Events

Colette Curtis has served as Recovery and Economic Development Director for the Town of Paradise since July 2021.  Prior to that time, she served as the Assistant to the Town Manager with the Town of Paradise since 2013.  Ms. Curtis oversees recovery after the Camp Fire, Housing, Communications, Economic Development, Legislative Advocacy, and Emergency Operations for the Town in her current role.

Prior to her time with the Town, Colette worked in the private sector for E*TRADE, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle Inc.  She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.  Colette was the 2021 Recipient of the John H. Nail Award from the League of California Cities for her work with the community in the aftermath of the Camp Fire. 

Ms. Curtis lives in Chico CA with her three children. 

Principal/Superintendent Becky Brown and Science Teacher Justin Peek are excited to share an overview of the science side of Inspire School of Arts and Sciences. Since 2010, this charter high school in Chico has provided rich opportunities for students interested in pursuing college and career pathways in the visual and performing arts, as well as computer programming and engineering. You'll hear an update on the construction of our brand new campus, as well as a deeper dive into how our science programs prepare students with the skills and knowledge necessary to be researchers, designers, and innovators in STEM fields. 

Tyler is the CEO and a Part­ner at Matson & Isom Technology Consulting, where he has spent over 20 years help­ing small busi­ness­es, non-prof­its, and local gov­ern­ments in North­ern Cal­i­for­nia lever­age tech­nol­o­gy to dri­ve growth and suc­cess. Tyler began his career with M&I as an intern in 2002 and has become a leader in deliv­er­ing inno­v­a­tive solu­tions that enhance pro­duc­tiv­i­ty and improve cybersecurity.

A proud grad­u­ate of Cal­i­for­nia State Uni­ver­si­ty, Chico, Tyler holds a degree in Com­mu­ni­ca­tion Design with a focus on Infor­ma­tion Sys­tems and Com­put­er Sci­ence. He is also a Ford Schol­ar and recip­i­ent of the Ger­ald E. Bruce Com­mu­ni­ty Ser­vice Award from The Ford Fam­i­ly Foun­da­tion. Tyler has deliv­ered hun­dreds of hours of train­ing to thou­sands of peo­ple and cre­at­ed Clear­IT Acad­e­my, M&I’s on-demand learn­ing plat­form, to help orga­ni­za­tions max­i­mize their tech­nol­o­gy investments.

In addi­tion to his pro­fes­sion­al work, Tyler serves as Vice Pres­i­dent of the Pleas­ant Val­ley High School Music Boost­ers, rais­ing crit­i­cal funds for local music pro­grams. He is also an avid pho­tog­ra­ph­er, cap­tur­ing por­traits and land­scapes through­out North­ern California.

Lee Karp serves as Development Director for Northern Valley Catholic Social Service (NVCSS), where she leads fundraising, marketing, and donor engagement across six Northern California counties. Her work supports more than 60 programs that provide housing, mental health services, early childhood support, food access, disaster recovery, and more to communities throughout the North State.

She brings a unique mix of corporate experience and nonprofit passion to her work, grounded in storytelling, relationship-building, and a deep commitment to service.

When she is not organizing campaigns or connecting with community partners, Lee serves as a cantor and lector at her parish, helps with community parade floats, and enjoys life in the foothills with her husband and Mango, their rescue English Bulldog who strongly prefers naps to networking and believes the couch is the center of the universe.

Holly Swan is a Regional Manager for the Lassen Region of California Trout, a nonprofit organization working to revitalize waters for resilient wild fish and a better California. Holly has a B.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Environmental Planning and Resource Management, both from Chico State.  Her research involved understanding the barriers and constraints with policy changes around utilizing translocated beavers for ecosystem services and ecological health. Professionally, Holly comes from a background in environmental program management working in public, private, and nonprofit sectors.  One of her current projects is located on Big Chico Creek, restoring fish passage in Iron Canyon.  Holly has lived in Chico for 20 years and has strong ties to the local and surrounding communities. In her spare time, she enjoys backpacking, canoeing the Sacramento River, and dreaming of her next international trip.

Gayland Taylor received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries from Humboldt State in 1970. He began working for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife soon after graduating. He was a game warden in the CDFW originally assigned to Ventura County, (Ojai). Along with his traditional warden duties and after transferring to Butte County in 1976, Gayland developed   a specialty in protection and restoration of anadromous fisheries and pollution enforcement.   He also served CDFW as Supervisor of the Environmental Enforcement before retiring after 30 years.

Gayland has served as a Member and Past Chair of the CDFW Fisheries Restoration Grants Program where he reviewed and oversaw the granting of millions of dollars of restoration grants focused on salmon and steelhead protection and enhancement throughout the State.  For the past 15+ years he has served as a legislative appointee for the California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead.

Gayland is married to Nancy, (50+ years) and has two sons, Brooks a biologist with Cal Trans and Bryan, a State Park Ranger.

Gayland’s many years working in Butte County and the North Valley on salmon protection and restoration has guided him to be a lifelong advocate for actions in Butte County that protect or restore salmon and steelhead populations.

Multi-Club Mixer - No-host Cocktails & Mingling - Dinner included - $30

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hidden-in-plain-sight-combating-human-trafficking-in-our-community-tickets-1607423499959?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Dr. Kate Transchel is a Lantis Professor of History, Emerita. She received her PhD in Soviet History from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Specializing in Russia, Ukraine and the Balkans, she has published more than a dozen articles and encyclopedia entries on the history and culture of the Soviet Union. Over the last thirty years she has lived, worked and traveled throughout Russia and Ukraine. She helped establish and served as Chair of the nation-wide Russian Coordinative Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction in Moscow, Russia. Her work on human trafficking has been internationally recognized. She has been invited to teach in England, Germany, and the Czech Republic. She also teaches cross cultural communication and competency training on the history and culture of the Balkans and Russia for various Department of Defense agencies and State Department personnel. She joined the CSU Chico History faculty in 1996, teaching classes on the history of European gender and sexuality; Russian and Soviet History; Balkan History; Modern World History; and the history of fascism and authoritarianism in Europe. In Fall 2024 she taught on Voyage 134 with the Semester at Sea while sailing around Africa and South Asia.

Jim has 26 years of leadership experience in the food industry, ranging from Quality Assurance at Green Garden Foods, R&D at Tanimura and Antle, and SVP of Operations at Tulocay and Company. Jim has been at California Olive Ranch for 15 years. For 8 years he was the VP of Production Operations. He is now the now COO. COR, founded in 1998, was the first company to take American olive oil to a whole new level. While olives have grown in California for hundreds of years, COR pioneered new ways of cultivating and harvesting olives to make our extra virgin olive oil premium and affordable. They’ve developed their own ranches and helped family farmers throughout Northern California develop previously unusable farm acreage into olive orchards while using sustainable production methods every step of the way. In 2016, they started developing long-term relationships with top-notch olive farmers across the globe. They proudly partner with the best extra virgin olive oil producers in Spain, Italy, Chile, Argentina, and Portugal. Jim has BS in Food Science from Cal Poly. Jim is the Chairman of the American Olive Oil Producers Association (AOOPA) and serves on the board of the California League of Food Producers.

Calling all foodies, music lovers, and community champions — Chico Rotary’s Surf & Turf is BACK! 🦞🥩🎶

Join us on Saturday, November 8th, 2025 at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds for an unforgettable night of food, fun, and fundraising — all in support of local projects that make Chico better.

🍽️ ON THE MENU:

• Lobster & Tri-Tip

• Baked Potatoes with all the fixings

• Veggie Pasta Salad & Fresh Green Salad

• Warm Bread & More

🎸 AND the cherry on top? LIVE MUSIC by the epic Whiskey River band! Get ready to dance, sing, and soak up the good vibes all night long.

🎟️ Grab your tickets now — this event is going to be one you won't want to miss!

Come for the meal, stay for the music, and leave knowing you made a difference.

Hosted by Chico Rotary, proudly serving the community for 104 years and counting.
 

Buy Tickets Today!

Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor Ashley Brown was born and raised in Chico, where she and her husband are now raising their three children. She has worked as a Public Safety Dispatcher at the Chico Police Department since 2009 and has served as one of four Communications Supervisors for the past seven years. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family, weightlifting in their home gym, and watching her oldest son play baseball.

Chief Billy Aldridge started his law enforcement career at the Butte County Sheriff’s Office in 2001 after serving nearly eight years in the US Air Force.  Chief Aldridge lateraled to the Chico Police Department in February 2005 as a Police Officer.  During his career in law enforcement, Chief Aldridge has worked as a Field Training Officer, Crime Scene Investigator, Mobile Field Force Team Member, SWAT Operator, Street Crimes Detective, Internal Affairs Sergeant and has managed nearly every specialty or collateral assignment as an administrator.  He was promoted to Chief in December 2022 and is currently the California Police Chief’s Association Region 2 Representative and the Chair of the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF) and Secretary of the Boys and Girls Club of the North Valley.  He holds an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice Management, a graduate’s degree in Organizational Management and Human Resource Management as well as a Peace Officer Standards and Training Executive Certification.  Chief Aldridge has been married for 26 years and has two sons who are 21 and 16.

Supervisor Brown and Chief Aldridge will share with us the important role that the dispatch center plays in keeping our community safe.

Nichole Farley has built her career at the intersection of tourism, economic development, and public policy, bringing people and organizations together to strengthen communities through travel.

She began her career at Visit California, where she united hundreds of businesses behind statewide funding and marketing initiatives that elevated the state’s global tourism profile. At Civitas, she helped shape the future of destination funding nationwide, securing more than $77 million annually for over 50 tourism destinations. Her tenure at Visit Salt Lake further deepened her expertise in public policy, where she championed state legislation and workforce initiatives to grow and sustain the hospitality industry.

Today, as Executive Director of Explore Butte County, Nichole leads a globally accredited destination marketing and management organization. Her work focuses on building long-term funding strategies, elevating regional branding, and fostering stakeholder collaboration to position the region’s five distinct communities as a vibrant and competitive destination in California and beyond.

Nichole is passionate about creating sustainable growth for destinations, developing policies that strengthen the visitor economy, and forging partnerships that enhance quality of life for both residents and visitors.

Music Teacher Oliva Cerullo leads the Vocal Music pathway at Inspire, providing comprehensive training for all aspiring singers. Through Choir, Vocal Technique, and Musical Theatre, students develop and master diverse vocal disciplines and genres. Inspire's small group ensembles, One Voice and The Gents, are excited to bring the spirit of the holiday season to the Rotary Club of Chico through their musical performance. 

President Rob will deliver an in-depth analysis of the first half of the 25-26 Rotary year!  How did the teams perform?  Are we cranking up the volume enough or will he challenge us to do better in the second half?  Better be there to find out!

Victim Specialist (VS) Alma Munoz – FBI Sacramento:

Alma Muñoz is an experienced victim specialist with 17 years working with social service organizations and law enforcement. Alma began her career in Chicago providing support to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault for a non-for-profit organization where she assisted survivors petitioning for protective orders and provided court accompaniment. Her career later expanded as Crime Victim Advocate at a level 1 trauma hospital where she expanded her support to victims of violent crime including child abuse and neglect, gang violence, human trafficking, and police brutality.

Prior to being an FBI Victim Specialist, Alma was the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Unit, providing on scene support to victims from recovery and through the investigative and prosecution process.

Alma has been a FBI Victim Specialist for the Sacramento Division for 3 ½ years, where she has been assisting victims of federal crime and ensuring critical support and rights are provided to victims and their families. Alma holds a bachelor’s in criminal justice, is skilled in crisis intervention, prevention, community outreach and conflict resolution.

Victim Specialist (VS) Yana Nebyshinets – FBI Sacramento:

Yana Nebyshinets has dedicated 5 years of her 12-year career in Victim Services to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Her expertise lies in providing specialized support to victims affected by a wide range of violent crimes. She is assigned to the Sacramento Division, where she covers three resident agencies across 14 counties. She also serves on the FBI Victim Services Response Team, a national rapid deployment team that supports victims and communities after mass casualties and critical incidents.

Yana began her career as a Victim Advocate with Fresno County Probation Department in 2013, where she worked with victims of violent crime, specializing in homicide and child abuse. During this time, Yana developed and operated a specialized probation grant for high-risk and high-violent domestic violence victims.

In 2016, she transitioned to Central Valley Against Human Trafficking, a non-profit organization, where she implemented and oversaw a new case management program for victims of domestic sex trafficking.

In 2017, Yana joined Fresno Superior Court as a Coordinator to launch a collaborative court for at-risk and minor victims of human trafficking. She was promoted to Court Manager in 2018, where she managed an additional ten collaborative courts.

VS Nebyshinets takes pride in providing support for and advocating on behalf of victims and their families. In addition to working for the FBI, she is currently obtaining her law degree from McGeorge School of Law.

Committed to informing and protecting their communities, VS Nebyshinets and Munoz have teamed up to expand their outreach efforts.

Anastacia Snyder is the Executive Director of Catalyst, a nonprofit organization supporting survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence in Butte County, California. In this role, she leads agency operations, strategic planning, and community advocacy, working to ensure that all survivors have access to safe housing and critical support services.

Anastacia is an active leader at both the state and local levels. She was appointed by the Governor to the California Office of Emergency Services Domestic Violence Advisory Council, where she served as Chair, and is a member of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence’s Homeless and Housing Services Workgroup. Locally, she serves on the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Committee and is an elected member of the Butte Countywide Homeless Continuum of Care Council, where she recently completed two terms as Chair.

In addition to her work in the nonprofit and advocacy sectors, Anastacia is deeply engaged in civic leadership. She is a past President of the Chico Chamber of Commerce and Chico Noon Rotary Club and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Chico Rotary Foundation. In January 2023, she was elected to the Enloe Health Board of Trustees, where she serves as Board Secretary and Chair of the Governance Committee.

Anastacia is a proud graduate of St. Mary’s College of California and pursued a Master’s degree in English at California State University, Chico. Her professional work is grounded in a deep commitment to community, equity, and survivor-centered care.

Outside of her professional life, Anastacia is an avid traveler, reader, hiker, and runner. She and her partner, Tom, share a goal of visiting all Major League Baseball parks across the country, a journey that combines their love of travel, sports, and adventure. She’s also a big fan of a well-made Negroni and enjoys quiet moments with a good book or on a trail with friends.

Monica Soderstrom was born and raised in Chico and graduated from CSU Chico with a bachelor's degree in Nursing. She is married to Ted  (also a Chico native, and whose dad Charles was a long time member of the Chico Rotary Club!) Her parents nurtured in her a lifelong commitment to leadership through community service. Monica serves as the Butte County Public Health Director as well as on the Enloe Board of Trustees, two platforms dedicated to quality health and wellbeing for all local residents. 

Joining Monica for the presentation will be Dr. Jarett Beaudoin, MD, MPH, who serves as the Public Health Officer for Butte County, helping lead efforts to promote health, prevent disease, and respond to public health challenges across the community. He is a dual-boarded Family and Preventive Medicine physician with experience spanning clinical practice, public health leadership, and health systems improvement. He’s especially excited to come speak with the Rotary Club of Chico, a group that understands service, prevention, and the value of showing up long before there’s a crisis.

Mr. Brown has 39 years of experience planning, designing, constructing, operating and maintaining water, wastewater and water recycling systems for urban areas. He started Waterology Consulting in January 2020.  In March 2020, Mr. Brown and Waterology were selected to perform Executive Director services for the Sites Reservoir Project.  In this capacity, Mr. Brown oversees project development by a multi-disciplined team of consultants, contractors, and experts.  He serves at the pleasure of the 9-member Sites Authority JPA Board of Directors and its 22-member Project Reservoir Committee.   Previously, Mr. Brown served as General Manager of the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) for 9 1/2 years through December 2019.

Mr. Brown is a registered Civil and Mechanical Engineer in California. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University at Northridge, a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University at San Jose.

Jess Wills is the President of Firestorm Wildland Fire Suppression, Inc., a Chico-based private wildland firefighting company with three decades of operational experience.

Additionally, Jess is the President of the National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA), a national trade association representing more than 340 private wildfire contractors employing 10,000 fire personnel across the country. He has served on the NWSA Executive Board since 2009 and continues to play a central role in national advocacy efforts to strengthen public–private partnerships in wildfire suppression.

Jess began his career in wildland fire immediately after high school, working alongside his father. He ia a certified Single Resource Crew Boss and Engine Boss, and for more than a decade led his own twenty-person crew on fires throughout the West. His vision and leadership have guided the company’s evolution into a nationally recognized leader in the private wildland fire service, fuels management, and emergency response.

Outside of work, Jess values time with his wife, Leah, and their two sons. Together, they enjoy traveling, spending time on the lake, exploring the outdoors, and tackling new adventures. Jess holds a degree in Business Administration and Operations Management from California State University, Chico.

Jess will speak about the newly formed  National Wildland Fire Service and what that means to the public and the lesser known Private Industry Partners and the key role private industry plays in Forest Health and Wildfire Suppression efforts.

Annabel Grimm is a seasoned executive leader with over 20 years of experience in public service, higher education, and private industry. She currently serves as General Manager for the Chico Area Recreation and Park District, where she oversees a broad portfolio of parks, facilities, and recreational programming. Her career includes leadership roles at California State University, Chico, where she directed audit, compliance, and continuous improvement efforts. A Navy veteran and former executive in aerospace operations, Annabel brings a results-driven, ethical approach to strategic planning, fiscal management, and organizational development. She holds an MBA from CSU, Chico, and is recognized for her collaborative leadership style, integrity, and commitment to community impact.

Andrew Miller, M.D., is a Family Practice and Public Health physician. Currently he is the Clinical Director of Community Health for Enloe Health. He has previously served as the Butte County Public Health Officer and the Medical Director of Northern Valley Indian Health. He has been active in local efforts to decrease chronic disease, limit opioid deaths, use EHR functions to address population health challenges, and to expand access to care. Dr. Miller has been involved in caring for Butte County residents through numerous emergencies. He has held state level positions in the California Conference of Local Health Officers, assisting and advising the leadership of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Dr. Miller received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, San Diego, in 1999 and graduated from the University of California, Davis residency program in Redding in 2002. He is Board Certified in Family Practice and has been a Fellow in the American Academy of Family Physicians since 2002. Presently he teaches a Public Health course at CSU Chico.

Brad brings more than 30 years of experience in outdoor education, guided by a lifelong passion for the Sacramento River. He helped design a recreational map spanning 150 miles of California’s largest river and has taught a broad range of outdoor skills, including kayaking, raft guide training, climbing, snowboarding, skiing, and even rock skipping.

Brad is currently associate faculty at Butte College and CSU Chico and has taught extensively in the outdoor and environmental education fields for 25 years. Most recently, he returned from Alaska, where he worked with the National Park Service on river safety and search-and-rescue missions. He also brings 15 years of experience teaching K–8 students and currently teaches yoga, health, and outdoor recreation leadership at Butte College.

For the past six years, Brad has served as Executive Director of the Feather River Center and Forebay Aquatic Center. Under his leadership, the nonprofit has provided water safety and recreation to thousands of youth from across Northern California and has grown into one of the largest recreation and outdoor education providers in Butte County.