Guest Speaker DG Richard Flanders

 
 
 
 

Welcome 2021-22 District 5170 Governor, Richard Flanders

Richard Flanders is a member of the Rotary Club of Pleasanton North, California, U.S.A. He was the President of the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley for the year 2001-2002 in District 5160. A Rotarian since 1995, Richard has served as Assistant District Governor in Districts 5170 and 5160. He was District 5170 Lieutenant Governor – Chief of Staff in 2010-2012. As a Club President in 2001-2002, his club received First Place in Club Service, First Place in Community Service, First Place in Vocational Service, and First Place in International Service at District 5160 District Conference in Ashland, Oregon, and was named the Best Club in the District.
 

Richard was District 5160 Group Study Exchange Team Leader, leading the District’s Group Study Exchange Team to District 3350 in Thailand. He has chaired Group Study Exchange Committee and Rotary Foundation Scholarship Committee in Districts 5170 and 5160. In District 5170, he has chaired District Vocational Service Committee, District Rotary Foundation Alumni Committee, District Rotary Foundation Permanent Fund/Major Gifts Committee, District Avenues of Service Dinner, District 5170 Conference, and The Richard D. King Tribute Dinner, honoring Past Rotary International President Richard D. King for his 50th year of Service in Rotary. He served as a member of the Rotary International New Generation Membership Committee and Rotary International Special Services Committee. He also served as a Member of the Peace Major Gift Initiative with The Rotary Foundation in 2019-2020.

Rotary District 5170 has presented him with the “Lead The Way” Award in 2007 for his commitment to the Service of Rotary, the Neal J. Hoffman Award in 2008 for the most outstanding younger Rotarian in the district who has shown exemplary leadership skills in their club and/or the district, the Karl Stucki Award in 2015 for Rotarian in the District who exemplifies the Greatest Commitment to Rotary Ideals, and the Richard D. King Award in 2018 for the Rotarian in the District who makes the greatest personal commitment to the programs of The Rotary Foundation. He is also a recipient of the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service Award.

Richard is an attorney practicing in Alameda, California. He belongs to Alameda County Bar Association. He volunteers with the Alameda County Superior Court as a settlement officer and assisting self-represented litigants at hearings. Richard and his wife Florence have girl/boy twins, Brennyn and Ryson.

 

Guest Speaker Hung Wei

 

 

Growing Rotary Impact

 

Rotarians themselves are the best resource in growing Rotary membership. Rotarians are privileged to be part of such a great organization and have the responsibility to share it with people, giving them the same opportunity to be part of People of Action!!!

Guest Speaker Heather Shomaker

Wheelchair Foundation

"THE THE WHEELCHAIR FOUNDATION HAS A GOAL TO PROVIDE A FREE WHEELCHAIR TO EVERY CHILD, TEEN AND ADULT WORLDWIDE WHO NEEDS ONE BUT HAS NO MEANS TO ACQUIRE ONE"

For over two decades the Wheelchair Foundation has been delivering mobility, freedom, dignity, and hope one wheelchair at a time. Heather Schomaker is the Director of Community Outreach and will share remarkable stories of what just one wheelchair can do to change lives. In 2009 the vision of the Wheelchair Foundation expanded to develop a school program called From The Heart. Through this program Heather helps educators show students that we are all different in some ways, but we all have the same needs for respect, acceptance, inclusion, and friends.

In her spare time, you will likely find Heather gardening, baking, or adventuring in the outdoors. She also hopes to one day own her own dog farm, despite her husband’s resistance.

Guest Speaker Sue McKinney

 
 
 
 

 

Sue McKinney is co-founder of the Rotary Vietnam Project of District 5170. She works with Rotary, Interact, and Rotaract volunteers to prevent human trafficking of rural girls in Vietnam by sponsoring education, professional skills and vocational development. Sue is a two-time Past President of the Oakland Uptown Rotary Club.

She has lived in Vietnam since 1994 where she’s been a force in the business community holding board positions in the American Chamber of Commerce, Operation Smile and the private sector. Sue has been the incountry liaison on many Rotary projects in Vietnam. During 27 years of doing business in Vietnam, Sue has exported thousands of high-quality goods to Costco and other distributors.

Her principal focus is a Botanical Medicine for menopause, uterine fibroids and prostate health, developed in research collaboration with major US medical universities. “Crila” botanical products are processed at an American FDA-inspected facility, and sold to consumers by Amazon, ecommerce websites, and doctors’ offices.

 

Guest Speaker Chris Symons

 

 
 

Birds & Bees of the Pinnacles

 
 

Chris Symons has been working with the National Park Service since 2018, but has been interested in Environmental Education since he was a child. Chris studied Environmental Science, Journalism, and Education at Michigan State University, and received his Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts of America building a rain garden project that is still in operation today. While he spends his days in a Ranger's flat hat talking about the birds and bees of Pinnacles, he also enjoys reading, boating, discovering new crafts and hobbies, and (poorly) playing his mandolin.

 

 

 

Guest Speaker Noreen Vu

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Andrew Hill Interact Treasurer 2021-2021

We welcome Noreen Vu as our guest speaker this week. She is the Andrew Hill High School upcoming Interact treasurer! As an incoming sophomore, she participated in Camp RYLA this summer and had an amazing experience. According to Noreen, what made Camp RYLA fun was the welcoming community and positive environment. As a rising sophomore and incoming treasurer, she hopes to increase their club membership by creating a fun and welcoming environment like RYLA and sees an opportunity to help achieve her goals through RYLA.

 

 

Guest Speaker Don Mulford

 

 

 
 
 

Finding meaning during times of profound change like experiencing Covid, cancer, or dying.

Don is a Stanford graduate, California attorney, ordained minister, cancer survivor, hospice chaplain, and published author. He speaks about finding meaning during times of profound change like experiencing Covid, cancer, or dying. He now serves as the chaplain/spiritual counselor at With Grace Hospice in San Jose.
 

He wrote his memoir about how his cure from cancer surprised his oncologists at Stanford Cancer Clinic in Matchbooks in the Tunnel: How God and Others Solved My Impossible Problem. His warm, lighthearted, and authentic style draws listeners without agenda into a comfortable consideration of questions which we often are afraid to ask.

 

Guest Speaker Bill Tobin

 

 
 
 

Bill Tobin, Rotary Relations Manager, ShelterBox USA

A member of the Rotary Club of El Dorado Hills California since 2004, Bill Tobin has served in several club and district leadership roles and is a major donor to The Rotary Foundation. He is currently the District 5180 Membership Chair and is on the Zone-27 New Club development task force.

In 2016-2017 Rotary District 5180 awarded Bill “Rotarian of the Year” for his active and dedicated service to Rotary, and for his commitment to ShelterBox. Bill began as a volunteer for ShelterBox after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Bill has since shared the ShelterBox story to over 300 Rotary Clubs, organized fundraisers, and helped develop strategies for donor engagement and volunteer training.

For his volunteer efforts, Bill has received the United States Presidential Volunteer Service Award seven times. After a 30-year career as a nuclear power plant inspector, Bill earned a certification in Non-Profit management from the University of the Pacific and joined the staff at ShelterBox USA as Rotary Relations Manager in January 2019.

Bill is married to Sherie for 37 years, she is an Assistant Governor in District 5180. They have two sons and a daughter in law.

Guest Speaker Dara & Dave Feldman

 

 

VIRTUES MATTER

Dara and Dave Feldman, a passionate wife-husband team founded Virtues Matter to help people lead lives of joy, meaning, and purpose. Dara is an author, speaker and was honored as Disney's 2005 Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year and Maryland's 2015 Mother of the Year. Dave is a social entrepreneur, community leader and speaker on diverse topics such as sustainable development, entrepreneurship and leadership.

They developed the Virtues Cards app, an easy-to-use tool designed to help people cultivate virtues positive character qualities of character like resilience, gratitude, kindness, unity, creativity and justice. They facilitate uplifting and transformational workshops (in-person and online) and customized programs for organizations based on strategies that bring out the best in ourselves and others.