Salinas Rotary Club
Newsletter
V o l u m e
STUDENT
OF THE MONTH
Congratulations!!
MT. Toro
Sugey Melchor Perez
3 • A p r i l
2 0 1 5
PRESIDENT MESSAGE
News from President Teri
Can you believe it’s April already? It’s been a great year so far. The
Tuesday meetings have been entertaining, educational and
engaging. We’ve got a new tradition with our monthly Thursday Wine
Down. We had our BEST EVER Pigs, Pinot & More. We’ve got a
brand new website. We’ve got a newsletter so we can tell you all about
these cool happenings. We’re actively developing a proposal for a
Downtown Salinas capital project, for which the club has committed
$100,000. AND we’ve continued all of the terrific service programs that
have been the mainstay of our club: SHS Student of the Month, Mt Toro Student of the
Month, Mt Toro BBQ’s, SHS 5th Quarters, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, Sun Street Center Dress for Success, Dorothy’s Place Immunization Day and more.
We’re getting close to the end of the 2014-15 club year, so this is a good time to thank
all of you for your participation and commitment to the Salinas Rotary Club . You
showed up, you gave of your time, talent and treasure. Thank you. Thank you. Thank
you!
Salinas High
Mariela Pizarro-Silva
I hope you enjoyed the year and found value in your Rotary membership. Next time
you read this, Vickie Dixon will be Club President. Watch out!
&
Sarah Miller
DISTINGUISHED ROTARIAN AWARDED TO RICHARD COPELAND
Every year, Richard Copeland and his company, Associated Services, take on a lead role
during the setup for our annual Pigs, Pinot & More. This year, he was called upon to solve
some significant unforeseen operations problems.
Thanks to him and his trusty
accomplice, Chris Stark of the Santa Lucia Club, the event proceeded on schedule without
a hitch. We can’t thank Richard enough for the hours he spent on the event, and because
of his very generous contribution of time and talent, he also received a special Paul Harris
Fellow award as a show of gratitude from the Club. BIG THANK YOU, Richard!
MT. TORO BBQ
ROTARY CHOPPED EVENT!
In case you missed it, the inaugural Rotary
CHOPPED Event featured two outstanding chefs
competing for the title of “Rotary Chopped
Champion”. Cooking with 4 secret ingredients, the
competition was fierce!
Chef Todd Fisher of
Tarpy’s and Chef Tony Baker of Montrio went head
to head in the Salinas Rotary Downtown Club’s own
take of the popular Food Network show Chopped.
RECOGNITION
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Club Birthdays
April
Berkley Brannon
John Musni
Amy Salmina
Scott Maidment
Jay R. DeSerpa
Derek Derdivanis
Aytac Apaydin
Fernando Elizondo
Kurt R. Lofgren
Laura Pruneda
Joe Piini
Archie E. Peterson
Richard Arentz
Brickley R. Sweet
Christine A. Dawson
Stephanie Hulsey
May
William Keller
Joseph C. Grainger
Amit Pandya
Johnathan H. Farahmand
Rodney Meeks
Thomas D. Mill
Randal J. Parola
Robert L. Kasavan
Robert K . Stuve
Kelly Sutherland
Henry Royal
June
Barbara McGaughey
Abby R. Taylor-Silva
Rod Braga
Jeffery Wriedt
Anna Foglia
Claudia O. Pizarro-Villalobos
Donald P. Rogers
Raymond L. Jr. Belli
Brad S. Griffin
David Smith
Timothy J. Knapp
Cassie L. McSorley
Julian J. Macias
Club Anniversaries
James L. Gattis; 41 Yrs.
Donald P. Rogers; 33 Yrs.
Jeffrey H. Wriedt; 32 Yrs.
Randall J. Parola; 29Yrs.
Steve Shearn; 28 Yrs.
Gale A. Rawitzer; 28 Yrs.
John T. Menold; 27 Yrs.
Alvin C. Mortensen; 27 Yrs.
Raymond L. Jr.; 27 Yrs.
David R. Mora; 24 Yrs.
David G. Mills; 22 Yrs.
William D. Barr; 18 Yrs.
Brian K. Contreras; 17 Yrs.
Cassie L. McSorley; 17Yrs.
Olegario Gomez; 16 Yrs.
Luis Manuel Alvarez; 13 Yrs.
Jeffrey Dicks; 13 Yrs.
Mary L. Adams; 13 Yrs.
Richard Arentz; 12 Yrs.
Brian R. Allen; 11 Yrs.
Lisa Johnson; 10Yrs.
Julian J. Macias; 8 Yrs.
Barbara MCGaughey; 6 Yrs.
Brad S. Griffin; 5 Yrs.
Aaron J. Evans; 5 Yrs.
Marcy Delbick; 4 Yrs.
Araceli Bernardasci; 4 Yrs.
Frank Ducato; 3 Yrs.
Nicole Petitt; 3 Yrs.
Seth Word; 3 Yrs.
Christina A. Dawson; 2 Yrs.
Peter Wevurski; 2 Yrs.
Sarah Frahm; 1 Yrs.
On April 28, and George Watkins will talk about 35 years of Monterey County sports
coverage on June 9. Our own David Smith joins us on May 19 to talk about the legal drug
trade and being in business with his daughter. Dr. Allen Radner joins us on June 2 to talk
about Ebola, the Flu and everything else you might catch on your way to a Rotary
meeting. And while President Teri’s Rotary year ends with awards and her kick out, our
program year ends on June 16 with a really big show as we discover Rotary members’
hidden talents.
Salinas High School Interact Club
Tatum's Garden clean-up day! Interact student’s
endured rain; however they proceeded with the
task at hand. From re-barking the landscaping, to
pressure washing the iconic emblem at the
entrance, the club had its hand full! All the
members were fully prepared to get down and
dirty while still having some fun on a playground
most kids dream of. Rotary Interact looks forward
to a continued partnership with Tatum's each time
working hard and having fun as a club!
Having Fun With Friends
Great time out with friends. The Santa Cruz Warriors
are the Development league team and are owned by
the Golden State Warriors. It was a great game and
Santa Cruz was victorious over the team from Idaho.
Not a bad seat in the house and our tickets were less
than $20.00.
PIGS, PINOT & MORE
APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!
Committee of ELEVEN plus dozens of other volunteers; Sponsored by
FORTY-THREE Rotarian owned businesses and individuals;
TWENTY-THREE Monterey County Wineries; THIRTEEN Local Chefs
The After Party; These 5 components produced an epic 5th Annual Pigs,
Pinot & More for the FOUR HUNDRED attendees!
The time, talents and financial support contributed by our
fellow club members helped raise $47,000 for our
Charitable Fund. The Salinas Police Athletics League,
National Steinbeck Center, YMCA, and Oldtown Salinas
Foundation are benefactors of this years ticket sale
proceeds, and tie in nicely with our clubs commitment to
support Downtown organizations.
Pigs, Pinot & More has contributed close to $350,000 to
our clubs Charitable Fund since 2010. President Teri will
provide an overview of 2014-2015 contributions made
during the April 21st meeting. Please plan to attend.
FIRST QUARTER 2015 NEW MEMBERS
Page 3
March 2015 New Members Spotlight
Joe Piini, Real Estate-Ag Properties, February 10, 2015
Joe is an associate with Piini Realty where he works in the brokerage division, focused on selling and leasing
agricultural, residential, industrial, and commercial properties. Joe graduated from Arizona State University in
2005 with a Business Management degree. He worked in Arizona and gained extensive sales experience before
moving back to the Salinas area and joining the family business in 2010. Joe and his wife Ashleigh have a son
who is excellent at being 2. In his free time, Joe enjoys golfing, duck hunting, and food, wine and travel.
Sherrie Isaac, Accountant, March 17, 2015
Sherrie is a CPA and a Director at Hayashi Wayland. She works with family groups, agriculture clients, labor
contractors and many service providers, including doctors and dentists, to help them find solutions for their
personal and/or business tax issues. In 1992, she was presented with the Athena Award as Business Woman of
the Year. She has served as Chair of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, as President for the California
Air Show, and she is currently on the Board of Governors for the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare Foundation
and on the Board of Directors for the Youth Orchestra for Salinas. In her free time, Sherrie enjoys reading,
creating beautiful counted cross-stitch pieces, and baking up scrumptious treats.
Elizabeth Welden-Smith, Nonprofit Cultural, March 17, 2015
A Salinas native, Elizabeth is the Co-Director/Director of Operations for the National Steinbeck Center.
Elizabeth received her master’s in museum studies from the Australian National University, and her Bachelor of
Arts in European History and Film Studies from Mills College in Oakland. At the NSC, she has designed and
managed more than 220 education and public programs across the country, including the annual Steinbeck
Festival, the Mumford & Sons fundraising concert in Monterey in 2012, and The Grapes of Wrath 75th
Anniversary Journey along Route 66 in partnership with Penguin Classics. She brought National Steinbeck
Center programs to The Smithsonian and National Public Radio headquarters in Washington, D.C., attracting
coverage by The New Yorker. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, free diving, hiking, and camping.
Doug Yount, City Government/Economic Development, March 24, 2015
Doug is a principal with Applied Development Economics, a company that helps clients explore economic
development opportunities. Keeping sustainable development practices in mind, the company helps communities
thrive through regional prosperity strategies and site specific public private partnerships. Doug has 28 years of
experience in the management of cities and public agencies in economic development and redevelopment,
including Lemon Grove, Alameda, Marina, and Salinas. He also teaches Strategic Planning for the College of
Business at CSUMB.
Mike Gross, Media, March 24, 2015
Mike serves as the Senior Digital Media Consultant with the Californian Media Group in Salinas, California. Born
in Ohio and raised in Santa Barbara, Mike completed his BA in Social and Behavioral Sciences from California
State University, Monterey Bay in 2013. Mike and his wife Lily were married in 2014, and they enjoy running,
hiking, and volunteering together. Mike has volunteered with Shoreline Community Church’s Young Adults
ministry, and now Mike and Lily both volunteer at St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church in South Salinas, working with
both the high school and the family ministry. They have worked on local political campaigns, and currently serve
on the leadership team of The Thought Society, a group focused on intellectual discussions within the emerging
adult community in Salinas.
David Peartree, Architecture, Commercial, March 24, 2015
David is a LEED accredited professional (LEED AP) architect and past board president of the American Institute
of Architects Monterey Bay Chapter. He is a shareholder with the Belli Architectural Group in Salinas. David has
a bachelor of arts in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. He serves as Board president for Ag
Against Hunger, chairs the Hartnell College Drafting Curriculum Advisory Committee, and is a graduate of
Leadership Salinas Valley. David lives in Pacific Grove with his wife, Nicole, and their 5 year-old son. Personal
interests include sailing, surfing, fishing and motorsports.
Rotary Interact Working Hard to
Support our Community
A new service opportunity for Interact Students, but
one they enjoyed – Monterey County Food Bank.
Good bye and Good luck to Tracy Ranno
We wish Tracy Ranno all the best as she relocates with
her family to Southern California. Thank you, Tracy, for
always doing your job with a smile.
P.O. Box 676
Salinas, CA 93902
WITH GRATITUDE
2014-15 Board of Directors
Please join the club in thanking this year’s Board of Directors for their dedication this year:
Vickie Dixon, Bill Tebbe, Anne C. Leach, Joe Grainger, Luis Alvarez, Tiffany DiTullio,
Terry Feinberg, Angel Garibaldo, Mark Kennedy, John Musni, Scott Maidment, Mark McAuliffe,
Felicia Perez-Kausin and Claudia Villalobos
www.salinasrotary.org
Like us on facebook: www.facebook.com/SalinasRotary
Editor: Anna Foglia: [email protected]