The Pulse for the Week of April 28, 2026 | Rotary Club of Sacramento

President Kerry Wood opened the meeting with “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Ella Fitzgerald, perhaps inspiring the spirited civic discussion of beloved Sacramento and its future.

Robyn DeLong shared a thoughtful reflection on the value of Rotary and the time we dedicate to our organization and each other. She reminded us that strong communities are built through cooperation and participation—not domination.

Meeting Sponsor

Nancy Teichert devoted her time as meeting sponsor to encourage members to join our upcoming May 19 lunch at the Sacramento Zoo. She shared a memorable childhood story of her first zoo visit, along with photos of her grandson—first as a young child at the zoo and now a cadet at the Naval Academy. She also highlighted exciting expansion plans for the Sacramento Zoo, made possible by the generosity of donors, including many Rotarians.

Happy Birthday!

President Kerry Wood then recognized birthdays for the following Rotarians: Marcus Cunningham, Dick Osen and Peter Coyl.

Rotary Giving

During our giving portion, members demonstrated incredible generosity, raising $450 in under 10 minutes. Contributions included support from a visiting Rotarian, as well as members like PP Todd Koolakian and Maggie Hopkins.

Get to Know Your Fellow Rotarian

Here’s what we now know about PP Todd:

Todd grew up in upstate New York, where his father owned a men’s clothing store bearing their family name—Koolakian’s of Syracuse—which operated from 1905 until his father’s passing in 2020, an impressive 115 years. Todd’s father was an avid skier and instructor, so Todd joined him on the slopes. Todd became an accomplished skier himself, racing downhill and slalom from ages 8 to 17, and later worked as a ski instructor through college.

One might assume that someone raised in cold upstate New York would eventually seek out sunny California—but that’s not what initially brought Todd here.

Todd worked for a New York–based consulting firm that specialized in helping churches and schools develop fundraising programs. When the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento hired the firm to lead a $50 million campaign, Todd was sent to Sacramento to oversee the team. Because it was a long-term project, he relocated here.

After two years, the church learned that Todd was gay and required that he no longer lead the campaign. His firm reassigned him to a project in rural Louisiana—a stark contrast to California, both geographically and culturally. Todd gave it a try, but soon he realized it wasn’t the right fit. He resigned and returned to Sacramento.

On his arrival, Todd’s fundraising expertise made him highly sought after. He joined the Sacramento Children’s Home, where he has worked for over 12½ years. Todd raised more than $2.5 million annually, supporting five of their programs, following his father’s example of building strong community relationships.

Todd joined Rotary and holds the distinction of being our youngest president ever at age 37 in 2023-2024. He currently serves at the district level as an Assistant District Governor.

Beyond Rotary, Todd served on the LGBT Center’s board for nine years, is a board member for Broadway Sacramento, and Co-Chair of the Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Sacramento program.

Todd’s broad involvement across many organizations reflects his deep commitment to strengthening the Sacramento community.amuse my toddler.

Announcements

May 8 – Golf-4-Kids at Rancho Murieta Country Club
Grab your clubs and join us for a great day on the course in support of an important cause. Sign up and play.
May 19 – Club Meeting at the Sacramento Zoo
Join us for a unique meeting experience at the Zoo. Space is limited, so be sure to register early.
May 28 – Fireside at the home of Past President Todd Koolakian
This event is now full. Thank you to everyone who registered.

Meeting Speaker: Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra

Chair of the Day PP Fred Teichert introduced Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra, sharing a story from Eric’s college days at Sacramento State, when he persistently reached out to Fred about funding an engineering endowment. While the effort ultimately fell short, Fred’s encouragement—“It’s not important that it failed, it’s important that you tried”—left a lasting impression.

Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra discussed key issues facing the City and County of Sacramento, noting the historical divide between the city’s inward focus and the county’s outward approach. He emphasized the importance of collaboration on housing, homelessness, transportation, public safety, and growth.

He also addressed the city’s current $66 million budget deficit, partially driven by approximately $130 million in annual CalPERS pension obligations. During Q&A, topics included malfunctioning parking meters and the potential renaming of César Chávez Park, currently under review by a city subcommittee.

A special thank-you to our greeters—Shelby Katkic, Liz McClatchy, and Len McCandliss—for the warm welcome. Smiles were abundant, and captured by our photographer, Joe Quilici. We applauded Rhonda Poppen for generously sponsoring the wine and setting a welcoming tone for the afternoon.

Sarah Hodge closed the meeting on a light note with a pun about reporters running to an ice cream shop—to “get the scoop.”