On a Thursday that felt like a Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Sacramento gathered in our usual spot to hear Mary Teichert, upcoming CEO of Teichert Inc., share insights into one of California’s oldest businesses – and debunk a few urban legends! Turns out, the success of Teichert is driven more by smart and ethical decision-making than by a secret gold horde hidden somewhere beneath Sacramento.*
Hello, Dolly!
March is sometimes recognized as Women’s History Month. As it was the last meeting of the month and our speaker was a female CEO in a male-dominated industry, Rhonda Poppen’s Thought for the Day quoted the great female philosopher Dolly Parton, whose wisdom includes this favorite: “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and be more, then you are an excellent leader.”
And welcome, bees!
Jamie Furlong took the mic to share photos and information from a recent Rotary service project to Killdeer Farms in West Sacramento. The pollinator garden planting day included 14 Sacramento Rotarians, one member from Roseville and 2 Rotary family members – and more than 165 plants. Jamie concluded her presentation (which was chock-full of photos showing Rotarians having a good time) pointing out this work was entirely funded by a Rotary District Grant. Have a project you believe is worthy of district involvement? Talk to Jamie to learn how you can apply for future opportunities.
Club Announcements
- Hiking group – Join Past President Jim Leet and other Rotarians for a guided wildflower hike around Folsom Lake on Saturday April 6 at 1:30pm
- Fireside – just 5 spaces are left for the April 23 fireside at Justino Santana’s home. Sign up soon!
- Park cleanup day – April 12 is Spring Cleanup Day for the American River – save the date and keep your eyes open for an email invite soon.
- Meeting sponsorship – looking to get the word out about your business or a nonprofit you support? The Sponsorship Committee is looking to fill the last few sponsorship opportunities of President Bobby’s term. See Josh Pelz for more info.
- Interact Club – PEN Paul Keefer thanked Rotarians for their participation in the recent PCI Interact Club art supplies drive – the club will host a shoe drive next. Stay tuned for where you can deliver your gently used shoes.
- Compassion Committee – Steve Huffman reported that longtime member Hal Strauch has been diagnosed with cancer. His wife is asking that we keep him in our thoughts as they determine the most successful course of treatment.
Put Me In, Coach!
Christie Holderegger made her gift in honor of the Teichert family’s contributions to Sacramento, while PE Paul Keefer honored Mary Teichert for her support of the Capital College and Career Academy, and guest Steve Boutin donated as he recalled how much his dad loved the club.
Joel Hockman’s gift honored Dolly Parton; PP Dan McVeigh celebrated his 40th anniversary of becoming a parent; and PP Todd Koolakian made a gift saluting David Brandenburger’s quick action spotting a nascent fire at Sacramento Children’s Home that was quickly addressed thanks to passerby Dave’s alert. Kathy Herrfeldt celebrated the visit of her sister, Cindy. And finally, PDG Fred Teichert made a gift in honor of his daughter, Mary, and her numerous past visits to Rotary during Daughters’ Day.
Our Speaker of the Day: No Stranger to Our Club
Mary Teichert will represent the fifth generation of family leadership for Teichert, Inc. when she steps into the CEO role next Tuesday. With a BA and an MBA from Harvard, Mary worked at Bain & Company and Apple before joining Teichert as a quality assurance technician.
Her remarks covered the company’s long history and their core values. “How we do business is as important as what we do.” Adolph Teichert founded the firm in 1887, landing state contractor license #8 – the oldest active today. (Licenses issued today are numbered over 1.1 million). Over the years, Teichert has built monumental public infrastructure and diversified operations to include construction materials like concrete and rock products, and Teichert initiatives now include even solar energy.
Mary spoke about the need for good workers in construction – an industry regarded as “future-proof” that pays well and won’t be supplanted by AI. She called for recruiting women into the field, since the construction workforce is aging and is only about 8 percent female. But she didn’t sugarcoat the realities of a career in construction: you get up early, and you work outside.
Setting the mood for the meeting were greeters Megan Laurie, PP Todd Koolakian and Clayton Lee, with Tom Bacon hosting the wine reception. Virginia Wade served as the photographer for the Day, and Megan Wygant was the Pulse reporter.
Join us next TUESDAY at our normal time, day, and place to hear from Dr. Richard Pan about the state of public health in Sacramento County.
*According to urban legend, as discussed in the meeting, the amount of gold “accidentally” mined by Teichert through their gravel operations is stashed in a gold-filled family cave beneath the city. Mary said that she hopes someone in the family will share its location with her soon.
Photos Courtesy of Virginia Wade
