Events

Cassie Sauer is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA). WSHA represents all the hospitals in Washington State, and works to improve the delivery, quality, accessibility, and affordability of health care.

Cassie will discuss current challenges facing hospitals. Hospitals are experiencing a capacity crunch related to delayed care, an intense respiratory season, and difficulty finding places for patients leaving the hospital to go. Hospitals are also struggling financially. Cassie also will share solutions to these challenges, largely centered on the 2023 state legislative session. Hospitals would greatly appreciate the support of Rotary members for these solutions.

Building Pathways to Inclusion

Pivot to Win:  Transition Better When Change Happens

Planned or unplanned, we each experience change consistently. Change is inevitable and can be disruptive, even if we prepare for it.

How can we better plan for change and deploy an action plan to overcome the hurdles we face when life and business shift?

As a professional athlete for nearly a decade, I faced the challenge all athletes face when retiring from sports, a career, and identity change.

Five Reasons Why Women Are Great Leaders

When women become leaders, they provide a different set of skills and imaginative perspectives. More importantly, female leaders bring structural and cultural differences to the table, which drive effective solutions. This creative standpoint and unique sense of awareness will also allow them to study and uncover the finer details that may go unmissed by others. Studies have shown that companies with higher gender diversity in leadership roles boast a higher EBITDA by over 3.5% as well as superior stock performance. Join us to hear more with Andrea Heuston’s presentation, 5 Reasons Why Women Make Outstanding Leaders.

This presentation will be a moderator/panel format highlighting the work of the club's Business Mentors committee.

Finding Our Y:  Community Caring for Community

The YMCA of Greater Seattle has been serving community and keeping its promise to be there no matter what since 1876. Join us for a conversion with Loria Yeadon, President & CEO of YMCA of Greater Seattle, to learn more about Vision 2025, the Y’s bold plan for strengthening community and advancing equity and justice for all through whole person health. With over 35,000 member families, the Y is a welcoming place of belonging where youth and families can develop and thrive through programs like health and wellness classes, early education, childcare, swim lessons, meal programs, outdoor leadership and camp, sports, mental health counseling, transitional housing, crisis response resources, foster care, volunteerism, and so much more. Join us!

The Hospitality Business is a Community Treasure and Team Sport

Throughout his career John Oppenheimer, CEO of Seattle based Columbia Hospitality, and founder of five hospitality related companies has made it his mission to put others first. John values the fact that great hospitality is a team sport, a proactive interplay between great people dedicated to creating exceptional experiences. When these things come together, it can showcase a community at its very best.

Please join Mark Wright for this in-depth conversation with, John Oppenheimer, an inspirational leader in the local and national hospitality industry.

In Conversation with Mark Wright

Will downtown Seattle come back?  Is physical retail dead?  Does anyone want a mechanical watch when they can have an iWatch?  With questions and headwinds like these, it could be daunting to be a jeweler in Seattle, but Ben Bridge has gained some perspective over five generations and 111 years and they can continue to remain bullish on each.  Hear from President and CEO Lisa Bridge on what the future holds for Ben Bridge and the jewelry and watch industry. 

The Future of the Corporate Board and the Role Women Will Play in Shaping It

Norway, France, and Spain each have 40% quotas for women on boards. The United States by contrast has only 24.2% of board seats in the S&P 500 that are held by women. Business is more complex than ever and changing at lightning speed. The SEC adds new regulations each month. Hear former Fisher Communications (KOMO NEWS) CEO Colleen Brown explain what to expect in the future and how women can lead the way.

Colleen Brown is an experienced CEO, media executive, and board member. Ms. Brown was honored as Director of the Year in 2017 by the Pacific Northwest National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). In addition, she was recognized in New York City as a Top 100 Director by the NACD. Ms. Brown is also a Henry Crown Fellow and member of the Aspen Leadership Institute. She is a NACD Leadership Fellow and holds a Cyber Certificate from Carnegie Mellon/NACD. Ms. Brown has served as a director of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation (Nasdaq:BGFV) since August 2019 where she is a member of the Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee. She is a former President of various companies at Gannett Company Inc., a Fortune 500 Company. Ms. Brown holds a B.S. from the University of Dubuque and M.B.A. from the University of Colorado.

A History of Women in Leadership: Through the Prism of One Seattle Family

How have women leaders changed over the past century? What characteristics have endured? I will explore those questions by offering a snapshot of four generations of Seattle women, each called to leadership within a different social context, each – by coincidence – my kin. For example: My great grandmother helped found the Seattle Symphony and Children’s Hospital; my grandmother founded KING Broadcasting Company and served as the UW’s first female Regent; three members of my mother’s generation were significant leaders well into old age; and my experience as a leader has been informed by their example as well as a very different social context.

Heather Snavely is President & CEO of AAA Washington. An imaginative leader drawn to brands fueled by passion and a clear mission, Snavely is the first woman to lead AAA Washington, which serves 1.2 million members across Washington and Northern Idaho.

Throughout her nearly 30-year career, Snavely has worked across multiple industries including retail, toys and games, gaming and entertainment, consumer technology and sporting goods. She most recently held the VP Marketing role at PCC Community Markets, the nation’s largest community-owned grocer. Prior to PCC, she led global marketing at Brooks Running Company, global consumer communications for Xbox, and was Head of the Hive (or global brand communications) at Cranium.

“Northeast Asia and The U.S. Today”

Panel Presentation featuring Mr. Hisao Inagaki, Consul General of Japan in Seattle, Ms. Eunji Seo, Consul General of South Korea in Seattle, and Mr. Daniel Chen, Director General of Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Seattle. Dignitaries in attendance will include consular representatives based in the Greater Seattle region. Learn more about how the world today looks from a truly global perspective.

A Collaboration of the Consular Association of Washington, the Seattle Rotary Diplomacy Roundtable, Bellevue Rotary Diplomacy Committee, and the Seattle International Affairs Advisory Board.

If you will be attending as a visitor or guest, please email your full name to carma@seattlerotary.org and please pre-pay for lunch using this link (make sure to note that the lunch you are buying is for the April 12 meeting).

Have you ever been asked to serve on a not-for-profit board of directors and suddenly realized that one of your key roles is to help raise money to support the mission of the organization?  The task of raising money begins with understanding who is giving it away and to whom are they giving it.  Our program on April 26^th will provide that information.

How do the arts move you?  How has it added to the quality of your life?  Arts is a critical part of bringing vitality, good health and cultural well-being to Downtown Seattle and throughout the city!  The arts have the magic of bringing people from all walks of life together with a common interest, drives economic growth and social change.  Hear how Bernie Griffin over the last 21 years leading The 5th Avenue Theatre created memories for millions of patrons and her passion for education has inspired young people to enjoy the arts and helped develop the next generation of arts patrons and professionals.

The Rise of the Asian American Voice

Featuring panliests Steve Hobbs (Secretary of State), Leesa Manion (King County Prosecutor), David Della (former Seattle City Council member), and Katherine Cheng (Seattle Mariners VP of People & Culture).