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Some of our Past Programs

The Troll Group
Leo Griffin! He will tell us all about the Fremont Troll and the Friends of the Troll organization

Chief Amy Smith from 911 CARE
911 CARE Department of Seattle. Meeting 6-7 pm, following our 5:30 Social.
There's a full pub menu& bar. We meet in the Board Room, a short walk up the ramp

Rehana Lanewala  |  Director of Development & Communications  |  She/Her 
FamilyWorks Family Resource Center & Food Banks 

I'm looking forward to meeting with you on the 1st and sharing some more information about our north end program expansion/capital campaign and what services are being offered at Wallingford. We also have some exciting news to share about renovating our Wallingford Food Bank later this year!

Lori Whaley: Let the Samurai Be Your Guide.

Let the Samurai Be Your Guide. We will hear about the seven    Bushido Pathways to success. This is the Samurai code of ethics to prepare us to see what is important on life. Lori Tsugawa Whaley, Your Samurai Strategist
                            Speaker | International Best-Selling Author | Life Coach

Kathy Beymer: Virtues Project:

A global initiative empowering individuals to live more authentic & meaningful lives. Introduced in 135 countries. Kathy.beymer@virtuesproject.com. Referred by Aliza A. Bio: Kathy Beymer, M.S., PA-pediatrics, Virtues Project Master Facilitator, Secretary-IAC (International Advisory Council),  North American Representative VPIA (Virtues Project International Association).
Through her experiences in pediatrics, parenting and teaching she has embraced the five strategies of the Virtues Project as an empowering and authentic way for parents and children to remember who they really are. With this knowledge, watch them ignite and inspire the world around them through their purposefulness, integrity, gratitude, caring and generosity. Title: Fun with Virtues; Introducing the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project™
The Virtues Project™ began as a grassroots movement in 1991. This global initiative, based in the world’s wisdom literature, is now in over 130 countries. Embraced by families, schools, businesses and governments and honored by the Dalai Lama and United Nations; the five strategies of TVP™ offer tools which bring deeper meaning, healing, purpose and joy into our lives.

Christian Solis from Borgen Project.

The Borgen Project is a non-profit organization seeking to reduce global poverty and influence policy in doing so. He will explain what we can do to help in their goal to reduce poverty.
"I am a Borgen Project ambassador and lifelong resident of Washington. I graduated from UW Seattle this past summer and I have extensive experience as a volunteer and tutor for other students as well as the Auburn Food Bank."

Reid Saaris, educator & author of “The Kid Across the Hall”.

He is the founder of Equal Opportunity Schools, a non-profit dedicated to ensuring students of all backgrounds have opportunities at the highest levels. He will share the story of learning & unlearning; of leading and learning to follow. Reid4wa@gmail.com. Referred by Suzie B.

Donna Cameron; Author; A Year of Living Kindly

Donna Cameron will speak to us about how to live a kind life. She has written a book about this topic.
https://ayearoflivingkindly.com

Nanette McCann, Executive Director
Homeward Pet Adoption Center

Homeward Pet is one of the leading nonprofit, no-kill shelter providing dogs and cats a second chance through our rescue, shelter and adoption programs. Located in Woodinville, Washington, approximately 20 miles northeast of Seattle. A regional organization, Homeward Pet focuses their work in Washington State and the Northwest. We will hear more:

Rick Newell: youth &  foster care;

Rick Newell started Hope Herd to reach out to both boys and girls in the foster care system. Rick spent seven years employed at an inner-city Boys & Girls Club. In those years working with kids in difficult circumstances, Newell came to strongly believe that the big underlying problem in the urban core is the lack of positive male role models.
In 2012 Rick and Rebecca Newell started the M.U.S.T. program, Mentoring Urban Students & Teens. As time went on and they learned more about the foster care system & felt that it did not fit well under the M.U.S.T. umbrella.
Hope Herd was created to better serve youth in foster care. Please join us to hear about this unique program for reaching out to city youth.

The Hope Herd Program      https://hopeherd.org/

Roger BelAir - Picklball in Prisons

"Pickleball: Past, Present, and Prisons” will be presented by nationally-known Pickleball enthusiast and Edmonds resident Roger BelAir at the Fremont Rotary Club on 7-26-2022.  Roger has introduced the game in prisons across the country, from California to New York City.  His efforts have been featured on the front page of USA Today, NPR, and many other media outlets. Come learn how one man’s initiative has resulted in reduced crime and violence behind bars. 

Interim Police Chief - Feb 15, 2022

Chief Adrian Diaz has been a dedicated member of the Seattle Police Department for more than two decades. His work building relationships that bridge race, ethnicity and every flavor of humanity can be seen across the Department and in every neighborhood in Seattle. Chief Diaz began his career in Patrol, the Mountain Bike Unit, and the Anti-Crime Team before joining the Investigations Bureau. He is also a Master Defensive Tactics instructor at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. He served as Assistant Chief of a newly created Collaborative Policing Bureau prior to being promoted to the Deputy Chief. Chief Diaz is now serving as the Interim Chief of Police. Chief Diaz holds a B.A. in criminal justice from Central Washington University and a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Washington. He has completed the Major Cities Chiefs Associations Police Executive Leadership Institute, the Cascade Executive Program and the Senior Management Institute of Policing. Chief Diaz has authored numerous national publications in community policing, misdemeanor justice and juvenile justice.

Andra Watkins - One of the only living persons to walk the 444-mile Natchez Trace

In March 2014, I became one of the only living persons to walk the 444-mile Natchez Trace. 15 miles a day. 6 days a week. For 34 days. The Rotarian Magazine profiled me in its January 2017 issue as an ordinary Rotarian doing extraordinary things. I did the walk to launch my debut novel To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis, but I ended up having a life-changing adventure with my 80-year-old father. It inspired my NY Times best selling memoir Not Without My Father: One Woman's 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace.

Milenko Matanovic - Pomegranate Center

Milenko Matanovic is an artist and community builder. Believing that magic happens when art, creative thinking, and community join forces.

Milenko hopes to create a world where neither nature nor human talents are wasted. He lives to help communities become wiser by working together to find new and creative ways to push good ideas into action.

Ian Bellows - Nepal/Earthquakes/Mt. Everest region.

Amy Thai, Relay For Life;

Amy Thai will be presenting on behalf of Relay for Life. This year is a big year for the UW Relay for Life! We will be back in the brand new Husky Stadium from May 10-11! Relay for Life is an annual fundraising event sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Through this event, communities all around the world come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones who've lost their battle, and fight back against this terrible disease. Every dollar we raise goes to investing in cancer research and providing free information and services for cancer patients and their caregivers. What we're doing is truly remarkable but could not be accomplished without the support of our community.

Amarok Society

With the support of and in partnership with Rotary, Amarok Society, a registered Canadian charity (seewww.amaroksociety.org), is accomplishing something extraordinary for world education and, we believe, for world peace: we go into what may be the worst slums on earth, in Bangladesh, to teach children who are otherwise too poor to attend school. We do this by teaching mothers in the slums to become teachers of their own and their neighbors’’ children. By this means we’re able to educate great numbers of children at very low cost. There is, however, a catch that makes this not only extremely effective, but also very difficult: the women we teach are the poorest Muslim women, who have been denied any education whatsoever themselves.

Dr. Tanyss and Gem Munro, founders of Amarok Society, have spoken at many Rotary meetings across Canada to tell Rotarians how we’ve managed to overcome the daunting challenges of our projects in these dangerous and forbidding slums, about the state of Bangladesh today and the ongoing threat of its ‘Talibanization’, and to thank Rotarians for their support.

William Spiritdancer - Dream Power Foundation

Dream Power’s mission is to help people discover and live their purpose and passion in life. In 2006 William and his wife Roxann founded the Dream Power Foundation, a Seattle based non-profit, to inspire kids, adults and those less fortunate via art and creativity. Some of its programs are: Inspired Kids, which takes at-risk kids to Cirque du Soleil and other inspiring places. The Star Kids Movie Project, which is a youth film program to teach kids positive values and show positive role models via film.

Faye Garneau - Cofounder of Arora Avenue Merchants Assn.

Topic: Charter Amendment 19 - Electing our city council members by DISTRICTS begins in 2015

Faye is a native born Seattleite and has owned businesses in the city for 30 years. She is retired and managers her commercial real estate properties. She is one of the 3 founders of the Aurora Avenue Merchants Association which represents businesses along and adjacent to SR 99 (Aurora) from Greenlake to 145th (city limits). Currently there are approx 450 businesses; national, international and local along the Aurora corridor. Our primary duties are keeping the street free from the criminal element and providing a clean and safe place in which to do business in our city.

Faye serves as executive director.

Faye was a major supporter of Amendment 19 and is pleased it was passed by Seattle voters by over 65%

Jacki Lorenz - Major Gifts Officer at Millionaire Club

Jacki Lorenz is working with individuals, corporations and foundations to enhance their experiences resulting in increased engagement, participation and funding.

In her six year role as Development Director at Rotary First Harvest, she was responsible for grant writing, fundraising, events and public speaking.

Jacki has served in a variety of management capacities in multiple industries. She was Bristol Myers’ National Sales Trainer, Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol Task Force member, Northwest Key Account Manager and National Product Manager, Vice President of Business Development at Washington Mutual, Senior Vice President of Key Trust Company and Director of Finance, Marketing and Business Development for Radarworks Advertising Agency.

Her professional and community involvement is great and varied. She founded and is past president of the Association of Corporate Growth (ACG), Seattle Chapter. Jacki has served as past president and finance chair of Sound Mental Health and the Highline Community College Foundation and as a member of the Executive Committee and Board for Rotary First Harvest. She has been a member of Seattle #4 Rotary for 8 years, serving on the Fellowship, Greeters, New Member committees, as chair for 3 years of the Orientation Committee and is the incoming Board Secretary. She was the commercial lending sales trainer for WaMu, a Xerox Professional Selling Skills trainer and an instructor for the American Institute of Banking.

Pat Purcell - Proton Therapy

Pat is passionate about fighting cancer and actively supports cancer prevention and healthy life-style. He is an advocate for Proton therapy and routinely speaks to patients, physicians groups and community organizations on behalf of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Loma Linda University Health.

Lauren Holman - Colored Scarves for Charity

(a) Infant milk formula for the babies of HIV+ mothers, and

(b) CD-4 testing reagents for the new CD-4 machine at the local Counseling & Treatment Center.

Ryan Ward of the "Henry" murals

Interview with Ryan Ward about his life, art and murals around Seattle.

Jordan Kowalke; Aprovecho Research Center -
Biomass Cookstoves for impoverished countries

For 29 years, Aprovecho Research Center (ARC) consultants have been designing and implementing improved biomass cooking and heating technologies in more than 60 countries worldwide. The Center was formally established in 1976, and is dedicated to researching, developing and disseminating clean cookstove technologies for meeting the basic needs of refugees, impoverished people, and communities in the developing world.For decades, ARC has been the world's leader in open source development of all aspects of improved cooking stoves.

"Specifically, we focus on the amount of energy used and emissions created in cooking with biomass in the developing world. Our efforts help develop appropriate technologies that improve these indexes. I will give a brief overview of the world problem, and explain our work. Significance lies in that half the world cooks using biomass as a fuel."
More information is available through their web site aprovecho.org

Mark Pursley,  Washington Violent Crime Prevention Partnership

Subject: Gun Violence Prevention in Washington

Gun violence is a problem in our society today.  How we address this problem is the question.  Do we round up everybody’s guns?  No.  Can we keep guns out of the hands of criminals, the mentally ill and dangerous juveniles?  Yes.

This program examines the economic, social and emotional toll of gun violence in the United States, in Washington State and in our own communities.  The speaker, a long term Rotarian, looks for ways to balance the rights afforded by the 2^nd Amendment with the obligation of the community to set reasonable standards to protect public health and safety.  The goal is to find common ground using the 4-Way Test as the groundrules for the debate. 

Speaker Bio:

Mark Pursley comes bearing two titles:

• Gun Violence Prevention Coordinator for the City of Seattle
• Director of the Washington State Violent Crime Prevention Partnership

The focus of these positions is to find ways to reduce the incidences and effects of violent crime and the illegal use of firearms.

Prior to working on firearm issues he spent more than two decades with the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, primarily working with high-risk kids and teens in the White Center Community just south of Seattle. 

Mark has been a member of the Burien/White Center Rotary Club since 1995.  Both he and his wife, Lori, are past presidents of that Rotary Club and are Paul Harris Fellows.

Alison Kilkenny - Community Relations Coordinator

FIUTS Homestay Program helps international UW students transition into American culture before courses begin. Community members volunteer to host an international exchange student for 3-10 days. Volunteers are matched with a student based on compatibility and interest. Students come from over 40 different countries and are pursuing studies at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels. FIUTS hosts can be families, individuals, or couples who are interested in expanding their global understanding and integrating diverse cultures.

Throughout the homestay, hosts and students exchange cultures fostering international understanding. Many hosts and students keep in touch after the program is over. Some hosts even visit students in their home country. The FIUTS Homestay Program is a great opportunity for you, especially if you are interested in broadening your global understanding and strengthening your global ties.

To learn more about becoming a FIUTS host, or for host interviews, contact Homestay and Community Relations Coordinator Alison Kilkenny at (206) 616-7025, Alison@fiuts.org and www.fiuts.org

About FIUTS

The Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS) was founded at the University of Washington in 1948. FIUTS programs create a community of people, both on and off campus, who are committed to international understanding and cross-cultural friendship. A 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, FIUTS connects international students with the greater Puget Sound community through homestay, community service, and education outreach programs. FIUTS' mission is to inspire lifelong engagement in experiences that build global understanding.

Dan Shorett, CEO of Deals4Dreams.com.

Deals4Dreams.com provides an array of new technology tools that non-profit organizations can implement to quickly increase income. Leveraging the exploding growth of discount group-buying, the company equally shares its income with its not-profit affiliates. Building bridges between non-profits, foundation members, and community businesses the company enriches these participants and itself.

Patrick Cummings the Director of World Water Partners;

Patrick Cummings the Director of World Water Partners will be speaking to us about the work they have been doing around the world.  Patrick was instrumental in helping our friend Thuch get everything he needed for his trip to Sudan. 

Ballard High School Viking's Robotics program students

High School's Viking Robotics program has just finished a very successful season. Come hear BHS students demonstrate robotics and talk about their program at the high school and their state and local competition success! We can help them celebrate their last day of school for the 2011-2012 season!

Richard Gold executive director of Pongo Teen Writing Project:

The Pongo Teen Writing Project is a volunteer, nonprofit program for teens who are on the streets, in jail, or in other ways leading difficult lives. We love to help young people express themselves through poetry, especially teens who have never written before. We believe that people who have led difficult lives have important things to say. And we want to share teen poetry and our teaching techniques with caring adults.

Colin McFarlane

TOPIC- Walk for Life- The Bangladesh Sustainable Club Foot Program

5000 children a year are born with club feet in Bangladesh. Most go untreated.
We now have over 1100 feet under treatment by the Ponseti Method. This method
involves no invasive surgery and has a 95% success rate in children under 12
months old.

Colin's Biography

.        Colin is the owner of a 200 bed student housing village for overseas
students studying at Deakin University Melbourne. www.ih.au.com

.        In 2002 he formed the Glencoe Foundation - www.glencoefoundation.org to
assist young people to realize their potential through education and medical
assistance. This has involved projects in East Timor, Zambia, Vietnam,
Bangladesh and Australia.

.        Colin is a member of Rotary eClub One District 5450 and regularly
attends Rotary meetings in Bangladesh. He was formerly a member for many years
of Rotary Club of Box Hill Central 9810 in Melbourne Australia.

.        In 2005 Colin founded Operation Cleft which has now changed the lives
of over 5000 children in Bangladesh. Bangladesh surgeons are used for the
corrective surgery. www.operationcleft.org.au This is now an International
Rotary Project supported by hundreds of clubs in Australia and overseas.

.        In 2008 he founded Walk for Life to correct club foot deformity in
young children in Bangladesh.

.        In 2008 Colin was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service
to international relations, and to the community, through philanthropic support
for a range of education and health care initiatives.

.        In 2006 he was the second Australian to receive the Medal for the Cause
of Education from the Vietnamese Government - the countries highest award for
contribution to education in that country.

Dorothy Drummond- Author, Professor, Middle East expert

Topic- Holy Land, Whose Land?

Dorothy will be speaking about recent events in the Middle East and her topics
from her latest book. http://www.dorothydrummond.com/aboutbook.html

Drummond has spent most of her life as a freelance writer for geographical
publications.  She began her professional career as assistant to the editor of
the Geographical Review, published by the American Geographical Society in New
York City.  She has authored or co-authored four world cultures textbooks, has
written articles for professional journals and scores of encyclopedia articles,
and has been an advisor in the making of educational films.

Drummond was born in San Diego, spent her childhood in Oxnard, California, and
her education years in the Mid-West -- at Valparaiso University in Indiana and
at Northwestern University, where she earned a masters degree in geography.
Drummond taught World Geography for more than thirty years as an adjunct on the
faculties of Indiana State University and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Awarded Fulbright scholarships, Drummond and her husband spent a year doing
research in Burma. At the time they met four Israeli agricultural experts, who
later invited them to spend time in Israel as their guests. Drummond's intense
interest in Israel and Palestine began with this experience. Holy Land, Whose
Land? Modern Dilemma, Ancient Roots is the outgrowth of extensive travel in the
Middle East, as well as research to uncover the causes of conflict plaguing the
region.

A mother of three, and grandmother of two, Dorothy Drummond makes her home in
Terre Haute, Indiana. She is listed in Who's Who in America. Now retired from
teaching, she divides her time between writing, traveling, and occasional guest
lecturing.

John Martinka- Partner On Call Network

Topic - Rotary motivational talk- and club dynamics

John Martinka, a fellow Rotarian, is a founder and vice-president of
"Partner" On-Call Network a nationwide group of consultants. He specializes in
helping clients buy businesses, acting as a Business Buyer Advocate and
counsels business owners on exit and/or succession planning including preparing
the business for an eventual sale. Find out more about him at

www.partneroncall.com/johnmartinka

Julie Lucas & Ben Cheng- PATH International

Topic - Overview of the Malaria Control Program at PATH and the Rotary Malaria Project

http://www.path.org/

Julie Lucas, a 1990 graduate of Evergreen State College, has extensive knowledge of the Northwest. She is a Real Estate agent at WPI Real Estate Services. She attended the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and continued her international interests by teaching English as a Second Language. Volunteers as Evergreen State College Alumni representative for the Seattle area.

Ben Cheng is the Director of Advocacy and Communications at the Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), a program at PATH. He comes to MACEPA from the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research, a public private partnership housed in the School of Public Health and Health Services at the George Washington University in Washington, DC, where he served as the Deputy Director and was responsible for identifying and addressing critical gaps in HIV research and mobilizing key stakeholders. For many years, Ben also served as Director of Antiviral Advocacy for Project Inform, an AIDS Service Organization based in San Francisco. He has extensive experience in building global advocacy partnerships, has a strong science background, and has worked with many of the Roll Back Malaria partners from an HIV/AIDS perspective. At MACEPA, Ben develops and implements the program's regional and global advocacy strategies and informs advocacy efforts at the national level.

Burke Gilman Trail Cleanup before the meeting

Every year, 2-4 times a year our club helps clean up the Burke Gilman trail
between the topiary dinosaurs (a past Fremont Club contribution to the
community) and our meeting place at Hales Ales. The trail is in great need of
some cleaning. The trail is in particular need of cleanup after the Solstice
Parade in June and again by early September.

Meet at the topiary Dinosaurs in Fremont and we'll clean up the Burke Gilman
trail from Fremont up to Hales Ales. Work gloves, trash bags, topiary trimmers,
rakes, orange work vests, & trash pinchers will all be available and ready to
use. Bring your work clothes and a Rotary work shirt if you have one. We'll set
up our Fremont Rotary sandwich boards to let everyone know the good work that
Rotary is doing in the community. If you want to roll up your sleeves with some
'volunbeerism' and experience our new motto- 'DO GOOD - FEEL GOOD - DRINK BEER',
join us. Be prepared for 'thank yous' from lots of bikers and joggers passing
by. We'll mosey in to Hales around the 6:00 hour and wash up for an unstructured
evening of fellowship... & $2 beers!

Cogressman Jim McDermott

Topic - Healthcare & other topics submitted by the club

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) is serving in his twelfth term in the U.S. House of
Representatives representing the 7th Congressional District of Washington State,
which includes Seattle and parts of several neighboring communities. As a senior
member of the Ways and Means Committee, Representative McDermott is the ranking
member of its Trade Subcommittee and also serves on its Human Resources
Subcommittee and its Oversight Subcommittee. Jim McDermott was born in Chicago,
Illinois on December 28, 1936. He was the first member of his family to attend
college, and went on to finish medical school. After completing his medical
residency and military service in the Navy, he made his first run for public
office in 1970 and was elected to the State Legislature from the 43rd
Legislative District of Washington State. In 1974, Jim successfully ran for the
State Senate, and subsequently was re-elected three times.

In 1987, after 15 years of legislative service, McDermott decided to leave
politics and to continue in public service as a Foreign Service medical officer
based in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), providing psychiatric
services to Foreign Service, Agency for International Development, and Peace
Corps personnel in sub-Saharan Africa. When the 7th District Congressional seat
became open, he returned from Africa to seek election to the U.S. House of
Representatives. He was elected in 1988 to the 101st Congress and is currently
serving in his 12th term.

http://mcdermott.house.gov

Ethan Petro- Area Director- Peak 7 Adventures

Topic- Peak 7 Adventures wilderness programs for youth

Born in Iowa and raised in Ohio, Ethan comes to Peak 7 most recently from New
Jersey. He has been involved in the green industry for the last 15 years, and is
excited to finally be involved in outdoor ministry with Peak 7. Along the way,
he attended Taylor University and graduated with a degree in Psychology.

Peak 7 strives to allow every interested youth to have the opportunity to
participate in our adventures regardless of financial limitations. Our goal is
to conduct fun loving, safe outdoor adventures that foster an appreciation for
the outdoors and promote a sense of fulfillment and involvement in the
experience. We want our participants to find hope in their personal experience
from the fullness of God in the beauty he created.

Our Mission statement is to challenge every young person to grow spiritually,
physically, mentally and emotionally through our wilderness adventure programs.

http://www.peak7.org

Kim Lorenz- Director World Vision

Topic - Microfinance in Developing Countries

Kim Lorenz is a fellow Rotarian who has been working as a Rotary Liaison for
World Vision Micro. Microfinance makes a lasting difference in the lives of the
hardworking poor, and Kim will help explain to our club how the World Vision
Micro program works and how a Rotary Club can easily set up a donation account
online and track the progress of a micro finance loan to communities in
developing countries.

World Vision recently embarked on an exciting new venture in the field of
microfinance (www.worldvisionmicro.org). While World Vision has been engaged in
microfinance since 1993, Micro is a brand-new online microfinance program that
allows donors and groups to connect with an under-resourced entrepreneur seeking
small loans in the developing world.

Families who receive microfinance loans are able to invest more in food &
medicine & education. This consequently helps them to work their way out of
poverty and acquire access to basic needs like clean water & healthcare.

Lloyd Hara- King County Assesor

TOPIC- King County Tax Assesments

Wondering where your property tax dollars go? Seeking answers on your property
valuations? King County Assessor Lloyd Hara will address the property
assessments process, valuations, exemptions, online services and the appeal
process. In light of the downturn in the real estate market, the Assessor will
also provide information on understanding their property valuation in Fremont.
For seniors seeking tax relief, the Assessor will provide information on the
senior exemption and/or deferral program.

Discussion Topics:
.         General Overview of King County Department of Assessments
.         What are the functions of the Assessor and  the Department of
Assessments?
.         Market trends for commercial and residential properties in King
County? What does it mean for public programs?.
.         Online Services from the Department of Assessment
.         Tax Relief Programs (Senior and Disability Exemptions, Limited Income
Deferrals, and Tax Assistance Services).

Marrianne Holec- Country Program Manager for The International Training and
Education Center for Health (I-TECH)

TOPIC-  I-TECH and HIV/AIDS in Botswana

Marrianne Holec works as a Country Program Manager for The International
Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), a collaboration between the
University of Washington and the University of California, San Francisco. I-TECH
is a center in the University of Washington's Department of Global Health and
has offices throughout Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. I-TECH's 600 worldwide
staff work in partnership with local ministries of health, universities,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), medical facilities, and other
organizations to support the development of a skilled health work force and
well-organized national health delivery systems. I-TECH's activities occur
primarily in the following technical areas: Health system strengthening, Health
workforce development, Operations research and evaluation and Prevention, care,
and treatment of infectious diseases.  Marrianne currently supports the Botswana
program and laboratory-related activities in Swaziland and Pakistan. 

Liz Bullard- Executive Director and founder of the Seattle Children's PlayGarden

TOPIC- Seattle Children's Playgarden & Fremont Rotary's Yellow Swing in Every Park Grant

Liz Bullard is the Executive Director and founder of the Seattle Children's
PlayGarden. A speech-language pathologist by profession she has worked in a
variety of settings including Boyer Children's Clinic and Swedish Hospital with
children and their families for over 20 years.  She has 3 children that are now
16, 20 and 23. Liz is  a huge fan of Seattle and  very proud of helping the city
to follow through on their mission to provide great parks for all of us. Club
President, Todd Holec will join Liz in telling everyone about the 'Yellow Swing
in Every Park' campaign which was started by folks at the Seattle Children's
Playgarden. Fremont Rotary is proud to be sponsoring 4 new accessible 'Yellow
Swings' in four area Seattle parks in the coming months with the help of a
Rotary District 5030 Matching Grant.

Clark Roberts, Motivational Speaker with Ultimate Vision

At age 24, Clark lost his sight to Retinitis Pigmentosa.  He discovered that when life hits you hard, you have to learn how to move through the pain, find your potential and live life to its fullest! He now spends his time sharing a message of hope and encouragement with people of all ages through Ultimate Vision, a non-profit corporation.  Clark has spoken to thousands of people, teaching awareness and diversity education.  His goal is that every person learn to embrace their potential by finding the gifts and abilities that each of them have. Through this they learn how to overcome the challenges that life can bring, celebrate their differences, and live a life that is full and rewarding.

Clark is married with 2 children, enjoys writing, is an outdoor and sports enthusiast, and loves to downhill ski, tandem cycle, water ski, swim and hike.

Dan Cantrell, Outreach Specialist at Interconnection

InterConnection was established in 1999 by Charles Brennick. The organization's original focus was on developing and donating websites to nonprofits in developing countries. The program soon expanded to include computer donations and technology training. In 2004, the InterConnection Computer Reuse and Learning Center opened in Seattle as a hub to serve both local and international communities.

Their mission is to make information technology accessible to underserved communities around the world. They work diligently on this mission not only because they believe in the power of technology, but because they believe that technology helps create opportunity.

They accomplish our mission by providing the following goods and services to individuals, schools, nonprofits, and other organizations within underserved communities worldwide:

• High-quality, low-cost refurbished computer
• Free Internet services, including website design, website hosting, and e-mail
• Internet and computer software and hardware training

Laura Lavigne, Author, Speaker, French Baker

Laura addresses her audience with warmth, intense attention, expertise and humor. Her French accent bubbles up in the background as she expertly tackles the subjects of goals, clutter, bottom lines, clarity, parenting, entrepreneurship and cakes eaten off the floor.

Through personal stories (many of them born from years spent in her bakery) and her own highest quality ingredients, she passes on her ever present message: Life does NOT have to be hard. It CAN be deliciously sweet.

She inspires her audience and leaves them with many essential questions. More importantly, she gives them the tools to answer them.

Terri Glaberson, Executive Director at CoolMom.org

CoolMom is a local nonprofit organization in Seattle, WA that unites moms and families to take action on climate change thru sustainable living practices and advocacy.

Membership includes over 850 moms, dads and grandparents and currently there are six neighborhood groups located in Seattle and beyond.  Terri Glaberson, Executive Director of CoolMom will share what CoolMom is doing in local neighborhoods and ways to engage families in the climate action arena. Coolmom's website is www.coolmom.org

Leo Novsky, Founder & CEO at Fitness Arch

Fitness Arch, Inc.’s mission is to empower independence for people with physical limitations and to create cost-effective fitness solutions for the organizations that serve them.

Founded in 2005, as Golden Wellness, LLC, the company was started by Leo Novsky as a service organization designing fitness programs for retirement communities. In 2006 he became alarmed at the ineffectiveness of most existing exercise equipment, especially for users who are injured, frail, or disabled. Realizing that to be effective, fitness equipment must be safe, accessible, comprehensive, compact and cost-effective for it to really work for users as well as for the trainers and organizations that serve them.  

Steve Badanes, Lead Sculpture, Fremont Troll

Architect Steve Badanes is nationally recognized for designing and building innovative projects—from homes to playgrounds to public sculptures. He is an expert on energy-efficient building techniques and speaks on the social responsibilities of architects and the role of architecture in building communities.

Badanes attended Wesleyan University for undergraduate studies and Princeton University, where he received his Master of Architecture degree. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, as well as a Fellowship from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). He has conducted design/build workshops at the University of Technology in Helsinki, Finland, the University of Oregon, the University of Washington, the University of Miami, Ball State University, the University of California at San Diego, Florida A&M University, Miami University in Ohio North Dakota State University, University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin.

As a practicing architect, his commissions have included private homes, schools, public structures, and the winning entry, “The Fremont Troll,” in the Hall of Giants 1990 Competition in Seattle, Washington. Badanes is a founder of Jersey Devil, an architectural firm comprised of skilled craftsmen, architects, inventors, and artists “committed to the interdependence of building and design.” Jersey Devil architects/builders live on-site during construction of their designs, which are known for energy-efficiency and innovative use of materials. Badanes has lectured on Jersey Devil's work at over 100 universities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Their work has been the subject of two books: The Jersey Devil Design/Build Book (1985) and Devil's Workshop: 25 Years of Jersey Devil Architecture (1997). His published writing includes: The Home House Project: The Future of Affordable Housing (The MIT Press, March 2005).

At the University of Washington, Badanes holds the Howard Wright Endowed Chair and leads design/build studios that have focused on community service projects for non-profit organizations in the Seattle area. He co-founded the Design/Build Mexico program, which won an AIA Education Honor Award in 1997. The Neighborhood Design Build studio won one in 2005 and an NCARB Prize in 2004. Badanes was awarded an ACSA Distinguished Professor Award in 2002 and the Passive Solar Pioneer Award from the American Solar Energy Society in 2005. In summer he teaches at the Yestermorrow Design build school in Vermont.

Jaclyn McCabe, Program Director, Infant/Toddler Early Learning, Northwest Center

Northwest Center’s mission is to provide an inclusive environment in which all families receive individualized programs of education, advocacy, therapy and family support that nurture the development of children with and without disabilities. Northwest Center serves children with and without developmental disabilities from 6 weeks to 12 years of age in their inclusive programs.

Northwest Center has a couple different departments that Jaclyn would like to introduce. They have an Early Learning Center (Queen Anne and their new school opening this fall downtown), Early Intervention Services, and a Teen program that is now just on the midst of beginning. In addition to introducing us to the different departments, Jaclyn also wants to share their overall mission and commitment to our communities.

Elizabeth Hudson, Executive Director, ROAR of Washington

Elizabeth had been a volunteer and board member for much of R.O.A.R.’s history, dating back to 1994. She has had a hand in developing not just the infrastructure of our organization, but in shaping and modeling the compassionate listening we expect from all staffers who interact with clients. Elizabeth, who fields the majority of calls on our phone lines each day, is supremely equipped to handle the dynamics of client-landlord relationships, which are essential to our screening and assessment procedures. As the Executive Director, Elizabeth called for our first ever fiscal audit for accountability, and a means to show good fiscal responsibility to our funders, and future funders. She also secured a new building for us, and is actively recruiting new board members.

John Matthews, Rotary 5030 District Governor

Our new District Governor, John Matthews, is Vice President of HR and Risk Management for Costco and a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Mercer Island.

Matthews and his wife Mary Ellen have two children, a son and daughter, both in their 30’s. The couple met when they were in their French class. Both were 15 and they married when they were 22. As a supply officer in the Navy, the family spent their 1st 20 years living in 13 different countries before settling down.

Matthews joined Rotary in 1987 after retiring from military service. He took a job at Price, the first warehouse-type store in the country. Price merged with Costco and Matthews was transferred to the corporation’s headquarters in Issaquah.

Since settling down on the Eastside, the couple’s biggest trip has been to Ethiopia to take part in a Rotary International Immunization Against Polio campaign. While on this trip, Matthews had the opportunity to tour a woman’s hospital in the country’s capital that had been established by a Rotarian from Australia. He met many of the women at the hospital and learned of a nearby village that had no source of clean drinking water. Upon his return, Matthews applied for a grant through Rotary International and along with help from his Mercer Island club members was able to get a well built for these women and their families.

“Rotary is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things” states Matthews, who feels it is a privilege to serve and is looking forward to a busy and productive year.

Rotary Strikes Out Polio at the Mariners Game - Safeco Field

See the Angels vs. Mariners on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 7:10 p.m. $7 from each ticket sold benefits Rotary in the fight against polio!

Jeff Van Duzer, Dean, Professor of Business Law and Ethics, SPU

Jeff Van Duzer has completed his ninth year as the Dean of the School of Business and Economics at Seattle Pacific University and Professor of Business Ethics and Business Law.  His current areas of research include the ethics of wealth creation and distribution and the applied integration of business and theology.

Prior to his appointment to the School, Jeff was a partner with the international law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine where he practiced for more than 20 years.  He concentrated his practice in commercial finance and natural resources.  During his tenure with the firm he served for nearly a decade on the firm’s Executive Committee and served as the Partner in Charge of the firm's largest office.  Since coming to Seattle Pacific, Jeff has been named as the first holder of the Edward S. and A. Rita Schmidt Lectureship in Ethics, has published various articles in academic and popular journals and has been a frequent speaker at on campus events and in a variety of off campus venues. 

Jeff received his undergraduate degree from the University of California in 1976 majoring in rhetoric and received his J.D. degree from Yale Law School in 1979.  Jeff is married to Margie Van Duzer and has two sons Andrew (27) and Nate (24).

Ken North, Senior Vice President Finance, Kineta

Kineta Inc. was formed in December 2007 by a group of scientists who are globally recognized for several breakthrough discoveries about the human immune system and the body's reaction to the Hepatitis C virus. Through Kineta, our pioneering team is dedicated to further study of innate immunity with an aggressive strategy to develop early stage programs for powerful new antiviral and immune modulating drugs. We believe our unique approach will yield a new class of drugs to respond to diseases caused by viruses such as, Influenza, Hepatitis C and West Nile virus: diseases that afflict millions of people. This novel field of research is also applicable to dozens of autoimmune diseases. We believe in our science and our ability to improve lives around the world.

Ken North is senior vice president of finance at Kineta. His primary responsibility is generating financing for Kineta and its array of drug development programs. Ken strategically matches Kineta's short and long-term goals with those of investors. As a member of Kineta's executive team, Ken manages the finance department and also contributes to high level financial and strategic planning. He also ensures that investors are given high quality and frequent updates on Kineta's scientific and business developments. Prior to joining Kineta in 2008, Ken spent nearly thirty years leading, and earlier managing financial institutions. Most recently Ken served as founding President and CEO at Seattle Savings Bank. There, Ken was responsible for creating the successful business and marketing plans for the bank and greatly enhancing its value by developing unique product lines. Ken also was instrumental in launching and licensing Seattle Savings Bank at its inception and leading the bank to become the nation’s most profitable bank of its size in 2007. Before that, Ken held key leadership positions at Metropolitan Savings Bank and was responsible for managing $300 million in deposits. Ken gives back generously to many important community organizations holding leadership roles and serving on boards as past president and Lt. Governor for Kiwanis Club of Seattle; president of the President’s Club at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce; First Place School board member and serving as 2009 Commandant of the Seattle Seafair Commodores.

Rebecca Dufek, Board Member, HelpStopNF2.org

What would you do if you found out, while all your college classmates were getting ready to enter the next phase of their life, you had cancer? What if, because you were young, healthy and determined, you beat it? And what if that was only the beginning of the story?

When you meet Rebecca Dufek, a member of Gold’s Gym Northwest, you learn the answer to those questions wrapped up in a young woman who can help us all understand the true meaning of words like determination, perseverance and, yes, inspiration. Ten years ago, AFTER beating Lymphoma, Rebecca was diagnosed with a rare disease called Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) a disease which causes brain and spinal tumors. To this date, NF2 has no known medical cure.

The very first symptom was hearing loss in one ear due to several tumors crushing her brain stem and auditory nerve bundle. Hearing loss was actually the good news. The multitude of tumors in her brain according to one doctor “too numerous to count…” caused not only complete and total deafness but loss of balance, facial paralysis, eyesight problems and a host of other ailments. The situation looked dim for Rebecca and her husband Harley who were married one year after she was diagnosed in July of 1999. Most people with as advanced of cases of NF2 as Rebecca cannot walk and do not lead fully functional lives. Rebecca never gave up hope or her perseverance. Over the last 10 years she endured radio surgery, two craniotomy brain surgeries, and extensive physical therapy.

A quick study, Rebecca not only learned to walk again, but learned sign language and graduated from the University of Washington Graduate studies program as the only deaf student in history in the MIT (Masters in Teaching) program. Always the athlete, Rebecca understood the need for the body to maintain physical activity especially with her desire to continue the sport she loves most, climbing mountains. To that end, she joined Gold’s Gym Redmond and immediately went to work on overcoming her physical challenges. Rebecca worked diligently with the personal training staff to regain the strength needed to do the outdoor sports that were such an important part of her life. She would always go above and beyond pushing herself physically to greater challenges. Her trainers, at first reluctant to challenge her, soon learned no request for more would be turned down and it was Rebecca who would challenge them!

The fact that Rebecca has very little balance, no hearing, invasive brain surgeries and diminished eyesight did little to stop her from participating in multiple athletic charity events and raising thousands of dollars for those less fortunate than her. She formed and led a team of Gold’s Gym employees and members to participate in the recent Big Climb for Leukemia fundraiser in Seattle . She has branched out to endurance sports to keep motivated. Rebecca’s next challenge may define her spirit and commitment better than anything.

http://helpstopnf2.org