Events

Chico Enterprise-Record Editor Mike Wolcott

Mike Wolcott is a fifth-generation native of Tehama County, growing up on a sheep farm homesteaded by his great-great grandfather in the 1870s. He likes to say "The first time I saw my dad castrate a lamb the old-fashioned way, I knew I wanted to be a sportswriter." He had his first byline at age 16 in 1976 and worked as a sports writer and news reporter in newspapers at Corning, Red Bluff and Eureka until 1990, when he moved to the Bay Area. Over the next 23 years he worked as an editor and columnist at newspapers such as the Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune, finally achieving a childhood goal by working at the San Francisco Chronicle, where he worked mainly in the sports department for eight years. He moved "home" to the north state in 2013 and decided to invite his old acquaintance David Little to lunch, which ultimately led to his role at the Enterprise-Record. He lives in rural Glenn County with his wife Sherrie, an administrative aide at Chico State. They have two dogs, lots of outdoor cats, and no sheep.

Alli Williams is a senior at Pleasant Valley High School. She is currently ASB President & has participated in student government all four years of high school. She is captain of her Varsity golf team which she has been a part of since freshman year as well. Alli is involved in the community through the National Charity League. She also owns her own business where she sells jewelry online & through local stores. Alli is hoping to attend a 4-year university after high school studying AG-business.

Executive Director of the Museum of Northern California Art (monca). 

I was born in Michigan, have lived in St. Louis and San Francisco where I was an art educator for 36 years. In Ann Arbor, MI, I was also director of the State Street Art Fair for seven years and worked as an education director at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis. Before moving to Chico in 2006, I taught art and was the Diversity Mentor at Piedmont High School in the Bay Area. I am currently President of the Inspire School of the Arts and Sciences school board. 

Married to Richard Macias . . . no children just thousands over 36 years of teaching!

Anita Barker is in her 21st year as the Executive Director of Athletics for Chico State’s 13 intercollegiate athletics programs and has been a member of Chico Noon Rotary since 2005.

 Despite losing the entire 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barker succeeded in keeping the athletic department intact and reinforcing the department-wide concept of “Wildcat Family,” resulting in another successful year in 2021–22. Twelve of Chico State’s 13 NCAA-sanctioned sports programs reached postseason play, culminating with Chico State winning the CCAA Hiegert Commissioner’s Cup—awarded to the conference institution with the best overall athletics performance in a given academic year—for the sixth time in the last 10 years.

Barker’s efforts have resulted in several well-deserved individual honors, including National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Division II West Region Athletic Director of the Year awards in 2009 and again in 2019.

Anita has worked in the Chico State athletic department since 1990, when she was hired as an assistant athletic trainer. She began working in athletic administration in 1995, when she was appointed the assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator. In 1997, she was promoted to associate athletic director.

Anita graduated from Ohio Northern University in 1985 and received her master’s degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1987. She has worked at all three divisions in the NCAA.

Anita and her husband Scott, the Wildcats’ head athletic trainer, have two children, Luke and McKena—both former Chico State athletes

Andrew (Andy) Forristel graduated from California State University, Chico in 1991 with degrees in Management Information Systems and Finance.  He began working at Bi-Tech Software, a local company founded by Gary and Judy Sitton, as a Software Consultant.  As the company grew, Andy’s role and positions evolved to where he become Vice President of Client Services.

Feeling the draw to law enforcement, in 1996 Andy joined the Chico Police Department as a Reserve Police Officer, working uniformed patrol and other assignments, when not at his “day job.”

In 2003, Andy left Bi-Tech Software and reported to Quantico, VA to attend the FBI Academy.  Upon completion of New Agent Training, Andy was assigned to the Los Angeles Field Office, where he worked as a Special Agent investigating bank robberies and gangs.  In 2007, Andy transferred to the Sacramento Division, Chico Resident Agency (RA), where he worked cases spanning all programs and violations which the FBI has jurisdiction.  During his career Andy has served on the Attorney General’s Protection Detail, been a firearms instructor, SWAT medic, pilot, behavioral analysis unit coordinator, an employee assistance peer, and continues to serve on the FBI’s national Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team.

In 2018, Andy promoted to Supervisory Senior Resident Agent, managing and overseeing the FBI offices located in Redding, Chico, and South Lake Tahoe; an area of responsibility which encompasses 17 of California’s 58 counties.

Andy has been married to wife Terra, a therapist, since 1992.   Their son Riley is a graduate of Pleasant Valley High School and California Baptist University.  Riley is married and an officer in the United States Marine Corps, currently training to be a pilot.  Daughter Maci also graduated from Pleasant Valley High School and California Baptist University.  She currently lives in Dayton Beach, Florida where she works as a Jr. High school math teacher.

For the past 15 years, founder and CEO of SheBuilds, Stefanie Olson, has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of home ownership. Her company prides themselves on providing stylish quality homes, 5 star communication and outstanding follow through. Stefanie has an eye for detail and extensive construction knowledge, she holds her General B contractors license as well as her real estates license and enrolled agents license and is an extremely involved mother of her three kids.  Her favorite part of the build process is breaking ground and seeing something go from nothing to a place where people create memories. Her mission along with building homes is to empower women to enter the construction industry or just feel comfortable changing their own light fixture. She Builds is a movement and something Stefanie hopes will outlive her.  Please check her out on Instagram at Shebuilds.homes to see all the team is doing. 

Rotary 2023 Birthday Party!!!

Come one, come all!  On January 24, 2023, we will be celebrating the unveiling of the new President Elect, Elect!  It will be held in the evening, so no noon meeting that day.

Bar opens at 5:30pm for spirits and gathering.  Spouses are welcome and encouraged to attend.  The dinner will be $17.00 for each person attending.

Little Birdie told me a lot of fun is in store, so please come and enjoy!  Rumor has it the 19^th Hole will be a blast!

Four!!!!!!

Bio for John Cowan

Guest Speaker for Tuesday, January 31, 2023

John Cowan retired after 36 years of teaching science. In Chico Unified School District, John taught at Bidwell Junior High School, Pleasant Valley High School, but the majority of his time at Fair View High School. John was Teacher of the Year at Anderson Valley High School in Boonville, California in 1986, a Rotarian Educator of the Year in 2011, and the CUSD/CUTA Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2021.

While a member of the Chico Area Flyfishers (CAF) for many years, John only stepped up to a more active role in CAF and fly fishing after retiring. His motivation for being more involved is not just to perfect his skills in fly fishing, but to contribute to the various community service, educational, and conservation projects that CAF is involved with.

John has a son, Eli, who is an engineering student at Cal Poly, SLO. He is also knows many Rotarians through the various social and community service projects with his girlfriend, Robin Bicocca.

Emily graduated from Chico State with her MSW in 2009. Shortly after, she joined the YFC team as a part time case manager at the 6th Street Center for Youth. She worked her way up to full-time, then Program Coordinator. In 2015 she started the HEART Program where she was program manager. Since 2018 Emily has been supervising HEART and the 6th Street Center. Emily is passionate about working with the unhoused and runaway youth population. She loves everything to do with Halloween and enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, and hanging with her cat, Mama.

6^th Street, a program of Youth for Change, has been operating in downtown Chico since 2008. We are a daytime service center for homeless and runaway youth between the ages of 14 and 24 years old.  6^th Street provides crisis intervention, 18 beds of Transition and Master Lease housing, basic needs such as food, clothing, shower and laundry, and assistance accessing social services. 6^th Street also provides outpatient mental health services, including therapy and counseling services, brief family counseling, conflict mediation and family reunification. For more information, please visit our website www.6thstreetcenter.org

Daniel Mauldin is the Head Coach of the North State Composite High School Mountain Bike Team and a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial. In 2010 he was asked if he would like to help coach a High School Mountain Bike Team and he said, “Heck No! Who would want to work with kids?” The following year he agreed to help and fell in love with the program, he has been coaching ever since. In 2016 he moved to Chico from the Bay Area. He met his soon to be lovely wife and her two boys, they were married in May of 2021. In 2019 he took over as Head Coach of the North State Composite MTB Team and co-leads the team with Kelly Haight as the Team Director. 

North State Composite is a high school and junior high school mountain biking team comprised of students from all over Butte County. They have had exponential growth of the team and this year have 120 young athletes and over 60 Licensed coaches across two managed teams. Their mission is to build strong Body, Mind, Character, and Community through the inclusive sport of interscholastic cycling. If you've ever been in Upper Park on a Tuesday or a Thursday night and saw a bunch of kids wearing black and blue jerseys, then you've meet some of their athletes. 

Leader in California’s legal cannabis retail sector, co-founding California’s most trusted cannabis retailer. Since 2018, Dodd has created Southern California’s leading retailer and highest equity retail brand, launching more new stores in California’s most competitive markets than any other retailer.

Under Dodd’s leadership, Sweet Flower has won California’s most competitive and most stringent limited license processes, and has been recognized for the strength of its community engagement and its industry leading diversity and inclusivity program.

Dodd is an experienced, hands-on operator and entrepreneur, driving Sweet Flower to over 100% annual revenue growth and assembling a best-in- class leadership team. Experienced cannabis industry founder, serial entrepreneur, M&A and corporate development expert, marketer and brand strategist.

Ali Meders-Knight - Executive Director – California Open Lands

 Ali Meders-Knight is a Mechoopda tribal member, mother of five, and traditional basketweaver based in Chico, CA. She has been recognized by the Mechoopda Tribe as a Master TEK practitioner, and works to form partnerships for federal forest stewardship contracting and tribal restoration programs on public lands. 

She has been a Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) practitioner for over 20 years, collaborating on environmental education and land restoration projects with Chico State University, the City of Chico, Tehama County Resource Conservation District, and more. She serves on the Tribal Relations Strategic Planning and Implementation committee for the US Forest Service in Region 5. 

In March 2022 she testified to the U.S. House of Representatives Environmental Oversight Subcommittee on the merits of TEK and Tribally-led workforce development to restore California forest resilience and address the problem of catastrophic wildfires. In 2009 she helped plan and establish Verbena Fields, a unique 17-acre interactive food forest and interpretive park in North Chico, to educate about the rich ecological heritage of the Mechoopda people through weekly community tending workshops.

Mike O’Brien has 34 years in Law Enforcement

Started career with the LA County Sheriff’s Department

Finished career with the Chico Police Department retiring as Chief of Police in June of 2020

Appointed Butte Inter-Agency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF) Commander in April of 2021

Taught policing at two universities and Butte law enforcement academy

Past member of the Board of Directors of the California Police Chiefs Association, and represented (9) Northern California Counties including Butte

Bachelor’s Degree from Chico State

Master’s Degree from Gonzaga University

Just finished an appointment as a Chico City Council Member (December 2022)

The Butte Inter-Agency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF) is a task force comprised of agents from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, Butte County District Attorney’s Office, Butte County Probation Department, California Highway Patrol, California National Guard and the Chico Police Department. It is administered by a Board of Directors comprised of Department heads from law enforcement agencies within Butte County. BINTF has two offices, BINTF North and BINTF South, to better address the diverse needs of the county.

Butte County received a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) designation in October of 2022. This competitive process is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) through the Executive Office of the President. Butte County was one of only five counties selected nationally (the only one west of the Mississippi) for this designation, and will bring invaluable resources into Butte County. 

Rear Adm. Piret is a native of Chico, California, and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Oceanography and master’s degrees in oceanography and meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, where he graduated with distinction.

At sea, Piret served aboard HMS Herald (H138) as operations officer, NATO transit helicopter controller, aviation officer, gunnery safety officer, and Warfare Department head during a deployment to the eastern Mediterranean. Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), he served as oceanographer, officer of the deck underway and command duty officer underway during a deployment with Commander, Carrier Strike Group 9 in the Western Pacific.

Ashore, he served as forecast duty officer at Naval European Meteorology and Oceanography Center, Rota, Spain; tactical hydrographic and meteorological officer at the Royal Navy School of Maritime Operations, HMS Dryad, Southwick, England; associate chairman of the Oceanography Department at the U.S. Naval Academy; deputy director of Operations for Expeditionary Warfare, Naval Oceanography Operations Command; executive officer, Naval Oceanography Opera­tions Command; deputy assistant chief of staff for Requirements, Programs and Assessments, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanogra­phy Command; arctic affairs officer for the Oceanographer of the Navy onboard the Chief of Naval Operations Staff; fellow to the Naval Command College Class of 2017, Naval War College’s Senior Officer International Program; executive officer, Naval Oceanographic Office; and chief of staff, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.

Piret commanded the Naval Oceanographic Office at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi. Previously he commanded Provincial Reconstruction Team Uruzgan in southern Afghanistan working alongside multinational and interagency partners in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and various unit and campaign awards.

Nicole Drummond is a native of Northern California. She was born in Humboldt County and has lived in Butte County for over 20 years. Nicole has been married for almost 20 years and is the proud mom of 2 boys, ages 6 and 15. 

Nicole is the first paid and current Executive Director at Chico Housing Action Team (CHAT), a grass roots, volunteer founded nonprofit organization that provides affordable rental housing options to homeless individuals. She is currently a member of the League of Women Voters of Butte County Social Policy Committee.

Nicole has a master’s in Leadership and Human Development from Pacific Oaks College and a bachelor’s in Child Development Administration from CSU, Chico. She has been in Human Services and nonprofit work for over 25 years, she has always been an active member of the community through volunteering for a variety of organizations. Nicole has developed and directed intervention programs for families who have a child with a developmental disability and worked in a variety of nonprofits settings that support families in need and advocate for youth in foster care. Nicole has dedicated her life to serving vulnerable populations.

Jenny Humphries been caring for patients at Enloe for 23 years. A lifelong Butte County resident, she was born at Enloe herself.

A graduate of Paradise High School, Jenny completed her prerequisite work at Butte College before acceptance in the CSU-Chico School of Nursing, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2002.

Jenny wanted to be a flight nurse since the age of nine when she distinctly remembers Enloe FlightCare landing across the street from her family’s home to provide care for a trauma victim. When Jenny was hired at Enloe she discovered that the Chief FlightCare pilot, Marty Marshall, was in fact the same pilot that had landed across the street from her childhood home all those years ago.

Prior to earning her nursing degree, Jenny began work at Enloe in 2000 as an EMT on a ground ambulance. She fell in love with prehospital care and upon completing nursing school was one of the first two new graduate nurses hired into the Neuro-Trauma ICU. After about a year, she transferred to the ER and later began her dream job as a Flight Nurse in 2006.

Jenny earned her master’s in business administration from Chico State in 2008, and credits her many mentors and supporters for giving her an opportunity to serve as the Assistant Nurse Manager in the Emergency Department, followed by the role of Nurse Manager of Nursing Support and Staffing.

In March of 2014, while a patient in Enloe’s Nettleton Mother & Baby Care Center, having just delivered her sweet daughter Emma, Jenny enjoyed a perfect view of the helicopter, watching FlightCare come and go throughout her stay. It was then she decided it was time to make her way back to FlightCare and EMS.

Jenny promoted to Chief Flight Nurse in November of 2014 and has been back “home” with FlightCare and EMS ever since.

Since returning to FlightCare, Jenny completed the Medical Transport Leadership Institute, a 2-year program through which she earned her Certified Medical Transport Executive (CMTE) certification.

Jenny enjoys teaching other flight nurses’ techniques such as ECMO transports, as well as patient simulation within the helicopter at the National Air Medical Transport Conference. She is an instructor with the Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association, instructing the Transport Provider Advanced Trauma Course.

She is currently Vice President of the California Chapter of the Association of Air Medical Services (Cal-AAMS). Over the last several years, she has taken on responsibility for MedCom, Enloe’s emergency dispatch center, as well as clinical oversight of ground ambulance operations.

After working alongside Marty Marshal for many years, Jenny was named Marty’s successor as EMS Director upon his retirement. In addition to her director role, Jenny remains Enloe’s Chief Flight Nurse.

When not at work, she enjoys spending time with daughter Emma, their chocolate lab Coco, and fishing any chance she gets.

Nicole Bateman has been the Executive Director for the past 10 years. As the Executive Director, she is responsible and accountable to the Board of Directors for the effective and efficient financial, operational, and administrative management of Habitat. She provides overall leadership for Habitat in accordance with the policies, objectives, and directions of the Board of Directors to promote the overall vision, direction, and mission.

Previously she worked with another local nonprofit that worked with adults with disabilities for 25 years and was their Executive Director. During her tenure there, she facilitated the remodeling of an old motel to permanently house people who had experienced homelessness and had a mental illness. This housing project included a vocational component, called Sensible Cyclery. She is a graduate of Chico State with a degree in Health and Community Services and was fortunate to stay living in this area.

Since working with Habitat, Nicole has overseen the construction of 23 new Habitat homes and witnessed the gratefulness and joy of these families achieving their dream of home ownership. Nicole was drawn to Habitat because she recognized how decent and affordable housing truly transforms lives.

Jenny Fales fills a newly created position, Development Manager, and is currently funded by a grant. This position has been created to sustain the resources needed to build up to 10 homes annually. Jenny manages all incoming gifts and the donor database, writes proposals and reports for grants and contracts, and oversees communications and media relations.

Jenny comes to Habitat with 25+ years of community development including grant writing and management, communications, and program development. In her previous job, she worked alongside the Butte County Department of Social Services for just under 2 months at the 2018 Camp Fire FEMA Disaster Relief Center. She heard and saw first hand the effects of this major disaster. As the year passed, she decided to put more of her work efforts into her local community.

Since working with Habitat, she has seen the many individuals, organizations, and businesses that support the Habitat mission. It is a blessing everyday to be a part of this making a difference work.

Julie Rentner is President of the Chico-based, statewide restoration nonprofit River Partners, whose mission is to create wildlife habitat for the benefit of people and the environment.  She has led the design and construction of hundreds of millions of dollars of river restoration projects across the largest rivers in California. Julie has developed and led stakeholder processes supporting the integration of flood control and ecosystem enhancement at the regional level, resulting in the development of several on-the-ground multi-benefit projects, as well as the creation of the Mid San Joaquin River Regional Flood Management Plan. She joined River Partners in 2008 as a Restoration Ecologist based in the San Joaquin Valley. She completed the California Agricultural Leadership Program in 2015 and serves as President of Reclamation District 2092. She received her BS in Forestry at the University of California, Berkeley and MS from the University of Hawaii, Manoa in Natural Resources and Environmental Management. 

                        Kylie Gonzalez is our ILP Program Coordinator. She started out as a                              Youth and Family intern in 2016 while attaining her bachelor’s in social                             work from CSU, Chico.

                          She then took a position as an ILP caseworker and fell in love with the                            program. After working as a caseworker for six years, she moved up                              to the coordinator position, which she has held for the past two years.

Kylie lived independently from the age of sixteen which she feels gave her a specific skill set that has come in handy when working with the teens in our program.

She is currently working on obtaining her master’s degree and is dedicated to expanding and constantly bettering our program

Chico Noon Rotary Sunday Funday Burrito Brunch.

Come brunch for a cause! Bring your kids, your neighbors, your grandma, and your friends—all are welcome at the Sunday Funday Burrito Brunch.

Join the Chico Noon Rotary on May 7th from 9 a.m.- Noon for a family-friendly morning of tasty easts and fun activities, including balloon animals, face painting, a petting zoo, a juggler, and maybe even a visit from a Disney princess!

Tickets include 1 breakfast burrito, coffee, donuts, and access to all activities. Alcoholic beverages will be available for separate purchase.

Buy tickets today—limited available!

We will have some incredible raffle prizes coming your way too!

Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sunday-funday-burrito-brunch-tickets-593448198537