San Diego Rotary

Membership Committee
2019-06-20 13:30 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States

Virtual Prospective Member Reception
2021-04-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
The Membership Committee, combined with many of your efforts during the pandemic, continues to find ways to recruit, recommend and submit new candidates for membership. Our virtual prospective member receptions have continued to be very successful so we are excited to announce our next event on Thursday, April 22, at 11:00 am -11:55 am. (this will take the place of our usual Lobby Chat that day).
Please invite a prospective member to attend this special event with you so they could learn more about Rotary and our club. Guests will hear first-hand testimonials from members on what Rotary means to them and how we as Rotarians serve our community.
Then encourage your guests to join us for our 12:00 noon program that day. Guest speakers Leah Koontz of Southwest Airlines, and Michelle Brega of the SD County Regional Airport Authority to talk about the challenges that both the airlines and the airport have experienced during this pandemic, and what the recovery looks like over the next 5 years.
Please register your guest in advance for the Reception here https://sandiegorotary.wufoo.com/forms/w988bph0tsiegw/
Guests will be emailed the reception Zoom link before April 22. Thank you for your support!

Leah Koontz, Vice President Controller of Southwest Airlines, and Michelle Brega, Senior Director for External Relations for the SD County Regional Airport Authority
2021-04-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
Guest speakers Leah Koontz, Vice President Controller of Southwest Airlines, and Michelle Brega, Senior Director for External Relations for the SD County Regional Airport Authority, will join us to talk about the challenges that both the airlines and the airport have experienced during this pandemic, to give us an update on national and international travel, and what the recovery looks like over the next few months. We will also get an update on the airport’s Terminal 1 project.

Annual District 5340 Four-Way Test Speech Contest
2021-04-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
Club 33 will be hosting this year’s Four Way Test Speech Contest District Finals on Thursday, April 29, in our new virtual world. Students throughout the County are competing in regional contests – learning to communicate effectively and building their public speaking skills, while collecting scholarship prize money along the way. Our event will feature the “Final Four,” and we encourage you all to please lock this date in on your calendar.
Club 33 is very proud to host these outstanding young leaders of tomorrow and hear their compelling stories. Our Club 33 Speech Coaches have dedicated hundreds of hours to making this a success in our new virtual world, now let’s celebrate the Finals together!

Monthly Club Board meeting
2020-01-31 07:30 - 09:00 | Club 33 Conference Room, 2247 San Diego Ave, Suite 233, San Diego, CA, 92110, United States

SDSU Mission Valley: Built for San Diego
2021-05-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
After purchasing the Mission Valley stadium site in August 2020, San Diego State University immediately began construction on SDSU Mission Valley and Aztec Stadium. As Aztec Stadium begins to rise, San Diego Stadium’s demolition will unlock the site’s development potential, which will include innovation space, housing, and a community River Park.
Gina Jacobs, Associate Vice President for Mission Valley Development and JD Wicker, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, will share an update on the university’s progress and planning.

The Big Draw! Virtual Opportunity Drawing
2021-05-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
Are you ready to help us “Go Do Good” in the community by supporting our Club’s Foundation? Of course you are!!!
While we may not have been able to hold our annual BIG Bid Auction this past December, you can still help us raise critical funds for the Foundation’s community programs by supporting this year’s The Big DRAW… our virtual opportunity drawing!
Many thanks to the Auction Committee for creating this fun opportunity to support our Foundation – and a HUGE special “Thank You” to our Drawing’s generous donors: Penny Robbins-Halcyon Seas, Mike Morton–Miguel’s, Lynn Congemi, Brad Sund, Stan Hartman, the San Diego Padres, Jordan Maharaj, Mary Radovan, Stephanie Saathoff, Jack Berkman and Ginny Ollis.
Minimum purchase is 3 tickets for $100. Additional individual tickets can be purchased for $50 each…. AND you can decide into which “pot” you want your tickets placed!
#1 – Halcyon Seas Cruise for 12 – An ideal way to celebrate an upcoming graduation or other special occasion TICKETS SALES FOR THIS ITEM HAVE CLOSED – CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER PHIL BLAIR!!
#2 – One week cabin stay in beautiful Sedona, Arizona – perfect for hiking and star gazing
#3 – Four (4) nights in beautiful Idyllwild Cabin – great location for hiking and other outdoor activities
The Big DRAW is open to both members and non-members … and of course, you can purchase LOTS of tickets!
PLEASE NOTE – we will draw for the Halcyon Seas package on April 29th – so be sure to purchase your tickets for this wonderful package by April 27th! Ticket sales for Items #2 and #3 will close on May 11 and winners will be drawn on May 13. You are eligible to win only one Big Draw item.
Be sure to share this email with your friends, neighbors and co-workers so they can participate in our drawing as well!
Thanks again to members Penny Robbins, Stan Hartman and Brad Sund for donating the fabulous “Big DRAW” items you can preview below.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW https://sandiegorotary.wufoo.com/forms/w8cjt0t1k3srmg/

BIG DRAW ITEM #2
A week at a Sedona Cabin with a Million Dollar View. Bring your mountain bike and hiking books as you will only be a mile from some of the best trails in Sedona, Arizona. Sit on the deck and look at a 180 degree view of the beautiful Red Rock Mountains. Click here for more information and photos or go to VRBO.com and search 208806
Quail Tail Trail Getaway – 7 day stay for six (6) adults.
Nestled atop Jordon Hill in Sedona, this A-Frame cabin with its wrap around deck provides soaring views of monolithic “red rocks”. The property contains three bedrooms, two baths and a loft. There is a cozy living room with fireplace, a laundry room with washer and dryer and a complete kitchen.
Stay determined upon availability. Please contact at least a month in advance of desired time. Restrictions: Unavailable in March/April/October/Thanksgiving; Christmas.
Valued at $2,500
Cabin donated by Stan Hartman
The last day to purchase tickets for this item is on May 11 and we will be drawing the winner for this item on Thursday, May 13 during our meeting.

BIG DRAW ITEM #3
Beautiful Idyllwild Cabin for 4 nights. This 3 bed 2.5 bath lovely mountain home has outstanding views of Lily Rock and the tall pines. You will feel like you are in a tree house overlooking your private terraced garden with beautiful native plantings. Hang out in the home’s brand new hot tub and gaze at the stars. A remodeled kitchen is fully equipped with all the essentials including a breakfast bar and a wet bar. Cozy up by the home’s decorative round mid-century fireplace. Ascend to the upper level and find your Master suite sanctuary with queen bed, remodeled spa bath. The views from the bedrooms are magical and both feature private balcony’s. The lower level features a huge game room which has a foosball and ping pong table. Home is about a mile away from town, which makes it a quick drive as well as a peaceful scenic walk as well! Cannot be used during any major holiday weekends and the following dates: November 13th thru January 5th. For more photos and information, click here
https://www.newspiritvacationhomes.com/vacation-rentals/rental/2072-164999/
Valued at $2,000
Cabin donated by Brad Sund
The last day to purchase tickets for this item is on May 11 and we will be drawing the winner for this item on Thursday, May 13 during our meeting.
All-In Consolation Drawing
Didn’t win one of the big prizes in our Big Draw, don’t give up… you’ll still have a chance to win one of several smaller prizes! All non-winning tickets will automatically be put into our “All-In Drawing” and you’ll have a chance to win one of the additional prizes. Prizes include $100 gift cards to fabulous local restaurants Herb & Wood, Javier’s La Jolla, The Lodge At Torrey Pines, Cesarina’s and Truluck’s, and San Diego Padres gift certificates, each good for two (2) tickets to a game during the Marlins @ Padres series (Aug 9-11, 2021; pending capacity constraints and availability).
Thank you to prize donors Jordan Maharaj, Stephanie Saathoff, Jack Berkman, Mary Radovan, Ginny Ollis, and the San Diego Padres
All-In Drawing will take place on May 13.
Big Draw winners are not eligible to win an All-In prize. All-In eligible participants can only win one All-In prize.

Paul Baribault, President & CEO-San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
2021-05-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a unique organization in the conservation space- as they have two powerful front doors, the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. But, many people don’t know everything that happens behind the scenes that makes them a premiere conservation organization.
We are excited to host Paul Baribault, President and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, who will give a glimpse into the important conservation work the organization does, as well as an inside look at their evolving approach to the future.
On October 1, 2019, Paul Baribault began his leadership role as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (formerly San Diego Zoo Global), a nonprofit organization and leader in wildlife conservation, health care, science and education. His team leads cutting edge conservation work across six continents, collaborating with hundreds of partners around the globe to save wildlife. And, they bring their work home to share with guests at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, inspiring the next generation of wildlife allies.
Previously, Baribault worked at The Walt Disney Studios as Vice President of Animation Marketing Operations and Strategy and General Manager of Disneynature. Baribault co-led theatrical film campaigns for Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and The Muppets. He was instrumental in the creative development and leadership of the first 14 Disneynature films. And, it was here where he built an understanding of the challenges facing wildlife today. In his work with Disneynature, Baribault pioneered the connection of conservation projects to films, collaborating with leading nonprofits to plant millions of trees and protect millions of acres of land for wildlife worldwide.
Baribault has a long, committed history as a conservationist. He has served as vice chair of The Jane Goodall Institute, a member of the executive committee of Jackson Wild (a conservation summit and wildlife film festival), and executive chair of The Aspen Institute High Seas Initiative.

The 5G Revolution - How It Will Impact You
2021-05-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
5G (5th Generation) wireless connectivity and IoT (Internet of Things) is set to revolutionize the way businesses as well as consumers leverage technology. This week’s program will cover an overview of 5G & IoT and summarize the benefits to consumers as well as businesses. Michael Gordon IV, owner of MGIV Telecom and Technology and Joe Fizor, Solutions Engineer and 5G/IoT specialist, will be sharing their knowledge, experience, and some real life applications in play today! We hope you will join us for this very informative & innovative (or futuristic) program!
Michael Gordon IV, founder and President of MGIV Telecom and Technology, started his career in the Information Technology space in 2009 working with multiple organizations until he founded MGIV Inc in 2013. Since founding the company, Michael Gordon has quickly become a leader of the next generation in a niche industry referred to as “The Channel” or indirect sales channel for telecom and technology solutions. MGIV Incorporated partners with their clients and positions themselves as agents, brokers and consultants to assist their clients with identifying, implementing and supporting solutions such as remote workforce & mobility applications, internet services, network architecture & security, cloud phone systems, & team collaboration tools.

Joe Fizor has over 15 years of experience designing and consulting IT services throughout the Enterprise space. He now leads a team of Solution Engineers at TBI, that are vendor agnostic, and offer technical support to customers as they navigator the hundreds of vendors in the managed service and telecom space. He has extensive experience with network design and security solutions. Throughout his TBI career, Joe has strived to stay up to date on the latest trends from SD-WAN to SASE, and more recently the developments of 5G and IoT, with a look to the future and the importance of Edge Compute. TBI serves as a conduit for organizations like Michael Gordon’s at MGIV to leverage best of breed solutions from connectivity through to Cloud Infrastructure and Security.

Stacey Murphy- Cryptocurrencies: From Curiosity to Viable Investment
2021-05-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
Stacey Murphy is a self-employed, serial entrepreneur and new to Rotary this year. She is an advisor to several start-ups including Metabit Broker which helps companies and influencers onboard onto blockchain and the metaverse.
For better or worse, cryptocurrencies have gone from curiosity to viable investment, making them almost impossible to ignore. There’s still lots of unknowns with this emerging technology, including regulations. Stacey will share her crypto story that began in 2014 and why she remains excited about the possibilities despite all the ups and downs.

Matthew T. Hall - The State of Journalism Today
2021-06-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
These days, more and more people distrust journalism, and fewer and fewer journalists practice it. Join the national president of the Society of Professional Journalists and the head of The San Diego Union-Tribune Opinion section, Matthew T. Hall, for a lively conversation on what’s wrong with journalism. He’ll discuss why you should care, how you can help and what the Union-Tribune and outlets across the nation are doing to rebuild trust and reinvigorate an industry.
Matthew Hall is the editorial and opinion director at The San Diego Union-Tribune, where he has worked since 2001. He manages the Ideas and Opinion section, writing and editing editorials, and overseeing editorial cartoons, commentaries, letters to the editor, a daily podcast called “San Diego News Fix” and a weekly podcast called “Name Drop San Diego.”

Martha Gilmer - The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
2021-06-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
The Future is “Hear”!
The San Diego Symphony is pleased to unveil a long-awaited dream of theirs and the city, a premiere state-of-the-art outdoor waterfront performance venue for all of San Diego to enjoy. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park will have its grand opening weekend on August 6th featuring their fabulous orchestra and music Director Rafael Payare,“Best of Broadway” on August 7th, and Gladys Knight with Naturally 7 on August 8th.
Martha Gilmer, CEO of the San Diego Symphony, will be joining us to talk about the Shell’s journey to fruition and all of the exciting events they have coming up.
Martha was named Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in October 2014 and leads the institution in realizing all areas of its mission: expanding its programming, increasing its community engagement, heightening its artistic profile, and building its capacity to share transformative experiences.
For more information on The Rady Shell’s inaugural season, visit www.theshell.org.

San Diego Rotary's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative
2021-06-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
Laurie Coskey
Jordan Harrison
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) continues to be a top priority for Rotary. In this program, you will hear more about the steps San Diego Rotary is taking to keep DEI at the forefront of what we say, think, and do. Join the conversation, as President Chris will share the importance of rolling out this initiative, while co-chairs Jordan Harrison and Laurie Coskey will relay the work the DEI Committee has done thus far, the strategy plan for the upcoming years to come, and DEI from a Rotary perspective and lens.

Annual President's Roast!
2021-06-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
The Pandemic President’s Roast
It’s hard to believe that Chris Sichel’s reign over San Diego Rotary’s “ZOOMLAND” is about to end. We will honor all that he has done to help us do good in grand style. Join us for what will be a funny and fitting tribute to our President. You won’t want to miss it!

DARK - No meeting
2021-07-01 | CA
Enjoy your Fourth of July weekend!

Annual Change of Command Program
2021-07-08 12:00 - 13:30 | Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
The day has arrived! We are excited to bring back IN-PERSON meetings on July 8 for the start of a new Rotary year and our annual Change of Command program.
Please join us in welcoming our 2021-22 President, Phil Blair, our club’s 112th president. Our newest leader will be sworn in and then will share his vision for this exciting new year. We are looking forward to seeing you all in person again!
As a reminder, lunch is served from 11:45 am – 12:30 pm, and our Rotary meetings run from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.
The Liberty Station Conference Center address is 2600 Laning Road, 92106.

Malte Niebelschuetz, Founder - Shore Buddies
2021-07-15 12:00 - 13:30 | Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
Shore Buddies are the world’s first stuffed animals made from recycled plastic bottles. The bottles are collected and sorted by recyclable collectors. At their factory, those bottles get cleaned and shredded into plastic flakes. Some of these flakes are used for the Shore Buddies’ stuffing, others get melted and turned into polyester yarn for the soft outside.
The Shore Buddies mission is to save marine life and keep plastics out of the oceans. $1 from every product sale is donated to non-profits that share their vision. Proceeds fund educational outreach campaigns to educate children about the dangers of Ocean Plastic Pollution, to save marine life and keep plastics out of the ocean. They thrive to make sustainability a second language from Day 1.
From San Diego to the world; Shore Buddies are sold in 10 countries, across 3 continents and has kept over 1,000,000 bottles from entering the environment.
Shore Buddies founder, Malte Niebelschuetz, will be joining us to tell us how he founded this company (which was by accident!), why these are more than just your typical stuffed animals and what impact they are trying to make on our plastic footprint.
Shore Buddies has been featured on Forbes and Kickstarter and was a 2021 Toy of the Year finalist.
You can visit their website here https://shore-buddies.com/

Tracy Sundlun - Inside the Olympics with a Track Geek
2021-07-22 12:00 - 13:30 | Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
With the Tokyo Olympics starting this month, hear from Club 33’s own Olympian, Tracy Sundlun, a Coach, Manager, and Team Leader in 6 summer Olympic Games from 1972 to 2016, as he shares some of his most poignant memories and observations from his unique vantage point from inside the Olympics in the Village and on the Track.
Tracy Sundlun is currently best known as the co-founder of the precedent-setting Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series. But that is just one chapter of the life of this seasoned professional with over 40 years of involvement in virtually every facet of the sports of track and field, road racing, cross country running, and race walking. His experience includes everything from coaching, to sports administration, to event creation, planning, and production; officiating to athlete representation; sponsorship sales to charity fundraising; contract negotiation to television production; event marketing, to government relations, to budgeting and finance.
Tracy is a visionary who is not afraid “to take a chance on being great,” and who has been at the forefront of a number of the sports’ innovations and advances over the past 40+ years. His actions, events, and programs have always epitomized his core belief that the sport should impact all of society; be greater than the sum of its parts; is only as strong as its weakest link; and look to include as opposed to exclude, involving all constituencies and athletes of all ages and abilities.
Currently, Tracy is a self employed, athletics consultant. EVERYTHING RUNNING, INC. is an international boutique event consulting firm focused on ‘Anything and Everything Track & Field, Running, and Race Walking.’

Teresa Stivers, CEO - Walden Family Services
2021-07-29 12:00 - 13:30 | Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
Teresa Stivers, CEO
Teresa Stivers, CEO of Walden Family Services, a nationally recognized foster, adoption, and youth services agency, will discusses the importance of mentorship to children and youth in the child welfare system. Hear from two former foster youth and learn about their incredible journeys and the role their Walden mentors have made in their lives. Rajah Gainey, current Walden board member and former foster child, shares his moving story of his 26-year relationship with his Walden mentor.

Kathie Lembo, CEO - SBCS
2021-08-05 12:00 - 13:30 | Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
SBCS began in 1971 as a tiny drop-center for drug-abusing teens. Under Kathie Lembo’s leadership as President and CEO since 1982, it has grown into one of the largest social service and community development agencies in the County, and touches the lives of 50,000 people every year. They offer 50 different programs that provide supportive services to children, youth and families throughout San Diego.
Kathie led the SBCS team in taking immediate action to support San Diegans hardest hit by COVID-19: securing hotel rooms to temporarily house families and transition-age youth affected by the virus; collaborating with the City of Chula Vista on the innovative use of RVs to house the homeless; providing emergency food for over 10,000 families per month; and working closely with the Alpha Project on outreach in the South Region. Together with community partners, SBCS has also provided distance learning support and mental health and violence prevention services to thousands more since the start of the pandemic.
As written in the Union Tribune: “When San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and county Supervisors Nathan Fletcher and Nora Vargas announced in March that the convention center would, within a matter of days, temporarily house unaccompanied migrant children, the leaders turned to San Diego’s community of service providers to care for them. Without hesitation, SBCS, along with Casa Familiar, the YMCA, New Alternatives, MAAC, San Diego Youth Services, the San Diego County Office of Education and the Logan Heights Community Development Corp. were all on board.
Kathie will talk about the sheer logistics of the creation of this emergency intake shelter in the San Diego Convention Center, drawing on each of the participating organization’s areas of expertise and decades of experience in helping vulnerable children to thrive.

Paul Gothold - San Diego County Superintendent of Schools
2021-08-12 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
Dr. Paul Gothold was named San Diego County Superintendent of Schools in 2017, after four years leading Lynwood Unified School District where he championed systemic changes to improve student outcomes.
Gothold has more than 25 years in K-12 education with a focus on building school systems with equity at the core. He has a proven track record of supporting quality professional learning for teachers, backing innovative ideas, and putting students first.
While at Lynwood, the population was 96% students of color and more than 94% qualified for free- or reduced-lunch. Through his efforts, Lynwood went from failing and on the brink of receivership to one of only three in the nation – and one in California – to be selected as a 2017 College Board AP District of the Year. The award is for simultaneously raising the number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes and improving passing rates on AP exams. The district graduation rate rose 23 percentage points since 2010-11 with a current rate of 93%.
Since beginning his career as a teacher for adjudicated youth in Los Angeles County, Gothold’s heart and passion have been in working to ensure every student regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or language has the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. He believes that starts with graduating high school with the option to attend a four-year college.
Dr. Gothold will be talking about the special challenges facing education in our community both during and after the pandemic.

Besty Brennan - President/CEO, Downtown San Diego Partnership
2021-08-19 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual Online Meeting Via Zoom
Join fellow Rotarian and the President & CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, Betsy Brennan, as she walks us through some key projects already in construction in San Diego. Exciting projects like The Campus at Horton, IQHQ RaDD, and Radian will help Downtown San Diego step up to help meet the demand for nearly 3.8 million sq. ft. of life science space in our region and an increased need for tech and start up space as well.

While Torrey Pines, University City and North county markets may be at max capacity, the opportunities available in the live, work, play environment of our urban center are beginning an exciting next chapter. Learn more about the demand for these creative spaces and how Downtown is ready to welcome the opportunities.
As President and CEO, Betsy leads the Downtown San Diego Partnership, a member-based organization whose mission is to promote an economically prosperous
and culturally vibrant urban center.
The Partnership proudly serves more than 400 member businesses, representing thousands of residents, employees, and Downtown property owners. Betsy and her staff are also responsible for administering the Clean & Safe Program, a $9-million property and business improvement district of the City of San Diego, which offers enhanced maintenance and safety services throughout 275 blocks in the heart of Downtown San Diego.
