Stories
President Beth Knox called Seattle Rotary Club #4 to order at 12:30 pm Wednesday, August 24, 2022. The meeting was held via Zoom. President Beth first acknowledged all indigenous people who were the original settlers. She reminded Rotarians that Seattle Rotary is the 4th oldest Rotary Club in the world and the largest in our region. President Beth introduced Rabbi Daniel Weiner with the Inspiration of the Day. Rabbi Weiner said awareness is the key to understanding other people and their circumstances: awareness to taking care of people less fortunate; awareness to responding to needs unmet; and awareness to seek out those who need the most help. May it be so. President Beth asked Mary Goldie to introduce visiting Rotarians and guests. |
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Viets for AfghansPresident Jimmy Collins called Seattle Rotary Club #4 to order at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, March 09, 2022. The meeting was broadcast via Zoom only. President Jimmy reiterated the Rotary’s mission is to develop strong relationships, welcome diversity and advocate for different points of view. He updated the Rotary Club on the status of the Invictus Games coming to Seattle in 2025. President Jimmy said there is stiff competition, but he believes that our local representatives have made a very strong case for having the games in Seattle. President Jimmy introduced Linda Rough & Jevon Powell with the song of the day: “Try a Little Kindness.” Rough & Jevon took some creative liberty by injecting Rotary into the lyrics. Trish Bostrom provided Rotarians with the Inspiration for the Day. Trish spoke of the grave concerns she has about Ukraine. She referenced the two million-plus refugees who are suddenly without a home and suggested that Rotarians do everything humanly possible to help the people of Ukraine in their time of need. Nyasha Tunduwani, thanked Fiona Ronyai for all her work saying how effective she was in recruiting new Rotarians. Fiona will be joining her husband in expanding their business on Bainbridge Island. President Jimmy asked Joe Phillips to introduce the newest Seattle Rotary Club member: Robert Gilmore, Wealth Manager. Robert grew up in Texas but found his way to Seattle in 2011. Welcome, Robert. President Jimmy introduced Rear Admiral and former Rotarian president, Bill Center. Bill led a Memorial for Admiral Tom Hayward who recently passed away. Admiral Hayward joined the Navy as a fighter pilot. He flew 140 combat missions in Korea and 36 combat missions over Vietnam. He became the Chief of Naval Operations. Bill said that Admiral Hayward helped build back the Navy after neglect had set in after the two major wars. Upon his retirement, he dedicated his life to helping at-risk students. Admiral Hayward had been a member of Rotary since 1970. President Jimmy asked for a moment of silence in honor of the life of Admiral Hayward. Watch a VIDEO of Admiral Tom Haywards life. Admiral Center was deeply involved with Ukraine when it was transitioning towards independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Many Ukrainians wanted to keep their nuclear missiles as a future bargaining chip. The response at that time was not to be concerned because western alliances would step up and help Ukrainians if future conflicts arose. Admiral Center said that he believes that disputes like we are seeing right now, will continue because we don’t learn from history. Admiral Center said he believes this conflict will be a protracted one. He shared four possible scenarios of how this occupation may turn out. President Jimmy thanked Admiral Center for the wonderful tribute to Tom Hayward and the summary of the conflict in Ukraine. He then introduced Jerilyn Brusseau. Jerilyn introduced the main program speakers. Uyen Nguyen and Thanh Tan fled Vietnam with their families at the conclusion of the Vietnam War. In demonstrating their appreciation for Washington’s legacy in finding homes for refugees, they formed a group called: Viets for Afghans. |
Meet New Member Robert GilmoreIt is my honor to introduce our newest member, Robert Gilmore. Robert is Senior Wealth Manager at Trutina Financial. His classification is Financial Advising and Wealth Management, and his membership has been sponsored by Terry Van Nostrand. Robert grew up in the Dallas area and attended Southern Methodist University, where he played on the football team and earned degrees in finance and English. Robert started his career in finance as a derivatives analyst for Bank of America in New York and Charlotte. How he ended up at Bank of America is a tale of serendipity. One day he was walking across campus after football practice and ran into a gentleman who could not find his parked car, which Robert of course assisted him with finding. Turns out this person was recruiting SMU students for Bank of America at a career fair and wondered why Robert was not at the fair, which naturally had something to do with football practice. One thing led to another and after graduation, Robert was working with Bank of America in NYC in derivatives. Problem was, after four years with Bank of America the Great Recession came along and delivered a knockout blow to derivatives trading. Robert had to pivot and decided to get into personal financial planning. He headed back to Texas and took a position with USAA. Experiencing some challenges with its Seattle operations, USAA transferred him here in 2011 to help get their Seattle region back on track, which he did by 2017 when he transitioned to Charles Schwab to work as a financial consultant. In 2020, he started with Trutina, where his clients are small business owners who he assists with wealth management and retirement planning services. Robert met his wife, Heidi, here in Seattle where she is a nurse with UW Medicine. They have two children, Robert III who is four, and Celina who is two. Between family and the office, Robert is more than fully employed! And if any of you are looking for an impossible task, then you can take on the challenge of converting Robert from a Cowboy fan into a Twelve. Please join me in welcoming our newest member, Robert Gilmore! |
How "Gracenotes" Build Relationships and GoodwillAndrea Driessen’s TedX talk went viral one day after she described how Gracenotes engage the recipient and writer in meaningful ways; and how a simple note can help organizations and individuals be more effective, resilient, and empathetic. Although a Gracenote is a euphemism for ‘thank you note’, these simple communications can have long-lasting benefits. “Why do we wait so long to talk about someone until they have died?” she began. “How do we honor those who are very much alive?”. She described how her dad reacted when she wrote his “living eulogy” as a repeatable tool for love and gratitude. “We underestimate the impact of a Gracenote on the giver as well as the receiver,” she said. “Send a Gracenote to yourself via snail mail to gauge how your perspective changes…just the sense of holding the note as a receiver.” A Gracenote can be a written note, video, photo collage, PowerPoint deck…the medium, she continued, doesn’t’ matter as much as the doing. |
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Igniting Creativity, Fueling Discovery, and Enriching Lives through Glass and GlassmakingVirginia McKenzie kicked off the meeting, leading us in song with Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head that featured cameos from the Rotary Music Committee members with their umbrellas, and Jaime Mendez inspired us. Our member Jon Scholes of the Downtown Seattle Association provided an update on the state of downtown, especially after the recent election. He said that “the recovery of downtown was on the ballot” and that there is now a new optimism based on the results. People often ask him, what they can to do help downtown recover, so one answer is to “show up” and attend events eat out, etc. He also asked any employers to let him know if your business is planning to reopen their downtown office so that it can be recognized. President Jimmy thanked the official “cheerleader in chief of downtown.” Virginia McKenzie announced the launch of a new, issue-driven Rotary club, the Pacific Northwest Rotary Club on Sex Trafficking. Since our club is her new club’s official sponsor, she encouraged us to engage with them which could include taking part in one of their service projects. Steven Shaw then introduced Deborah Lenk, the executive director of the Museum of Glass in Tacoma who gave an overview of this gem in our backyard and what it provides for the community and region, which was followed by her introduction to our main speaker, Preston Singletary. Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight, is the unique solo traveling exhibition on display at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma that tells the Tlingit origin story of Raven and his transformation of the world - bringing light to people via the stars, moon, and sun. Raven leads visitors on a journey through the transformation of darkness into light. Deborah announced that the next stop for the show will be at the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian for a year starting in January! |
Veterans Day Honors Those Who Serve HonorablyPresident Jimmy called the special Veterans Day meeting to order promptly at 12:30 p.m. to “celebrate and thank those who have served the nation in an honorable manner”. The day’s song was an inspiring video of Joint-Base Lewis McCord-based servicemen and women over a medley of military songs produced at JBLM by the Army First Corps rock band. Tom Mesaros led the day’s Inspiration with his personal military experience in the Army – not facing danger each day – but well aware of “the risks and selfless acts to ensure our freedom and way of life from a veteran who got more serving than I ever gave”. Rotarian anniversaries were acknowledged with a ‘Top Gun’ themed video, thanks to the talents of our Rotary office, followed by Seattle Rotary Service Foundation (SRSF) co-chair Dave Kraft for a campaign update. “Our goal is to raise $250,000 and as of this morning more than $130,000 has been donated or pledged,” he said. He described how SRSF key grants have supported programs sponsored by the club’s Community Service Committee for Fare Start, Pike Place Market Food Bank, and Wellspring Family Services. SRSF funding supports the club’s Business Mentor committee to mentor UW students and local businesses, and supports the Rotary Boys & Girls club with grants to expand nutrition to three meals a day, and air purifiers. “These grants and their impact would not be possible without the donations of our members,” he said. “What we do as Rotarians and ongoing support of the annual campaign does make a difference”. SRSF committee member Alvaro Jimenez concluded by saying “we are making a significant contribution to our community and making a positive impact even greater by contributing more”. President Jimmy reminded Rotarians that membership includes an agreement to make an annual contribution to fuel grants for the good works we fund through SRSF. As a retired Army Major General, President Jimmy asked fellow Army veteran and Rotarian Matt LeMaster to join retired Navy Rear Admiral, Bill Center in a discussion about Veterans Day. “For military leaders, their success is based on the teams they develop,” president Jimmy said, “and that humility is a trait that is expected of senior military leaders. I don’t know much about humility, but I’ve noticed those who have it don’t talk about it that much”. Army veteran and Rotarian Matt LeMaster introduced past Rotary president and Rear Admiral (ret.) Bill Center as a Naval Academy grad who rose to rear admiral and flag officer during 35 years in the Navy, and in 2020 he was named UW Distinguished Alumni Veteran. “I knew pretty early in my life that a military career in my future,” Bill said. “Victory at Sea with great Richard Rogers music and history of the Navy during WWII inspired me to someday be the Captain of a cruiser. The day I graduated from high school I went out and enlisted in the Navy.” Bill’s trajectory in the Navy took him to places he’d never seen and finally to that of a Naval engineer and National Security Policy planning. Matt LeMaster was an Army engineer before turning to a career as a trial lawyer. “Each path in the military was a wonderful experience,” he said, “describing how his nephew is entering the service as an infantry officer calling from WSU with his assignment.” At the 14-year point in his career, Bill was assigned to be a chief engineer on the aircraft carrier MIDWAY. He was not excited about the assignment and could have resigned in protest, but as it turned out he would have “never become an admiral without that assignment”. He said his wife would never let him leave the Navy as “she was worried about his ability to make a living in another line of work”. Promoted to admiral Bill found himself working on arms control operations around the world, including four years at the Joint Chiefs of Staff working on some “thorny problems” for the likes of recently deceased General Colin Powell and General Barry McCaffery. “General Powell was an incredible human being,” he said, “and it sad to see him pass. Bill lamented how the military community is somewhat isolated from the general population, and the “all-volunteer force is a huge success as we are now attracting extraordinary people in the military”. He said a growing lack of understanding between the military and civilian segments is “not good for society or democracy. We need a military that is part of the society as a whole”. Admiral Center concluded with his reaction to those who spontaneously thank him for his service, whether in uniform or just wearing Navy gear. “People started saying ‘thank you for your service’ about 20 years ago after Desert Storm and the 9/11 attacks,” he said, “and now I say thank you by asking them to help a wounded warrior or homeless veteran.” Bill and Matt said Veterans Day can be celebrated with a parade or somber reflection at a veteran’s cemetery. “There are a lot of people who want to divide us,” Matt said, “but we are a great country and Veterans Day is a day to lock arms and celebrate each other and service to our nation”. President Jimmy concluded by saying “Seattle #4 values military service to our nation”. He thanked past Rotary president Admiral Bill Center and Rotarian Matt LeMaster for their remarks. Rotarians won’t want to miss next week’s program, the Tacoma Museum of Glass story, as a world-class facility promoting glass art. He recognized all military branches, including the Space Force, and paid tribute to all who have served the nation. He concluded by asking Rotarians to seek out someone in their life and thank them for their military service. Rotarians inspire hope. |
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Diplomacy Day Offers Perspectives on Trade and Value of 'One' North AmericaPresident Jimmy called the meeting to order promptly at 12:30 pm with two items of breaking news: Rachele Bouchand is the Rotary District 5030 Governor designee; and how our weekly meetings will continue as ‘Zoom sessions’ through December. He acknowledged attending diplomats and guests by name – recognized several diplomats that are posted here in Seattle. Officers of the Consular Association of Washington were introduced, and U.S. Department of Commerce officials were in attendance for the Seattle Rotary Diplomacy Roundtable’s 6th Diplomacy Day. He then introduced Chris Bostrom to lead the day’s anthem, ‘God Bless America’, followed by Rabbi Daniel Weiner with the day’s inspiration about the value of diplomacy for a common good; and “making a point without making an enemy”. Seattle Rotary Service Foundation Chair, Dave Kraft, and SRSF annual fundraising chair Jon Bridge officially kicked off the 2022 campaign asking Rotarians to ‘step up’ with their tax-deductible donations. The amount raised during the campaign determines the number and amount of grants. “This year the SRSF funded 30 different grants, having raised $231,000,” Dave said. “This year’s goal is $250,000 with more than $101,000 already raised or pledged from the board and others.” SRSF is awarding fine bottles of fine wine to those who donate at the Pinkham & Steele level ($1000) and early contributors. For more information about SRSF grants review the annual report on the website. Jon Bridge said all members will receive an email asking for their donation or pledge to the SRSF and Rotary International. Rotarians can donate online in one payment or monthly or send a check to the Rotary office. Jon concluded by saying, “If you act now you won’t have to worry about us bugging you!”. President Jimmy said the work of the Seattle #4 Rotary International Service Committee is funded by the SRSF. He asked fellow Rotarian and committee member, Alicia Flatt, for an overview. She said the committee works to inform members about our foundation and Rotary International’s work around the world. “During the past five years the committee has sponsored 37 grants and projects,” she said, “as members are involved in a number of projects,” She said the committee meets nine times a year via Zoom; and encourages members to get more involved by joining the International Service Committee. President Jimmy asked Diplomacy Roundtable Co-Chair, Skip Rowland, to welcome guests for the Seattle Rotary’s 6th Diplomacy Day, focused on North American trade and the benefits of the U.S. Mexico-Canda Agreement (USMCA). Skip said the ‘soft power of diplomacy will enhance our quality of life as we prepare to open borders on December 8”. David Woodward, Co-Chair of the Diplomacy Roundtable introduced the following three panelists: Héctor Iván Godoy Priske, Consul of Mexico in Seattle; Jérôme Pischella, Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner at Consulate General of Canada in Seattle; and Alex Tercero Chacón, Mexico Desk Officer at U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC. |
Rotary Meeting ReportPresident Jimmy opened the zoom meeting by introducing “two remarkable friends,” Bill Center and Todd Summerfelt, who led us in “You Got a Friend in Me.” Trish Bostrom inspired us with her thoughts that were based on today’s program of opening doors for African Americans in the corporate world. Jane Pryor introduced us to our new member Dr. Catherine Darley who has her own sleep medicine practice, The Institute of Naturopathic Sleep Medicine. She focuses on sleep advocacy and education and is also involved with Groundswell NW and WA Women’s Foundation. Futurist Richard Yonck started his short program with an overview video on “how we can explore the future.” He said futurists like him don’t predict the future but instead “explore possible futures.” They want to “work toward the preferred future.” Some issues he addressed included:
He concluded by wishing us “the future that you prefer.” Our main program was introduced by our past president Karl Ege of Perkins Coie. He introduced us to the Black Boardroom Initiative and set the stage for the need for more diversity on corporate boards. |
Meet New Member Catherine DarleyPlease welcome Dr. Catherine Darley, classification Health Care, to the Rotary Club of Seattle. Catherine was proposed by Liz McGrath and seconded by Carl Behnke. A Shoreline native, Catherine graduated from Shorewood High School’s honors program and attended The Evergreen State College in Olympia. At Evergreen, Catherine discovered an interest in sleep medicine after participating in two sleep study research projects. After earning a dual bachelor’s of science and bachelor’s of arts degree at Evergreen, Catherine was offered a research assistant position at Brown University as a result of her research, where she remained for the next two-plus years. Although Catherine liked doing medical research, she wanted to care for patients more. She returned to the Northwest to attend Bastyr University in Kenmore, where she earned her doctorate in naturopathic medicine. Dr. Darley opened her medical practice, the Institute of Naturopathic Sleep Medicine, in 2007. |
Seattle Mayoral Candidates Have Different Points of ViewPresident Jimmy opened the meeting at noon in deference to the day’s lengthy program. He invited Linda Rough for the day’s song, ‘Don’t Fence Me In’ accompanied by Jevon Powell; and followed by Nick Anderson for the day’s inspiration, ‘while we may share the same vocabulary many times we read from a different dictionary’. President Jimmy said Seattle 4 has a rich history of providing a forum for candidates for office, as the future economic vitality of our community depends on key leadership. He asked members to submit their questions in the chatbox, and then introduced Mark Wright, KING-TV news anchor and past Seattle #4 president to interview Mayoral candidates, Bruce Harrell and M. Lorena Gonzalez, separately as schedules did not permit them to appear together. For the purposes of this article, responses were grouped together by topic. Bruce Harrell began his remarks by focusing on his Seattle roots, from honor student at Garfield High School to being mentored at the Rotary Boys & Girls Club and playing football at the UW. He said Quincy Jones introduced his mom & dad at Garfield and that Quincy is honorary chair of the Garfield High School centennial. “While on the city council I created a $100M rainy day fund, increased accountability at City Light, and worked with Seattle Police to increase bias training to prevent racial profiling and put cameras on officers and passed fair employment legislation. As Mayor, I am looking forward to leading as this is one of the most important elections of our time.” Lorena Gonzalez said she “Won’t apologize for being a staunch advocate for working families. I built my career on fighting on behalf of working families. As a former migrant worker who worked her way through school, "we are dealing with an intersection of crisis from the pandemic to the economic recession,” she said. “My own husband spent half the year on the unemployment rolls. I want to be a mayor who supports the people of the city instead of a few powerful interests that have controlled the city for many years. Small donations are made by working people and small business owners. As Mayor, I will make policy choices that will benefit working people in the city. |
Member Spotlight - Laurie BlackAs professionals, whether we are in the Non-Profit or the For-Profit field, many of us ask ourselves a similar question: I know when my career started, but when does it end? Does it end when I retire? For many of us, the answer is, no. Our Spotlight Member of the Month for October is a great example of a professional whose career defiantly did not stop when she retired and in fact, it flourished. Her name is Laurie Black and Laurie is categorized as an Achiever member of 0 to 5 years. As a relatively new member, she is a great example of the type of new member we want to attract to join our club as we grow for the future. Let me tell you, her story. |
Governor Evans' Reflections of a Distinguished CareerPresident Jimmy called the Zoom meeting to order promptly at 12:30. He introduced Don Murphy accompanied by Freeman Fong leading Rotarians in the day’s anthem, Star-Spangled Banner, followed by Faith Ireland for the day’s inspiration that focused on Governor Evans as a leader in education, public policy, and for all he has done in his long distinguished career. John Steckler of the club’s member engagement team provided the month’s member spotlight on new club member Laurie Black, her career with Nordstrom that included various managerial posts including as president of 50 Nordstrom RACK stores where she grew sales to more than $1B. She retired from Nordstrom to join many volunteer non-profit boards, including 34 Boys & Girls Clubs in King County; where she now serves as CEO. Nordstrom awarded her the Blake Nordstrom Public Service Award for her public service work. Laurie represents the Nordstrom way ‘Whatever it takes.' President Jimmy introduced seasoned journalist and former Puget Sound Business Journal publisher, Mike Flynn, who moderated an interview with former Governor, U.S. Senator, and college president Dan Evans with his wife of 62 years, Nancy. Washington state historians will remember the 1964 election when Democrats won in a landslide when relatively unknown Daniel J. Evans was elected Governor; defeating popular Governor Al Rossellini who was running for a third term. “I spent 14 months getting to know the state and letting people get to know me mainly because a previous poll before the election revealed that I ran six out of six candidates,” Governor Evans said,” but I figured it was time for someone new and the state’s voters agreed.” |
Meet New Member Alex Liatsis I would like to welcome Alexander Liatsis as a new Young Rotary Leader, classification Real Estate. Alex’s proposer is Jeff Pyatt; his seconder is Mark Davis.
Alex holds dual citizenship in both the U.S. and Canada. He was born in Toronto and earned his undergraduate degree in History and Political Science at Bishop’s University near Montreal, Quebec. A self-described history nerd with a strong interest in the Middle East, Alex earned a master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University. Attending graduate school in Israel not only gave Alex the chance to study the region intensely and learn about the myriad issues at play there, but it’s also where he met his then-girlfriend, Madelaine Pyatt. After graduation, Alex returned to Canada, where he worked in PR in communications in Toronto, Ontario in stakeholder engagement projects across the province, including police reform and intercommunal bus transportation. However, after a few years apart, Alex and Madelaine rekindled their connection, which prompted his move to Seattle in 2017. |
Rotary Partners with World Vision and Gates Foundation to Eliminate MalariaFor the day’s Zoom session President Jimmy rang the bell promptly at 12:30 pm. This was followed by Virginia McKenzie and Bill Center for the day’s song When you’re smiling; and Cathy Gibson for the day’s inspiration. Jane Pryor introduced new member Alex Liatsis, with the classification of real estate, as a Young Rotary Leader. The day’s short program featured Robert Bowery and Anne Jannetti of Compass Housing Alliance who described a research project developed in conjunction with the UW School of Nursing: Dementia and Homelessness. Are We Ready? As Compass Housing Alliance celebrates its centennial year, the organization manages 20 locations across the Puget Sound region, supporting 8,000 families experiencing homelessness every year. The research project focuses on how best to address the needs of the aging population, starting with those in Compass Housing facilities. “This is an example of community-based participatory research, managed by the University of Michigan as a national project,” said Ms. Jannetti. An increasing number of those experiencing homelessness are older, as the objective of the research is to provide assistance to providers about the increasing needs of those with cognitive impairment experiencing homelessness. President Jimmy then invited Past Seattle 4, President Nancy Osborne, to introduce the day’s featured program about the scourge of malaria and how Rotary has joined with World Vision and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to eradicate it. Nancy who founded Malaria Partners International reflected on more than a decade’s work that brought together Seattle #4, and Rotary Clubs around the world to implement projects aimed at eliminating Malaria. She introduced the day’s key presenters Bellevue Breakfast Rotarian, Jenny Andrews, Executive Director, Malaria Partners International, and Federal Way Rotarian Brian Gower, Senior Director Partnerships, World Vision, to describe how the partnership has blossomed to combat malaria. |
The Business Side of Seafair During Covid and BeyondPresident Jimmy opened the Seattle #4 Rotary Club meeting on September 15th at 12:30 P.M., at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. He marked the passing of Rotarian Jerry Burtenshaw. Raymond Jones and Freeman Fong led with God Bless America. The Inspiration of the Day was read by Joel Paget. President Jimmy welcomed visiting Rotarians, prospective members, and guests. The Rotarians Anniversary Video was then shown. Don Kraft was recognized for his Rotarian membership that has spanned 73 years. He has been a member of the University Rotarians and the Seattle Rotary Club #4. You read that right: 73 years! Mary Johnstone reported on the Community Service Committee. Ken Grant introduced Eric Corning, the main speaker of the day. Ken is a member of the Seafair Festival Board of Directors. He said that Eric is one of the pillars in our community. Eric Corning, President, and CEO of Seafair has been in the experience business for over 25 years, producing high-profile public events in Seattle and around Puget Sound.
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Steve Raible - Voice of The Seahawks Previews SeasonPresident Jimmy opened the meeting with a remembrance of the 911 attacks on the World Trade Center buildings and Pentagon. He introduced Music Committee co-chairs Linda Rough and Jevon Powell who performed a Seahawks version of the song of the day, Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow; followed by Jamie Mendez with the day’s inspiration. President Jimmy invited Seattle Rotary Service Foundation (SRSF) President Dave Kraft and SRSF Trustee Nick Anderson to announce the launch of the SRSF campaign for the coming year. SRSF is a companion organization of Seattle #4 that collects and distributes funds in the community to support the service mission of our club. Last year our club contributed $231,000 to SRSF, with $180,000 to specific grants recommended by our club’s service committees that propose projects to be funded by SRSF trustees who are all members of Seattle #4. One funded local organization, Choose 180, provides alternatives to incarceration for young people. Your contributions to SRSF that will launch at the end of October inspire hope. Visit the Seattle Rotary website or click the link in this week's newsletter to view the SRSF’s Annual Report. President Jimmy introduced Rotarian, Eric Corning, who introduced the day’s program speaker, Steve Raible as an original Seattle Seahawk and fixture for half a century on KIRO TV and as ‘Voice of the Seahawks since 2004 to preview the team’s prospects for the coming season. |
Traditional Leadership Cannot Rebuild an Uneven, Siloed AmericaPresident Jimmy rang the bell promptly at 12:30 in the Westin Hotel’s Cascade Ballroom, followed by the day’s anthem, America the Beautiful, led by Cynthia Chirot accompanied by Burr Stewart. Bill Center delivered the day’s inspiration that took the form of an update about past president Todd Summerfelt’s battle against cancer. “Cancer is an insidious disease inflicting untold anguish,” Bill said, “as Todd has been grappling with cancer since the first of the year but doing better than expected. " President Jimmy asked past president and KING-TV anchor Mark Wright to introduce and interview the day’s featured speaker, Paul Shoemaker, founding president of Social Venture Partners International (SVPI) (www.socialventurepartners.org), and one of the Northwest’s leading experts on activating social change agents, and how individuals can be the most effective. His new book, Taking Charge of Change: How Rebuilders Solve Hard Problems (www.paulshoemaker.org/taking-charge-of-change) describes how the social, economic, and health challenges facing America in the 2020s are radically different than those we faced even one generation ago. |
Meet Dr. Yvonne RichardsIt is my honor to introduce our newest member, Dr. Yvonne Richards. Yvonne is the Director of the Tutoring Center in Covington, WA. Her classification is Education, and her membership has been sponsored by Doug Seto. |
A Reckoning as College Athletes Get Compensation from Third PartiesPresident Jimmy calls the meeting to order promptly at 12:30 p.m. followed by the song of the day, “You Are My Sunshine’ led by Trish Bostrom accompanied by her banjo, and the day’s inspiration by Tom Mesaros. The day’s short program featured Downtown Seattle Association President/CEO and fellow Rotarian Jon Scholes, who provided an overview of the ‘state of downtown’. He began by thanking Rotary for meeting twice monthly downtown at the Westin, as a vital piece of the renewal and recovery of downtown. “We have turned a corner beginning with a $15M plan to revitalize downtown with additional beautification and events to draw people to the center city,” he said. For information about the DSA’s collaboration with the City of Seattle, Visit Seattle, and private organizations visit www.loveseatown.com. He reported some encouraging information: 87% of visitor foot traffic has returned compared to a normal week; hotel occupancy is at 70% and more people moving into downtown than ever before. “There is still plenty of work to do,” he said, “including pivotal elections that everyone should get educated about including the Compassion Seattle charter amendment to help folks on the street get back on their feet”. Seattle Sports Commission president and Seattle #4 president-elect nominee Beth Knox introduced the day’s featured speaker, Art Thiel, a respected local sports reporter/columnist who spoke about the impact of student athletes’ compensation and the reckoning of big-time college sports. Between the soccer festival, Seahawks pre-season, the Mariners being relevant, the Storm’s great win along with the Kraken launching has kept the veteran sports reporter busy. “For more than 100 years the business of college sports has been the golden goose of the NCAA grip on amateurism,” he began. “It is all happening this summer as college football and men’s basketball have taken such a precedent over colleges and universities, where misplaced priorities have taken over college sports following recent rulings and Legislation that provide name, image, and likeness (NIL), the term to describe reforms that are shaking college sports”. |
Why Homelessness is Higher in Seattle than in ChicagoPresident Jimmy rang the bell promptly at 12:30 for Rotarians attending in the Cascade Ballroom at Westin for the in-person meeting and those attending via Zoom. He introduced Don Murphy accompanied by Freeman Fong for The Star-Spangled Banner, followed by Trish Bostrom with the day’s inspiration. The short program featured Kathy Williams and her team – Kirk Greene, Karl Ege, and Matt Albertson describing how members can support the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation’s Legacy Giving Campaign. “Rotarians inspire hope today and tomorrow, and for more than 100 years our club has inspired hope through the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation,” Kathy said. “With your participation, you become a member of the Legacy Society, and through the legacy giving program we can be sure SRSF can respond to the needs of the time.” The Legacy Giving team asked each Rotarian to include SRSF in their estate plan. Rotarians were encouraged to talk to their legal or financial adviser to set up a legacy gift. More than 30 Seattle Rotarians have already joined the Legacy Society. Program chair, David Fain introduced UW Homelessness Initiative co-chair Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate at the UW School of Built Environments, to interpret his work describing factors contributing to long-term homelessness. “I am in close contact with leaders in Seattle and the problem of homelessness is not being diagnosed properly – homelessness is a housing problem,” he began. He described how the causation of homelessness is defined by addiction, poverty, mental health, and other factors that are not proper causes of homelessness. “A person’s problem(s) no doubt contributes to homelessness, but why do rates of homelessness vary from city to city and what drives the variation?” he asked. |
How Virus and Smoke Cancelled Betz Family Winery 2020 ReleaseProgram chair David Fain introduced Steve Griessel, Managing Owner, Betz Family Winery who returned to Rotary to describe how his winery survived COVID restrictions and smoke impact on their 2020 release. During his first appearance, he offered an overview of the winery that was established in 1997. His turn at the podium this time focused on how the winery survived during these uncertain times of virus and smoke. COVID restrictions in March 2020, were a blow to Betz Winery as restaurants and public tastings closed. A second blow came as wildfires raged bringing smoke to grape growing areas of Washington state, resulting in smoke tainted grapes/juice. Smoke taint permeates the skin of the grapes and into the juice, but it does not get into the vine. “We make small-batch wines and never cut corners - with quality trumping everything,” he said, “ and the 2020 vintage did not meet our quality standard so we decided to cancel it.” |
Clemency Process Forges an Unlikely FriendshipSteve Fleischmann, founder/chair of investment firm Fleischmann Capital, first came in contact with former prison inmates working in his dad’s office equipment store where former convicts were employed fixing typewriters. While successful in business, his intimate knowledge of former inmates became a calling that led him to a full volunteer position at the Monroe Reformatory. His mission there was asking men who were serving life sentences to help other inmates prepare for freedom. He met Eugene Youngblood who had been convicted of a serious crime at age 18, receiving a 65-year prison sentence. “I cared about talking to inmates and learned how they wanted to be heard and listened to, and I learned about some incredible human beings – including Eugene Youngblood,” he said. “Eugene had distinguished himself while in prison as a mentor and counselor. I wanted to become a part of Eugene’s team to be freed from prison that was held up following a clemency hearing.” said Steve Fleischmann. Eugene then came to the podium to tell his side of the story. He first recognized Steve for his selflessness and how he had supported his path to freedom. He described how one mistake can taint a person’s life forever. “The truth of who you are is how you show up consistently,” he said, “as I began a transformative mission in prison to help change the lives of other inmates. We are all better than the worst thing we’ve done” as he described how he moved forward with his life while incarcerated. |
Meet Mark MilesMark Miles is Seattle Rotary’s new corporate representative for Pilgrim Africa. Pilgrim Africa is a nonprofit organization focused on treating and eliminating malaria and bringing STEM education to classrooms in rural Uganda. Pilgrim Africa’s CEO, Dorothy Echodu, has been involved with Rotary for many years. The organization is currently wrapping up a Rotary Malaria Partners International grant focused on evaluating different case management approaches to malaria treatment. More than 200 Pilgrim Africa community health workers in 85 villages are testing and treating villagers for malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea which are the top three killers of children under five. Pilgrim Africa is also playing a role in responding to COVID-19. Due to COVID’s rapid spread in Africa, all schools and most businesses in Uganda have closed. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Pilgrim Africa’s Beacon of Hope School is being used as a COVID-19 triage and treatment center in partnership with Soroti Regional Hospital. |
Disrupting Poverty Through Food and TrainingPresident Jimmy opened the meeting on a nice summer day which was our second in-person meeting since moving from all virtual. Trish Bostrom and Jevon Powell led us in a rousing “This Land is Your Land.” And Nancy Cahill inspired us with an Olympics-themed Inspiration for the Day with a focus on how the power of sports brings us together. Jane Pryor introduced us to our new member, Mark Miles of Pilgrim Africa who is joining our club as their new corporate member representative. We recognized our member anniversaries, which ranged from those celebrating their first year as members to a 37th year anniversary, with a “The Incredibles”-themed Anniversaries video. David Fain provided a preview of next week’s meeting and John Steckler plugged the upcoming Rotary Mariners event on August 10th. Then on to our speaker for the day. |
Resilience and Persistence of the Pike Place Market Through the Pandemic
The Pike Place Market is America’s longest continually running farmers market - established in 1907. COVID changed everything for the market’s vendors as they traversed how to continue in business. As executive director of the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA) since 2017, Mary Bacarella oversees the market’s 500 small businesses – farmers, day-stallers, and brick and mortar retailers - but did not expect 16 months of pandemic related restrictions. Ken Grant served as an interviewer for the day’s featured program asking Mary, first about the difference between the Pike Place Market PDA and Pike Place Market Foundation, led by Rotarian Lillian Sherman. “The PDA oversees the nine acres of the market’s historic district running the market including operations…or a little city inside the city,” she said. The PDA has a staff of about 100. The Foundation is the fundraising arm of the market. |
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Meet Brenda BarnesIt is my honor to introduce our newest member, Brenda Barnes. Brenda is CEO of Classical KING FM. Her classification is Cultural Institutions, and her membership has been sponsored by Charlie Dickey. In addition to her work at the station, she’s been active in the community as a member of the Community Development Roundtable and the International Women’s Forum.
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Meet Ryan Bunbury"My heart is in helping people find hope". Ryan is the Lead Pastor and President of the Board of Calvary Christian Assembly and has found a home with Seattle Rotary 4. We thank Jimmy Collins and Harold Scoggins for proposing Ryan under the classification of Religious Organizations.
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Member Spotlight - Assunta NgAssunta has been a valued member of Seattle Rotary in the media classification since 1991. As John Steckler so eloquently expresses "Assunta inspires, contributes, excels, challenges herself and the world community around her." View Assunta's fascinating story here. |
Meet Jenn GladishManaging a busy branch of a major financial institution, being an active member of the Seattle Angels, helping meet foster family needs and, a single parent of three girls under nine years of age, including twins. These are just a few of the many activities of Jennifer “Jenn” Gladish, our newest Seattle 4 Rotary member in the Banking classification. |
Meet Rachel SmithIf you wanted to revitalize Seattle after this pandemic, who would you choose? A Southerner? A wildlife biologist? Chief of Staff to the County Executive? Climate Action Now coordinator for the Mayor of Seattle? A transportation expert? Why not all of the above? We welcome Rachel Smith, new CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and new Seattle 4 Rotarian. |
Meet Linda LowryPlease join me in welcoming Linda Lowry, classification Healthcare, to Seattle 4, and thanks to Sherry Calvert & Barbie Siefert for nominating Linda. Entrepreneur, elite athlete, marketing consultant, lifestyle writer, and above all else, survivor. These are words you could use to describe our new member, Linda Lowry.
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Member Spotlight - Dan VargheseMeet Dan Varghese - A Rotary Achiever. An Achiever is a Rotarian who has been a member for less than 5 years. Dan personifies the entrepreneurial Rotarians of the future. Thank you to Jaime Mendez for introducing Dan to Rotary where he has found fellowship with individuals "greater than myself but who share common values". View Dan's story here.
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Meet JB MenefeeIt is my pleasure to introduce to you John Brian “JB” Menefee as a new member. JB’s classification is “Investments”. His proposer was Liz McGrath to whom we express our thanks. JB is excited to be a member of our club because it has a great reputation for serving the community, as well as the world. |
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The New Cannabis Industry: How High Can It Go?Beth Knox introduced JJ McKay, publisher of The Fresh Toast, a contemporary media firm. Although JJ prefers vodka as his drug of choice, he develops digital content about cannabis. His platform helps consumers, as well as doctors, understand marijuana and its uses. Cannabis is no longer carrying the same stigma it once did, and now more are willing to prescribe it. Until federal legalization happens, however, cannabis is not covered by insurance and not covered by malpractice. Who supports it? Republicans, Millennials (citing that alcohol is harder on your system than cannabis) and people who want to make money. Of course, we need to keep it away from kids. Alcohol, porn, tobacco, and cannabis are considered the four great sin industries. The market size for the big four today are cannabis $9.7 billion, alcohol $223 billion, tobacco $80 billion, and porn $25 billion. By 2030, cannabis is expected to be a $50 billion industry and CBD is branching off from cannabis to form a large industry of its own. |
Judge Jim Rogers Addresses Past and Present Issues Facing the Judicial System and Our CommunityFormer Washington State Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland introduced our speaker, King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Jim Rogers. Ms. Ireland said that Judge Rogers was elected in 2004 and has presided over numerous cases that include civil, criminal, family law, dependency, and involuntary treatment. He is a graduate of the University of Washington and Georgetown Law School. He also served in the Peace Corps. Ms. Ireland said that Judge Rogers would focus on two major issues facing the court system today: the state of the King County Superior Court system and the incarceration crisis. Judge Rogers began his remarks by speaking about the importance of jury duty. He said that jury duty provided the most direct experience a citizen will ever have in finding out how the court system works. He then provided a historical glimpse of how the court system was developed in the 1889 Washington State Constitution. A two-court system approach was adopted: Court of Appeals and Superior Court. Currently, there are 53 judges and nine commissioners that make up the Superior Court of King County. There has been a 60% change in the makeup of the Superior Court in recent years. |
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Meet New Member Jon ZetlmaierMeet new member, Jonathan Zetlmaier, classification: Financial Advising and Wealth Management. We can call him Jon for short, but some call him JZ for fun. |
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The 21st Century Zoo: One Zoo. Many StoriesAlejandro Grajal, CEO and president of Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, first fell in love with zoos as a toddler. A visit to the Madrid Zoo with his mother set him on his life path of science, including a stop on Jacques Coustou's Calypso as a biologist and earning a Ph.D. in zoology at the University of Florida before coming here. Alejandro came to Seattle three years ago drawn here, he explained, by the unbeatable combination of the Woodland Park Zoo's international reputation for zoo innovation and its emphasis on conservation.
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Meet Paul CaseyIt’s my pleasure to introduce you to Paul Casey, classification Marketing and Public Relations, proposed by Pete DeLaunay and Doug Picha. Paul was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and moved to Bellevue with his parents, arriving just before the Seattle World’s Fair opened in 1962. After graduating from Newport High School, Paul attended Washington State University, where he was student body president and graduated with a degree in political science and a minor in communications. |
So Much Darkness in the World, But We Can Make a Difference for That One...To begin the panel, Japanese Consul General Yoichiro Yamada reminded us that behind success are many untold tragedies. As part of his consular responsibilities, he has had to help Japanese women immigrants who have been abused or abandoned by their husbands. These women are vulnerable because they are so totally dependent upon their husbands. Many don’t speak English or know their rights as residents in the U.S. These experiences led him to become involved in the general problem of vulnerable people who are in the same situation. There are so many that Washington State needs to take the initiative to solve this problem.
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Marilyn Strickland, selected last year to lead the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, illustrated in her talk to Seattle 4 that she embodies President Cindy’s twin themes of Impact and Action. She called on Rotarians to be proud advocates and partners in supporting business, to recruit and promote diversity in the workforce, and to support restoring the practice of affirmative action. |
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Dr. Eric Larson provided some great insights about aging at our club meeting. Larson is vice president for research and health care innovation at Kaiser Permanente. He’s an expert on aging well and shared insights from his new book, Enlightened Aging: Building Resilience for a Long, Active Life. Larson started by sharing about Van Shuler, a 100-year woman who he picked for a study on aging. When he first arranged to meet with her, she explained that she was only available that day because she was leaving the next day for tango dancing trip to Argentina. Shuler is a great example of enjoying life regardless of your age, and Dr. Larson suggested most of us have the potential to live into our 90s and 100s if we can follow Van’s example and live life to the fullest. |
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Seattle 4 Rotary Partners with Foster School to Aid Disadvantaged BusinessesFor nearly two decades, Seattle 4 and the UW Foster School of Business have partnered to coach business students as they help companies in under-served communities grow. Managed through Seattle 4’s “Rotary Business Mentors Committee”, this year-long program allows Rotary mentors and business students to complete consulting projects that help businesses grow. |
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