP Kevin Smith-Fagan and Maggie Hopkins donated in celebration of their beloved Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl (Fly, Eagles, Fly!). PEN Paul Keefer and PE Kerry Wood also jumped on the generosity train—because kindness, like laughter, is contagious.
Club Announcements
- Meeting Sponsors, Josh Pelz – We’re looking for meeting sponsors! Get your name in lights (or at least in the newsletter).
- Fireside hosts, Todd Koolakian – Todd is seeking host homes for Fireside Chats. S’mores not required, but highly encouraged..
- Ski Days – David Brandenburger – Upcoming days are 2/19 at Heavenly and 3/19 at Palisades at Tahoe (because nothing says “team-building” like watching your fellow Rotarians wipe out.).
- Jean Runyon Award, Maggie Hopkins – Nominations are accepted until February 21.
- Rotary Speech Contest, President Bobby Reed – Judges are needed for the Rotary Speech Contest!
- Rotary Youth Exchange, PEN Paul Keefer – Paul’s seeking three host families for a foreign exchange student next school year; it’s a three-month commitment, and the hosts should be located in the East Sac or Land Park areas.
Guest Speaker: Patrick Mulvaney – Sacramento’s Culinary King
Chair of the Day Kim Mueller introduced featured speaker Patrick Mulvaney, who wowed us with tales of Sacramento’s transformation into a foodie paradise. Arriving from New York in the 1990s, he started out catering from a former mortuary (which sounds spooky but apparently worked out well). With the help of fellow restaurateurs, he built one of the best culinary spots in California—Mulvaney’s B&L.
During COVID, Patrick didn’t just survive—he thrived. His team secured grants to keep employees working and fed over 1,300 seniors daily. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade (or, in this case, gourmet farm-to-fork cuisine).
He also spoke about the Farm-to-Fork movement, which connects farmers, restaurants, and customers in a true foodie love story. The pinnacle? The annual outdoor Tower Bridge Dinner held right on the bridge —Sacramento’s version of a Michelin-starred block party.
And coming to Sacramento in September 2025: a prestigious international slow food conference that will cement our city’s reputation as a world leader in the culinary world..
Josh Pelz took home the weekly Rock Star Award for his flawless microphone skills. Whether he’ll be going on tour remains to be seen.
Our welcoming committee—Ted White, Dee Hartzog, and Maggie Hopkins—made sure members and guests felt as warm and fuzzy as a Hallmark movie. Meanwhile, Virginia Wade captured all the action with her expert photography skills, ensuring we have plenty of evidence that, yes, we were indeed productive. Matt Page served as Pulse reporter.
PP Walter Dahl generously provided the libations as wine sponsor because no great meeting in history ever started with “So, I was drinking water…”
Next meeting is February 25th, when we welcome Wade Crowfoot of the California Natural Resources Agency. He’ll be discussing critical issues affecting California’s natural resources—because we all know water, fire, and land management are never boring topics in the Golden State.
Photos Courtesy of Virginia Wade
