July 1, 2022NOTICE We do not have a meeting this Friday, July 1st due to the 4th of July Holiday. Our next meeting is July 8th at our new location, First Baptist Church Alpharetta 44 Academy St, Alpharetta, GA 30009 We are meeting and parking around the back of the building. We have a great video showing exactly where the entrance is located.Link to the video:  |
Happy New Year! |
President's Message 11/20/2020"We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives." -John F. Kennedy This Friday morning, we meet at the Phase Events Legacy Theater. The address is 12150 Morris Road, Alpharetta, GA 30005. For everyone's safety, please wear a mask. The Club will also broadcast the meeting via Zoom at 7:15 AM. Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/94067252841?pwd=YlU1L1BRejBYSzUveGUwclBTbGNWdz09 Meeting ID: 940 6725 2841 Password: 56789 PLEASE NOTE: You will need to enter the password. Details about Zoom meeting
This Week's Program Giving Thanks Breakfast!  This event is for EVERYONE, with or without a guest! Members of the club are invited to bring someone with them who is their inspiration, introduce them, and thank them for being such a great inspiration to them. What a great opportunity to recognize someone who has great meaning in your life--a long time friend, business inspiration, etc. We need to know how many people are bringing someone, so please, if you are, please let us know by signing up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0a44a5a823a1ff2-rotary1 SPECIAL THANKS!  To Brewable & Chic-Fil-A for providing breakfast this Friday! Our Rotary Family is Growing!  Brett & Lindsay Power welcomed Baby Hadley Elizabeth to their family on November 9th!  Matt Williams and Katie Elizabeth were married in Gulf Shores, AL on November 7, 2020! CONGRATULATIONS To All! Service Projects & Club Awareness Join The Fight Against Human Trafficking  The Rotary Club of Alpharetta is filled with people of action. We know that Metro-Atlanta is a major human trafficking hub. Now, we are asking YOU to do something about it! Our Club is part of The Atlanta Rotary Council Against Human Trafficking. We have partnered with the International Human Trafficking Institute (IHTI), the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS), and Human Traffic Proof GA. January is “End Human Trafficking” month. IHTI is offering two virtual training events multiple times to Rotarians in January. Human Trafficking: Learn, See, and Do Something Human Trafficking: Protecting our Children Online If you are interested or want to learn more, please open the attached brochure and sign up. Contact Paul Ray, Katie Rocco, or David Cochran if you are ready to take action! Stay tuned for more ways you can help end this plague on our society. Salvation Army Red Kettle Volunteers December 19th  Seeking all Santas, Mrs. Clauses, and Elfs for bell ringers! Date: December 19th Location: Macy's behind North Point Mall. Please contact Steve Gillard for coordination. This year we have a Virtual Red Kettle. The link is below. Please share via social media.  If you haven't signed up for Guess The Rotarian, you are missing out. Take The Plunge! The questionnaire link is below. Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan - June 12-16. 2021 Rotary is currently moving forward with plans for the international convention in Taipei Taiwan June 12-16, 2021. In order to enhance the fun of being together as a district, we have reserved a room block at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Taipei. If you are planning to attend the convention and wish to participate in the room block, please email me by August 14th. Because we have room minimums and deadlines on adjusting the number of rooms for the group, a one night's room and tax deposit will be due to the district no later than September 18th. And another night's room and tax deposit will be due to the district by December 1st. I recognize there is some uncertainty about making travel plans due to COVID. If you are interested in attending the convention but unsure about committing to the room block, please still contact me so I can assemble a list and know who to keep informed about district plans. Registration for the convention is your responsibility. Mary Ligon, District Governor-Elect Service Projects & Club Awareness Rotary Community Service Board The Community Service Board is up in running. Please check the board at the meeting and Volunteer for the project of your choice. Contact Joseph Yi for information. jyi@apogeefp.com Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) Last Saturday, District Governor Kirk Driskell, Cambri Driskell, Scott Doll and David Cochran took part in an international virtual panel discussion titled “Ending Modern Day Slavery. Engaging Our Rising Rotarians.” The focus of the panel was how to engage Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors to help end human trafficking. Our club is part of the Atlanta Rotary Council Against Human Trafficking. If interested in working on this project, please contact Katie Rocco, Paul Ray or David Cochran. Rotary District 6900 – Feed The Hungry In The Time of Corona Virus 07/01/2020-06/30/2021 https://rotary6900.org/project/4448 The novel coronavirus pandemic has left corporate kitchens dormant or grossly underutilized while growing unemployment is driving the city’s food insecurity numbers to unprecedented levels. Feeding America and The Atlanta Community Food Bank estimate that 16% of people in the 29-county service area of the Food Bank will be food insecure this summer. And, with school out for the summer, 26% of children, 1 in 4, could go hungry. To address this staggering divide, The Atlanta Community Food Bank and Second Helpings Atlanta have joined forces to launch the Atlanta Community Kitchen Project. This first-ever public/private partnership in the region connects hunger relief agencies with commercial kitchens with a goal to provide five hundred thousand meals to Atlanta families in need this summer. And this unprecedented initiative is being funded in large part by the city’s top corporate leaders who comprise the Atlanta Rotary Club.   COVID-19 EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
To see if you qualify contact: info@ssnorthfulton.org or 770-993-1906 x227  Streetgrace -Help Stop The Illicit Massage Industry Non-Profits That STILL Need Our Help Meals by Grace Pantry: https://mealsbygrace.org/DonateOpts.aspx  The Drake House Donations: https://thedrakehouse.org/donate/  North Fulton Community Charities: https://nfcchelp.org/nfcc-response-to-covid-19/ The Food Pantry is open, and you can make financial donations via their website   Fresh Market OPEN If you have not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See you Friday! Kile Lewis, President 2020-2021 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
2020 District 6900 CelebrationJoin us on June 20th from 11:30-2:00 at the Bibb Mill in Columbus, Georgia. The link to register is below.  |
President's Message 05/29/2020“People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” – John Wanamaker Friday morning, the Club will Zoom meet at 7:30 AM. The link is: https://zoom.us/j/960101367 This Week's Speaker: Mr. Morgan Rodgers, Director Alpharetta Recreation, Parks and Culture Services  Mr. Rodgers has 44 years of experience in the Recreation and Parks field, including City of Dalton, Moore County (NC), Rome/Floyd County Recreation Authority, Jekyll Island State Authority, Georgia Lockheed Employees Recreation Club, and the City of Roswell (28 years). Native of Marion, South Carolina, and a graduate of Clemson University. Morgan is married to Janet Rodgers (President and CEO of Alpharetta Convention & Visitor’s Bureau) with two adult children Colby (Sarah) & Jade, and one Grandchild, Rylee. ROTARY SHOUT-OUT! Memorial Day Celebration, Thank You to William Perkins, Scott Doll and everyone that worked to coordinate, organize, and execute the event. A special Thank You to Grant McGarry our featured speaker. Tanzania & Uganda District 9211, Congratulations to Arusha Mount Meru Rotary Club who won a District Service Award for the school water and well pump project. Well done Bob Koncerak and Jerry Urmanski! Congratulations! Wayne & Lynn Robinson on their 47th Wedding Anniversary on May 19th! (My apologies for omitting from last week’s bulletin.) Deadlines, Cancelations & Upcoming Dates The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) scheduled for June 20-24th is cancelled. 2020/2021 Hard Copy Club Directory – DEADLINE June 1st! Time to update the directory. Questions? Contact Rob Johns at rob.johns1957@gmail.com Summary is below:
District 6900 Celebration – June 20, 2020. 11:30 AM Time to Register! Link for event: https://rotary6900.org/event/4906 Bibb Mill Event Facility, Columbus, GA
Service Projects & Club Awareness Alpharetta CVB's Initiative - Downtown Alpharetta: OPEN FOR YOU!  While keeping the health and safety of Alpharetta residents and visitors in mind, many Downtown Alpharetta businesses are opening their doors to once again welcome patrons. The Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau is keeping the most up-to-date Downtown Alpharetta opening information on a dedicated webpage titled “Downtown Alpharetta: OPEN FOR YOU!” where Downtown Alpharetta business opening details are updated daily. Whether in-person, online or curbside pickup, the community can help support these local businesses in the most comfortable way for them. If you hear of a Downtown Alpharetta business that would like to be included and is not on the list, please tell them to email their business update to info@awesomealpharetta.com. Ongoing Rotary Meeting Project Find and share stories, ideas, or lessons about: PASSION – SERVICE – IMPACT Stories about person, group, or cause that you or someone else was PASSIONATE about doing. How you or someone else felt a call to SERVICE to help a person, cause, or project. How something you or someone else’s actions had a positive IMPACT on a person, cause, or project. Use the Four-way Test as your guide.
Utilize any available media as a resource: Past history, news story, personal experience… Please send these stories, ideas or lessons to Clark Savage at csavage1@mindspring.com  Update: The Volunteer Surge program continues to grow and mature. Members of the Rotary Club of Alpharetta are engaged in connecting the program to our local needs such as providing TeleSupport and perhaps safe in person support to our senior and disadvantaged citizens. If you are interested in this area of service, please contact Rob Johns or Becky Cottingham. Non-Profits That Need Our Help The Drake House Donations: https://thedrakehouse.org/donate/ Meals by Grace Pantry: https://mealsbygrace.org/DonateOpts.aspx  Senior Services North Fulton: www.ssnorthfulton.org This past week we have seen a new trend in calls from senior citizens who are afraid to go out and shop for groceries. We foresee adding many new temporary Meals on Wheels clients in the coming weeks/months. Also, to limit volunteer contact with our current clients, we will be ordering bulk from our supplier to deliver 2-week supplies at a time. We do not need food donations, just financial help for us to order more meals from our supplier. North Fulton Community Charities: https://nfcchelp.org/nfcc-response-to-covid-19/ The Food Pantry is open, and you can make financial donations via their website  Fresh Market OPEN – NFCC NEEDS OUR HELP LIKE NEVER BEFORE! If you have not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
SMILES ( Please submit jokes, quips & jpegs to Clark at csavage1@mindspring.com ) "Humor is an antidote to all ills." -Patch Adams Quarantine has turned us into dogs. We roam the house all day looking for food. We are told “no” if we get too close to strangers. And we get really excited about car rides. - Mike Lowry  -Wayne Robinson Stay Well. Stay Strong. Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
Virtual Memorial Day TributeGreat Event Coming May 25th at 9:00 AM. City of Alpharetta and the Rotary Club of Alpharetta Virtual Memorial Day Tribute Link: www.youtube.com/alpharettagov.  |
President's Message 05/15/2020“It is our duty to love the unloved, help the helpless, and bring hope to the hopeless.” – A.D. Williams Friday morning the Club will Zoom meet at 7:30 AM. The link is: https://zoom.us/j/960101367 This Week's Speaker: Ms. Nesha Mason Executive Director, The Drake House  Nesha Mason brings diverse skill set with more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. Nesha worked as operations director in the private sector before transitioning to public service serving as Mayor for the City of Abilene, KS. After her tenure as an elected official, Nesha served as Program Director for a county-wide non-profit developing programs that united the medical and early childhood communities. Upon relocation to the Atlanta area in 2013, she served as a Fulton County educator then transitioned to executive director of a state-wide educational foundation focusing on unifying education and workforce development. A graduate of Florida A & M University, Nesha holds a B.S. Journalism specializing in Public Relations, as well as numerous certifications in public administration. Rotary Shout Out! A big thank you goes to Olga Narvaez, for authoring and executing two international grants during the pandemic. The first grant was to Panama City in Central America for $41,500. The second grant was to Colombia in South America for $56,824. The scope of both grants was to: "Buy essential PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) for Health Workers, currently fighting COVID19, provide food for people that due to lockdown are unable to work, and supply the Department of Health with needed equipment for the hospitals (ventilators and others) so that the current disease mitigation efforts may continue." The Rotary Club of Alpharetta's contribution was $5,000. The rest of the grant contributions were provided by the Districts, cash contributions, and the Rotary Foundation. GREAT Job Olga!  District 6900 Celebration – June 20, 2020. 11:30 AM  Bibb Mill Event Facility, Columbus, GA
Alpharetta CVB's Initiative - Downtown Alpharetta: OPEN FOR YOU! While keeping the health and safety of Alpharetta residents and visitors in mind, many Downtown Alpharetta businesses are opening their doors to once again welcome patrons. The Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau is keeping the most up-to-date Downtown Alpharetta opening information on a dedicated webpage titled “Downtown Alpharetta: OPEN FOR YOU!” where Downtown Alpharetta business opening details are updated daily. Whether in-person, online or curbside pickup, the community can help support these local businesses in the most comfortable way for them. If you hear of a Downtown Alpharetta business that would like to be included and is not on the list, please tell them to email their business update to info@awesomealpharetta.com. Rotary Club of Alpharetta Swag   Below is the latest Swag Catalog which includes some great new options along with our Signature Favorites! Here is the link to download the Catalog: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1skOG44Zh-tRmvXLnBDrNyY59hw28BcmE Here is the link to the online order form: https://www.cognitoforms.com/AnchorMarketingServicesInc/alpharettarotaryorderform2020 **Please submit your orders by Noon on Monday, May 22nd** Any questions, please contact Heather Demis! You have heard that The Global Impact Group and Volunteer Surge are recruiting and training Rotarians as volunteers to serve a variety of in-person and TeleSupport needs in our communities impacted by Covid-19. Several Alpharetta Rotarians have completed training. A non-profit organization providing shelter and services to the homeless, has an urgent need for 40 volunteers here in Atlanta. Urgent - Atlanta Homeless Opportunity: Built to Zero We have recently partnered with an organization called Build to Zero that supports homeless shelters in 81 communities around the country. Built to Zero will have opportunities for those who have taken the Volunteer Surge Community Health Workers course, and in the future, TeleSupport course trainees, throughout their national network. Immediately, however, they have a pressing need for volunteers in Atlanta, to work in person with their teams. The work place will provide Personal Protective Equipment and will not involve direct contact with homeless clients. CHW Volunteers will support the Built to Zero organization staff as they provide services. If you would like to volunteer in Atlanta, please click here to apply: Should you or your Club members have any questions, please ask them to reach-out to Scott Doll (b.scottd001@gmail.com) or David Cochran (dscochran1@gmail.com ).  United Way Atlanta is broadcasting the 211 Resource Center information above as broadly as possible. We never know who may be in need. Or, who someone may know who is in need and simply doesn’t know where to turn. Please let everyone know, they are not alone. We are here. And will do all we can to help minimize the personal impact of this pandemic. And while this card is for the Greater Atlanta area specifically, the 211 phone number spans the USA. Beyond Greater Atlanta, each local United Way (typically by county) will have a local team of responders. By calling 211, folks will connect with local resources wherever they are. In Greater Atlanta, whatever the issue, please ask folks to reach out to 211, 24/7/365. I am advised, due to a very high call volume, it is best to TEXT 898-211. We are experiencing levels of immediate need like we have never seen in Greater Atlanta. We ask that folks be patient, yet persistent when they contact 211. There is no other organization with the breadth and depth of resource connections as United Way of Greater Atlanta. Non-Profits That Need Your Help! Meals by Grace Pantry: https://mealsbygrace.org/DonateOpts.aspx The Drake House Donations: https://thedrakehouse.org/donate/ North Fulton Community Charities: https://nfcchelp.org/nfcc-response-to-covid-19/ The Food Pantry is open, and you can make financial donations via their website Senior Services North Fulton: www.ssnorthfulton.org This past week we have seen a new trend in calls from senior citizens who are afraid to go out and shop for groceries. We foresee adding many new temporary Meals on Wheels clients in the coming weeks/months. Also, to limit volunteer contact with our current clients, we will be ordering bulk from our supplier to deliver 2-week supplies at a time. We do not need food donations, just financial help for us to order more meals from our supplier. Fresh Market OPEN – NFCC NEEDS OUR HELP LIKE NEVER BEFORE! If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Stay Well. Stay Strong. Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
Donation Derby LinksDonate Now!  Join us at the Donation Derby! May 2nd, 5:00 PM. Links: FaceBook Live: https://www.facebook.com/AlpharettaRotaryClub/ Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84467941572?pwd=WStGZmNBbWt1bHdLQUU0ZWhGemJuZz09 Zoom Meeting ID: 844 6794 1572 Zoom Password: 127089 |
Donation Derby |
President's Message 04/10/2020“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne Tomorrow morning the Club will Zoom meet at 7:30 AM. The theme of this meeting is “Show your Favorite Coffee Mug.” Cancellations: Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RLYA) is canceled until next year. 2020 District Conference is canceled. A District Celebration at The Bibb Mill Event Center in Columbus, GA is scheduled for Saturday, June 13th. Upcoming Rotary Events:  Virtual After-Hours Party – April 14th at 5:00 PM. (Updates to follow) Donation Derby – May 2nd, 5:00 PM Cocktails, 6:00 PM Derby. A virtual fundraiser and Derby Day Party to celebrate community and support the organizations dedicated to helping people in these challenging times.
We now have a path for you to help fight the COVID 19 Virus. Volunteer Surge, a nonprofit consortium, announced Monday, April 6 the launch of a new initiative to recruit, train and deploy 1,000,000 volunteer health workers to address surging health care needs during the COVID 19 epidemic. As people of action, Rotary, their family, friends and networks are getting this message out and signing up. The COVID 19 epidemic is pushing the American healthcare system to the breaking point—and leaving our frontline medical providers overwhelmed and exhausted. But there's hope. Many of the most basic caretaking tasks can be performed by volunteer assistants, so the professionals can focus on tending to the most acute needs. Please see the attachments to learn more or follow the instructions below:
United Way Atlanta is broadcasting the 211 Resource Center information above as broadly as possible. We never know who may be in need. Or, who someone may know who is in need and simply doesn’t know where to turn. Please let everyone know, they are not alone. We are here. And will do all we can to help minimize the personal impact of this pandemic. And while this card is for the Greater Atlanta area specifically, the 211 phone number spans the USA. Beyond Greater Atlanta, each local United Way (typically by county) will have a local team of responders. By calling 211, folks will connect with local resources wherever they are. Non-Profits That Need Your Help! Senior Services North Fulton: www.ssnorthfulton.org This past week we have seen a new trend in calls from senior citizens who are afraid to go out and shop for groceries. We foresee adding many new temporary Meals on Wheels clients in the coming weeks/months. Also, to limit volunteer contact with our current clients, we will be ordering bulk from our supplier to deliver 2-week supplies at a time. We do not need food donations, just financial help for us to order more meals from our supplier. Meals by Grace Pantry: https://mealsbygrace.org/DonateOpts.aspx North Fulton Community Charities: https://nfcchelp.org/nfcc-response-to-covid-19/ The Food Pantry is open, and you can make financial donations via their website Fresh Market OPEN – NFCC NEEDS OUR HELP LIKE NEVER BEFORE! If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Stay Well. Stay Strong. Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 03/20/2020“Fear of the unknown can keep you up all night, but faith makes one fine pillow.” – Philip Gulley, Pastor Throughout our history, nothing brings our nation closer together than disasters or threats to our national security. We are Americans by choice and the Grace of God. We don't run from a fight; we run toward it, regardless of the cost. Take pride in our women and men that are tirelessly battling this virus head-on. In these uncertain times, it is okay to be afraid; it's okay to be nervous. But, be assured that we will prevail. We always have, and we always will. While many of us have opinions on the impact of the Covid 19 virus, one fact is clear, the less fortunate, the hungry, and the homeless will pay a very high price. Let us pull together and donate to the organizations below. They need all the help we can muster. I would like to ask everyone for one last favor. In a crisis, it is easy to become center focused. Take a moment out of your day and call a family member or check on a neighbor. See how they're doing. Remember, it's the little things that make a difference in our lives. Meals by Grace Pantry: https://mealsbygrace.org/DonateOpts.aspx North Fulton Community Charities: https://nfcchelp.org/nfcc-response-to-covid-19/ The Food Pantry is open, and you can make financial donations via their website. Fresh Market OPEN – NFCC NEEDS OUR HELP LIKE NEVER BEFORE! Scheduled deliveries are being completed. Contact Lee Doernberg. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
ROTARY HAPPENINGS Club Breakfasts March 20th & 27th. - CANCELLED District Training Assembly – Saturday, March 21st. - CANCELLED Adopt-A-Mile cleanup of Old Milton Pkwy Saturday, March 21st. – CANCELLED St Paddy O’Pedal Ride To Conquer Childhood Cancer March 22nd. – CANCELLED  UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA SPARK PRIZE AWARDS The live event is canceled which had three components. SPARK PRIZE will continue on a virtual basis with video conferencing. A live presentation will be done before a panel of judges with no audience. Winners will be announced around April 6th. The North Fulton Child Wellbeing update and Community Awards ceremony will be rescheduled for the Summer or early Fall, depending on the circumstances at the time.  2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Stay Well. Stay Strong. Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 03/13/2020“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” – Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943 This Week's Speaker: Ms. Rena Youngblood Executive Director, Computer Museum of America  Rena Youngblood is the first Executive Director of the Computer Museum of America (CMoA) located in Roswell, Georgia. The museum opened to the public in July 2019. Rena leads and directs all aspects of the organization, including finances and fundraising; communications and marketing; education and programming; stewardship and management of facilities and collections; and building positive working relationships with the Board of Directors, community, external partners, stakeholders, visitors to the museum and donors. Before joining CMoA, Rena served as a Senior Director of Charter School Services for the Association of American Educators and as Director of Member Services at the Georgia Charter Schools Association. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and minor in Communication Studies. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY HAPPENINGS USO Volunteering at Hartsfield Jackson Huge Thanks to Steve Corder, Paul Ray, Lisa Schefer and Chris Weeber!   District Training Assembly – Saturday, March 21 – CANCELLED Based on an abundance of caution and in response to the genuine concerns of several of our members, we have decided to reschedule the District Assembly from Saturday, March 22 to Saturday, August 29. More details will be coming but for now, please mark your calendars for this new date. We are excited to announce that we are working with DG Jim’s conference team to have a breakout session for the PE’s and their team. We are looking forward to seeing everyone and having fun in the sun at the District Conference. Red/Blue Badge Opportunity Adopt-A-Mile cleanup of Old Milton Pkwy Saturday, March 21st. NEW MEETING LOCATION: Chick-fil-A Avalon 2720 Old Milton Pkwy, Alpharetta GA (click the link for a map). We will meet at 8:00 am for breakfast/fellowship....then depart for the cleanup around 8:30am. We should be finished NLT 9:30-10am. Family members and friends are welcome too! Please note the following : the City of Alpharetta has now restricted participation to those 13 years of age and older. Bring work gloves if you have them. See Chris Weeber! Sign-up will be passed around Friday. Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed.   St Paddy O’Pedal Ride To Conquer Childhood Cancer 2020 Sun., March 22nd Proceeds go to CHOA for a foundation started by the presenting sponsor in honor of their daughter whom they lost to cancer. Mark Murphy, David Barnette from The Old Blind Dog Cycle Club, in Milton, started this event. Mark Murphy and David Barnette have nurtured this event to where it is of the caliber of The Mayors Corporate Challenge or The Polar Bear Plunge. Mark Murphy has agreed to gift this event to the Rotary Club of Milton under a few fair conditions over a three year transition period starting now. He is including Rotary in his marketing and is asking only for volunteers in this first year. Additionally, we are planning to use the Rotary VR to attract and engage the community in Rotary. Here is a website for the event: https://www.bikesignup.com/Race/GA/Milton/SPOP Clean-up, motorcycle support, and VR are areas we need to solicit volunteers. Folks can do motorcycle and VR and still participate in the clean-up. Here is the sign-up location: https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/GA/Milton/SPOP UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA SPARK PRIZE Thursday, March 26th. 9:00 am – 11:00 am, The Legacy Theater, 12150 Morris Rd. #7, Alpharetta, GA 30005 See Morris Cowan. Register Here: http://bit.ly/NFUnited 2020 District conference – Jekyll Island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 03/06/2020“No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it.” – Theodore Roosevelt This Week's Speaker: Mr. Tom Salata Attorney at Law, P.C.  J Thomas Salata, “Tom” began career in the legal community in 1990 as a State Licensed investigator and firearm preparedness instructor, known for his ability to locate people “living off the grid.” He first earned his reputation after locating the Lawrenceville Two, a pair of teens that disappeared from Gwinnett County in 1991. The teens were found on a small remote island in Puget Sound outside of Seattle, Washington, by Tom and Nancy Killian, his partner of many years. Fascinated by the skilled advocacy of well-known criminal defense lawyers, Tom decided to attend law school while running T.S.I. & Associates, his own investigative and consulting firm specializing in criminal defense, investigator certification and preparedness training. While attending law school full time, Tom worked with several of the state’s greatest trial lawyers, learning the art of trying cases by staying teachable, a virtue he still holds close after 19 years criminal and civil trial system. Having graduated with honors from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in 1998, Tom elected to remain an additional semester working with the Honorable Hurl Taylor, John Marshall Law School’s esteemed Director of Legal Aid in the area public interest law. He counts as his most honorable areas of service his participation in Operation Stand Down with the United States Veterans’ Administration, identifying and helping homeless veterans. Tom began trying criminal and family law cases in 1999, his first year out of law school. By 2005, he had a significant number of criminal and civil trials in Fulton, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Dawson, Lumpkin, Cherokee, Cobb, Towns, White and Union Counties, as a private attorney and as an appointed public defender for the Atlanta, Cobb and Enotah (Lumpkin, White, Union and Towns) judicial circuits. His wide range of investigative experience served him as a trial lawyer in a variety of cases from superior court capital crimes to juvenile court termination of parental rights and DFACS cases. Tom has become known throughout legal circles as an experienced and seasoned trail lawyer, having been interviewed and consulted over the years by local television stations WXIA and WSB. Since his early trial days, Tom has expanded his practice to include bankruptcy, personal injury, and commercial litigation. Most recently, Tom has been certified as a domestic and civil mediator by the Georgia Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Tom makes his home in Alpharetta, Georgia, with his wife Lori and their two children, where he endeavors to find a peaceful balance with work and family and his love of the outdoors. He remains an avid adventurer having taken up high attitude mountaineering. To date, he has climbed several of the highest and most beautiful mountains in North America including Rainier, Ixtaccihautal, and several peaks in the Colorado and Canadian Rockies. Tom is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College. He holds a B.A. in Economics, B.A. in Government, and a J.D. from John Marshall Law School.
MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY HAPPENINGS District Training Assembly – Saturday, March 21 To ensure each Club has the proper tools to "DARE TO BE BETTER" in 2020-21, we invite all Club Membership Chairs, Foundation Chairs, Public Image Chairs, Club Secretaries, Club Treasurers, Club Officers and Directors – and interested club members - to register for the District 6900 Training Assembly at the Columbus Ironworks, located at 801 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA 31901 on Saturday, March 21. We will have meaningful and focused training for all who attend from each club. Registration is open to all Rotarians within the district. We will have breakfast at 8 am. The registration fee is $35 per person. The Assembly will begin at 9:00 am and end about 12:30 pm. Registration for the training event is online now on the district website: https://rotary6900.org/reservation/create?event=4595 This year, we have added a District Service Project option in the afternoon. For those participating, there will be a cookout at 1:00 pm at Stewart Homes in Columbus. There will be no charge for lunch, but registration is required to be sure there is enough food. Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed.  Special Pops Tennis Saturday, March 7th. 10-1 Country Club of the South Tennis Center We will have 24 Special Pops Athletes participating and we need 24 Rotarians and Volunteers to make this is great day of Tennis! Some of these athletes participated in the University of Virginia Top 50 Invitational as well as the National Adaptive Tour in Orlando. They are ready to play Tennis. Any level of player is welcome. Non-players are encouraged to come and cheer us on! CONTACT: Jack Hausmann 404-906-6412  Happy International Women’s Day, March 8th! UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA SPARK PRIZE Thursday, March 26th. 9:00 am – 11:00 am, The Legacy Theater, 12150 Morris Rd. #7, Alpharetta, GA 30005 See Morris Cowan. Register Here: http://bit.ly/NFUnited  2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 02/28/2020“Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how.” – Edward T. McMahon This Week's Speaker: Mr. William de St. Aubin CEO, Sizemore Group architecture with a higher purpose  William de St. Aubin is the CEO of Sizemore Group and guides the firm’s strategies while providing expertise on Heathy Town Planning and Architecture to the development industry. He is a founding board member of the Atlanta Chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism and a subject matter expert for the United States Green Building Council (USGBC LEED ND – for Neighborhood Design). Bill has published several papers, conducted seminars and received design awards for his work in transforming suburban communities and actual sites into vibrant Town Centers. Local experience and publications include:
MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY HAPPENINGS  Rotary After-Hours Party Tuesday March 3rd @ Salt Factory 102 S. Main St. Alpharetta 5:00-7:00 Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed. Special Pops Tennis Saturday, March 7th. 10-1 Country Club of the South Tennis Center We will have 24 Special Pops Athletes participating and we need 24 Rotarians and Volunteers to make this is great day of Tennis! Some of these athletes participated in the University of Virginia Top 50 Invitational as well as the National Adaptive Tour in Orlando. They are ready to play Tennis. Any level of player is welcome. Non-players are encouraged to come and cheer us on! CONTACT: Jack Hausmann 404-906-6412  2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 02/21/2020 “A live concert to me is exciting because of all the electricity that is generated in the crowd and on stage. It’s my favorite part of the business.” – Elvis Presley This Week's Speaker: Mr. Trevor Ralph VP of Operations, Live Nation Atlanta  Trevor Ralph is Vice President of Operations for Live Nation Atlanta and General Manager of both Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park and Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia. Trevor has been active in the concert business since 1998 where he started his live event career with regional Ohio promoter Belkin Productions Ohio as Senior Director of Marketing and Operations. He has operated venues in Ohio, California and Georgia and has been with Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta since before its official opening in May of 2008. Trevor has been an International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Certified Venue Professional (CVP) since 2010. His venues have consistently been acknowledged as some of the best in the world for customer service and overall operation by industry organizations Pollstar and Venues Today. Trevor has been married to his wife Erika for 24 years and they have raised two children in Georgia, Sophie (17), who will be attending the University of Georgia in the Fall, and Colin (15), both ‘A’ students at Denmark High School. ROTARY HAPPENINGS Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed. Special Pops Tennis Saturday, March 7th. 10-1 Country Club of the South Tennis Center We will have 24 Special Pops Athletes participating and we need 24 Rotarians and Volunteers to make this is great day of Tennis! Some of these athletes participated in the University of Virginia Top 50 Invitational as well as the National Adaptive Tour in Orlando. They are ready to play Tennis. Any level of player is welcome. Non-players are encouraged to come and cheer us on! CONTACT: Jack Hausmann 404-906-6412 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 02/14/2020“Homeless Shelters, child hunger, and child suffering have become normalized in the richest nation on earth. It’s time to reset our moral compass and redefine how we measure success.” – Marian Wright Edelman This Week's Speaker: Ms. Holly York Executive Director, North Fulton Community Charities  Holly York is a native of Atlanta. After attending college in Connecticut, she worked in commercial banking in New York (Chemical Bank/ Chase) and Atlanta (Wells Fargo) as an analyst and marketing manager. Holly received her Master of Science in Education and worked as a management consultant (Accenture) specializing in organizational change management, strategic planning and training systems for financial institutions and healthcare organizations. For over 20 years, Holly focused on raising her family and working in the community. She has led a large grant making organization funding many charities in Atlanta including CURE Childhood Cancer, Georgia Transplant Foundation, and Fragile Kids Foundation. Additionally, she has been involved with the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and served on the board of the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer, now known as the Georgia 2-Day Walk. She also serves on the board of Ian’s Friends Foundation, which supports pediatric brain tumor research. Prior to being named as NFCCs Executive Director in October 2019, Holly served as the Director of Development. She previously worked as the Development Director at The Drake House and the Community and Missions Manager with the American Cancer Society. Holly lives in Alpharetta. Her daughters both graduated from Johns Creek High School. The older one is a nursing student at UAB and the younger is in school in Austria as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. Her son serves in the Army National Guard and is on active duty on the Texas border. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY HAPPENINGS  Meals By Grace – Suellen Daniels Our own Suellen was featured on ONLY GOOD TV! Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed. Special Pops Tennis Saturday, March 7th. 10-1 Country Club of the South Tennis Center We will have 24 Special Pops Athletes participating and we need 24 Rotarians and Volunteers to make this is great day of Tennis! Some of these athletes participated in the University of Virginia Top 50 Invitational as well as the National Adaptive Tour in Orlando. They are ready to play Tennis. Any level of player is welcome. Non-players are encouraged to come and cheer us on! CONTACT: Jack Hausmann 404-906-6412 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 02/07/2020“Leadership is not a position or title; it is action and example.” – Donald McGannon This Week's Speaker: Mr. Kirk Driskell Past Club President, Future District Governor, Founder of Vision Warriors  A native of Alpharetta/Milton, Kirk lives in the area with his wife Deena, and their three children, Cambri (17), Knox (15) and Kolton (12). Kirk joined the Alpharetta Rotary Club, following in the footsteps of his father, Ken Driskell, a charter member and past President. And continuing the family tradition, Cambri launched an Interact Club at King’s Ridge Christian School with close to 85 of her peers. Before serving as Club President in 2015-2016, Kirk served in multiple club leadership roles, multiple international service trips and local community service projects, and was honored to receive both “Rookie of the Year” and “Rotarian of the Year” awards. During his presidency, the club won numerous awards, including Club of the Year and Best Membership Growth. Kirk was also awarded the Sheffield Award, which recognizes the top President in each of the four club categories for that year. Kirk served as District 6900 Service Chair in 2016/17, Assistant Governor 2017/18, District 6900 Public Image Chair in 2018/19 while preparing to serve as District Governor 2020/21. In 2016/17 Kirk became a Major Donor and continues to support the foundation. Rotary International recognized Kirk with the Rotary Choice Award for a personal video he uses to describe what being a Rotarian means to him. Kirk is a serial entrepreneur and outdoor enthusiast that builds, buys, or creates companies that provide opportunities for individuals to align their passions with their purpose. Beyond his family and his faith, his true passion in life is helping men struggle with addiction. Kirk founded Vision Warriors ministry, a faith community that focuses on accountability, and transparency. Vision Warriors provides support for men who are ready to fight their drug and alcohol addictions. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY HAPPENINGS Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed.  Open Your Heart Gala – Celebrating the Lives of Seniors - Feb. 8th, 6-11:00 PM, Country Club of the South. The funding raised at our gala will ensure all our programs and services continue without wait lists and develop with the needs of our growing elderly population. We rely on our partners in the community to make this event successful. See Heather Terry! Four ways you can support efforts in caring for our elderly neighbors:
Polar Bear Plunge/Cook Your Butts Off – ALL HANDS-ON DECK! Feb. 8th, 2020, 10–3:00 PM at Wills Park Pool.   2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 01/24/2020“Community development has a long history of innovation and learning from experience.” – Ben Bernanke This Week's Speaker: Ms. Kathi Cook Director of Community Development City of Alpharetta  Kathi Cook is the Director of Community Development for the City of Alpharetta. She began her career with Alpharetta in 1991 and has served many positions in the City including as a Land Disturbance Inspector and Environmental Programs Manager prior to her current position. She oversaw the planning, zoning and permitting for Avalon, City Center, the Downtown Master Plan and most recently the North Point LCI and associated North Point Eco District code. She has been a guest speaker for the American Planning Association National Conference regarding mixed use developments in suburban cities. She currently lives in downtown Alpharetta within walking distance to her office. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
ROTARY HAPPENINGS Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed.  PARTY with Heart – The Lionheart School 20th Anniversary Gala – Feb. 1st, 5:30 VIP Reception, 6:30 Program begins. The Hotel at Avalon. Black Tie Optional.
Open Your Heart Gala – Celebrating the Lives of Seniors - Feb. 8th, 6-11:00 PM, Country Club of the South. The funding raised at our gala will ensure all our programs and services continue without wait lists and develop with the needs of our growing elderly population. We rely on our partners in the community to make this event successful. See Heather Terry! Four ways you can support efforts in caring for our elderly neighbors:
Polar Bear Plunge/Cook Your Butts Off – ALL HANDS-ON DECK! Feb. 8th, 2020, 10–3:00 PM at Wills Park Pool. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 01/17/2020“A physician is obligated to consider more than a diseased organ, more even than the whole man. He must view the man in his world.”– Harvey Cushing This Week's Speaker: Dr. Krishna Doniparthi, MD Director and physician at Function Medicine of Georgia .jpg) Dr. Krishna Doniparthi has been practicing medicine since 2002 in both private practice family medicine and hospital- based emergency medicine. Dr. Doniparthi is board certified in Regenerative & Functional Medicine, Family Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. Member of American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and trained in Buprenorphine assisted treatments. Dr. Doniparthi currently serves on the Neurolipid Research Foundation (neurolipid.org) and BR+NAD (Addiction) Scientific Advisory Board; also, he serves as a trustee for the Obesity Medicine Association furthering research in Obesity medicine, ensuring proper guidelines for patient care in the health care industry. A cornerstone of the FMG clinic is the utilization of lipid-membrane therapy for the treatment of neurological conditions, heavy metal detoxification, chronic infections, and metabolic disorders. Specialized testing is used to design precise therapies that are applied to facilitate the body's own ability to mediate and heal from disease. Through his ongoing research and practice of Membrane Medicine, Dr. Doniparthi is inspired to work with patients that have been unsuccessful using the standard medical approach and who are committed to making lifestyle changes to regain their health. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY HAPPENINGS Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed. Open Your Heart Gala – Celebrating the Lives of Seniors - Feb. 8th, 6-11:00 PM, Country Club of the South. The funding raised at our gala will ensure all our programs and services continue without wait lists and develop with the needs of our growing elderly population. We rely on our partners in the community to make this event successful. See Heather Terry! Four ways you can support efforts in caring for our elderly neighbors:
Polar Bear Plunge/Cook Your Butts Off – ALL HANDS-ON DECK! Feb. 8th, 2020, 10–3:00 PM at Wills Park Pool. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 01/10/2020“During my year in Brazil, I was a representative of Australia, of my family, and of Rotary. Doing something bigger than yourself, it humbles you.”– Joel Jackson This Week's Speaker: Mr. Abbe P. Rotary Youth Exchange Student .jpg) Abbe is attending Cambridge High School with the Junior class there. He is involved in the men’s chorus, plays guitar in the jazz band and has become very involved in school activities. Abbe speaks at least three languages. He is currently living with his second of three host families that he will be with during this academic year. Since the Rotary Youth Exchange Students are still in high school their host families are a more traditional host family since they are together every day, except for school time. Since coming to America Abbe has experienced a UGA football game, two trips to Florida, including a fantastic weekend visiting four Disney parks in early December. He has visited Waffle House and Cracker Barrell while traveling and many other sites and scenes throughout Georgia. He visited Washington DC with his first host family over the Thanksgiving break and is looking forward to a west coast trip at the conclusion of the academic year. His parents are planning a trip to visit in the spring of this year. Rotary Youth Exchange is a 1 for 1 exchange. Our district currently has eight outbound students and eight inbound students, which are concentrated in the northern area of our district. Rotary wide there are about 100 countries involved in the program and approximately 650 youth exchange students in the program. This is an official Rotary sponsored program and is also sponsored by the US Department of State. All volunteers and host families involved in the program are certified by both Rotary and by the State Department. The primary purpose of the program is to foster peace in the world and expose individuals to other countries, other cultures and to expose them to Rotary. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
ROTARY HAPPENINGS Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed. Polar Bear Plunge/Cook Your Butts Off – ALL HANDS-ON DECK! Feb. 8th, 2020 10–3:00pm at Wills Park Pool. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 01/03/2020“Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” – Brene Brown This Week's Speaker: Ms. Katie Beals, M.Ed. Staff Associate Therapist Licensed Associate Professional Counselor Summit Onsite School Based Therapist – Autrey Mill Middle School  Katie Beals works primarily with adolescents and young adults. Her areas of concentration and competence are identity development, substance abuse counseling, grief and loss, relationship issues, anxiety, and depression. Katie believes that healing occurs through relationship and aims to work collaboratively with her clients. She incorporates all aspects of the client’s life (mental, physical, and spiritual) to aid in a more complete understanding and healing process. She believes in supporting and empowering her clients as they work together to explore and identify the client’s strengths. Her heart is to see the restoration of hope and joy in her client’s lives as well as a truer sense of their identity and strengths. Katie completed her undergraduate degree at The University of Georgia in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences. She completed her graduate work at UGA as well, and graduated with a Master of Education in Professional Community Counseling. She is also certified to provide substance use counseling in both an individual and group setting. Katie’s favorite activity is spending time with her friends and family at a new restaurant or over a good home cooked meal. She spends her free time painting, doing calligraphy, cooking, or participating in organized sports. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations to Katie Rocco on being named Alpharetta Rotary President for 2022-23!  ROTARY HAPPENINGS Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed. Service Opportunity: Bring One for the Chipper Need Volunteers for this Saturday Jan. 4th at Home Depot on Windward, Three Shifts, 8:30-10:30, 10:30-1:00, 1:00-3:30. Wear appropriate clothing for weather and tree sap. See Mickey Rogers.  Polar Bear Plunge/Cook Your Butts Off – ALL HANDS-ON DECK! Feb. 8th, 2020 10–3:00pm at Wills Park Pool. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
Happy New Year! |
Holiday Message |
President's Message 12/13/2019“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, Just like the ones I used to know, Where the tree tops glisten And children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow.” ― Irving Berlin This Week's Entertainment: Ms. Nicole Thompson conducting the Taylor Road Middle School Orchestra  Nicole was a national finalist for the 2017 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. In 2014, she was the Georgia American String Teachers Association Educator (GAASTA) of the Year and the 2010 Teacher of the Year at Taylor Road Middle School. Nicole conducted the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestras of Atlanta String Orchestra for 6 years and has served as an adjudicator and clinician for Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) since 2008. In 2015, Nicole served on a committee for Fulton County to create relevant standardized testing for students. As State Orchestra Chair, she served as a liaison between the orchestra teachers in Georgia and the GMEA Executive Board. Under her direction, the Taylor Road Middle School orchestras have consistently earned superior ratings at GMEA’s Large Group Performance Evaluation and were selected to perform at 2006 and 2011 GMEA Conferences. Nicole has conducted orchestras at the ASTA conferences in Dallas and Reno. She earned her Master of Music Education and Specialist in Education Degrees at the University of Georgia. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
ROTARY HAPPENINGS Volunteer Opportunity: Serving Lunch & Assisting Santa at Dogwood Terrace Friday the 13th at 12:00. See Steve Corder. Volunteer Opportnity – Boxing Up Gifts for The Troops After Breakfast Friday: Last night holiday gifts were purchased for our troops overseas. Friday morning after breakfast we need help boxing up and shipping. Thanks to Sue Kinker, Evi and Mark Meckes, William Perkins and Chris Weeber for doing the shopping and organizing. Packages will be sent to active duty friends of Rick Kenny who are serving in Afghanistan.  Volunteer Action - Red & Blue Shops with You! This Saturday, Alpharetta and Milton Police & Fire Fighters will be shopping for Christmas presents with children who would otherwise not receive a gift this year. Thank you to Rob Johns, Sidney Browning, Chip Reid, Mike Lowry, Lizann Gibson, Sue Kinker, Jessica Plette, Steve Gillard, Julie Chesnut and Jeff Franz. The volunteer list is now at capacity. Special Thanks to Joe Wargo for organization and implementation! Date: Saturday, December 14th Time: 8:00 am (please arrive by 7:50 am) Location: Target on North Point Parkway  Donation Opportunity: NFCC Toiletry Drive: Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin is set up to collect. Please bring in regular and sample sizes. Diapers and toilet paper are also needed. Painting The LionheARTisans Cottage: Thanks to all that helped paint the cottage. Special Thanks to Mickey Rogers for organization and implementation!  Rotary After Hours at Jekyll Brewing: Thanks to all that attended!  The LionheARTisans Cottage Holiday Hours: Mon-Fri. 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM.  Holiday Party: Dec. 13th at 6:30 (See Tom Darr) .jpeg) Future Opportunities for Service Polar Bear Plunge/Cook Your Butts Off – Feb. 8th, 2020 10–1:00pm at Wills Park Pool. 2020 District conference –Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 12/06/2019“Outward peace is useless without inner peace.” ― Mahatma Gandhi This Week's Speaker: Kit Cummings Award-Winning Author and Teacher PowerofPeaceProject.com  Born and raised in Atlanta, Kit earned a BBA in Marketing from the Terry School of Business at the University of Georgia, and he also holds a Master of Theology. Kit founded Power of Peace Productions, Inc. and brings his experience working in some of the most dangerous areas in the world to inspire change in prisons, schools, and the faith-based community— and he does it with high energy and laughter as the catalyst. Kit has challenged people to aim higher in corporations, athletics, addiction and recovery, churches, prisons, and more. He has journeyed on tours through Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and has negotiated peace between some of the most notorious gangs inside the U.S. prison system. Kit has spoken about his powerful peace projects at the Gandhi Global Peace Summit in Durban, South Africa, and he’s planted seeds of peace all around the world. Recently Kit has taken his Forty Days to Freedom program into Cartel-controlled La Mesa prison to work with prisoners, as well as addicts and at-risk youth in some of the toughest areas of Tijuana. Kit has authored four books, including the award-winning Peace Behind the Wire, a Non-Violent Resolution, and he also launched Power of Peace Radio. Kit’s new release Protect the Dream takes young people on a forty-day journey of character and leadership development designed to teach kids to dream big dreams and protect those dreams at all costs. The Power of Peace Project raises up much-needed positive role models in our schools and communities. What’s next? Kit has now launched his POPP Community Peace Initiative in Selma Alabama, and that work is the subject of his next book. So, the question is: are you ready for the Power of Peace? MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY HAPPENINGS Painting The LionheARTisans Cottage: THIS Friday after breakfast. See Mickey Rogers   NFCC Toiletry Drive: Thank you to Tina McKenna who recognized that NFCC needs toiletries. A bin will be set up to collect. Please bring in toothpastes, soaps and shampoos. Hotel samples are great! .jpg)  The LionheARTisans Cottage Holiday Hours: Mon-Fri. 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM Great place to pick-up Holiday Gifts! Taylor Road Orchestra Performance: Dec. 13th at Club Breakfast  Holiday Party: Dec. 13th at 6:30 (See Tom Darr)  OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE Painting LionheARTisans Cottage – This Friday, December 6th. Contact Mickey Rogers. NFCC Toiletry Collection – Bin located at church. Holiday Gift Wrapping – Dec. 7th, 6-9:00pm, Downtown Alpharetta. Polar Bear Plunge/Cook Your Butts Off – Feb. 8th, 2020 10–1:00pm at Wills Park Pool. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 11/29/2019Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! We have no meeting this week.  |
President's Message 11/22/2019“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is a progress, and working together is success.” ― Henry Ford This Week's Program: The Rotary Club of Alpharetta – Club Assembly  MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
PLEASE NOTE: We do not have a Club meeting next Friday, Nov. 29th. ROTARY HAPPENINGS Adopt-A-Mile November 16, 2019  Special Shout Out to The Crew! Front row Salter Lewis, Hannah Davis, Lauren Davis, Ann Davis, Jeff Davis, Carlyle Canada, Mike Stevenson, Phil Montague; back row Chip Reid, Brian Mould, Rex Grizzle, Kyle Lewis, Dan Merkel, Michelle Coleman, Sandra Kinney, Joe Thomas, Bo Boshell. Not Shown Marian Stelling, Ralph Augera, & Chris Weeber. Club Virtual Reality (VR) Champions. Staging and Showing the “Rotary Public Image Show in a Trunk” at Rotary Leadership Summit Nov. 21-24 at Intercontinental Buckhead. .png) Members & Friends Include: Paul Ray, Scott Doll, Ron Cox, David Cochran, Stephanie Chacon, Brian Mould, Mark Sullivan, Robin McIntire, Jack Hausmann, and Emily Metallo. The LionheARTisans Cottage Holiday Hours: Mon-Fri. 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM Club Happy Hour at Jekyll Brewing: Dec. 3rd – 5:00pm  Taylor Road Orchestra Performance: Dec. 13th at Club Breakfast Holiday Party: Dec. 13th at 6:30 (See Tom Darr) Opportunities for Service Painting LionheARTisans Cottage – Nov. 23rd. Contact Mickey Rogers. USO Volunteering – Dec. 5th, @ Hartsfield/Jackson (See William Perkins). Holiday Gift Wrapping – Dec. 7th, 6-9:00pm, Downtown Alpharetta. Polar Bear Plunge/Cook Your Butts Off – Feb. 8th, 2020 10–1:00pm at Wills Park Pool. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 11/14/2019“You’re either growing or dying. Stagnation does not exist in the universe.” ― Steve Siebold This Week's Speaker: Steve Siebold – Expert in Critical Thinking and Mental Toughness  Steve Siebold is an internationally recognized authority in the field of psychological performance training. His clients include Johnson& Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, GlaxoSmithKline, Caterpillar, and hundreds of others. Since 1984, Siebold has interviewed over 1,300 self-made millionaires and billionaires, and these interviews continue today. His books, 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class, and How Rich People Think, and Secrets Self Made Millionaires Teach Their Kids, have become best sellers with over 1.3 million copies sold worldwide. His new book, co-authored with financial titan Tom Mathews, is How Money Works: Stop Being a Sucker. The book has pre-sold 125,000 copies and will be released in December. Siebold has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN World News, Fox Business Network, CBS News and hundreds of other television shows throughout the country and around the world. Siebold is the past Chairman the National Speaker’s Associations Million Dollar Speakers Club, and he ranks among the top 1% of professional speakers in the world. Steve Siebold has been married to Dawn Andrews for 33 years and the couple resides at their historic home/office, Bona Allen Mansion, in Buford. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
The LionheARTisans Cottage Holiday Hours: Mon-Fri. 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM Opportunities for Service – Adopt-A-Mile Cleanup – Nov. 16th. Contact Chris Weeber, Meet at Chic-Fil-A Avalon at 8:00am. Start 8:30am. Excellent opportunity for Red and Blue Badges. Family and friends welcome. Must be 13 years of age or older. Sign-up sheet will be available on Friday. Painting LionheARTisans Cottage – Nov. 23rd. Contact Mickey Rogers USO Volunteering – Dec. 5th, @ Hartsfield/Jackson (See William Perkins). Holiday Gift Wrapping – Dec. 7th, 6-9:00pm, Downtown Alpharetta Christmas Party – Dec. 13th, 6:00pm – Crooked Creek Country Clubhouse 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 11/07/2019“Simple exchanges can break walls down between us, for when people come together and speak to one another and share a common experience, then their common humanity is revealed.” ― Barack Obama This Week's Speaker: Anna Damsholt – 2019-2020 Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP)  Anna is 20 years old and from Hellerup, Denmark. Back home, she worked as a volunteer writing articles for the local newspaper as well as teaching at a center for refugees. She plays the piano, has eight years’ worth of drama and choir experience, and a general passion for language and the arts. She is now an aspiring author and a member of the Atlanta Writers Club. Anna graduated Danish high school in 2018 and spent a gap year working in a bookstore, traveling Asia and working on her novel before coming to Georgia as a GRSP student where she attends the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Rotary Shout Out! Thank you to Mickey Rogers, Scott French, Charlie Swahn, Scott Doll, Jack Hausmann, Sid Browning, Alyson Foy (Representing Joe Wargo), Michael Gordy, Paul Slavik, Jill Bernard and Brian Mould. for helping Habitat for Humanity.  Opportunities for Service – Adopt-A-Mile Cleanup – Nov. 16th. Contact Chris Weeber, Meet at Chic-Fil-A Avalon at 8:00am. Start 8:30am. Excellent opportunity for Red and Blue Badges. Family and friends welcome. Must be 13 years of age or older. Sign-up sheet will be available on Friday. Painting Lionheart Cottage – Nov. 23rd. Contact Mickey Rogers Holiday Gift Wrapping – Dec. 7th, 6-9:00pm, Downtown Alpharetta Christmas Party – Dec. 13th, 6:00pm – Crooked Creek Country Clubhouse 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 11/01/2019“Rotary changes us and those we serve. I believe we can change the world one life at a time” ― Paul Harris This Week's Speaker: John Germ – 2016-2017 Rotary International President  John Germ, a graduate of the University of Tennessee, is the president and chief executive officer of Campbell & Associates, Inc., consulting engineers. He joined Rotary in 1976 and has served Rotary International as President of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga 1993-94, District Governor 1996-97, and International Assembly Training Leader 2000-01. John served on the RI Board of Directors for 2003-05 and was Vice President 2004-05, member of the International Assembly Committee and Chairman of the Council on Legislation, Vice Chair - Rotary Centers Major Gift Initiative. He was Aide to President Wilf Wilkinson and Vice Chairman of the International Convention, 2012. In 2013, The White House honored John Germ as one of 12 Rotary International members who are "Champions of Change". John is an active member of the Chattanooga community, where he has served as president of the Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement, and Boy Scouts and as campaign chairman of United Way. He has also served as president of the Tennessee Jaycees and is a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award. John and his wife Judy are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation. John F. Germ, a member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, and chair of the International PolioPlus Committee, and was selected by the Nominating Committee for President of RI in 2016-17. For Rotary to thrive, Germ says, members must face current and future challenges and opportunities with "passion, enthusiasm, perseverance, and above all, integrity." "I envision Rotary boldly and creatively engaging the success of polio eradication, membership and identity issues, strengthening clubs, work with youth - our future lifeblood, and the creation of critical, strategic partnerships," says Germ. Germ says no one should ever have to ask, "What is Rotary?" "We will enhance Rotary's public image by successfully and enthusiastically marketing who we are, what amazing things we are doing, and incredibly, have done locally and globally," says Germ. With the global economy still unpredictable, Germ says Rotary must make participation affordable and "also be unfailing diligent in efforts to ensure we spend every dollar effectively and efficiently," he says. In 1965, after four years in the U.S. Air Force, Germ, an engineer, joined Campbell and Associates Inc., an engineering consulting firm. He now serves as the company's board chair and chief executive officer. He also serves on the boards of several organizations including the Public Education Foundation, Orange Grove Center Inc., and the Blood Assurance Inc. He is the founder and treasurer of the Chattanooga State Technical Community College Foundation and is president of the Tennessee Jaycee Foundation. In 1970 he was recognized as Tennessee Young Man of the Year, Engineer of the Year, and Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year in 1992. A Rotary member since 1976, Germ has served Rotary as vice president, director, Foundation trustee and vice chair, chair of Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge, and RI president's aide. He is a recipient of Rotary's Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation's Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. He and his wife, Judy, are members of the Arch Klumph Society. "Rotary will adapt to a rapidly changing world by embracing innovation within the guidelines of our tradition and values," says Germ. "By aggressively embracing new technologies, social media, and new opportunities, individuals and businesses will see that Rotary helps promote a good civic and public image while adding credibility to their people." MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Rotary Shout Out! Thanks to everyone for another successful Warm Coat Drive for North Fulton Community Charities!  Rotary Shout Out! Thanks to all who attended the celebration of World Polio Day at the CDC.   Opportunities for Service – GRSP Dinner at APC – Nov. 1st, 6:00 PM. We need you to help make this event a success. First, we need you to attend. Second, we need you to bring a side dish or other items. Contact Mary Ulich or Karen Nolan. GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. Alpharetta Presbyterian Church Workday – Nov. 2nd, 8:00-12:00. Pine Straw & Outdoor Cleaning. Habitat for Humanity – Nov. 2nd, 8:45-3:00, Cumming, GA. Exterior Siding (Super Easy). Donuts and lunch included. Contact Mickey Rogers  ROTARY AFTERHOURS – Nov. 5th, 5-7, Kona Grill Avalon. Be there or be square. Painting Lionheart Cottage – Nov. 16th. Contact Mickey Rogers Christmas Party – Dec. 13th, 6:00pm – Crooked Creek Country Clubhouse 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 10/25/2019“If you’ve never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden.” ― Robert Brault This Week's Speaker: Amanda Musilli – Community Services Manager, Alpharetta Recreation, Parks & Cultural Services Dept.  Amanda will be discussing the City of Alpharetta’s partnership with the Cambridge High School FFA about the fresh food program at the City owned farm off Rucker Road. As the City’s Community Services Manager, Amanda leads the short and long term strategic and financial planning, program direction and evaluation of the City’s large events, community agriculture program, and marketing efforts. Prior to joining the City of Alpharetta in 2018, Amanda spent 13 years with Whole Foods Market serving in regional marketing, community outreach and culture-building roles in the Midwest and South. Her approach earned her Fast Company Magazine’s award as one of the 100 Most Creative Persons in Business in 2014. When not working, Amanda enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband of 20 years, Rick and 8-year-old daughter, Ruby. For more information about the fresh food program with Cambridge HS: https://thebearwitness.com/4497/features/ffa-farm-supplies-produce-for-cafeteria/ MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Rotary Shout Out! Tanzania Project Team – Bob Koncerak & Jerry Urmanski, PDG Bill St. Clair Rotary Club of Gainesville, PP Lorri Christopher Rotary Club of Sandy Springs, Arnaud Gahimbure & Edgar Muganwa, PP and President of the Rotary Club of Arush Mt. Meru.      Opportunities for Service – HomeStretch Golf Tournament – Oct. 29th, Atlanta National Golf Club  Habitat for Humanity – Nov. 2nd, 8:45-3:00, Cumming, GA. Exterior Siding (Super Easy). Donuts and lunch included. Contact Mickey Rogers Alpharetta Presbyterian Church Workday – Nov. 2nd, 8:00-12:00. Pine Straw & Outdoor Cleaning. GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. ROTARY AFTERHOURS – Nov. 5th, 5-7, Kona Grill Avalon. Be there or be square. Painting Lionheart Cottage – Nov. 16th. Contact Mickey Rogers Christmas Party – Dec. 13th, 6:00pm – Crooked Creek Country Clubhouse 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Fresh Market – If you’ve not participated before, the sign-up sheet is passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg. See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 10/18/2019“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela This Week's Speaker: Dr. Mike Looney – Superintendent, Fulton County Schools  Dr. Looney joins Fulton County Schools after recently serving as Superintendent of Williamson County Schools in Tennessee, where he was named 2015 Superintendent of the year by Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS). He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and Master's degree in Education from Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Dr. Looney earned his Educational Specialist Degree and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Alabama. Dr. Looney's work has been presented for regional and national audiences on a wide range of educational and leadership topics. He has served on several distinguished panels including President George W. Bush's National Reading Leadership Panel in Washington D.C. Dr. Looney also served as Superintendent of the Butler County School District in Alabama. Under his leadership the school district realized significant student achievement gains, improved the graduation rate, and established the district's first magnet school. In recognition of his work there, he was selected as Greenville, Alabama's Citizen of the Year in 2008. Before arriving at Butler, he was Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Montgomery Public Schools. Under his leadership, the district of 61 schools and 31,000 students received national notoriety for its improvement in reading achievement scores. Dr. Looney, a public educator since 1994, has also served in the roles of classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal. During his tenure as principal, his school was recognized for closing the achievement gap for underprivileged and minority students. His school was highlighted at both the state and national levels and was named a National Title I Distinguished School. Prior to entering the field of education, he served as finance manager for a privately-held corporation with fifty employees in Anniston, Alabama. His responsibilities included corporate finance, marketing, and human resource management. Dr. Looney is a military veteran having served for seven years in the United States Marine Corps before being honorably discharged with a service-related injury. His military service was distinguished by four meritorious promotions which included his being selected as the Marine of the Year for MCRS Montgomery serving Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. In addition to other medals and ribbons, Dr. Looney was the recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. His military duties took him all over the world and included a six-month tour on the USS Raleigh with the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Amphibious Force. He is the father of four grown children. Rotary Shout Out! USO Service Day at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport October 3rd with Paul Ray, Jack Hausmann, Donna Loudermilk, Mark Meckes, and Chris Weeber.     MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Christmas Party – Dec. 13th, 6:00pm – Crooked Creek Country Club - Clubhouse HomeStretch Golf Tournament – Oct. 29th, Atlanta National Golf Club Warm Coat Drive – Now through Oct. 21st. Please bring in your new and gently used winter coats which will be distributed by North Fulton Community Charities and The Place of Forsyth. Look for a collection bin in Fellowship Hall. GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. ROTARY AFTERHOURS – Nov. 5th, 5-7, Kona Grill Avalon. Be there or be square. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 10/11/2019“Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” ― Aristotle This Week's Speaker: Jack Murphy – Chair of the North Fulton Poverty Task Force Former Alpharetta Rotarian  Approximately 60,000 people living in North Fulton County are financially vulnerable. The United Way Child Well Being indicators for North Fulton have declined, while the rest of the region has improved. Yet, the economy is doing well. What's going on? Jack will brief us on the topic and let us know how to tackle this complex problem. Jack joined the Rotary Club of Alpharetta on November 7th, 2003. He chaired the Family Fun Fest and enjoyed volunteering for the Adopt-a-Mile (although that was before they started the day at Chick-fil-A). The club named him Rookie of the Year for 2004-2005. Jack is the national chair of Advocacy and Systemic Change for The Society of St. Vincent de Paul as well as conference president for St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, and on the board of Amana Academy. Jack and his wife Nancy, the retired principal of Summit Hill Elementary School, live in the Tuxford subdivision. They have two daughters who are teachers and two incredible grandchildren. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
 HomeStretch Golf Tournament – Oct. 29th, Atlanta National Golf Club Warm Coat Drive – Now through Oct. 21st. Please bring in your new and gently used winter coats which will be distributed by North Fulton Community Charities and The Place of Forsyth. Look for a collection bin in Fellowship Hall. GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. ROTARY AFTERHOURS – Nov. 5th, 5-7, Kona Grill Avalon. Be there or be square. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 10/04/2019“Water is life, and clean water means health.” ― Audrey Hepburn This Week's Speaker: Adam Mosley – Director of Global Business Development, Uzima Water Filter     From the hills of East Tennessee to the Rift Valley in Kenya, Adam Mosley has had a life full of ups and downs. Over his 20+ year career, Adam has spent time as a corporate recruiter, the marketing director for a record label, executive director of a coworking space, and multiple rolls at churches large and small, including his pioneering work as Lead Pastor of Trinity Vineyard Church Nakuru, Kenya. In his current role as Director of Global Business Development for Uzima Water Filters, Adam spends his days working with people around the world who are helping bring clean water to the global poor, one family at a time. Rotary Note: These are the same filters that Karen & John Hipes, Paul Ray and others have installed in Honduras. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
MCC Committee Event – Oct 8th, 6:00 PM, @Truck & Tap. Please confirm with Fran Schefer. 16th Annual Concert In The Park - Benefit Alpharetta Police Dept. K9 Unit - Sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Fulton - Oct. 10th, Wills Park Equestrian Center, Gates open at 6:00, Show Starts 7:30. Silent Auction and more! HomeStretch Golf Tournament – Oct. 29th, Atlanta National Golf Club. Warm Coat Drive – Now through Oct. 21st. Please bring in your new and gently used winter coats which will be distributed by North Fulton Community Charities and The Place of Forsyth. Look for a collection bin in Fellowship Hall. GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 09/27/2019“ONE MISSING CHILD IS ONE TOO MANY.” ― John Walsh This Week's Speaker: Ken Kurzweil – VP Technology LexisNexis Risk Solutions Manages & Updates technology for ADAM (Automated Delivery of Alerts on Missing Children) National Center for Missing & Exploited Children  Ken is vice president, Technology at LexisNexis Risk Solutions. In his role Ken is responsible for leading the development and operations of billing and back-office systems. His responsibilities include the development, maintenance, and operation of LexisNexis Risk Solutions home-grown billing and back-office platform, the Master Back-Office System (or MBS) as well as other critical back-office applications including CRM, Marketing, and the internal enterprise data warehouse (Fido). Ken also leads a volunteer team that manages and updates the technology for the ADAM (Automated Delivery of Alerts on Missing Children) program, which aids the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in its mission of recovering missing children. Ken started with LexisNexis in 2003. Prior to joining the company, Ken spent 8 years at Accenture where he served as a Senior Manager in the financial services industry consulting Fortune 100 companies. Ken has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida and an MBA from Florida Atlantic University. MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Rotary Directory - Updated hard copy directory pages will be handed out this Friday. Warm Coat Drive – Now through Oct. 21st. Please bring in your new and gently used winter coats which will be distributed by North Fulton Community Charities and The Place of Forsyth. Look for a collection bin in Fellowship Hall. USO Volunteering – October 3rd, @ Hartsfield/Jackson (See Chris Weeber, William Perkins). GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020. Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 09/20/2019“Rotary summons people to respond to their best impulses…their best selves…to lift-up their heads in every land. The best things in us are not confined by national boundaries.” ― The Rotarian 1934 This Week's Speaker: District Governor Jim Squire  Jim’s Rotary service and recognitions include Assistant Governor and the Follow Me Assistant Governor of the Year Award, Rotary Foundation Bequest Society and Benefactor, Paul Harris Society and Paul Harris Fellow +8, 2017 Rotary International Convention HOC Executive Committee, RLI Graduate + 3 Graduate Courses, Georgia Rotary Student Program Will Watt Fellow, District Youth Services Chair, and Georgia Rotary Laws of Life Board member. He is Past President of the Rotary Club of Sandy Springs and recipient of the District 6900 Sheffield Leadership Award, Club Rotarian of the Year, two Service Above Self Awards, and sponsor of twelve Rotary Club members. A Certified Franchise Executive, Jim is Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Firestorm, overseeing franchise development and alternative channel expansion for the brand. Firestorm is a national franchise company specializing in crisis management, vulnerability analysis/threat assessment, and business continuity. Jim is founding chairman of the International Franchise Association’s Institute of Certified Franchise Executives, and a former member of the IFA Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees of the IFA Franchise Research and Education Foundation, where he received the Foundation’s highest honor, the William Rosenberg Leadership Award. On the local level he serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Southeast Franchise Forum, and a member of the Georgia State University Franchise Entrepreneurship Advisory Board. Jim also maintains a high profile in the foodservice industry as Chairman Emeritus of the Georgia Restaurant Association, and a member of Georgia State University’s School of Hospitality Industry Advisory Board. He is past president of the restaurant division of the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association, which presented him with the Chairman’s Award in 2003 and designated him Food Service Industry Leader of the Year in 1990. Jim lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and is a member of the City of Sandy Springs Development Authority and American Legion Post 201. He and his wife Donna are active members of Dunwoody United Methodist Church, and they have a son and a daughter who have blessed them with three grandsons and two granddaughters. WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Financial Literacy Course – September 15th, 2-4pm @ YMCA, September 18th, 6:30-8:30am APC Dinner with DG Jim Squire – September 19th, 6:00 @ Marybeth Daniel’s House, 75 Arabian Ave. Milton, GA. Jim will also be joining us for breakfast on Friday, Sept. 20th. Warm Coat Drive – Now through Oct. 21st. Please bring in your new and gently used winter coats which will be distributed by North Fulton Community Charities and The Place of Forsyth. Look for a collection bin in Fellowship Hall. USO Volunteering – October 3rd, @ Hartsfield/Jackson (See Chris Weeber, William Perkins) GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 09/13/2019“True country music is honesty, sincerity and real life to the hilt.” ― Garth Brooks This Week's Speaker: Cadillac Jack Atlanta Morning Radio Icon   Cadillac Jack, known as “Caddy" to his friends had been on the radio with KICKS 101.5 for 26 years when he departed the station in July of this year. Little did he know that he’d be with the same station since he was 19. It's hard to image the millions of listeners Caddy has entertained through the years. He started as the host of "Crying, Loving or Leaving" in the evening timeslot. Later he covered the afternoon drivetime and eventually the coveted morning drive in 2005. Caddy's television appearances included a role as Ted Phillips on ABC's Hope and Faith. Additionally, he won an Emmy Award for his work on ABC's The Road to the CMA Music Festival. Cadillac plans to share a very personal journey with the club; how he was able to morph his termination with KICKS 101.5 into the best thing that could have happened to him. He’ll discuss how he’s promised himself to kick it up a notch as a dad, and a lesson many moms and dads can still learn. Caddy had lived in Milton since before it was Milton for 17 years with his wife, Donna, and their three children. WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Adopt-A-Mile Crew September 7, 2019  Special Shout Out to The Crew! Chris Weeber, Michael Gordy, Joe Thomas, Colin Webb, Jason Binder, Jane Pittman, Brian Mould, Donna Murphy, Tina Pollard and Bo Boshell Grilling & Gridiron – September 14th, 11:30-2:30 Financial Literacy Course – September 15th, 2-4pm @ YMCA, September 18th, 6:30-8:30am APC Dinner with DG Jim Squire – September 19th, 6:00 @ Marybeth Daniel’s House, 75 Arabian Ave. Milton, GA. Jim will also be joining us for breakfast on Friday, Sept. 20th. Warm Coat Drive – Now through Oct. 21st. Please bring in your new and gently used winter coats which will be distributed by North Fulton Community Charities and The Place of Forsyth. Look for a collection bin in Fellowship Hall. USO Volunteering – October 3rd, @ Hartsfield/Jackson (See Chris Weeber, William Perkins) GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020
Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 09/06/2019“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” ― Marcus Garvey This Week's Speakers: Connie Mashburn & Michael Buchanan Alpharetta Historians – Saving Farm House   Connie Mashburn is a native Alpharettan with roots that date back to the 1830s. He is a charter member of the Alpharetta & Old Milton County Historical Society, and author of Alpharetta, Old Milton County - The Early Years. Connie serves on the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission and is the curator of the Alpharetta & Old Milton County History Museum. He is the official historian for the City of Alpharetta and the Alpharetta & Old Milton County Historical Society. He has been married to Jane Boltwood of Alexandria, Virginia for 44 years and has two children. He is a graduate of Milton High and Georgia State University. Michael Buchanan is a retired school teacher, author, screenwriter, and award-winning artist. In 2010 he co-authored the young-adult novel The Fat Boy Chronicles with Diane Lang. The book won the National Parenting Publication’s Gold Award, Mom’s Choice Award of Excellence and NY Champions of Character Award. Schools around the nation use the novel in their anti-bullying and childhood obesity efforts. Buchanan is a guest speaker at state, national and international reading and anti-bullying conferences. In 2012, Michael wrote the screenplay for the feature film The Fat Boy Chronicles (2012). The movie, seen by millions around the world, won multiple awards for its impacting, yet hopeful depiction of an obese and bullied 9th grader’s world. Buchanan is the lead writer on Spiral Bound (2015), a feature documentary about the importance of the arts, and Nature Matters (2016), a documentary focused on the consequences for today’s generation of a life lived indoors. He was also the writer for Saving Farm House (2019), a documentary short depicting the history of Alpharetta, Georgia. In Michael’s spare time he dives in alligator-infested rivers looking for giant shark teeth. BIRTHDAYS Sept. 2nd – Heather Honeycutt Sept. 2nd – Fran Schafer Sept. 4th – Charlie Schuetz Warm Coat Drive – Now through Oct. 21st. Please bring in your new and gently used winter coats which will be distributed by North Fulton Community Charities and The Place of Forsyth. Look for a collection bin in Fellowship Hall. BrewAble Grand Opening – September 6th, 9:00am Alpharetta Community Center Adopt-A-Mile – September 7th, 8am Meet at Avalon Chick-fil-A Grilling & Gridiron – September 14th, 11:30-2:30 Financial Literacy Course – September 15th, 2-4pm @ YMCA, September 18th, 6:30-8:30am APC GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020
Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 08/30/2019“Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the center of the universe.” ― Elie Wiesel This Week's Speaker: Marmar Stewart Human & Social Rights Activist and Author  .jpg) Marmar Stewart was born in Iran, raised in Hamburg, Germany and now lives in Atlanta. While helping Afghan refugee women and children obtain political asylum in Germany; she found that her passion was working on human rights and social issues. Marmar's professional career is in radio and television. Upon moving to Atlanta, she worked for CNN with Bobby Batista on CNN's Talk-Back Live Show. Now she is undertaking a variety of independent projects including charity work for the local Kurdish community, especially women refugees. In 2018, she hosted a fundraising event for the Atlanta Women's Club at the Wimbish House to support the Refugee Women Network's leadership program. In addition to her humanitarian work, she is determined to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Her children’s book We Are Special deals in particular with the issues of siblings of children with autism and with speech therapy. Based on her own experience, she believes that speech therapy can play an essential role in improving the lives of autistic children. 100% of the profits from sales of We Are Special are earmarked for support of speech therapy of children with special needs at the Coralwood School in Decatur, Georgia. BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
BrewAble Grand Opening – September 6th, 9:00am Alpharetta Community Center Adopt-A-Mile – September 7th, 8am Meet at Avalon Chick-fil-A Grilling & Gridiron – September 14th, 11:30-2:30 Financial Literacy Course – September 15th, 2-4pm @ YMCA, September 18th, 6:30-8:30am APC GRSP Weekend – November 1-3, Need host family volunteers to house students Fri. & Sat. night. 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message for 08/23/2019“Lets us not seek the Republican answer, or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” ― John F. Kennedy This Week's Speaker: Brian Kemp 83rd Governor of Georgia  We are honored this Friday to have Georgia Governor Brian Kemp as our speaker. Mr. Kemp is the 83rd Governor for the great State of Georgia having defeated a previous Rotary Club of Alpharetta speaker, Casey Cagle, in a Republican runoff in 2018. He then went on to defeat Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams. As Governor, Brian Kemp is fighting to make Georgia #1 for small business through regulatory reform. He will ensure that all parts of our state – including rural Georgia – have opportunities to grow and thrive. Kemp is fundamentally reforming state government, keeping our families safe, and always putting hardworking Georgians first. Governor Kemp was born in Athens, Georgia and is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Before entering politics, Mr. Kemp owned several agribusinesses, financial services, and real estate companies. In 2002 he was elected to the Georgia Senate, and in 2010 he was appointed Secretary of State by then-Governor Sonny Perdue to replace Karen Handel who had resigned to run for Governor. Mr. Kemp subsequently was elected to a full term as secretary of state in 2010 and 2014. He is married and has three children. Let's have a warm Rotary welcome for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Mayor’s Corporate Challenge - August 22, 2019 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Downtown Alpharetta. https://www.mayorschallenge.com/ VIBRANT CLUB WORKSHOP - August 24, 2019 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Macon Marriott, 240 Coliseum Drive, Macon, Georgia 31217 Miss Mary's Ice Cream Crankin' - August 25, 2019 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Roswell Square Park. https://missmarysicecream.org/ 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020
Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 08/16/2019“If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.” ― Bob Hope This Week's Speaker: Jane Park Professional Golfer   This Friday, we are fortunate to have American Professional Golfer Jane Park. She has played on the LPGA Tour since 2007. Before turning professional, Ms. Park reached the finals of the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur and 2004 U.S. Girls' Junior and won the 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur. She also tied for low amateur at the 2006 U.S. Women's Open. Since joining the LPGA, Ms. Park has earned over $2.5 million and recorded 13 top-10 finishes. This month, she tied for 9th at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open where she scored a -10. BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (RLI) - August 17, 2019 7:00 am - 3:30 pm Eaton’s Cooper Lighting, 1121 Hwy 74 S, Peachtree City, GA 30269 VIBRANT CLUB WORKSHOP - August 24, 2019 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Macon Marriott, 240 Coliseum Drive, Macon, Georgia 31217 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020
Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 08/09/2019“Corruption, embezzlement, fraud, these are all characteristics which exist everywhere. It is regrettably the way human nature functions, whether we like it or not. What successful economies do is keep it to a minimum. No one has ever eliminated any of that stuff.” ― Alan Greenspan This Week's Speaker: Dave Amster Fraud Consultant  Dave Amster is a Security and Fraud Professional with extensive experience in the industry. As Vice President of Global Fraud Investigations for Equifax, he provided leadership and direction for all fraud investigations, incident response, fraud monitoring analytics, credentialing, background screening, and customer auditing and tracking. He now works with consumers to help protect them from becoming fraud victims, and when necessary, works with them to correct any issues they may have encountered. While he specializes in working with seniors, Dave works with and assists all consumers in fraud prevention and investigation. Alpharetta Rotary and Milton Rotary welcome our GRSP Student Anna Damsholt from Denmark!  BIRTHDAYS
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES
ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (RLI) - August 17, 2019 7:00 am - 3:30 pm Eaton’s Cooper Lighting, 1121 Hwy 74 S, Peachtree City, GA 30269 VIBRANT CLUB WORKSHOP - August 24, 2019 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Macon Marriott, 240 Coliseum Drive, Macon, Georgia 31217 2020 District conference – Jekyll island – April 30 – May 3, 2020 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 08/02/2019This Week's Speaker: Scott Childress Leader of the Old Soldiers Day Parade “The American Legion - 100 Years of Service”  As our club prepares for the Old Soldiers Day Parade on Saturday, I can’t think of a better way to kick off the weekend than to have the Leader of the Parade as our guest speaker. Scott’s family’s service to our country runs deep. His father served in WWII in the Army and then the 8th Air Force Recon as a pilot. His mother served in WWII with the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). Both of Scott’s brothers served in Vietnam. Older brother Craig retired from the Army Special Forces, and younger brother Dean was critically wounded as a US Marine. Scott’s service path started as an Atlanta Police Officer & Sargent, then a trial ADA for Fulton County, a Roswell City Councilman, and a Judge of the Alpharetta Municipal Court. He is now a full-time criminal defense attorney and volunteer for the Alpharetta American Legion Post 201. *VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR FLOAT ASSEMBLY* AT CHURCH - Thursday, August 1st, 2019 5:00 pm Float Assembly at Presbyterian Church AT PARADE - Saturday, August 3rd, 2019 7:00 am, Our position in the parade is 51. Our staging area is in front of the new Charter STEM school (former location of Old Milton High School). You'll get there by driving north on Wills Road, turn left onto Milton Avenue, then turn left into Milton Center. The street will probably be blocked off but explain to the police officer that you are setting up for the parade. This is very close to the new parking garage next to Alpharetta Animal Hospital. It may be best to park there. We'll start congregating at the staging area at 7:00 am to finish the float (we have about 500 balloons to inflate, flags to install, streamers to stream, etc.). We have to be done with the float by 9 am. Anyone that wants to drive their convertibles, jeeps, fancy cars, bedazzled motorcycles, etc in the parade will congregate here, too. OLD SOLDIERS DAY PARADE – ROTARY COOK-OUT - August 3rd, 2019 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Parade, Cookout afterwards in Pavilion #1 at Willis Park. Health Symposium: MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF ENDING POLIO - August 3rd, 2019 9:00 am - 3:30 pm, The Shriner’s Auditorium, 400 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta,GA 30308 https://tinyurl.com/RCEHealthSymposium ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (RLI) - August 17, 2019 7:00 am - 3:30 pm Eaton’s Cooper Lighting, 1121 Hwy 74 S, Peachtree City, GA 30269 VIBRANT CLUB WORKSHOP - August 24, 2019 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Macon Marriott, 240 Coliseum Drive, Macon, Georgia 31217 2020 District conference – Jekyll Island – April 30 – May 3, 2020 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020
Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message 07/26/2019“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.” ― Francis Bacon This Week's Speaker: Adam Danielson, Owner FERMENTED, A Wine Boutique  Adam is originally from Seattle but raised in Florida. Having worked for many years in restaurant management, Adam was given opportunities to manage the wine programs of many reputable dining establishments in Amelia Island, Santa Barbara and Austin, including Brett’s Waterway Café, Zooker’s Café and Parkside Projects. While in Santa Barbara he volunteered often during the harvest in local vineyards and learned the process of winemaking. In 2014 he came to Atlanta to work in some of the top restaurants then made his way into the distribution channel with the National Distributing Company. He is the founder and curator of Fermented in downtown Alpharetta where they provide an outstanding experience introducing people to amazing wines and transporting them to the countries and villages they came from. They fight for the artisan wine and seek to be a force to help them thrive. Health Symposium: MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF ENDING POLIO - August 3rd, 2019 9:00 am - 3:30 pm, The Shriner’s Auditorium, 400 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta,GA 30308 https://tinyurl.com/RCEHealthSymposium ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (RLI) - August 17, 2019 7:00 am - 3:30 pm Eaton’s Cooper Lighting, 1121 Hwy 74 S, Peachtree City, GA 30269 VIBRANT CLUB WORKSHOP - August 24, 2019 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Macon Marriott, 240 Coliseum Drive, Macon, Georgia 31217 2020 DISTRICT CONFERENCE – Jekyll Island – April 30 – May 3 Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message - July 19, 2019“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa This Week's Speaker: Olga Narvaez – Rotarian Extraordinaire This week our very own Olga Narvaez will tell us about her recent trip to Columbia. Olga was joined with John and Karen Hipes, Sue Kinker, Sandra Kinney, Bill Weeks, spouses and family members. Through Olga’s leadership, the Rotary Club of Alpharetta partnered with the Club Rotario of Manizales on two international grant projects totaling $136,000. Alpharetta Rotarians contributed $28,000 of foundation money toward the project and Club Rotario Manizales and the Rotary Club of Milton, Georgia contributed additional money all of which was matched by District 6900 and then matched again by The Rotary Foundation. One grant funded the purchase and use of a portable electrocardiograph machine to detect heart abnormalities in children and to facilitate treatment and recovery for afflicted children and their families. The project is implemented with the assistance of Fundación Pequeño Corazón. The other grant funded the Ramoss project to transition and integrate young men and women from prison back into society and the workplace through training and counseling.     Opportunities for Service -
See You Friday Morning! Will Daniel, President 2019-2020 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message - Oct 3, 2018This Weeks Speaker –  Lois Koepke is the executive director of Atlanta Theatre-To-Go whose mission is to engage seniors in creative-aging arts programs including mainstage theatre and interactive theatre which includes Improv, Acting, Playwriting, Storytelling and Memory Theatre. For the past eleven years, Atlanta Theatre-To-Go has taken the show on the road with professional actors to senior independent and assisted living communities, senior community centers and in the near future, active senior communities for those 55 years of age and older. Theatre-To-Go has been the creative force behind Alpharetta’s Restless In Resthaven for the past six years using their talented playwrights, directors, producers and professional actors to bring history to life on a unique and experiential one-mile and one-hour street theatre walking tour through downtown Alpharetta and Restless cemetery. In partnership with Alpharetta’s special event department and the Alpharetta and Milton County historical society, distinguished Alpharetta ancestors tell their stories of the past….in the present! Lois’ past career includes 22 years with the NBA (National Basketball Association) in sports entertainment and marketing as a choreographer and entertainment director creating and working with professional dance teams including junior and senior teams, halftime shows, mascots, drumlines, house bands and such celebrities as Chubby Checker, Usher and Paul McCartney. Her work has been performed in Spain and China bringing NBA entertainment to new markets. Her book “Lady of the Court” was published in 2014 and gives insights into the behind-the-scenes business decisions of NBA entertainment. And, for the record, she has met Michael Jordan. Lois has professional training in acting, dance, voice-overs, violin and voice and she has produced and directed Christian-based plays in Wisconsin, Texas and Florida. She has produced two faith-based CD’s one of which is “Inspired”, with songs she wrote to inspire others. It is available on I-tunes and Amazon.com. She holds a Bachelor of arts degree from Alverno College, one of the top women’s colleges in the country, in Professional Communication and Business & Management. Opportunities for Fellowship and to Serve –
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday morning! Robin McIntire President 2018-2019 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message - Sept. 26, 2018
This Weeks Speaker –
HEATHER STRICKLAND GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ASSISTANT SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE CRIMES AGAINST DISABLED ADULTS AND THE ELDERY
Agent Strickland is a graduate from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. She has been in State law enforcement for 19 years. Agent Strickland joined the GBI in 2002, where she worked in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and then the Atlanta Field Office.
Agent Strickland was promoted in 2015 to the Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) of the Crimes Against Disabled Adults and Elderly (CADE) for the GBI. In this position, Agent Strickland is focusing on investigations and trainings dealing with the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of disabled adults and the elderly.
Agent Strickland is a frequent presenter at State and National Conferences on the topic of crimes against disabled adults and the elderly; in addition to benefits trafficking. Agent Strickland co-facilitates the State-Wide At-Risk Adult Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation (ANE) Work Group and is the Chair of two work groups within the Older Adults Cabinet, which is facilitated by First Lady Sandra Deal.
Agent Strickland is the recipient of the 2017 State Long Term Care Ombudsman’s Martha Eaves Award and the 2018 Georgia Gerontology Society Citation of Merit Award.
Opportunities for Fellowship and to Serve –
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday morning!
Robin McIntire President
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President's Message - Sept. 13, 2018
This Weeks Speaker –
Judge Shawn Ellen LaGrua was appointed to the Superior Court of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit in December 2009 by then-Governor Sonny Perdue and was sworn in on June 29, 2010. She was reelected in 2012 and 2016. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she served as Inspector General for the Georgia Secretary of State, overseeing investigations in the Elections, Securities, Charities and Licensing Divisions, and she served as the Solicitor General for DeKalb County where she founded an initiative to address educational neglect. Judge LaGrua has over 20 years of trial experience, including her work as Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney in DeKalb and Fulton Counties and as Chief Assistant District Attorney in the Tallapoosa Circuit.
Judge LaGrua serves on the Fulton County Superior Court’s Executive Committee and Co-chairs its Magistrate Committee. She presides over “My Journey Matters,” a pilot probation program designed to divert young offenders from a lifetime of incarceration, as well as the Court’s first Re-Entry Court, which works to integrate prior offenders back into the community using close supervision, substance abuse counseling, job-training, and advancing education.
Judge LaGrua was appointed by Governor Deal to the Georgia Child Support Commission in 2016, serves as Chair of the Judicial Council’s Process Servers Committee, is Secretary-elect for the Council of Superior Court Judges, where she also serves on the Legislative Support Team as vice-chair for the Access to Fairness and Justice Committee, and is a member of the Accountability Court and Bench and Bar Committees.
Judge LaGrua is a Master of the Logan E. Bleckley Inn of Court and Lamar Inn of Court. She is a founding member and past Chair of the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, Judicial Application Review Committee. She currently serves as the Chair of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Georgia, is a member at large on the Atlanta Bar’s CLE committee and Celebrating Service Committee. She is an alumna member of Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2012, and served as the Vice Chair of the Criminal Justice Day for 2014-2015.
Judge LaGrua graduated from the University of Georgia and received her Juris Doctorate from the Georgia State University College of Law, where she later taught Advanced Evidence and Litigation. Judge LaGrua is married to Chris Beanland. She has two step-sons, Daniel and Ben, and two fur-children, Grizzly and Riley.
Opportunities for Fellowship and to Serve –
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday morning!
Robin McIntire President |
President's Message - Sept. 5, 2018
This Weeks Speaker –
Mark Toro founded the Atlanta office of North American Properties in 1996 and now leads an award-winning team of 80 commercial real estate professionals engaged in all aspects of mixed-use development. He has acquired, developed or redeveloped more than 70 properties totaling 25 million square feet in his 35 year career, creating more than $5 billion in value. Recent projects include the repositioning of Atlantic Station and redevelopment of Colony Square, as well as the development of Alpharetta's Avalon.
An active community builder, Mark is Chairman the Midtown Alliance Board and serves on the Board of Directors of City of Refuge where he chairs the $25.6 million Shining the Light capital campaign. He was the recipient of the 2015 Henry H. Robinson Award for "outstanding contribution to the Atlanta commercial real estate community", voted Most Admired CEO in commercial real estate by the readers of Atlanta Business Chronicle, named one of Atlanta Magazine's Most Influential Atlantans, Citizen of the Year by North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneur of the Year by Hispanic American Business Leaders Association.
Mark and his wife, Nancy, reside in Midtown and have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Opportunities for Fellowship and to Serve –
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday morning!
Robin McIntire President |
President's Message - Aug. 29, 2018
“A dream without ambition is like a car without gas…you’re not going anywhere.” – Sean Hampton
This Weeks Speaker –
Steve Baker is Director of Communications for Colonial Pipeline Company. Colonial is part of our national infrastructure, shipping more than 100 million gallons of gasoline, diesel fuel and other fuels every day. Its headquarters is in Alpharetta, where 3 out of every 4 gallons pumped into your car’s or truck’s tank have traveled on the Colonial Pipeline. For the most part, the 5,500 miles of underground pipeline is out of sight and out of mind, until there is a disruption to the gasoline supply. Most recently, Hurricane Harvey. Then Colonial appears in the news, and that’s one of Baker’s principal responsibilities – to ensure accurate information about Colonial is shared in a timely and responsible way. Steve is a graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. He and his wife live in Milton, and they have a daughter, a son and three grandsons.
Opportunities for Fellowship and to Serve –
Fresh Market –If you’ve not participated before, catch the sign-up sheet that’s passed around each meeting. This is an easy way to serve those in need by taking breads and other items from Fresh Market to NFCC to be given to those in need. Contact Lee Doernberg
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday morning!
Robin McIntire President
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President's Message - Aug. 21, 2018"Our running shoes have magic in them. The power to transform a bad day into a good day; frustration into speed; self-doubt into confidence; chocolate cake into muscle." - Mina Samuels, author of Run Like a Girl
Mayor’s Corporate Challenge – We’ve been talking about it and planning for it for the last year and now the Mayor’s Corporate Challenge is finally here - this Thursday, August 23rd. - and the weather looks like it will cooperate! We reached our maximum registered runners this past weekend so we should have a great crowd - both our runners and those that join us to encourage them at the starting point, along the route, and as they cross the finish line. Please, be prepared to volunteer your time for our biggest fund raiser of the year. Don’t forget, this is the source behind the work that we will be able to accomplish throughout the year.
This Weeks “Speaker” –
Mattis is a 5 year old German Shepherd originally from Slovakia. He is trained for the detection of narcotics, article searches, tracking, apprehension and protection. He is a highly decorated canine winning officer of the year, the director’s award and Departmental Purple Heart. He has more apprehensions than any other Alpharetta Police K9s combined. Mattis’ namesake comes from General James “Mad Dog” Mattis, the current Secretary of Defense.
Ofc. Mark Tappan has the privilege of holding Mattis’ leash.
Opportunities for Fellowship and to Serve –
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you Thursday afternoon and on Friday morning!
Robin McIntire President
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President's Message - Aug. 16, 2018“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” - Confucius
It was clear listening to our returning Rotary Youth Exchange student, Kate Rojales, that she put all of her heart into the time she spent as our outbound student to Mexico last year. Kate clearly did a fantastic job representing the Rotary Club of Alpharetta. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and she treated us to a wonderful walk through her memories with pictures of a year that will clearly be remembered her entire life. We look forward to hearing more from Kate now that she has returned from her year as a Rotary Youth Exchange student and begins her college career at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
We are also very pleased to report that, after some flight delays and travel problems, our outbound Rotary Youth Exchange student, Sophia Gomez, has safely arrived in Paraguay. We are looking forward to reports from Sophia during her upcoming year.
This Week's Speaker –
Our speaker this week is Kyle McGowan. Kyle is the Chief of Staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prior to joining CDC, Kyle most recently served as the Director of External Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In that capacity, he worked in the immediate office of the Secretary and across all HHS staff and operating divisions to listen to and coordinate with external groups. He worked closely with the Secretary’s public affairs team to amplify and spread HHS’s priorities directly to external groups and partners and worked directly on many of the agency’s priority issues including the opioids epidemic, drug pricing, and health reform. Before joining the Department of Health and Humans Services, Kyle served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Congressman Tom Price, M.D. In that role, he helped the Congressman develop a comprehensive strategy to promote priorities to constituents, local business leaders, and other elected officials. Kyle has worked for multiple members of Congress and has experience running several congressional and statewide campaigns. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Kyle and his wife Charlene have one son and live in Roswell, Georgia.
Opportunities for Fellowship and to Serve –
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday!
Robin McIntire President
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President's Message - Aug 8, 2018
“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” – Katie Thurmes
This has been quite a week! We started off with the Old Soldier’s Day Parade which is one of the most meaningful and fun things we do all year. It brings together citizens of all ages to honor the service members who sacrificed to make it possible for us live in a community that allows us to hold such a celebration.
We followed the parade with a great cookout in our beautiful, newly remodeled, pavilion, with food made to order on Gillard’s Grill. Again, a great time of fellowship.
Then on Tuesday, we had the opportunity to welcome our new GRSP student, Sofia Erlandsson, to our Rotary family. She is from Sweden and will be attending North Georgia College. She will be with us on Friday morning and she is already planning to participate in the Mayor’s Corporate Challenge. After spending only 24 hours with Sofia it’s clear she is going to be a great addition to our Club. (And she is ready and willing to participate in our “cool” new fundraiser in February!)
This Week's Speaker –
As Sofia begins her GRSP year, Kate is ending her RYE year. Our speaker this week is Kate Rojales, our Rotary Youth Exchange Student for the 2017-2018 year. Kate will be sharing memories and pictures of her year in Mexico. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and we are in for a treat!
Opportunities for Fellowship and to Serve –
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday!
Robin McIntire President
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President's Message - Aug. 1, 2018“Have Fun and They Will Come!
This is our motto for District 6900 2018-2019. Our Race Winning Strategy is to have more Rotary members, more community service projects and more Foundation and Polio Giving for additional Global Grants, thus providing “Service Above Self” throughout our communities and the world.” – Court Dowis, District Governor 2018-2019
This Week –
A warm welcome to our District Governor Court Dowis!
Court joined the Rotary Club of Harris County in the fall of 2000, serving in almost every club position before becoming President for 2007-2008. He was presented the Sheffield Award for Leadership as Club President. He is also a Paul Harris Fellow, a Paul Harris Society member, a Benefactor and a level 3 Bequest Society member. His proudest accomplishment to date is a continuing service project that builds handicap ramps for those in need.
His service doesn’t stop at the club level. Court has served his district as an Assistant Governor (3 years), District Vocational Chair (2 years), PETS facilitator (4 years), Foundation Annual Giving Co-Chair and member of the District Training committee. Court is more than just a Rotarian. He has served his community as the Chairman of the Harris County Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman of FOCUS, He is a Boy Scout Aviation Eagle instructor and a SCCA competition driving instructor.
Court and his wife Annette live on site at their family-owned resort, Pine Mountain Club Chalets, located near Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Opportunities for Fellowship –
Opportunities to Serve -
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday!
Robin McIntire President
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President's Message - July 25, 2018“Parks and playgrounds are the soul of a city.” -Marty Rubin
We are all very fortunate that Alpharetta has an exceptional park system that truly enhances the quality of life in our City! We have acres devoted to walking trails, playgrounds, sports fields, arboretums, and community parks. At the expansive Wills Park, along with excellent sports and recreational facilities, we have one of the finest equestrian facilities in the Southeast. Alpharetta also boasts a beautiful greenway system along Big Creek that provides a naturally picturesque pathway for bikers and hikers of all ages to enjoy.
This Week –
Our speaker this week is Morgan Rodgers, Alpharetta’s Director of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Affairs, and the husband of our very own Janet Rodgers. Rodgers has been a leader in the recreation and parks industry for more than 40 years and has served five southeastern cities during his career. Known for his high level of enthusiasm and creativity, Rodgers has earned the respect of his peers and has promoted his chosen profession through volunteer leadership roles with the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) and the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). He is a recipient of GRPA’s Michael Daniel Professional Leadership Award and has served on NRPA review committee charged with evaluation of recreation and parks programs across the country that are being considered for accreditation through the association. Rodgers holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Parks Administration from Clemson University and is also an accomplished author.
Opportunities for Fellowship –
Opportunities to Serve -
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday!
Robin McIntire President
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President's Message - July 18, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – Come experience the Best Breakfast in Rotary! “We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.” - Pascal Mercier, Night Train to Lisbon Learning about the history of our town during the tour of the Alpharetta and Old Milton History Museum last week caused me to think about home. And it caused me to focus on the fact that home isn’t a place - it is the people. One of the things I liked the most about the new museum is that a lot of it is focused on the people that made Alpharetta what it is today. I hope all of you enjoyed our “field trip” last week. For those of you that were not able to join us, I highly recommend that you find time to visit the museum in the future, and that you share it with your family. And for those not originally from here, I think it will help make Alpharetta your home. This Week – Our speaker this week is our very own Steve Beecham. Steve is a speaker and author specializing in helping companies and individuals grow their businesses by leveraging professional and social connections more effectively. Steve has authored two books. Bass-Ackwards Business: The Power of Helping Without Hustling, is about building deeper relationships and painting better pictures for the people in your village so that when they think about your industry, they think of you first. His second book, What’s Your Buzz?, is about understanding what people are saying about you and your business, and how to use it to your advantage. Currently President of Home Town Mortgage and Home Town Marketing in Alpharetta, Georgia, Beecham started his career in the retail industry as owner of a retail clothing store. He later entered the recycling industry before landing in the mortgage business. During his 20 years running a successful mortgage company, Steve has interviewed hundreds of top sales people and identified what he feels are the common elements of success. Through trial and error, he developed his remarkable system of helping people but not hustling them for business. Through the use of this system, Beecham has become “the mayor of his village.” As a successful Atlanta area businessman and entrepreneur, he has spent many years seeking the perfect scenario: “My phone rings and people ask to spend money with me.” An engaging and entertaining speaker and storyteller, Steve has spoken to sales and marketing professionals at companies across the country, including Edward Jones, Merrill Lynch, Travelers, Prudential Financial, John Hancock, Mass Mutual, Wells Fargo, Country Financial, Allstate, State Farm, Nationwide, Comcast, Seyfarth and Shaw, Global Healthcare, Cole Publishing, University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University, sharing strategies and techniques for growing referral business. Beecham has served on the boards of The Ron Clark Academy, North Fulton Community Charities, and the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation. He is featured in How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age, the modern adaptation of the bestselling personal growth book of all time by Dale Carnegie. Opportunities for Fellowship –
Opportunities to Serve -
Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you on Friday! Robin McIntire President 2018-2019 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message - June 20, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
This morning was a milestone – the last Rotary Board meeting of my tenure as President! Our last three meetings have included members of the 2018 – 2019 Board as well, enabling them to transition into their roles. I cannot thank my stellar board enough, both individually, and as a group, for their support and effectiveness in their areas of service. I am so impressed with their full commitment, without which our Rotary Club would not function as we expect it should. Please offer them your appreciation for a job so well done! More to come!
Many thanks to our Honduras project crew for the briefing last Friday on Rotary’s impact in that community. Their dedicated work is just another example of the kind of global experience/s that are readily available to all of us as Rotarians. Locally, we have plenty of opportunities to serve, and we welcome your new ideas as well. As I type this, Mickey Rogers and several Alpharetta Rotarians are working over at Wills Park working on the “Rotary Pavilion and Gillard’s Grill.” Be sure to stop-by this Thursday and Saturday between the hours of 9am – 1pm to contribute your hands and feet to this community project. No experience required… Also - special thanks are due those who participated last Saturday morning who worked alongside Chris Weeber on the Adopt-A-Mile project. It’s great to see the Rotary family/children engaged, too! After all…Rotarians are People of Action….
This Week… Our speaker this week will be Fulton County Commissioner, Liz Hausmann. Liz Hausmann is the Fulton County Commissioner representing District 1, located in northeast Fulton and encompasses Johns Creek and portions of Alpharetta, Roswell and Sandy Springs east of Georgia 400. Commissioner Hausmann has made her career in public service. She began that career by serving on the Fulton County Board of Education from 2002 through 2006, during a time of high student growth. While still on the Fulton County Board of Education, Liz served as a member of the Board of the Committee for Johns Creek, initiating the creation of the new city. She supported Johns Creek’s innovative millage rate cap and the public/private management model of government. Following the successful incorporation vote, Liz was elected to join the inaugural Johns Creek City Council in 2006. Since becoming a commissioner in January of 2011, Commissioner Hausmann has served as Executive Sponsor of Economic Development initiatives including the passage in 2016 of the Fulton County TSPLOST. She is Vice-Chairman of the Atlanta-Fulton Water Resources Commission, serves as a member of Georgia House Commission on Transit Governance and Funding , the Georgia Criminal Justice and Coordinating Council, the WellStar North Fulton Board of Advisors, Fulton Education Foundation Board of Directors, Vice -chair of the Federal Government Policy Committee for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, the Retirement Board of Fulton County Employees, the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Encore Park for the Arts Board of Directors, and serves on the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Community Resources Committee. She received the 2012 Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Pioneer Award and the 2012 RBC Friend of Business Award. She is a 2011 graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute. Commissioner Hausmann is a proud Georgia native and the daughter of a public school teacher and Episcopal priest. Residing in Johns Creek for 23 years, she has two grown children, two grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. She attends Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church.
We will learn more about Lizann Gibson, as she will deliver our Vocational Minute this week.
Club Fellowship – Summer Lake Party! June 30th 12 – 4pm– SAVE THE DATE! Our Annual Lake Party will be hosted, once again, at the home of Bill and Cyndi Weeks from 12pm – 4pm. We ALWAYS have a great time – drop-in as you are able and enjoy a Chef Doug catered lunch, drinks, fellowship and time on Lake Lanier. The Weeks’ home is located at 4166 Cumberland Point Dr. Gainesville, GA 30504.
Rotary Directory Updates Beginning in mid-July, Rob Johns will be working on any updates required to your directory page. You will be able to view and make changes to your page at our front desk area. There are also limited sponsorship opportunities available. Questions – contact Rob at 678-451-0092 or rob.johns1957@gmail.com.
Opportunities to Serve -
The Spotlight this week is on President Elect, Robin McIntire Where to start? First of all, I can assure you Alpharetta Rotary will be in VERY capable hands next year under Robin’s leadership. I cannot thank Robin enough for the variety of roles she’s played this year. Her vocational expertise has been invaluable as we have standardized our internal budgeting and accounting, she has played “back-stop” on so many levels behind the scenes making certain that details are covered, both large and small - and she has enthusiastically lead meetings in my absence. In our Club, the traditional responsibility of President-Elect has been to prepare for the role as President, involving oneself in special projects, taking notes and gaining experience. I hope I have provided those opportunities for her – regardless, she is well prepared and will have an outstanding board and Club behind her. I’ll be her biggest fan!
When you see Robin, please take a moment to thank her for all her hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Robin, and look forward to the year ahead!
Enjoy your week! See you all Friday!!
Scott Doll President2017-2018 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message - June 13, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
It was great to hear from our GRSP student, Emily May Roberts, last week and her reflections on her year here with us. We were blessed to have hosted a student who truly appreciates this wonderful opportunity and the objectives of the program. As her time with us comes to a close, we will begin preparing for our next student. We look forward to introducing them as soon as we receive final word – but I would encourage you to give serious consideration to joining our Club families like the Weeks’, Norton’s, Perkins’, Hipes’ and Mitchell’s (to name a few), that have opened their homes and to these wonderful students. Ask them about their experiences and speak to President Elect Robin McIntire for more detail.
This Week…
Our speaker this week will be Stephanie Fiber-Sutton, CEO of Senior Advisory Services. Stephanie guides families and seniors through the assessment and selection of senior living and care options based on their unique criteria including their budget, care needs and desired location. This service is complimentary to families, as the communities pay for the cost. In addition, SAS specializes in performing market feasibility studies for senior housing developers. Through a combination of serving families and performing market studies, Stephanie has personally toured over one thousand properties nationally. She is dedicated to increasing awareness about long-term care options and preparing others for senior care emotionally and financially. Stephanie is an experienced senior living executive who has held leadership roles with multiple national senior housing organizations to include Atria Senior Living, Merrill Gardens and Emeritus Senior Living. Stephanie currently serves as Chair of the Board for Senior Services North Fulton. Stephanie also serves on the Advisory Board for the Alzheimer's Association, Atlanta, Georgia Chapter.
We will learn more about Lizann Gibson, as she will deliver our Vocational Minute this week.
Honduras Project Update – Paul Ray, John and Karen Hipes, Jack Hausmann and Steve Beecham (all or in part) will share their experiences working in Honduras earlier this year. Alpharetta Rotary has been involved, along with other Clubs in our District, in this international work for many years. This opportunity is open to any of our members – why not you? Certainly something to consider!
Club Fellowship – Summer Lake Party! June 30th 12 – 4pm– SAVE THE DATE! Our Annual Lake Party will be hosted, once again, at the home of Bill and Cyndi Weeks from 12pm – 4pm. We ALWAYS have a great time – drop-in as you are able and enjoy a Chef Doug catered lunch, drinks, fellowship and time on Lake Lanier. The Weeks’ home is located at 4166 Cumberland Point Dr. Gainesville, GA 30504.
Directory Updates Rob Johns will be working on any updates required to your directory page. Please help him out by responding promptly to his request. There are also sponsorship opportunities available. Questions – contact Rob at 678-451-0092 or rob.johns1957@gmail.com.
Opportunities to Serve -
Rotary Leadership Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) - Rotary Leadership Institute will be held in Griffin, GA on June 16th at Southern Crescent Technical College. Parts 1, 2, 3 and a graduate course on Membership will be offered. There will also be a Discussion Leader Course by invention. Go to www.rlitraining.org to register and more RLI information on courses.
The Spotlight this week is on Club Secretary, Karen Hipes. I remember what it was like when I realized that being Club Secretary was actually more than just taking Minutes at the board meeting. Well, I’m sure Karen Hipes remembers that, too. There is a lot that goes into this position, and Karen has fully embraced it and done an excellent job. Everything having to do with new members, changes in member information, the occasional resignation, reports to run, deadlines to meet, badges to be ordered and a sundry of “other” duties fall into this role – and THEN there are the board meeting Minutes. Karen has been a dedicated steward of our member data base and so much more. Karen – we couldn’t do it without you! When you see Karen, please take a moment to thank her for all her hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Karen!
President Elect Robin will be in-charge this Friday. Enjoy your week!
Scott Doll President2017-2018 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
The Great Race - Jack Hausmann
Vintage car fans take note: The 2018 VCRA Race for Autism is On The Road! As a Great Race tradition, Great Race Teams are once again competing to raise money to “Fight Autism One Mile At A Time”! All you have to do is ask friends, family and co-workers to give tax deductible (to the extent of the law) donations to the Vintage Car Rally Association (VCRA) in honor of your Great Race team. Since 2006 the VCRA, a federal nonprofit 501(c)3 and the official charity of the Great Race, has donated over $785,000 to Schools, Centers and Institutions across America. The Teams that raise the most money to fight Autism will win amazing prizes! Once again, Jack Hausmann will represent Alpharetta Rotary in this great event in one of his vintage Volkswagen Beetles. If you wish to contribute to this great cause see Jack's GoFundMe page at https://vcra.ejoinme.org/160010 For more information see www.greatrace.com |
President's Message - June 6, 2015Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
I hope you all enjoyed the special program last week! – It certainly raised some interest among Club members. I’m grateful we were able to pull-off the live-stream without a hitch, even when we (…okay, I ) struggle, sometimes, to put a Power Point on the screen. We look forward to exploring more as to how VR can help tell our story and engage our stakeholders, sponsors and community in a different, more personal way. More to come!
Several of us spent part of our Saturday out at Fill Ministries’ aquaponics farm, building a barn storage structure. It’s amazing what can be accomplished with truly skilled Rotarians such as Mickey Rogers and Scott French – even when paired-up with some of us who, shall we say, are “lesser” skilled. We had a great time doing good work. If you missed this opportunity, we will be going back to complete the project, so look for the next workday!
Finally, this evening I attended a special farewell to our Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) student, Livia, graciously hosted by Mary Ulich. In attendance were all three of Livia’s host families, Mike Parks (District RYE Chair) and Lyman Louis, who championed Alpharetta Rotary’s involvement. It was another great evening to be an Alpharetta Rotarian and seeing the impact the RYE program has had, not only on Livia, but her host families and out Club. I’m grateful for Lyman, Mary, Mark Meckes, Karen Nolan and others who assisted in making this first experience such a success.
This Week…
Our speaker this week will be our GRSP student, Emily May Roberts. Emily May will end her year with us in mid-July, travelling back to her home in Perth, Australia. She has had an exceptional year, not only as a student at North Georgia College, but in the many experiences that go along with the GRSP program. She will give her reflections in a “year-in-review” presentation. We should be proud of how well she’s done, and what a credit she has been to the objectives of the program.
Club Fellowship – Summer Lake Party! June 30th 12 – 4pm– SAVE THE DATE! Our Annual Lake Party will be hosted, once again, at the home of Bill and Cyndi Weeks from 12pm – 4pm. We ALWAYS have a great time – drop-in as you are able and enjoy a Chef Doug catered lunch, drinks, fellowship and time on Lake Lanier. The Weeks’ home is located at 4166 Cumberland Point Dr., Gainesville, GA 30504.
Directory Updates Rob Johns will be working on any updates required to your directory page. Please help him out by responding promptly to his request. There are also sponsorship opportunities available. Questions – contact Rob at 678-451-0092 or rob.johns1957@gmail.com.
Opportunities to Serve -
Rotary Leadership Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) - Rotary Leadership Institute will be held in Griffin, GA on June 16th at Southern Crescent Technical College. Parts 1, 2, 3 and a graduate course on Membership will be offered. There will also be a Discussion Leader Course by invention. Go to www.rlitraining.org to register and more RLI information on courses.
The Spotlight this week is on President Nominee, Will Daniel Of all the Club Officer positions Will could have taken in his year as President Nominee, he chose Treasurer (alright – I only gave him a couple of choices..). At the time, and I thought it good reasoning, he felt it would be important to know where the money goes and what it supports. What Will didn’t anticipate is the amount of work that goes into this position, especially if it’s not part or parcel to your vocation. Regardless, he has done an excellent job for us, and has dedicated many hours each week to make sure all is properly counted, accounted for, and reconciled. Thanks to Will and to PE Robin’s contributed expertise, our books are in excellent shape and nearly ready to be handed over to next year’s leadership. Will – we couldn’t do it without you! When you see Will, please take a moment to thank him for all his hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Will!
Enjoy your week! See you all Friday!!
Scott Doll President 2017-2018
Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message - May 30, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
What a proud week to be an American – and an Alpharetta Rotarian. For those able to attend the 4thAnnual Memorial Day Tribute, you know exactly what I mean. First of all, special thanks and recognition are due John Hipes, who had the vision and then put forth the effort to form a committee of Rotarians and City staff to create the inaugural event for Alpharetta in 2015. In spite of the misty weather, the event was enjoyed by a large crowd who came to pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Thanks to this year’s Memorial Day Tribute committee, and all those Rotarians who volunteered their time on Monday. What an impactful gift to this city.
This Week… Our program this week will be focused on an emerging technology that will not only change our world, but will change the way people see the work of Rotarians within it. Join us for a unique look at the impact and potential of both virtual and augmented reality. A very special guest by the name of Jim Marggraff (former Director of Google) will be streamed-live into our meeting for this presentation. You may or may not have read his recent article in the Rotarian on this subject – find his feature linked here: https://www.rotary.org/en/how-jim-marggraff-inventing-way-better-future. Here is another link to a brief bio and article: https://www.success.com/profile/jim-marggraff. With the help of David Cochran, who has cultivated this relationship since last summer’s RI Convention, and PE Robin’s commitment to exploring how this technology can help us tell our story, we are excited to bring this to you!
We will learn more about Lee Doernberg as he delivers our Vocational Minute!
Club Fellowship – Summer Lake Party! June 30th12 – 4pm– SAVE THE DATE! Our Annual Lake Party will be hosted, once again, at the home of Bill and Cyndi Weeks from 12pm – 4pm. We ALWAYS have a great time – drop-in as you are able and enjoy a Chef Doug catered lunch, drinks, fellowship and time on Lake Lanier. The Weeks’ home is located at 4166 Cumberland Point Dr., Gainesville, GA 30504.
Directory Updates Rob Johns will be working on any updates required to your directory page. Please help him out by responding promptly to his request. There are also sponsorship opportunities available. Questions – contact Rob at 678-451-0092 or rob.johns1957@gmail.com.
Opportunities to Serve - ALL HANDS!
Fresh Market– PLEASE remember Lee’s email from a couple of weeks ago. We cannot miss a pick-up. Please cover your spot or let Lee know you need help to cover. Questions? Contact Lee Doernberg 678-773-1039
Rotary Leadership Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)
The Spotlight this week is on William Perkins The spotlight this week is on William Perkins. Past President William continues to be an active participant in so much that defines us as Rotarians. This year, in addition to his work on the care packages for troops, and our four USO days at ATL, William and his wife, Jan, joined with Dennis Mitchel and wife, MJ, as co-hosts of GRSP student, Emily May. William has consistently contributed in such ways over the years, and shies away from any credit. When you see Past President William, please take a moment to thank him for all his hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, William!
Enjoy your week! See you all Friday!!
Scott Doll President2017-2018 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message - May 23, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! I’m so grateful last Friday that we were able to hear from the Laws of Life essays as presented by Michael Cardozo and Jake Snow. I would like to give special thanks to Mary Ulich and Deborah Swafford for facilitating this, and the attendance of AHS teachers and the families. What an impactful presentation!
This Week… Our program this week will be focused on our youth as we hear from our Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students, Livia and Sophia, and meet our Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) students this summer. For those of you who are unsure, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts where students develop skills as a leader while making connections from across the district or state.
Joe Wargo will also give us an update on our Mayor’s Corporate Challenge progress and ways in which you can help drive sponsorships and participation.
We will learn more about Brian Mould as he delivers our Vocational Minute!
Club Fellowship – Summer Lake Party! June 30th 12 – 4pm– SAVE THE DATE! Our Annual Lake Party will be hosted, once again, at the home of Bill and Cyndi Weeks from 12pm – 4pm. We ALWAYS have a great time – drop-in as you are able and enjoy a Chef Doug catered lunch, drinks, fellowship and time on Lake Lanier. The Weeks’ home is located at 4166 Cumberland Point Dr., Gainesville, GA 30504.
Directory Updates Rob Johns will be working on any updates required to your directory page. Please help him out by responding promptly to his request. There are also sponsorship opportunities available. Questions – contact Rob at the number and email listed in the Directory.
Opportunities to Serve - ALL HANDS!
Fresh Market – PLEASE read Lee’s email from earlier this week. We cannot miss a pick-up. Please cover your spot or let Lee know you need help to cover. Questions? Contact Lee Doernberg 678-773-1039
Rotary Leadership Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)
The Spotlight this week is on Lyman Louis The spotlight this week is on Lyman Louis. Lyman has not only pioneered our first year of offering the Rotary Youth Exchange program for our Club, but across District 6900. His efforts have enabled our outbound student, Kate Rojales, to have a transformational experience, living in Puebla, Mexico this year. A lot of work goes into this program behind the scenes, and he has recruited Mark Meckes, Mary Ulich and others to assist. He is such an ardent advocate for youth, both inside and outside of Rotary. When you see Lyman, please take a moment to thank him for all his hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Lyman!
Enjoy your week! See you all Friday!!
Scott Doll President2017-2018 Rotary Club of Alpharetta |
President's Message - May 16, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! Every Rotary year there are meetings and programs that leave a memory or impression that help to define your experience over time. Last week, Kirk Driskell’s presentation was one of those. Not only were we all proud to learn more about Kirk’s purpose-driven life work, but the opportunity for him to present came at the right time – a time when he needs (continued) support from his friends and Rotary family. Similarly, Phil Kingry’s moving thank you for the support he’s received from his Rotarian friends, and others who have had significant health challenges or who have suffered from loss over the course of time – all find strength and support from the “family” of Rotary. Proud and blessed to be an Alpharetta Rotarian.
This Week… We are in for a special treat as two Alpharetta High School Students will read their Laws of Life essays: 9th graders Michael Cardozo (AHS Winner) and Jake Snow (Honorable Mention). They will be accompanied by their parents, their respective teachers, Ms. Ginny Brown and Ms. Nicole McNeal, as well as the AHS Laws of Life Essay Sponsor/Teacher Ms. Maureen Bergeron.
Our Speaker this week is Jon-Paul Croom. Paul is the President of WellStar North Fulton Hospital, a 202-bed facility located in Roswell, GA. Croom joined WellStar in April of 2017. WellStar North Fulton Hospital is one of Georgia’s only Level II Trauma Centers and delivers services including cardiovascular services, women’s services, Pain & Spine Center, Wound Care & Hyperbarics, and inpatient rehabilitation. North Fulton Hospital is a Primary Stroke Center and an accredited Chest Pain Center. WellStar Health System, the largest health system in Georgia, is known nationally for its innovative care models, focused on improving quality and access to healthcare. WellStar consists of WellStar Medical Group, 250 medical office locations, outpatient centers, health parks, a pediatric center, nursing centers, hospice, homecare, as well as 11 hospitals. Croom previously served as CEO for the 429-bed Central Mississippi Medical Center (CMMC) in Jackson, MS. He was also CEO for Merit Health Rankin in Brandon, Miss., chief operating officer for Clearview Regional Medical Center in Monroe, Ga., and chief operating officer for Roxborough Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia. Croom received his bachelor’s degree from Mercer University, in Macon, Ga. and a master’s degree in both business administration and health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Croom has family in the Roswell area and lives there with his wife and three children.
We will learn more about Rob Johns as he delivers our Vocational Minute!
Opportunities to Serve - ALL HANDS!
Rotary Leadership Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) Rotary Leadership Institute will be held in Griffin, GA on June 16th at Southern Crescent Technical College. Parts 1, 2, 3 and a graduate course on Membership will be offered. There will also be a Discussion Leader Course by invention. Go to www.rlitraining.org to register and more RLI information on courses.
The Spotlight this week is on Olga Narvaez The spotlight this week is on Olga Narvaez. While she was involved in Rotary youth programs while in school, this is Olga’s first year as an Alpharetta Rotarian. She has truly engaged in “Service Above Self,” participating in most service activities (along with her family), fellowship activities, and District Conference. Olga has quickly put her IT skill set to work, setting-up our badge bar code scanner, fully creating/developing our first Mayor’s Corporate Challenge website (with great functionality), and helping us to close-out an international grant project by bridging a language gap. She has been present, in one way or another, in much of the work we have done this year. When you see Olga, please take a moment to thank her for all her hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Olga!
Enjoy your week! See you all Friday!!
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President's Message - May 9, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! Even as the Rotary year begins to turn a new chapter (the end of my term…), our Club continues working diligently in our community and behind the scenes. Several of us reported to Lionheart Farms this past Saturday for a fun day of chores such as pulling weeds, spreading mulch and other tasks that filled our lungs with fresh pollen. We actually accomplished a lot with Sandra Kinney, Mary Ulrich, Emily Metallo and daughter, Olga Navaerz and family, and a few “Good Hands” from Nelson Karpeh’s office. The “fun” certainly wasn’t in the work, but in working with fellow Rotarians, and knowing we were contributing to Lionheart’s mission. I tested this theory by putting several more hours of work into my own yard – that wasn’t fun… Rotary Summer Polo Shirt Orders! Check your email for Heather Demis’ Memorial Day Polo order form. For those of you who do not have one, or need a new one, plan to order them at Friday’s meeting through Heather. These are the “flag” shirts we all where for Memorial Day, July 4th , etc. I have a couple of them to give away to our new members – if the size fits! This Week… Our Speaker this week is our own Kirk Driskell. So many of us are amazed by his life’s work and purpose - leading men through recovery and to new life. Kirk will speak about his organization, Vision Warriors, as well as his new role as Rotary (District 6900) District Governor Elect Designate. As always, I know we will all leave inspired by Kirk’s drive, passion and vision. We will learn more about John Hipes as he delivers our Vocational Minute! Joe Wargo and his Mayor’s Corporate Challenge team will give us an update and a tour of the new website – courtesy of Olga Narvaez Opportunities to Serve - ALL HANDS!
Rotary Leadership Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)
The Spotlight this week is on Rob Johns. Rob agreed to take-on two tasks this year – the design, development and completion of our Rotary Directory and scheduling our Vocational Minute. As if the Directory design and development part wasn’t enough, consider that he had to wrangle all of us Rotarians into providing information, proofing the information as printed, and then corralling us (with the help of photographer, Clark Savage), into getting a (free) professional headshot. In addition to the Directory, Rob has recruited and scheduled each of our Vocational Minute presenters; and like the Directory, I hope his efforts have helped us to get to know each other better. When you see Rob, please take a moment to thank him for all his hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Rob! Enjoy your week! See you all Friday!! Scott Doll President |
President's Message - May 2, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! What a week for the Rotary Club of Alpharetta! I wish all could have experienced our District Conference, but the 19 Rotarians and several guests who did, will hopefully share the many highlights. I was so proud of our Club’s level of leadership in helping to support the various activities and events. First of all, AG Karen Nolan stepped forward as an active Conference Committee member. This required many hours of her time – and Karen knew just where to go to find capable help: Paul Ray organized a meal packing service project on Saturday morning engaging 150 Rotarians in making 30,000 meals in just 2-hours; Mary Ulich and Deborah Swofford organized beach games for attendees on Saturday afternoon; Mike Lowry and a team of Alpharetta Rotary volunteers handled the entire on-site registration process; Jason Binder led a break-out session on International Projects, and Kirk Driskell – well he was officially installed as the new District Governor Nominee for 2018-2019 (District Governor 2020-2021). We left quite an impression on a successful conference. Most of all, it was just fun to fellowship with our Club members and so many friends from throughout the District.
District Accolades! And the Winner is….. As you know, Alpharetta Rotary was nominated for a Service Oscar award in (large club-size) Category 4 based on our MedReturn drug boxes which we installed at each of the Alpharetta firehouses and at Public Safety HQ. And while it was an honor to have been nominated, it was even sweeter to WIN the award!! I will bring the “Oscar” to our Friday meeting for all to see, and will tell you more about it. Way to go, Alpharetta!
This Week… Our Speaker this week is Adam Shwegman who will speak to “The Psychology of Retail.” Perhaps he can explain why we buy some of the things we do?? We will learn more about Matt Williams as he delivers our Vocational Minute!
Rose Burton of HomeStretch will be on-hand for a check presentation.
Opportunities to Serve
Rotary Leadership Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)
The Spotlight this week is on Mary Ulich. What can we say about Mary? She is behind the scenes in so many ways that help to make this Rotary Club all that we know and value it to be. Most recently, Mary organized District Conference for us all with pre-conference details, an itemized agenda for each day, and the set-up and provisioning of our Hospitality Suite. She assists with many of our fellowship events, our GRSP student (Emily May) to and from Conference, Laws of Life, and offers her time and valuable advice and counsel on so much more. When you see Mary, please take a moment to thank her for all her hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Mary!
Enjoy your week! See you all Friday!!
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President's Message - April 25, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
The week of District Conference is finally upon us. Whether you are attending or not, we can all take pride in what we have accomplished thus far as a Club, and District Conference is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the cumulative impact of our entire District as well. Alpharetta Rotary has been nominated for a Service Oscar award based on our MedReturn drug boxes which we installed at each of the Alpharetta firehouses and at Public Safety HQ. It is an honor to have been nominated, and it would be an honor to win as well. Regardless, we can feel proud of this and the many other projects we have accomplished this year. This Week… Our Speaker this week is Andrew Kitema. Andrew, a native of Tanzania, is a professional adventure guide who has lead trekkers across the African savannah and up the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro for the past 23 years. With over 300 trips to the “Roof of Africa” over the past 18 years with Thompson Tours, he has been a sought-after guide. In 2017 Andrew launched KilimanjaroDirect, a touring and guide company that utilizes the many porters and assistants that he has worked with over the years. KilliDirect is a program that is built to benefit the native porters and guides who are often treated unfairly by the large tour operators. The company is designed to give back and benefit the many Tanzanians who work directly with travelers to the country. Andrew is married with three children and lives in Dar es Saalam. Opportunities to Serve • Lionheart Gardens workday – May 5th (details to follow) • Completion of work on the Gillard Grill pavilion and picnic shelter. Mickey Rogers is working on the details. • Fresh Market – questions? Contact Lee Doernberg 678-773-1039 Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities • Contact Steve Corder (stevecorder1@gmail.com 770-855-5225) for more information. Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) • Rotary Leadership Institute will be held in Griffin, GA on June 16th at Southern Crescent Technical College. Parts 1, 2, 3 and a graduate course on Membership will be offered. There will also be a Discussion Leader Course by invention. Go to www.rlitraining.org to register and more RLI information on courses. The Spotlight this week is on Michelle Miralles. Michelle took over the registration desk duties mid-year this year, and has done an amazing job making sure that ALL is set before the first members arrive. In addition to the Club volunteers at registration, greeters, members selling raffles tickets, tracking attendance and guest registrations, Michelle also recruits those who provide our invocation. We couldn’t even get started without Michelle’s dedication EVERY week. Michelle – thank you for all you do in making our Rotary experience, and that of our guests, warm and inviting from the moment we walk in. When you see Michelle, please take a moment to thank her for all her hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Michelle! While at the beach (I mean District Conference…), Past President Dan Merkel will run the meeting. Enjoy your week! See you all next Friday!! |
President's Message - April 18, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! What a great meeting last week – 3 new Alpharetta Rotarians were inducted, and we received a “bonus” refund check for over $15,000 from what we paid into the Rotary International Convention last June. Given that the heart of our Club, any Rotary Club, is about people and resources, I would say it was a “banner” morning – both to be used in service to our community. If you have not yet, please introduce yourself to Emily Metallo, Michelle Coleman and Michael Gordy as they begin their membership in Rotary.
For those of you who were out enjoying Spring Break – welcome back! Those of us left behind appreciated your absence in the form of light traffic and, by and large, a more manageable week! Thank you for the break!
It’s not too late! You can still register for District Conference! If you’ve not been, it’s a great opportunity to meet fellow Rotarians from across the District, enhance your knowledge and understanding of Rotary, and best of all – spend quality time with members of our Club. So - - - Please sign-up for District Conference, April 26th – 29th at San Destin. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible. http://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index.cfm?EventID=77348682. If you are a new Rotarian since the last District Conference date, the Club will pay your registration fee! See more detail, below!
This Week… Our Speaker this week is Joe Labriola. Joe is the Executive Director of Second Helpings Atlanta, a non-profit food rescue organization whose mission is to reduce hunger and food waste in the metropolitan Atlanta area by rescuing surplus food and delivering it to those in need. Prior to joining Second Helpings Atlanta in May 2015, Joe was the Vice President of Product Marketing at PGi, the Chief Marketing Officer at Enterprise Information Management and spent 30 years at IBM before he retired in November 2010. Our Foundation Chair, Mark Orr, will be presenting a number of Paul Harris Awards we have received in the past few weeks. We look forward to honoring those who have given $1,000 and more, cumulatively, to the Rotary Foundation.
As I have said before, keep in mind that gifts to the Rotary Foundation can be made anytime throughout the year – AND – you can sign-up to give any amount, automatically, on a monthly basis. Becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, and multiples thereof, is easy to accomplish. It takes just $84/month to give $1,000 over the course of a year. Further, as a Paul Harris Society member, I have committed to give at least $1,000 a year – and with the auto-pay, I never miss a beat. Join me in becoming a Paul Harris Society member – the automatic payments make it easy to do!
Vocational Minute We will learn more about the multi-talented, Alpharetta Rotarian, Joe Wargo, as he will give us our Vocational Minute this week. (Shh…Joe’s Mom will be at the meeting, so let’s give him a standing ovation to make her proud…)
Opportunities to Serve
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
District Conference District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)
In the next few Weekly Updates, I want to give a special shout-out to some folks who do much behind the scenes that has a significant impact on the experience we all have as Alpharetta Rotarians. The Spotlight this week is on Lee Doernberg. Every weekday throughout the year Lee makes certain that one of our Alpharetta Rotarians is making the Fresh Market run to North Fulton Community Charities. I cannot imagine the cumulative amount of food we have delivered to those in need, as a result of Lee’s efforts. Lee has served the Club in various important capacities throughout the years, but I cannot thank him enough for taking on the role of Speaker Co-Chair – along with Dan Merkel. This great duo is entirely responsible for the caliber of our speakers; and we have had some great ones this year! When you see Lee, please take a moment to thank him for all his hard work, behind the scenes, in service to Alpharetta Rotary. We appreciate you, Lee!
See you all Friday!! |
President's Message - April 11, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! For those of you who were out enjoying Spring Break – welcome back! Those of us left behind appreciated your absence in the form of light traffic and, by and large, a more manageable week! Thank you for the break!
We have an exciting meeting lined-up this Friday, so please do your best to get into the breakfast line early so that we have ample time for all on our agenda.
Don’t delay in registering for District Conference! If you’ve not been, it’s a great opportunity to meet fellow Rotarians from across the District, enhance your knowledge and understanding of Rotary, and best of all – spend quality time with members of our Club. So - - - Please sign-up for District Conference, April 26th – 29th at San Destin. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible. http://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index.cfm?EventID=77348682. If you are a new Rotarian since the last District Conference date, the Club will pay your registration fee! See more detail, below!
This Week…
New Member Inductions We have a full meeting this week, including the induction of three new members: Emily Metallo, Michelle Coleman, and Michael Gordy. Please give them a warm welcome as they join us in service as new Alpharetta Rotarians!
Past District Governor, Bob Hagan, will be on hand to present a check to our Club. This check represents a “refund” on dollars we, like others in our District, had paid into a fund reserved for the Rotary International Convention. This is a nice “bonus” for us – both the dollars, and a visit from PDG Bob.
Our Speaker this week is Senator, Brandon Beach. Brandon was elected to the Senate in 2013 and represents District 21, which includes portions of Cherokee and Fulton counties. Senator Beach serves as the Chairman of the Transportation Committee and is a member of the Economic Development & Tourism, Higher Education, Science and Technology and MARTOC committees. As the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce he has played an integral role in helping North Fulton grow and prosper in his 25-plus years in Atlanta. During his tenure with the Chamber of Commerce, membership of top level executives and chief executive officers (Chairman’s Circle) increased by 60 percent, and commerce retention developed from 67 to 82 percent annually. Senator Beach also served as the Chairman of the Public Private Partnership Committee (P3 Committee) on the Georgia Department of Transportation Board. Under his leadership the P3 Committee was able to acquire key local transportation projects approved for Cherokee and North Fulton. Before being elected to the Senate, Beach was elected to the board of the Georgia Department of Transportation by state legislators from the 6th Congressional District in 2008. In 2001 Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Senator Beach to the board of Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA). In 2005, he was selected to chair one of GRTA’s most important committees--The Land Development Committee (formerly the Development of Regional Impact Committee). In this role, Senator Beach was responsible for leading a review of every significant development brought before the 16-county area that GRTA serves. Closer to home, Senator Beach is the President & CEO and one of the founders of the North Fulton Community Improvement District (CID). The group focuses on moving infrastructure projects forward. Under his leadership, the North Fulton CID has invested more than $18 million to help bring more than $91 million in new infrastructure for the CID District. Senator Beach is a member of numerous community boards including the Regional Business Coalition, Encore Park for the Arts and the Historic Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau. Senator Beach received an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University and a Masters in Business Administration degree from Centenary College. He is also a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute and a former member of the Alpharetta City Council and the Alpharetta Planning and Zoning Commission. He and his wife, Shuntel, have two children and have lived in Alpharetta for the past 25 years.
Vocational Minute We will learn more about veteran Alpharetta Rotarian, Rory Young, as he will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities to Serve
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)
In the next few Weekly Updates, I want to give a special shout-out to some folks who do much behind the scenes that has a significant impact on the experience we all have as Alpharetta Rotarians. The Spotlight this week is on Mike Lowry. Every week Mike posts this weekly update on our Club Runner website, has been our traditional “go-to” for technical issues, and has (once again) taken-on registration duties on behalf of our District at District Conference. He has also spent considerable time with DG Alec in regard to the District 6900 website functionality. When you see Mike, please take a moment to thank him for his consistent club service on our behalf. We appreciate you, Mike!
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President's Message - April 4, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
As I type this I had yet another realization as to how quickly time flies with the coming and going of Easter, and a week when at least half the population of Alpharetta migrates away for Spring Break. As a part of the half still here, I will enjoy a little less chaos with everyone gone, and a welcomed opportunity to catch-up – even just a bit. For those of you travelling, I hope you have a wonderful, much needed, vacation!
Speaking of how time flies – don’t delay in registering for District Conference! If you’ve not been, it’s a great opportunity to meet fellow Rotarians from across the District, enhance your knowledge and understanding of Rotary, and best of all – spend quality time with members of our Club. So - - - Please sign-up for District Conference, April 26th – 29th at San Destin. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible. http://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index.cfm?EventID=77348682. If you are a new Rotarian since the last District Conference date, the Club will pay your registration fee! See more detail, below!
This Week… Our Foundation Chair, Mark Orr, will be presenting a number of Paul Harris Awards we have received in the past few weeks. We look forward to honoring those who have given $1,000 and more, cumulatively, to the Rotary Foundation.
Please keep in mind that gifts to the Rotary Foundation can be made anytime throughout the year – AND – you can sign-up to give any amount, automatically, on a monthly basis. Becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, and multiples thereof, is easy to accomplish. It takes just $84/month to give $1,000 over the course of a year. Further, as a Paul Harris Society member, I have committed to give at least $1,000 a year – and I never miss a beat. Join me in becoming a Paul Harris Society member – the automatic payments make it easy to do! Mark Orr will give further details, and answer any questions, at Friday’s meeting.
Our Speaker this week is Marvin O. (Dell) Spry (bio is too interesting to summarize!) Marvin O. (Dell) Spry currently works for Dorrean, LLC as an adjunct instructor with the Federal Bureau of Investigation teaching national security matters to new agents and analysts in training at the FBI Academy. He formerly served as a senior management consultant with Dorrean, where he taught an advanced course of instruction to FBI personnel concerning human intelligence (HUMINT) collection, intelligence tradecraft, and counterintelligence matters. Prior to Dorrean, Spry served with the Department of the Army as the Intelligence Community Outreach Coordinator for the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization after retiring from a distinguished twenty year career at the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a counterintelligence supervisor. At the FBI Spry primarily worked on counterintelligence, counterespionage, and counterterrorism investigations. His tenure included 12 years of management experience at both headquarter and field office levels. While assigned to the FBI headquarters Spry was a member of the National Security Council Counterterrorism Working Group, and was liaison to the CIA Counterintelligence Center, Counterespionage Group. He was the lead investigator for the FBI in the Aldrich Ames investigation for which he received the FBI Director’s Award for Excellence in a Counterintelligence Investigation and the CIA Director’s Meritorious Service Award. During his FBI career Spry conducted investigations in the countries of the Republic of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom whose governments presented him with Letters of Recognition. He was also involved in investigations in Russia, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, and Cuba, where he established liaison with both the intelligence services and law enforcement services. He also performed humanitarian relief work in Ethiopia, Cambodia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Sri Lanka. Spry lives in Alpharetta, GA with his wife Susan. They have two children, Rachel and Steven, and two grandchildren Cynthia and Peyton
Vocational Minute We will learn more about veteran Alpharetta Rotarian, Lauri Young, as she will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities to Serve
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
District Conference District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
In the next few Weekly Updates, I want to give a special shout-out to some folks work to serve the Club behind the scenes and have significant impact on the experience we all have as Alpharetta Rotarians. The Spotlight this week is on Kerry Singley. Every meeting he attends (and he doesn’t miss many…), Kerry arrives by or before 6:45am to get the entire room set-up. This includes all the many banners, table items and other things he drags out of our Rotary closet. When Kerry is out, Brian King will often step-up to the task. So – should you ever walk into a Friday meeting and things look out of place – I guaranty we are missing Kerry! When you see Kerry, please take a moment to thank him for his consistent club service on our behalf.
See you non-Spring Breakers on Friday!
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President's Message - March 28, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
It was another milestone week for Alpharetta Rotary with a proclamation from the City of Alpharetta last Monday night at City Council, recognizing the Club for 35 years of service and impact in our community. The Proclamation was presented by Mayor Pro-Tem, Donald Mitchell, to Lawrence Mulkey, our active founding Rotarian. Many Rotarians were present for this important occasion. What a heritage of service we have – and much like our City, momentum for the future. Another proud day to be a Rotarian… an Alpharetta Rotarian!
The time is now - - - Please sign-up for District Conference, April 26th – 29th at San Destin. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible. http://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index.cfm?EventID=77348682. If you are a new Rotarian since the last District Conference date, the Club will pay your registration fee! See more detail, below!
This Week… Our Speaker this week is TJ Callaway, founder and CEO of Atlanta based ONWARD RESERVE which he established in Athens, GA in 2012. Onward Reserve is a lifestyle apparel brand that publishes a traditional catalog as well as a robust e-commerce platform in addition to a network of 9 stores. ONWARD RESERVE is quickly gaining ground as one of the most meaningful up and coming lifestyle brands in the country. ONWARD RESERVE has received the Pacesetter Award for the last 4 years for being one of the 100 fastest growing privately owned businesses in Atlanta. TJ was a finalist in the Atlanta Business Cronicle’s “Small Business Person of the Year Award in the Emerging Entrepreneur category in 2016. TJ is active with the University of Georgia. He is a former Leonard Leadership Scholar, a former Chairman of the Terry College of Business Young Alumni Board and is acting President of the Young Alumni Council. He has been featured in Georgia Magazine and was named to the 2013 class of 40 under 40; an award given by the University of Georgia to the 40 most influential alums of the University under 40 years old in business, politics and community service. He is the 2018 recipient of the Young Alumni Award given by the President’s office. Vocational Minute We will learn more about, Past President Karen Nolan, as she will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities to Serve
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
District Conference District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
It seems just a few weeks ago we were saying “Happy New Year,” - and then the pollen that is Spring is all around us. The weeks and months are moving quickly, despite all that goes along with our professional, civic and family lives. With Easter and Passover upon us, hopefully you will allow life to slow down just a little. I’m thankful for my Rotary family, the support, friendship and fellowship that makes all aspects of my life more enjoyable. |
President's Message - March 21, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
Those Rotarians, including District Governor, Alec, who were able to volunteer and be present for the King’s Ridge Interact – Moonlight Sonata (Sr. Prom) event, were treated to an extraordinary example of the impact our Interact Clubs can make! Special recognition should go to Cambri Driskell, who provided outstanding leadership to her Interact Club in making the event so highly successful. The event hosted 130 seniors from Senior Living Centers from across the area. Interact members danced with the seniors, to “era” music from a 17-piece band. Dinner and dessert were served, and seniors could have their pictures taken as a take-home memory. As an annual event, I can easily imagine several hundred seniors in attendance, and this “model” program replicated by other Interact Clubs throughout the Rotary organization. Way to go Cambri and King’s Ridge Interact!
TODAY!! Rotary Membership Social Come join us for a "Happy Hour" at Hotel Avalon Bar on March 21, 5:30. This is a chance to socialize with current members and a host of new members that have their applications in with the club. This is also a perfect opportunity for you to invite someone that you think would make a great Alpharetta Rotarian! I hope to see you all (today) on Wednesday, March 21 at Hotel Avalon! Many thanks to Charlcie Forehand and Heather Demis for putting this fellowship/membership opportunity together!
The time is now - - - Please sign-up for District Conference, April 26th – 29th at San Destin. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible. http://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index.cfm?EventID=77348682. If you are a new Rotarian since the last District Conference date, the Club will pay your registration fee! See more detail, below!
This Week… This Friday, the Rotary Club of Alpharetta celebrates its 35th Anniversary of service to our local and global community! Our Club, sponsored by Roswell Rotary, was chartered on May 23rd, 1983. This is further evidenced by Lawrence Mulkey’s 35th year of membership in our Club as of this Friday. He was here when it all began! We stand on the shoulders of all those, like Lawrence, who have brought us this far – and have a responsibility to steward and advance the work of our Club to the benefit of future generations of Alpharetta Rotarians.
Our Speaker this week is Tori Owens, Director of Counseling and Victim Advocacy overseeing shelter operations and NOA’s (No One Alone) new Opportunity Centers located in Dahlonega and Dawsonville. Tori has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Systems Analysis from Miami University (Oxford, OH), a Master of Divinity in Church History and Theology from the Nazarene Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from Argosy University in Atlanta. For the past fourteen years in her work with NOA, a domestic violence shelter serving Lumpkin and Dawson counties, Tori has served in various roles: children’s and shelter advocate, shelter manager, and counselor. She is a licensed associate professional counselor with the state of GA, as well as, a National Certified Counselor (NCC), working as a mediator and trained parent coordinator assisting parents as they navigate divorce and custody transitions. Lastly, Tori is a forensic interviewer with the South Enotah Child Advocacy Center serving children of trauma and abuse in Lumpkin and White counties.
Vocational Minute We will learn more about, Richard Owens, as he will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities to Serve
Educational Opportunities – Advance your Rotary Experience and Impact
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
District Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
Now and then we get a glimpse of the future that gives us hope of a better world for our children and grandchildren. This weekend at the King’s Ridge Interact event, I saw just that. For high school students to reach-up and show such care and compassion for our Senior’s generation (their grandparents and great-grandparents), is enlightening to say the least. We should take notice of the great resource our community – locally and globally – truly has in our youth. Let’s continue to support, mentor and foster their good works!
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President's Message - March 14, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
I want to say a special thank you to Mary Ulich for hosting the District Governor Reception at her home last Thursday, and for Charlcie Forehand for arranging details. I think DG Alec and his wife, Donna enjoyed the opportunity for fellowship – as did we! Similarly, I hope all of you enjoyed Alec’s presentation and the action-packed meeting on Friday. Alec gave us thoughtful reason to be proud to be a Rotarian and a part of this remarkable, global, organization.
Kudos to all those who were able to stay, or come back, to give a pint of blood to the Red Cross on Friday. I understand that they were busy into the lunch hour. Thanks to Mickey Rogers for organizing this opportunity. We also had several Rotarians help leader, Chris Weeber, with the Adopt-a-Mile on Saturday morning. Hopefully there weren’t too many complaints switching breakfast from Burger King to Chick-Fil-A? Hopefully we had a few Rotarians lend a hand at the Alpharetta Arbor Day event as well.
The time is now - - - Please sign-up for District Conference, April 26th – 29th at San Destin. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible. http://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index.cfm?EventID=77348682. If you are a new Rotarian since the last District Conference date, the Club will pay your registration fee! See more detail, below!
Randy Schiltz will give us an overview/report of his mission trip experience working in a village located on La Gonave, an island off of Haiti, which our Rotary club supported through Alpharetta Presbyterian Church.
Our Speaker this week is our fellow Rotarian, Alpharetta Public Safety Director, Chief John Robison. This is John’s second stint with Alpharetta Public Safety, where he started his career in the field in 2005. Climbing through the ranks, he was offered the opportunity in Powder Springs in 2014 as Deputy Chief, and then Chief of Police until his arrival back in Alpharetta as Public Safety Director in January, 2017. Following his graduation from Georgia State (Criminal Justice) he obtained an MS in Divinity from New Orleans Seminary (1998). Since, John has continued his education with an MS in Public Administration from Columbus State (2014), and is currently working toward his Doctorate in Public Administration (2020). John admits he married way out of his league with Lori, and with the marriage of his daughter last December, all the kids have left the nest. John is an avid reader and a sports fan (he says Go Dawgs…or something like that), and he and Lori look forward to more travel together. I know we will all enjoy getting to know John better and why he says he has the “best job in the world” as our Alpharetta Public Safety Director.
Check Presentation We look forward to awarding one of our favorite local non-profits a check to enable them to continue their impactful work! Your Alpharetta Rotary time and treasure creating impact in our community…
Vocational Minute We will learn more about, Chris Cammack, as he will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities to Serve
Educational Opportunities – Advance your Rotary Experience and Impact
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) – LAST CHANCE (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
District Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
As DG Alec addressed our Club last Friday, speaking to how Rotary has impacted his life, I had to reflect on what Rotary, and specifically you as Alpharetta Rotarians have impacted my own. My experience with all of you has enriched my life beyond any way I could measure, and I could not imagine all that would be missing if James Benson hadn’t insisted that I join. I/we are blessed to have the friendships, community involvement and meaningful impact – local and global - that only Rotary can provide. Do someone a favor and ask them to join the greatest civic organization in the world. They will be forever grateful that you did.
I look forward to seeing you all on Friday!
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President's Message - March 7, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
With an official visit this Friday from District Governor, Alec Smythe, this is a particularly special week for our Club. Mary Ulich has graciously offered her home for a reception this Thursday evening (6pm-8pm) in honor of DG Alec and his wife, Donna. Please plan to come by – no official program other than some introductions and great fellowship. Please email Mary to RSVP at marulich@aol.com. Her address is 8540 High Hampton Chase, Alpharetta, GA 30022.
We had a very active week with Rotarians serving as USO ambassadors, cleaning-up our Adopt-a-Mile on Old Milton, and hosting one of our favorite events, Special Pops Tennis. Meanwhile, the Hipes’ are serving in Honduras, and we make our local Fresh Market runs each day. In addition, there is all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes on most every day. Alpharetta Rotarians are in constant motion throughout our community.
Please don’t forget to sign-up for District Conference, April 26th – 29th at San Destin. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible. http://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index.cfm?EventID=77348682. Our numbers will determine the location (prime spot or not so prime spot) of our Hospitality Suite! If you are a new Rotarian since the last District Conference date, the Club will pay your registration fee! See more detail, below!
Our Speaker this week is District Governor, Alec Smythe! Alec grew up in Charleston, S.C. Graduated from Harvard in 1973 with a BA in Economics. Worked in banking for many years before becoming an independent marketing consultant in 2002. Moved to Atlanta in 1992. Alec is married to Donna Smythe, a member of the Roswell Rotary Club. They have three daughters: Laura, Louisa, Langdon.
Red to Blue Warren Soltis will transition from Red to Blue badge this Friday. Congrats, Warren!
Check Presentation We look forward to awarding one of our favorite local non-profits a check to enable them to continue their impactful work! Your Alpharetta Rotary time and treasure creating impact in our community…
Vocational Minute We will learn more about, Meredith Moore, as she will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities to Serve
Educational Opportunities – Advance your Rotary Experience and Impact
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
District Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
Rotarians – Serving with Impact I wanted to share with you a comment made in an email from Jim Hamm, Executive Director of Special Pops Tennis. What a great day with exceptional athletes….
The Rotarians brought an attitude and spirit that made the SPT athletes feel special. Thanks to every one of you for making this experience truly memorable for the athletes, families, and special guests. The Alpharetta Rotary has been a great partner since our first meeting with Jack and others back 5 years ago. Hope to see all of you again before next year; but if not keep up the great community outreach that is so badly needed and greatly appreciated. - Jim Hamm Special Pops Tennis - Executive Director
Will someone please tell Jim that we’ll most assuredly be back next year??
See you Thursday night at the reception for DG Alec, and then for breakfast on Friday! |
President's Message - February 28, 2018Bell will ring at 7:29 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
I hope all enjoyed a particularly exciting meeting last week, featuring Nik Wallenda. I know several Rotarians paid a visit to Big Apple Circus before their last show on February 25th. Perhaps we will see Nik again when he arranges to walk across Tallulah Gorge in tribute to his great-grandfather who crossed it in the summer of 1970. Here’s more information about Nik’s plans for the Gorge walk: http://www.cbs46.com/story/24794855/tightrope-walker-targets-tallulah-gorge
Please don’t forget to sign-up for District Conference, April 26th – 29th at San Destin. We strongly encourage you to register as soon as possible. http://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index.cfm?EventID=77348682 Our numbers will determine the location (prime spot or not so prime spot) of our Hospitality Suite! If you are a new Rotarian since the last District Conference date, the Club will pay your registration fee! See more detail, below!
Our Speaker this week is Edward Ahmed Mitchell, is a civil rights attorney who serves as executive director of the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. As part of America's largest Muslim civil rights organization, CAIR Georgia counters anti-Muslim bigotry, engages in interfaith dialogue, and builds coalitions with other civil rights groups. Edward graduated from Morehouse College and Georgetown University Law Center. He previously served as a criminal prosecutor in Atlanta. He is also an editor of Atlanta Muslim, a member of the Georgia Association of Muslim Lawyers, and a member of the board of trustees of the Islamic Community Center of Atlanta. Edward grew up in Fayetteville, Georgia, with an interfaith family that included Protestants, Catholics, Christian Unitarians, Muslims, and Jehovah's Witnesses.
Vocational Minute We will learn more about, Olga Narvaez, as she will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Member News Olympic Bobsled Results! As you know, Chris Kinney, son of Rotarian, Sandra Kinney, competed with sled #2 for USA Bobsled on February 23rd and 24th. Chris and his teammates finished 19th overall in the competition. Congrats to Chris and his teammates on an outstanding effort and for all the hard work and sacrifice it has taken to compete at this level for the honor of representing our Country! For more information, visit: https://www.teamusa.org/.PyeongChang-2018-Olympic-Winter-Games/Results/Results-by-Day/2-25
Opportunities to Serve
Educational Opportunities – Advance your Rotary Experience and Impact Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
District Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
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President's Message - Feb. 21, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line!
Special Guest Speaker the Week! Now and then you run into a unique opportunity that you just can’t pass-up! Such is the case with our speaker this Friday – Nik Wallenda. He and his family have been performing at the Big Apple Circus during its tour here at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. I have had the pleasure of meeting Nik and other performers. Nick is an American acrobat, aerialist, daredevil, high wire artist, and author. He is known for his high-wire performances without a safety net. He holds nine Guinness World Records for various acrobatic feats, but is best known as the first person to walk a tightrope stretched directly over Niagara Falls. – And then the Grand Canyon! A seventh-generation member of The Flying Wallendas family, Nik Wallenda participated in various circus acts as a child. At age 13, he made his professional tightrope walking debut. He chose high-wire walking as his career in 1998, after joining family members in a seven-person pyramid on the wire. In 2001, Wallenda was part of the world's first eight-person high-wire pyramid. From 2002 to 2005, he performed with his family at various venues, forming his own troupe in 2005. During 2007 and 2008, he performed with Bello Nock in a double version of the Wheel of Steel that he helped invent. In 2009, he set new personal bests for highest and longest tightrope walks, completing a total of 15 walks above 100 feet (30 m) in the air that year. Nik will share his experiences and looks forward to fielding our questions! Learn more about Nik Wallenda and the intricacies of what he does at the following links. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nik_Wallenda
https://www.facebook.com/
Vocational Minute We will learn more about Joel Canada, as he will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Member News Our Newest (and youngest) Rotary Family Member! Special congratulations to Nelson Karpeh and his wife, Muna, on the birth of Yara Gabrielle Karpeh. Mother and child are doing well!
Olympic Bobsled! Chris Kinney, son of Rotarian, Sandra Kinney, will be competing for USA Bobsled on February 23rd and 24th. The Olympic coverage will begin at 8pm on both days. Be sure to watch and cheer-on USA and Chris!
Opportunities to Serve
Educational Opportunities – Advance your Rotary Experience and Impact Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
General Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
New Generations – Rotary Youth leadership Award (RYLA) 2018 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) If you have a son or daughter 15 – 17yrs old (preferably a junior this school year) you will want some information on Rotary’s youth leadership experience, called RYLA. The dates are June 2-6th at Georgia Southwestern State University (Americus). It’s an outstanding experience for our youth. Please contact Deborah Swofford (770-781-4100, dswofford@mhtlegal.com ) for more information. Deadline for application will be end of February.
I look forward to seeing everyone on Friday!
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President's Message - February 14, 2018Bell will ring at 7:27 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! I think it’s no coincidence that Valentine’s Day is also associated with “Rotary Has Heart” month! With plans for a Blood Drive on March 9th, we may be a little late to the party, but I don’t think there is ever a bad time to give a pint of blood for someone in need. Mickey Rogers will give us some more detail soon, but plan to stay after our meeting on 9 March to participate!
Our speaker this week will be Alpharetta Mayor, David belle Isle. Earlier in the week, the Mayor delivered his final “State of the City” address and a reflection of his term of office. David will deliver a similar message to our Rotary Club Friday morning. I hope you will make a special effort to attend our meeting as we say “fare-well” to a fellow Rotarian who has served our City for many years as both our Mayor and as a Councilman.
We will also recognize four of our members transitioning from Red to Blue badges: David Cochran, Meredith Moore, Olga Narvaez and Richard Owen.
We will learn more about Alex Paulk, as he will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Special congratulations to our newest Rotarians, inducted last week: Sergio De La Torre, Jill Bernard, and Fran Schefer. If you have not already, please seek them out and get to know them. They will need our support as they run through the Red Badge program and seek to find their points of impact within Alpharetta Rotary and beyond.
Once again, I am going to keep this detailed information in the body of this update for your reference. PLEASE take action and register for one of the Rotary Leadership Institutes, put the District Assembly on your calendar, AND be sure to register for the District Conference!
Opportunities:
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
General Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
2018 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) If you have a son or daughter 15 – 17yrs old (preferably a junior this school year) you will want some information on Rotary’s youth leadership experience, called RYLA. The dates are June 2-6th at Georgia Southwestern State University (Americus). It’s an outstanding experience for our youth. Please contact Deborah Swofford (770-781-4100, dswofford@mhtlegal.com ) for more information. Deadline for application will be end of February.
I look forward to seeing everyone on Friday!
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President's Message - February 7, 2018Bell will ring at 7:27 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! This past Saturday morning I received a text from Past President and District Governor Nominee Designate, Kirk Driskell, who was attending a session at a District Leadership Conference at Calloway Gardens. During their session, they were trying to close the gap on funding two Rotary International projects. Kirk asked if we could help provide the necessary funding, as much as $1,500, to help put these projects over the top. I walked outside the OK Café where we were having brunch with my youngest daughter and responded “YES” - - - . I was so proud we were able to support Kirk’s request. As a result of Alpharetta Rotary and others present, both projects were fully funded. Our $1,400 will be matched by the District, and then matched, again, by the Rotary International Foundation. Our $1,500 turned into $6,000!
Two things stood out to me in this exchange. First, we are so fortunate to be in a financial position to handle such requests; and secondly, we get things DONE. As it is said “Rotarians are People of Action” – Alpharetta Rotary exemplifies this statement in the best way. Simple – no “red tape” just do the right thing…
Here is a summary of the grants that were funded: Haiti C Arm grant – This grant is championed by our RI President Elect Barry Rassin, total impact of $182,000 to Purchase a “C-Arm” Machine for a Hospital in Haiti serving a city of 1 million people, most of whom depend upon motor scooters for all transportation. The population incurs the highest numbers of life threatening and debilitating accidents in the country and the hospital Doctors lack this special X-Ray machine to assist in the diagnosis and repair of complex fractures and injuries.
The following clubs stepped up: Alpharetta $1000 Dawson $200 Griffin $1000 North Atlanta $100 North Columbus $100 Sandy Springs $200 Stone Mountain $900
The Bangladesh Women’s Health Grant provides Breast Cancer Screening services via an ambulance and mobile Mammogram Machine In remote villages In Bangladesh. A VTT Team will recruit and train local Community Health workers who will continue Breast & Cervical Cancer screening and referrals for treatment among the women. The goal of the project is to reduce the death rates of these women from breast and cervical cancer. At present, rural women are twice as likely to die from these diseases than are women in more populated areas. The GG provides early diagnosis and access to appropriate care where there has been none in the past.
The following clubs stepped to support this grant: Alpharetta $500 Bainbridge $350 Cairo $500 Camilla $350 Decatur $500 Harris Co. $300 N Atlanta $100 N Columbus $200 Peachtree City $500 Stone Mountain $1100
I am going to keep this detailed information in the body of this update for your reference. PLEASE take action and register for one of the Rotary Leadership Institutes, put the District Assembly on your calendar, AND be sure to register for the District Conference!
Our speaker this week is Stanton Girod. Stanton is a founder and president of AR Consultant Group, Inc. an Atlanta-based technology firm that specializes in reducing the complexity and cost for advanced technology in mid-sized businesses. Before starting AR Consultant Group, Stanton worked for several technology companies centered around the data storage and disaster recovery space. Stanton has specialized experience in the Banking and Finance industry and has worked as a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, focusing on security and disaster recovery of financial systems.
We will learn more about Chris Owens, as he will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities:
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
General Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
2018 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) If you have a son or daughter 15 – 17yrs old (preferably a junior this school year) you will want some information on Rotary’s youth leadership experience, called RYLA. The dates are June 2-6th at Georgia Southwestern State University (Americus). It’s an outstanding experience for our youth. Please contact Deborah Swofford (770-781-4100, dswofford@mhtlegal.com ) for more information. Deadline for application will be end of February.
Unfortunately will miss you all as I have a required work commitment downtown this Friday. PE Robin will have the floor…. Enjoy your breakfast!
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President's Message - January 31, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! It seems every time I’m away, another award is handed-out! Congrats to Jason for yet another accolade that reflects the effectiveness and impact of this Club!
I am going to keep this detailed information in the body of this update for your reference. PLEASE take action and register for one of the Rotary Leadership Institutes, put the District Assembly on your calendar, AND be sure to register for the District Conference!
Our speaker this week is Kevin Riley. Kevin, a long-time employee of Cox Enterprises, has been Editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since January, 2011. During his tenure, the AJC has been the recipient of numerous and prestigious awards, as he has worked to rejuvenate Atlanta’s venerable newspaper with an emphasis on investigative, watch-dog journalism.
We will learn more about Suellen Daniels, as she will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities:
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
General Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
2018 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) If you have a son or daughter 15 – 17yrs old (preferably a junior this school year) you will want some information on Rotary’s youth leadership experience, called RYLA. The dates are June 2-6th at Georgia Southwestern State University (Americus). It’s an outstanding experience for our youth. Please contact Deborah Swafford (770-781-4100, dswafford@mhtlegal.com ) for more information. Deadline for application will be end of February.
I look forward to seeing each of you on Friday morning!
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2019 Alpharetta Mayor's Corporate Challenge 5k Run WalkJoin the Mayor of Alpharetta and a lively crowd of runners and walkers on Thursday, August 22nd at City Hall for the annual Mayor’s Challenge 5K Race..jpg) It’s basically a huge block party. A night of food, music and friendly competition. Held in concert with Alpharetta’s renowned Food Truck Alley! The Alpharetta Mayor's Corporate Challenge 5K Race attracts thousands of residents, corporate employees and runners. This year's venue is City Park behind Alpharetta City Hall. The new location is attracting interest from large corporate sponsors who desire a private company picnic experience while enjoying Alpharetta's most exciting night of the year. |
President's Message - Jan. 24, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! What an Atlanta winter we are having. Last week we were contending with snow, ice and children home from school. This past Sunday afternoon I was out cycling in warm weather gear on the Greenway with what seemed like half of Alpharetta! I hope your week is off to a “sunny” start.
As with last week, there is a lot of information in this update! Please read through to the end for general information, dates and registration links. Please click on these links to learn more and to register!
Our speaker this week is Veronica Rockwitz. Veronica was introduced to yoga in 1991 as a college student searching for a means to handle stress in her life. Inspired by Rolf Sovik while studying at the Himalayan Institute in Buffalo, New York, she fell in love with it, which planted the seed for her 25 year yoga journey. She has since studied under notable mentors and began teaching in 2007. Veronica truly believes that yoga is the foundation for a balanced lifestyle which can open one to life’s infinite possibilities. Veronica is also a Registered Dental Hygenist, and is married with two children. Veronica’s experience as a healthcare professional contributes to her understanding of whole body health that she is able to share with her students.
We will learn more about Michelle Miralles, as she will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities:
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
General Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
2018 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) If you have a son or daughter 15 – 17yrs old (preferably a junior this school year) you will want some information on Rotary’s youth leadership experience, called RYLA. The dates are June 2-6th at Georgia Southwestern State University (Americus). It’s an outstanding experience for our youth. Please contact Deborah Swafford (770-781-4100, dswafford@mhtlegal.com )for more information. Deadline for application will be end of February.
We encourage you to attend one of the RLI sessions, join the Club at General Assembly in Columbus and register and plan to attend District Conference. Attending such events will expand your depth of knowledge, friendships and impact as a Rotarian!
I will be out of town this Friday, but you will be in the very capable hands of President-Elect Robin! |
President's Message - Jan. 17, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! Perhaps many of you, like me, are waiting for this new snow to clear – a beautiful nuisance, it is! I hope you are all safe, warm, and trying to stay healthy!
There is a lot of information in this update! Please read through to the end for general information, dates and registration links.
Our speaker this week is Monique Russell of Clear Communication Solutions LLC. Monique is a professional speaker, trainer and coach helping leaders and teams communicate effectively at work. She’s consulted on marketing and communication strategies with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), national associations and corporate organizations. She’s appeared on business radio, has been quoted in national publications and has sponsored local and international initiatives in leadership.
We will learn more about Ted Schwartz, as he will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Opportunities:
Rotary Leadership and Conference Opportunities
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) (Club will reimburse you for the cost of RLI training. Submit receipt to Will Daniel)
General Assembly 24 March at Ironworks in Columbus, GA.
District Conference San Destin! April 26 – 29th Join us at the BEACH!
2018 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) If you have a son or daughter 15 – 17yrs old (preferably a junior this school year) you will want some information on Rotary’s youth leadership experience, called RYLA. The dates are June 2-6th at Georgia Southwestern State University (Americus). It’s an outstanding experience for our youth. Please contact Deborah Swafford (770-781-4100, dswafford@mhtlegal.com )for more information. Deadline for application will be end of February.
Thanks for your patience – I know there is a lot of information here. I encourage you to attend one of the RLI sessions, join the Club at General Assembly and certainly register and plan to attend District Conference. You will be in the company and fellowship of great Rotarians and friends!
Many thanks for what you do to make Alpharetta Rotary such an extraordinary and impactful community organization!
See you all Friday!!
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President's Message - Jan. 11, 2018Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! My apologies for the delayed update this week. I have been out of town – and sick – not the best combination, but on the mend!
We have a VERY IMPORTANT Paul Harris presentation this Friday. Well over 20 Paul Harris level awards will be given out as a result of your responses. Please be present so we can recognize you and celebrate the results of Foundation Month!!
Our speaker this week will be Paul Sinor. Paul is a published novelist and a produced screenwriter. Paul holds a MFA from Antioch University, Los Angeles and taught Screen Writing at the University of West Florida. He has eight feature films produced from screen plays that he wrote. He is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and served as the Army Liaison to the TV and Film Industry and worked on such films as TRANSFORMERS 1&2, I AM LEGEND, GI JOE, THE MESSENGER, TAKING CHANCE and numerous other feature films and television episodes. He has worked with notables such as Tom Hanks, Woody Harrelson, Will Smith, Nicole Kidman, and Daniel Craig. No doubt we will be educated and entertained! Deborah Swafford will give us our Vocational Minute this week – no, really – we will fit her in J.
See Steve Corder (stevecorder1@gmail.com 770-855-5225) regarding these GREAT Rotary opportunities:
There are so many people out sick with the cold and flu right now – stay healthy – use hand sanitizer! You don’t want to experience this or take it home!
See you Friday!! |
President's Message - Jan. 3, 2018HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! I hope that you and yours enjoyed the holiday season and the celebration of the New Year! And while it was nice to have some time with family and friends, I look forward to seeing all of you at breakfast on Friday!
Our speaker this week will be Brad Carver, Partner, Senior Managing Director of HBS Government Affairs. Brad has over 18 years of experience representing clients before the Georgia General Assembly and various state agencies and commissions. Mr. Carver also specializes in economic development and negotiates tax incentives from state and local governments for clients. He also helps international clients looking to locate their operations in Georgia and the rest of the Southeast and focuses particularly on German clients. He currently serves as the Secretary of the German American Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta. Mr. Carver is also a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association. He is also in the Business Litigation; Energy, Regulatory and Utilities; Environmental, Mass Torts and Land Use; International; and Transactional practice groups. Prior to HBS, Mr. Carver worked for Miller & Martin, Alston & Bird, and UPS. Deborah Swafford will give us our Vocational Minute this week.
Stay tuned for upcoming service projects, fellowship events that will brighten the dark and cold of winter, and our District Conference in San Destin (April 26th-29th).
As is customary for Alpharetta Rotary, what an amazing first-half of our year! We accomplished some large projects, and some that might appear to be small – but had LARGE impact. Let’s keep our momentum moving forward right through the winter and into spring! I look forward to seeing you on Friday! |
President's Message - Dec. 13Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! We are in for a REAL treat this Friday with a performance by the Georgia Piedmont Youth Orchestra, brought to us by Lyman Louis. They will provide music through our fellowship time and a bit beyond. Please welcome them warmly and enjoy the festive holiday music these talented young musicians provide.
Our speaker this week will be Stanton Girod, President and Founder of AR Consultant Group. AR Consultant Group is an Atlanta-based technology firm that specializes in reducing the complexity and cost for advanced technology in mid-sized businesses.
Be sure to stay after the meeting to help assemble the fruit baskets for seniors. Katie Rocco will lead us in this effort! We also need 3 to 5 Rotarians to serve as Judges for the Annual APC Holiday Door Decorating Contest. There are several prize categories at stake between church staff and the APC Day School classrooms. Please contact Robin McIntire to participate. – Should be a lot of fun!
Holiday Meeting Schedule As a reminder, we will not have breakfast together on December 22nd or December 29th. Of course that makes it all the more important to make the other meetings, attend the Holiday Party on December 15th with your spouse or guest, and participate in service opportunities.
Paul Harris Recognition Day We will be holding a Paul Harris Recognition Day at our meeting on January 12th. We would LOVE to have you standing up front to receive your award with the many others who have given this year for the first time, or over the years. Also, consider becoming a Paul Harris Society member by pledging (as I have) at least $1,000 a year to the RI Foundation;, or become a Benefactor by contacting Fred Denkman to prepare a Codicil, bequeathing a specific amount of your estate to the RI Foundation. Thanks to all those who participated in the Salvation Army Bell Ringing last Saturday, organized by Steve Gillard. It’s just another way in which Alpharetta Rotary shows it truly cares – and has fun along the way. I can’t think of another group I would rather serve with – - I will be out of town Friday morning, so PE Robin will have the pleasure of running the show. I hope you all enjoy this last breakfast together of 2017! See you Friday night!!
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President's Message - Dec. 6Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! Great to be back! I missed you all last Friday, but understand from PE Robin that all went well – even with the technology! Thank you, Robin! Our speaker this week will be Raymond Berger. Raymond Berger is a certified hypnotherapist. He uses hypnosis to treat a variety of clinical and medical conditions including: weight loss, smoking cessation, stress, anxiety, fears, phobias, ADHD and PTSD. He is also focused on helping some of his clients increase their sales, sports and academic performance by leveraging the power of the subconscious mind. As a reformed corporate warrior, Raymond had been practicing hypnosis on a part time basis. At the beginning of 2017, he decided to take the plunge and make it his full time endeavor. He has multiple undergraduate and graduate degrees and speaks fluent Chinese (Mandarin). Ray is a member of the Lanier-Forsyth Rotary and has a practice in near downtown Cumming. Two very special guests will be paying our Club a visit this Friday: Past District Governor, Raymond Ray and Past District Governor Bob Hagan. They will be on-hand to present a very special award for our Foundation contributions last year. Please be present to honor our PDG’s and our Club’s accomplishments! (This is a BIG deal…..J ) Alex Paulk is scheduled to give us our Vocational Minute.
Holiday Meeting Schedule As a reminder, we will not have breakfast together on December 22nd or December 29th. Of course that makes it all the more important to make the other meetings, attend the Holiday Party on December 15th with your spouse or guest, and participate in service opportunities.
If you have not yet pledged to make a difference with a gift to the RI Foundation this year, I would encourage you to have those discussions at home and consider your next-level Paul Harris or Major Donor status. Our PDG guests, Raymond Ray and Bob Hagan, can attest to the benefits of foundation giving, and I hope the award presentation inspires us all to recommit resources, as we are able, and “Do Good In the World” as only Rotary can.
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President's Message - Nov. 29Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line! Welcome back!! I hope everyone enjoyed the wonderful “pause” that Thanksgiving gives us as an opportunity to spend time reconnecting with family and friends, and to reflect on the many blessings for which we are thankful. Our speaker this week will be Dave Shaffer, CEO of First Step Staffing http://firststepstaffing.com/. First Step Staffing works “to secure sustainable income for individuals transitioning from homelessness. Steady and sustainable income is the only permanent, reliable path out of homelessness - And we help provide that sustainable income by helping local businesses succeed.” What a perfect “next step” to our last meeting where we heard from Barbara Duffy (NFCC), Rose Burton (HomeStretch) and Kathy Swahn (Drake House). Given that we missed last Friday’s post-Thanksgiving meeting, Mark Orr will continue his series on the importance of our gifts to the RI Foundation, so consider investing in your next-level Paul Harris (maybe Major Donor?) status. I have been so impressed by those who of you who have stepped forward in the past few weeks to Do Good in the World through the Foundation. Ralph Aguera is on-deck to give us our Vocational Minute.
Holiday Meeting Schedule As a reminder, we will not have breakfast together on December 22nd or December 29th. Of course that makes it all the more important to make the other meetings, attend the Holiday Party on December 15th with your spouse or guest, and participate in service opportunities. As has become “tradition” at our Thanksgiving table of family and friends, we took some time to reflect on those blessings in our lives, this past year, for which we are most deeply thankful. I can tell you that my “Rotary Family” was included among those blessings in my first sentence. I so appreciate the thoughtful support our Rotary provides to members working through life’s challenges, and celebrating joyful moments. There are many benefits of being a Rotarian, an Alpharetta Rotarian, but I believe there’s no benefit equal to the fellowship, support, and service we share in community with one another. Due to a work commitment, I will miss seeing you this Friday, but you will be in the capable hands of President Elect Robin! Scott Doll President |
President's Message - Nov.15
At a Glance Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line. We are in for a very special treat this Friday! Our program will involve a non-profit panel consisting of Barbara Dufffy of North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC), Kathy Swahn of The Drake House and Rose Burton of HomeStretch. Each will give us an update on their organization and then the three will educate us on the Continuum of Care, and plans for the future. You will not want to miss this presentation by these outstanding non-profit executives in whose organizations we are so heavily invested. November is Foundation Month. Mark Orr will give us good reason to give to the RI Foundation, so consider investing in your next-level Paul Harris (maybe Major Donor?) status. Do Good in the World!
Drake Village - Mickey Rogers has successfully sourced many of the remaining furniture items needed by our Drake Village family. They have been delayed in making the final move with all of their household items, and may need some assistance. Mickey will send out an email as help is needed.
Holiday Meeting Schedule Is it REALLY that time of year? As a reminder, we will not have breakfast together on November 24th, December 22nd or December 29th. Of course that makes it all the more important to make the other meetings, service opportunities and our holiday party.
President Nominee Process As mentioned at our last meeting, please be sure to get your nomination for Rotary President of the 2020-2021 year to Kirk Driskell as soon as possible.
I look forward to seeing you Friday! |
President's Message - Nov. 8At a Glance Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line. Our speaker this week will be former Club member, Roxane Dimon. Roxane will educate us on reverse mortgages: how they work, the benefits and pitfalls. Ethan Underwood will give our Vocational Minute. November is Foundation Month. Mark Orr will speak to us about our 2017-2018 Foundation goal and the impact our contributions have both here and across the globe!
Once again it’s been a very busy Rotary week of service and fellowship. Many thanks to Dwayne Kasper and Ralph Agulera for delivering a dozen or more large bags of coats to the NFCC Warm Coat Drive drop-off site. Through the collaborative efforts of Alpharetta Rotary and Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, over 400 coats will be available to those in our community in need. Thanks to John Norton, Charlcie Forehand and Mary Ulich for leading our GRSP Weekend and Saturday evening Family of Rotary Dinner and fire pit social (Paul Ray builds a good fire…). We owe gratitude to several of our Alpharetta Rotary families who hosted multiple students in their homes Friday and Saturday night, and to APC for allowing us to hold such events at the church. Rotarians also provided an outstanding potluck meal for all who attended. That might have been the best dinner in Alpharetta that evening. I understand that our Drake Village family has now moved into their new home. What a transformation at the hands of Mickey Rogers and all of our volunteer Rotarians for making this possible. As always, thanks to those who do the Fresh Market Run every weekday afternoon. Imagine the cumulative impact of this longstanding program.
Having dinner with the GRSP students and spending time by the fire pit on Saturday night, you begin to understand the importance of this program. These young leaders are developing deep relationships with students from across the globe, an appreciation for our country and culture, and a broader perspective of the world and times in which we live. And – if you are lucky enough to spend time with them, they impart the same to you. I’m proud to be a part of such a dedicated group of Rotarians and servant leaders who truly invest themselves in making our world – THE world a better place for all.
See you Friday… |
President's Message - Nov. 1Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line. Our speaker this week will be Hunt Anderson, Cardiologist at WellStar. Dr. Adams will give us an overview of heart health and treatment. It’s a good thing that he speaks after most of us have already eaten! Hopefully his presentation will strengthen our resolve to make heart healthy choices in exercise, diet and regular check-ups. Nelson Karpeh will give our Vocational Minute, and we will induct three new members into our Club!. Two things to bring: 1) Cans or $$ for the NFCC Food Drive (goal of 2,500 cans); and 2) one final chance to bring your warm coats, scarves, hats and gloves for those who need them!
Our Drake Village apartment is complete!! Thanks to all those who showed-up for the completion of the floor system, we are ready for our family to move into their new home! Take a moment to consider the impact…. If not for Alpharetta Rotary and our collective efforts, this family would not be safe and secure where they are today. I am so proud of this Club and its willingness to step forward, without hesitation, and serve.
According to our fellow Rotarian, Chief Robison, the National Drug Take-back program last Saturday was a great success! This was only made possible by Alpharetta Rotary’s purchase of MedReturn boxes, and coordination with Alpharetta Public Safety to locate them at every Firehouse and Alpharetta Public Safety HQ. A great example of how we can make a difference working together in our community.
If your schedule allows, please join me in the JOY of delivering the warm coats we have collected, along with Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, to North Fulton Community Charities. I plan to bring the YMCA truck with me to transport – YES we have that many! If you have yet to clean your closets, please do so – this will be your last opportunity to be sure your extra coats keep someone warm this winter…
GRSP Weekend is upon us! Please connect with John Norton 770-851-6149 if you wish to host a student/s and Charlcie Forehand 678-613-4422 in regard to Saturday night dinner at APC - and offer your help. We expect at least 35 students and as many Rotarians for dinner (5pm) and a bonfire to follow at APC on Saturday night. Bring the family with you as well!
You are part of one amazing Rotary Club…
See you Friday…
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President's Message - October 25At a Glance Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line. Our speaker this week will be Past District Governor (2014-2015), Alicia Michaels. In July of 2016, Alicia left the proprietorship of her own successful business and assumed the role of President and CEO with Rotarians for Family Health and AIDS Prevention, Inc. She is now focused on the business of making a difference by creating and maintaining sustainable partnerships through global outreach. Alicia collaborates with teams of volunteers, national government officials, public relations and media experts, international corporate executives and foundations in an effort strengthen the infrastructure of health care delivery across the globe. Alicia is passionate about her work and will be an inspiration to us all – you don’t want to miss! Kirk Driskell will give our Vocational Minute, and we will hear from Livia Oliveira, our Rotary Youth Exchange Student. Two things to bring: 1) Cans or $$ for the NFCC Food Drive (goal of 2,500 cans); and 2) FINAL meeting to bring your warm coats, scarves, hats and gloves for those who need them!
It’s been another busy week for Alpharetta Rotary, whether you worked with Mickey at our Drake Village apartment, served with a Fresh Market run, attended RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute) or joined us at the home of Randy and Casey Schiltz for our 2nd Annual Oyster Roast, there was plenty of service and fellowship. This Thursday plan to attend Rotary After Hours in conjunction with the Alpharetta Business Association (ABA). The fellowship event will be held 5:30-7:00 at Digital Ignition - 190 Bluegrass Valley Parkway. Please let Charlcie know if you plan to attend. See you there!
I don’t know where to begin or how to express my deep appreciation for the love, prayers and support shown to me and my family at the loss of my father last Tuesday the 17th. To experience such a loss, and be surrounded by people who truly care about you, is one of the great blessings in life. Rotary is more than a Club, but an extension of family. We were so appreciative for those who were able to attend the memorial service – that meant so much. Thank you for doing what you do so well for all – I appreciate it now all the more from the perspective of a humbled recipient.
See you Friday… |
President's Message - October 10At a Glance Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line. Our speaker this week will be Alan Faircloth, Director of Enforcement in the Supervision and Regulation Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Senior Counsel in the Legal Department. Erin Doiron will give our Vocational Minute. We ask that you remember to bring two things 1) Please bring prospective members as your guests this month: and 2) Bring your warm coats, scarves, hats and gloves for those who need them!
There are so many upcoming opportunities to serve. I hope you are able to participate alongside your fellow Rotarians for some hands-on, boots on the ground service to others - including tomorrow at Drake Village beginning at 9am for the “demo” portion of the project. Stay for an hour or for 4 – whatever fits your schedule. See Mickey Rogers 770-378-2597 mrogers728@gmail.com
This week is your final opportunity to sign-up for the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) in Sandy Springs on 10/21. A number of you emailed me that you’re registered to attend (great!!), so those who have yet to do so, know you will be in good company. Steve Corder 770-855-5225 can assist with any questions. The Club will pay for registration fees.
WE are hosting GRSP Weekend North Fulton November 3-4. Open your home to a couple of these wonderful students who will be spending the weekend experiencing Atlanta and Alpharetta. See John Norton for more details 770-851-6149 sgsgass@hotmail.com
This past Sunday, while at the John’s Creek Rotary Southern Charms event, I was bragging on our Club (as I often do…) saying this is one organization that does not operate by the 80/20 Rule. In fact we do MUCH better. I don’t know that there are many other Clubs, or organizations of any kind, that can consistently make that statement the way we can. To do all we do, it takes many hands, many leaders, and leaders willing to follow. Thanks to all of you for stepping forward to do what you can. It makes all the difference!
See you Friday…
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Meals By Grace Golf Tournament |
President's Message - October 4At a Glance Bell will ring at 7:26 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line. Our speaker this week will be Olgie Shaw who will discuss the current state of childhood obesity and health. We will also hear about Lizann Gibson's work with the GSU STEM Club and their engagement with Alpharetta Rotary through Brian King. Livia, our Rotary Youth Exchange student will be visiting us along with her host family, as will next year's outbound RYE student prospect Sophia Gomez.
Week in Review Thanks to all who continue to serve with deliveries each day from Fresh Market to NFCC. This is our longest running, continuous program. Kudos to Lee Doernberg for organizing this each week. Imagine the cumulative impact…imagine the families in need each day.
Be sure to sign-up for Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) in Sandy Springs on 10/21. Steve Corder 770-855-5225 can assist with any questions. The Club will pay for registration fees. We have many upcoming opportunities for service and leadership. Be sure to sign-up and participate as you are able. Invite your family and friends to join as well. Rotarians are People of Action…
See you Friday… |
President's message - Sept. 27At a Glance Bell will ring at 7:22 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line. Sandra Kinney is up first for Vocational Minute!
Week in Review I wanted to share the Channel 2 News for a story on the MedReturn boxes (attached) and a link to the outstanding Mayor’s Corporate Challenge video https://vimeo.com/233922566 shot by our own Matt Williams. We can ALL take pride in what these videos represent – we ARE Alpharetta Rotary. Rotarians in Action.
Harvey and Irma Hurricane Disaster Relief – and now Maria Will Daniel has confirmed that our funds: $6,000 to Harvey Disaster Relief and $5,600 to Shelter Box are on their way to those in need. We will look to engage for long-term relief and “boots on the ground” service within the Caribbean through the leadership John Hipes and Kirk Driskell are providing to our District.
Trust Your Crazy Ideas… I had the crazy idea on Sunday night to kayak on the Chattahoochee in the pre-dawn darkness of a Monday morning – i.e. – it was dark as night! I reached-out to fellow Rotarian, David Cochran, by text, and to my surprise he said – “what time do you want to meet?” His support of my crazy idea resulted in an extraordinary experience, seeing the dawn of a new day from the river. Had he told me I was crazy, I might not have done it and neither one of us would have enjoyed seeing the GA 400 overpass from an entirely different perspective. TRUST YOUR CRAZY IDEAS, involve a fellow Rotarian in the process and do something extra-ordinary, even on a small scale.. On an entirely different scale I’m sure the thought to End Polio was a crazy idea, and yet a fellow Rotarian said – “what time do you want to meet?”
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President's Message - Sept. 20At a Glance ROTARY AFTER HOURS – Tonight 5-7pm at Ruth’s Chris. Bring a prospective member with you as a guest and help us to thank our Mayor’s Corporate Challenge sponsors!
Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line
Week in Review I hope everyone enjoyed a well-deserved weekend of rest and better weather! Monday morning fellow Rotarians, City Councilman Dan Merkel, Chief John Robison and I were interviewed by Channel 2 News for a story on the MedReturn boxes which, funded by Alpharetta Rotary, are located at every Alpharetta Fire House and at Police HQ. This collaboration with Alpharetta Public Safety represents a definitive response to issues brought forth in the North Fulton Opioid Crisis Meeting earlier in the year. Another example of Rotary in Action. Unfortunately the piece was not aired due to other news priorities. We hope it will be scheduled soon.
Mickey Rogers toured Drake Village and “claimed” the apartment that Alpharetta Rotary, in partnership with Milton/Windward Rotary, will sponsor. While the apartment is in good shape, Mickey identified approximately $3,200 in work to be done. We will be hosting two Rotary work days on the apartment: 10/07 and 10/14. More detail to follow.
Harvey and Irma Hurricane Disaster Relief – and now Maria Will Daniel happily reported at our Rotary Board meeting Tuesday morning that we had not only met the $2,500 Harvey match, but that members had donated nearly $3,500. Add the Club’s $2,500 match and our Harvey Relief efforts amount to $6,000! A check will be cut this Friday and sent to the special DAF set-up to receive these funds.
The Board suggested we split the Irma Relief efforts into two parts: domestic and Caribbean. Should they wish to contribute, Club members will be given the opportunity to donate to the Irma DAF set-up for domestic relief efforts. As for the Caribbean, Alpharetta Rotary has stepped-forward with the leadership of John Hipes and Kirk Driskell to help facilitate our District’s response. John has been in touch with the Club on Tortolla and with the RI Coordinator for the Caribbean. This effort will be split into 1) immediate/acute needs; and 2) longer-term rebuilding efforts. Stay tuned - More information will be distributed before our Friday meeting.
Interest Groups – Need Your Help… We still need a volunteer to act as Chair of the Organizing Committee. I do not see it as a long-term project, only to “launch” the efforts with “captains” of each group. Please let me know if you are willing to serve as Chair – or as a member of the Committee. Your help will get us going more quickly.
Service Above Self We will have many points of service available through the end of the year. And while none of us is able to do it all, be sure to set aside time on your calendar for those you can, and those for which you have a particular passion. Involve your family and invite your friends - and if so inclined, offer your leadership as well. It takes many willing hands and feet to do the great things we do – so jump right in! |
President's Message - September 13At a Glance Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line
Week in Review In the beautiful weather the preceded Irma’s arrival, Alpharetta Rotary had another great weekend. Saturday morning I “conveniently” ran into our Adopt-a-Mile road crew, led by Chris Weeber, just as they had finished their task. They didn’t seem to buy my excuse of an early morning errand that kept me from participating. Nonetheless, it was great to see Rotary hard at work – including a very enthusiastic Lawrence Wyssbrod, (Mark’s son) who has this Rotary thing all figured out!
We must have seen half our Club at one point or another at Grilling & Gridiron. What a successful event (Mary Ulich…) in support of The Drake House. Thanks to all those who participated, and SPECIAL thanks to, Mickey Rogers, who smoked the best brisket in Alpharetta for all to enjoy – GREAT job, Mickey!
Harvey Disaster Relief Speaking with Will Daniel the other day by phone, we were amazed by the generosity of this Club. In just one morning, and a few days thereafter, we met the matching gift goal of $2,500; meaning the Club will turn your $2,500 into a $5,000 check to be written to a special disaster relief fund set-up by the affected Districts. More to follow soon on how we can help those impacted by Irma with Global Grant opportunities anticipated throughout the Caribbean.
Interest Groups As anticipated, we have some great things in common and some others that are truly, uhmm – unique (?). In the next couple of weeks we will put some leadership in place to get things structured and started. If you are interested in serving on the “organizing committee” please let me know. Your help will get us going more quickly.
Teach Your Children Well… As I mentioned above, I had the pleasure of running into young Lawrence Wyssbrod who did his part by walking every inch of our adopted mile, helping to keep Alpharetta a City for all to be proud. When I knelt down and asked him what he did that morning, he replied “I am serving my community by picking-up trash to keep it clean,” and then he continued to expound upon the virtues of the activity as well as any of his Rotarian elders could have. Lawrence gets it. And while parenting certainly plays a part, we cannot understate the impact we have by modeling the tenants of Rotary – for youth and adults, alike. If he wasn’t already, Lawrence became a Rotarian on Saturday. |
President's Message - Sept. 6
At a Glance Bell will ring at 7:25 this week – be ready to join the breakfast line
Where to start… I have yet to find a wise quote that adequately sums-up this past week. Synonymous with the local and global presence of Rotary, so was our experience and response. It was a rough week within our Club with several members in various stages of medical treatment and recovery, and the shock we all felt at the loss of Kathleen Canada – beloved wife of Joel. Kathleen’s memorial service and reception were testaments to the love and joy she brought to so many lives. I couldn’t begin to count the number of Rotarians present, and I suppose the number is irrelevant – but those who were able to attend were there. And Joel - we will continue to be there for you and your family, indefinitely - whatever the need.
Nationally we cannot help but be impacted by the news and images of the devastating losses in Houston and along the Texas coast; and of course, stay tuned for Irma in the coming days. From what I continue to read, the primary need at this point is funding - $$. As announced at our meeting, we will match the first $2,500 in gifts. I will send specific instructions in a separate email to follow.
Member Updates: Steve Gillard came home from the hospital on Saturday and will remain at home with treatment through Monday when he goes for a follow-up. He has some leg and walking issues that need to be addressed but, as he said, “we’re moving forward.” Steve hopes to be back with us on September 15th. Let’s hope his recovery goes well. I’m sure a call, email or note would be appreciated!
Bill Weeks - As I write this I’m on the phone with John Hipes who, along with Karen, is laughing it up at Bill’s bedside. Bill seems to have come through his surgery quite well and is giving the nurses a hard time – as we might expect. He will be at Northside Hospital (Room 270) until (at least) Friday. Certainly give him a call or stop-by to see him. We wish him well in recovery.
Our continued thoughts and prayers for Jan Hines and his wife as they both continue their recovery; and for Gary Mossner at the loss of his mother-in-law, grandmother, and health concerns for two of his brothers. Of course there are always others who struggle with those issues that may not be known to us.
This Week Rotary Closet Clean-out – Wow – is all I can say. Just take a look inside. Thanks to Karen Hipes, Chris Weeber, Clark Savage, Sue Kinker and Paul Ray for staying well after our meeting last Friday to clean house. There were many trips to the dumpster and some items moved to our storage area in the APC Alpha Trailer.
Rotary Interest Groups - As a practice run a group of 6 Rotarians and 4 family members organized an impromptu trip to the Chattahoochee for a kayak adventure. We paddled about three miles upriver and three miles back almost without incident - - - . :) We had a great time and look forward to another trip again, soon. This is a good example of a common interest that we can enjoy together in groups large or small. This week you will find several index cards at each table that will be used to record hobbies or interests that you would like to share with other members. We will collect and categorize them into a list and look for some initial leadership to help bring the groups together. – More on Friday.
The true spirit and character of this Club shines through and is fully revealed when it comes to supporting one another and those who are in need beyond our community. I’m not only proud to be a member of Alpharetta Rotary, but a group that makes me a better person as well. Iron sharpens iron…
See you Friday! |
President's Message - August 30, 2017
It's been quite a week to say the least! As we recover from the largest Mayor's Corporate Challenge in our Club history, we are thankful for the sponsors who have entrusted us with both their annual staff engagement activity (ex. Fiserv 653 entrants) and their sponsorship dollars which will enable us to serve our local community in impactful ways. We will have some preliminary numbers for you on Friday, but be confident that we have exceeded budget expectations. It is now up to us to utilize this funding to the benefit of those who need us most.
Week in Review Following the conclusion of the Mayor's Corporate Challenge on Thursday evening, a number of our Rotarians were fine tuning their ice cream recipes for Mary"s Ice Cream Crankin' on Sunday afternoon. Huge kudos to those who served and those who made ice cream. And while "Fancy Vanilla" and 'Cookie Dough" all sold out, it was Karen Nolan's "Cookie Monster" (blue) ice cream that stole the show, and Mickey Rogers' non-dairly pineapple that was sought-after by many others. We had a great time at a wonderful community event in Roswell for the benefit of The Drake House. Special thanks to Dwayne Kasper who stepped-in for Steve Gillard as lead Rotarian. What a pleasure to serve!
On Monday afternoon I chaired a North Fulton Rotary Opioid Taskforce meeting at the Alpharetta City Hall which included Presidents of our North Fulton Rotary Clubs, two members of the Fulton County School Board, FCS staff members, community organizations supporting the issue (like our own Kirk Driskell), and law enforcement, among others. Our purpose was to ascertain how Rotary can be of impact in this multi-faceted issue. We learned a lot, and will utilize the community stakeholder information we received to consider next steps. I am proud of our Rotary Clubs for stepping forward in such a proactive manner. There is much good work to do in prevention, intervention and recovery from the devastating consequences of drug addiction. More to come...
As always, we appreciate those who make the daily Fresh Market runs in support of the food pantry outreach of North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC). If you have not served before, or if it has been too long since you last volunteered, please be sure to sign-up as the clipboard crosses your table. I would be happy to serve along with you your first time.
New this Week: We will take a little "breather" from our hectic meeting schedule with a Club Assembly to celebrate, learn and plan. We will have visitors from Roteract, recognize our newest Will Watt Fellow (What?), develop a list of initial Rotary Interest Groups, learn more about Casey Robinson in his Vocational Minute (3...), and celebrate a milestone anniversary of our Alpharetta Rotary Club that you will not want to miss.
Opportunities for Service and Fellowship: Help clean out the Rotary Closet this Friday following our meeting Grilling & Gridiron - 9/09, contact Mickey Rogers at 770-378-2697 Rotary After Hours - Ruth's Chris 9/20 (bring a prospective member) Coat Drive - 10/06-10/20. contact Mickey Rogers Oyster Roast 10/21
At the Rotary International (RI) Convention this summer, RI introduced a new Rotary brand "concept" which defines Rotarians as "People of Action." Nowhere could this be more true-to-form than within our Rotary Club of Alpharetta. My challenge to you is to seek new avenues, inside and outside of Rotary, to engage in our community. Service Above Self is a way of life modeled by Rotarians, that extends beyond the walls of our Club. It's simply what we do.
See you Friday - and save me some bacon this time.... :) Scott |
President's Message - August 23Unless you've been under a Rotary stone, you know this is Mayor's Corporate Challenge week! As busy as we are with race preparation, I will make this update brief.
1) If you have not signed-up to volunteer a shift for the race, please connect with Erin Doiron at erinford23@gmail.com or 404-626-0316. You know the drill - we can use as much of your time as you can give - through the last piece of trash at the end of the night. Goal is to leave City Hall at least as perfect as we find it.
2) Read #1
3) We will meet as scheduled on Friday morning to celebrate another amazing and successful Alpharetta Rotary Mayor's Corporate Challenge event. Our speaker will be Emily May Roberts, GRSP student from Australia - you will not want to miss her presentation and the opportunity to get to know her. She will be working alongside us at the race. A true Alpharetta Rotarian getting the work done in service to others.
4) Upcoming events and opportunities: 08/27/ Mary's Ice Cream Crankin 2-4pm. Contact Steve Gillard 09/02 Adopt-a-Mile 8am at Burger King. Contact Chris Weeber 09/09 Grilling & Gridiron downtown Alpharetta - Contact Mickey Rogers 09/20 Rotary After Hours Ruth's Chris 5:30-7:30pm, contact Charlcie Forehand
We are so blessed to have a Rotary Club made up of members genuinely dedicated to "Service Above Self" - not only to our local and global community, but to one another. Thanks for all you do in support of Rotary's work in the world - it all begins here at home!
Mayor's Corporate Challenge - let's get this done! |
President's Message - Aug. 16, 2017This Week’s Meeting – August 18, 2017 Our speaker this Friday is Yalanda Bell. Yalanda is currently the Executive Director of Career and Technical Education for Fulton County Schools where she manages the curriculum and instruction for over 200 teachers and 60,000 students. Yalanda believes that the key to education is training our students to be college and career ready while giving them the tools need to be productive citizens.
Our meeting agenda will include recognition of Paul Harris Fellows, presentation of our 2017-2018 Board and an introduction of Emily May Roberts, our GRSP student from Australia attending the University of North Georgia. `Heather Terry is on-deck for the Vocational Minute.
New This Week Last Friday evening William and Jan Perkins, John and Karen Hipes, Dennis Mitchell, Cindy Ringwall (Milton/Windward) and I met Emily May Roberts at the airport after her grueling 46-hour journey from Perth, Australia. After a (brief) overnight at the Perkins' home, we gathered again at 6:30am Saturday morning to get Emily May to orientation and moved into her room. I know you will all enjoy meeting her Friday as we did this past weekend. Emily will present at the Club on the 25th.
Many thanks to our Race Committee members who are working everyday on preparations for the largest Mayor's Corporate Challenge in Club history, to those working on upcoming projects and fellowship events, and to all those who have made the Fresh Market runs this week. This Club gets it done.
Reminders Member Directory If you have yet to do so, PLEASE go to Club Runner and update your profile at www.alpharettarotary.org. This is your last opportunity - final deadline is this Friday (18th). A special thanks to Rob Johns for undertaking the effort, Clark Savage for taking the complimentary photos, and to Mike Lowry for technical support.
MCC Volunteers Needed ALL HANDS NEEDED! We are SOLD OUT! The response to the Mayor’s Corporate Challenge (MCC) has been amazing- and it happens in just 8-days! All we need now is your help (and a prayer or two...). Please seek-out the volunteer sheet and sign-up for a shift/duty station. Questions? Contact Erin Doiron at Be sure to give Joe Wargo, Tom Darr, Ted Schwartz, Chris Cammack and the race leadership team your thanks and appreciation for their sacrificial efforts on our behalf. What an awesome team!
Step Right Up....take a $5 chance at your guess of the number of runners who cross the Start Line of the Mayor's Corporate Challenge and you could win half the proceeds raised to benefit our cases. Tickets will be available at the meeting this Friday morning. Don't let this one go to the "back table," too!
FRIDAY - Race Bag Stuffing will take place immediately after our meeting this Friday. We need any time you can spend to make light work of 2,000 race bags. PLEASE plan to stay and help.
Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ to be held on Sunday, August 27th from 2:00-4:00pm. This is another flavorite :) event, and we need volunteers to both crank ice cream and help to serve. Proceeds benefit The Drake House. Steve Gillard will pass the sign-up sheet for your participation.
Other Calendar Dates - details to follow: September 9th - Grilling & Gridiron September 20th - Rotary After Hours at Ruth's Chris - bring a prospective member! October 6th - Coat Drive Kick-off October 21st - Oyster Roast at Schiltz home
We need a small group of members to help clean our Rotary closet in the next two weeks. Please let me know if you would like to help. You never know what we might find!
Please Note: Re: Rotary Guests - Please remember that guests will be asked to pay $15 for their breakfast, or you may decide to treat them. Either way, please communicate with your guest in advance. This will speed things along at check-in and help avoid any awkward situations.
I leave you with two quotes - received immediately following our meeting last Friday: Chris Laggerbloom (former Alpharetta Rotarian) "I still find the energy and warmth in our Rotary to be amazing - you just don't find this anywhere else." Carson Putnam (guest) - I would like to commend your entire group for how welcoming and friendly you all were. It is clearly a very special group." |
President's Message - August 9, 2017This Week’s Meeting – August 11, 2017 Our speaker this Friday is Hunter Church http://www.teamusa.org/usa-bobsled-skeleton-federation/athletes/hunter-church, member of the USA Bobsled Team! A third-generation slider, Hunter Church's great uncles and father paved the way for his sliding career to begin. Originally from Cadyville, N.Y., Church broke onto the international scene as a pilot in the 2015-2016 season when he was just 19 years old, though he began sliding in 2010. He competed in high school track and field and football before transitioning full-time to bobsled, and is attending East Tennessee State University, where he trains during the offseason. Next stop – The Winter Olympics. Can’t wait to hear about Hunter’s Olympic journey!
Our meeting agenda also includes recognition of Paul Harris Fellows, Induction of a new member and the long-awaited (delayed might be a better word..) presentation of our 2017-2018 Board. Of course we will review and celebrate another outstanding Old Soldier’s Day Parade and Picnic and all those who so worked so hard to make it happen. - And we will make an exciting Special Announcement introducing a new initiative to support one of our important community partners.
New This Week We are excited to meet our GRSP student, Emily May Roberts, who will arrive from Australia this Friday at 5pm. Past Presidents William Perkins and Dennis Mitchell and I will meet her at the airport. More are certainly welcome to join! We will move her into University of North Georgia on Saturday morning. Emily May will present to our Club on August 25th.
In addition to a productive board meeting yesterday morning, Rory Young, Heather Demis and I gave new member nominee, David Cochran his orientation over lunch, and Deborah Swaffford and I attended the Roteract meeting at Roswell Tap last evening. Roteract is excited to participate alongside us on service projects and appreciates our support! As always, thanks to all who continue the Fresh Market runs every day! What a gift…
Reminders Member Directory If you have yet to do so, PLEASE go to Club Runner and update your profile at www.alpharettarotary.org. Thus far 52+ of our members have done so. The deadline is this Friday, August 11th. Clark Savage will be doing headshots again this Friday before our meeting. He really does a great job!! Please let Rob Johns or I know if you have any questions. Special thanks to Mike Lowry for his work on this and for keeping our website updated!
The countdown to the largest Mayor’s Corporate Challenge (MCC) in Club history continues – just 15 days! Be sure to mark your calendar for the race date of Thursday, August 24th. Our Race Leadership Team continues to monitor our runner count, work with our sponsors and on all the logistics it takes to create an outstanding event – all to fund the great work we do in our community. We will recognize everyone again on Friday, but be sure to give Joe Wargo, Tom Darr, Ted Schwartz and Chris Cammack an extra pat on the back for extra-ordinary effort on our behalf. What an awesome team!
Steve Gillard will have a sign-up for Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ to be held on Sunday, August 27th from 2:00-4:00pm. This is another favorite event (just smile and say ice cream), and we need volunteers to both crank ice cream and help to serve. Proceeds benefit The Drake House.
Two Closets to Clean Mickey Rogers will have some information for us on the annual Coat Drive for North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC). So – go ahead and clean-out your closets. I’m certain we all have a coat or two (or more) that could keep someone warm this winter.
We need a small group of members to help with a belated “spring cleaning” of our Rotary closet in the next two weeks. Please let me know if you would like to help. You never know what we might find!
I don’t know about you, but I was so proud of our Club on Saturday, and our involvement in the Old Soldier’s Day Parade. I left the picnic feeling truly blessed to be a part of such a great group of people. Thank you for the privilege.
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President's Message - August 3This Week’s Meeting Our speaker this Friday is Mike Kenn, former left tackle for the Atlanta Falcons who played for our Atlanta franchise for 17 seasons 1978-1994. He is notable for having started all 251 NFL games in which he played. He holds the Falcons' franchise record for games started and games played. He was selected as a first-team All-NFL player in 1980, 1983 and 1991 and was invited to play in the Pro Bowl five consecutive years from 1980 to 1984. Mike went on to serve as a leader in our community, and ultimately as Chairman of the Fulton County Commission. No doubt, Ken will educate and entertain! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Kenn
Our meeting agenda also includes Lyman Louis' introduction of our Rotary Youth Exchange student, Livia Olivera, another Red to Blue graduation, the introduction of our 2017-2018 Board, and a variety of important Club and Club member updates; not the least of which includes the birth announcement of Dakota Grace Rigsby! We are all excited for Natasha and Wayne!
One BIG question will be answered this week – “will Mickey Rogers and crew have the new grill and pavilion improvements ready in time for Saturday’s Old Soldier’s Day event?” Will Steve Gillard be cooking for us on his new grill?? Be sure to attend Friday’s meeting to find out… (no pressure, Mickey).
New This Week After last Friday’s meeting, a group of Rotarians had the pleasure of delivering 43 fully loaded high school backpacks to NFCC. This Club’s good work and philanthropy will ensure these students will be prepared to succeed at school from Day One. What a pleasure it is to serve in this way. Rotarians served lunch and engaged in activities at the YMCA Summer Lunch site at Aspen Pointe, spent hours on the Rotary Pavilion improvement project (but did they finish?), will provide our troops travelling through the Atlanta airport with food and a warm welcome through the USO program, make the daily Fresh Market run, and will be busy decorating the Old Soldier’s Day float Thursday evening at the church. All that and plenty of others working hard behind the scenes to keep the Club moving forward at pace.
Reminders All hands are requested to be present this Saturday at the Old Soldier’s Day Parade and after-parade picnic. Once again, Joel Canada has organized this event for us as only Joel can do. Let’s recognize his efforts with our participation and thanks. In case you missed it, we will cover the details again Friday morning. This is the perfect event to bring your family along to meet members of the Club and their families – all honoring those who have served.
We are now in the month of August and the countdown to the Mayor’s Corporate Challenge (MCC) has begun – 21 days! Be sure to mark your calendar for the race date of Thursday, August 24th. NO DOUBT, this will be the largest MCC in our history as Chris Cammack tells us we should expect 1,500 runners to sell-out the event. Joe Wargo and Tom Darr will give us an update on what to expect. The hard work of the entire race leadership committee continues to set us up for great success!
Steve Gillard will have a sign-up for Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ to be held on Sunday, August 27th from 2:00-4:00pm. This is another favorite event (just smile and say ice cream), and we need volunteers to both crank ice cream and help to serve. Proceeds benefit The Drake House.
As I have shared with some of you, this week I have been particularly struck by the remarkable way in which our Club members step up and just get the job done. Everyone pitches-in, no questions asked, and of their own accord they exceed expectations. It’s an honor to work with such a talented group that carries so much enthusiasm to every task – credit due, but never expected. For Alpharetta Rotary, “Service Above Self” isn’t just a tag-line, it’s just how we roll… |
President's Message - July 26, 2017
This Week Our speaker this Friday is Kathi Cook, Community Development Director for the City of Alpharetta. It is an exciting time for our City, and Kathi will give us an informative overview of what's in process and what's the works. You will not want to miss it! We will also be inducting new member, Heather Terry |
