Events

Scott Dinits works as the Human Resources Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Valley, is the Director of Ability First Sports, and a trainer at the Butte College Training Place.  For over 22 years Scott has worked with school districts, community organizations, foundations and service groups, providing a variety of services.  Scott is dedicated toward inclusive programs for people with disabilities, families, veterans, and young people that need us the most.  Scott provides training and support to community based organizations, parent workshops, and expanded learning programs for youth development practices, Trauma Informed and Responsive Systems, Community Resiliency Practices, and organizational systems practices.  Getting outside for a bike ride or a hike, gardening with his family in their front yard garden and BBQing for friends, family and community are some of his favorite things to do.

Tim O’Connell is the Founder & Executive Chairman of Rescue 42, a 30-year-old international manufacturer of compact, rapidly deployable portable cell towers for AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and FirstNet in the US, and similar cellular networks in other countries. Rescue 42 also manufactures emergency stabilization and other specialty rescue devices for Fire Departments worldwide.

Tim, a long time member of the Rotary Club of Chico, is a graduate of Chico State University, a former Nuclear Engineer on Fast-Attack Submarines, a former CalFire firefighter, and just retired after 40 years as a Volunteer Firefighter with the Butte County Fire Department.

Tim has been married to Celia for 36 years and has two grown children.

Dr. Karin Lightfoot is a Registered Nurse who received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Cal State Bakersfield, her Master of Science degree in Nursing at Chico State, and her PhD in Public Health at Walden University. She also holds a Nurse Leadership Certification from Duke University.

Throughout her nursing career, she worked in obstetrics and public health nursing, specializing in maternal-child health and communicable disease control. She began teaching Nursing at Chico State in 2007 and served as Director of the School of Nursing for 6 years.

She retired in 2023 as Professor Emeritus and now volunteers as District 5160 End Polio Chair. Karin and her husband, Robb have four adult children and they have hosted exchange students from around the world, including a young lady from Taiwan last year through Rotary Youth Exchange. In their retirement, they also became Travel Advisors.

Melissa Schuster is a longtime Paradise resident, community advocate, former Town Council Member, occasional troublemaker, and — somewhat unexpectedly — a distiller. 

In what she cheerfully calls her “twilight-years career,” Melissa has become a self-described Distillerista at Burnt Barn Distilling Co., the Paradise craft distillery she founded with her husband, Cliff, following the Camp Fire. She’ll share the unlikely story of how fire, reinvention, a little stubbornness, and a whole lot of learning led to a new chapter — one that, fortunately, comes with bourbon.

Holly 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.  One of her current projects is located on Big Chico Creek, restoring fish passage in Iron Canyon.  Holly has lived in Chico for 24 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 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.  Gayland worked as a warden for 30 years before retiring.  For the past 15+ years he has served as a legislative appointee for the California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead. 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.