Events

Janice Walker was born into a pastor's home, where from an early age she was
surrounded by love, discipline, hard work, and lots of visiting missionaries. She heard stories of the tremendous need for medical care and saw photos of poverty that never left her heart and mind. Her love for God and others started at that point. She wanted tomake a difference in the lives of others and serve wherever God led her.
After marriage, she became a military wife, as her husband David served in the Army for 9 years. In 1979 they moved to Chico and it truly became home. Janice is a mother of 2, grandmother of 5 and a great-grandmother of 4. Her husband David was an ENT head and neck surgeon in both Chico and Yuba City for many years.
In 2004, after volunteering to help a floundering medical project, Chico Project SAVE, which stands for Salvage Al Valuable Equipment, was turned over to her. Starting out of a 10x30 unit, that hadn't been opened in a year, it has become a thriving non-profit sending millions of dollars of unused equipment and supplies each year overseas as well as providing a staggering amount of equipment to local people in need.
She loves God, loves America, loves Chico, and loves people everywhere.

The Fire Chief’s job presents routine and emergency challenges every day. Preparation for emergencies requires far more time than does the actual response to those emergencies. In providing services to Chico, citizens, businesses, and visitors, a strong emphasis is placed on preventing emergencies before they happen. When prevention doesn’t work, the firefighters must be trained, equipped, and led in a way that minimizes death and injury, protects property, and preserves city resources.

The Fire Chief has to protect every firefighter’s life by making sure the Department’s employees are highly trained and use safe procedures. Along with the City Manager and City Council, the Chief assures that fire fighting vehicles are modern, safe, reliable, and well maintained. The Chief emphasizes the use of high technology personal protective equipment. The Chief manages the Department’s budget and recommends hiring highly qualified employees. The Fire Chief, working with the Fire Marshal and Inspectors, enforces the Fire Code, investigates fires for origin and cause, and provides public life safety education.

The Fire Chief works closely with the Police Department to provide 9-1-1 and dispatching services. He also works closely with the Public Works Department on the purchase and maintenance of fire apparatus and repair of fire stations. The Department has numerous mutual and automatic aid agreements with other agencies to provide fire, rescue, emergency medical, and hazardous materials response services.

No matter how well the Fire Department is currently doing, one of the most important tasks of the Fire Chief is to be sure that the Department is never satisfied with the status quo. The Chief encourages ways to improve training, is responsive to the public, and embraces new technology.

 

Most of us share a great deal in common with Lenn Goldmann, we came to Chico State and never left. While focusing his studies in art and art history, Lenn realizes how lucky he was to work with professor Ann Pierce who helped Lenn come up with a independent studio class in architectural rendering that was to be his greatest boost into what would become his future career. Professor Delores Mitchell, while studying with her in Florence Italy, took Lenn to task to paint one landscape watercolor a day outside. That adventure led to a lifetime love affair with painting. Both instructors taught Lenn the tools and techniques for helping others to see and imagine the world around them. While at Chico State, Lenn also met Chris, his wife of 47 years, and mother of their two daughters: Greer and Britta. Chris’ dad, Hank Currier, a lifelong Rotarian from Oroville, kindled Lenn’s respect for how significant service in Rotary could be, and very importantly, how to best cast a fly rod. Lenn’s fishing and hiking experiences continue to find expression in his current paintings that are always searching for new ways to combine water and light. Lenn considers himself lucky to come to Chico at a time where his ability as a architectural illustrator and designer gave him opportunities to work with previous generations of Chico’s finest: Steve Nettleton, Jim Normoyle, Ron Piret, Tom Dufour and Chuck Priddy and Darrell Stevens. The last 30 years have given Lenn many opportunities to return to the Santa Cruz Mountains, his home before coming to Chico. Lenn’s desire for artistic expression finds many outlets in the Monterey Bay area with “paint outs” where he will meet with other artists in a variety of interesting locations around the Monterey and Carmel area. Lenn is very proud to have his watercolors represented by Curated by the Sea Gallery in downtown Santa Cruz. Those of us in Rotary share with Lenn the love of Chico and all of its natural beauty, which we can see reflected in his art.

Mary Latimer is a registered nurse that has been working at Enloe Medical Center for 44 years. She has always had an interest in Enloe history which has earned her the unofficial title of Enloe Historian. Mary prides herself being an Enloe native and Enloe baby. She teaches all new employees once a month about how Dr. Enloe moved to Chico and started the hospital. Mary started her career providing patient care and mentoring new graduate RNs. She went on the be the charge nurse and clinical educator. After 19 years, Mary began teaching full time at the Education Center and later became the Director of Education. Currently she works in Utilization Management as a Clinical Documentation Specialist.

Tom Bahr was hired at the Chico Regional Airport on April 12, 2021 Mr. Bahr brings more than 11 years of aviation and airport experience to this position, including 11 years as a pilot. Mr. Bahr most recently worked for the City of Show Low in Arizona, where he served as Airport Manager. Previously, he was the Adjunct Professor of Aviation for Utah Valley University. He has also worked for Diamond Flight Center in Utah. Mr. Bahr earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Southern Utah University and a master’s degree in Aviation Management from the University of Nebraska. He is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives and the Arizona Airports Association. He is also a certified commercial pilot and an advance pilot ground instructor. Tom has a wonderful wife and two daughters.

Wine Tasting & BBQ dinner

SAX members and spouses

RSVP to Tom Hughes by October 12th

 

 

 

Kasey Reynolds is a local, downtown business owner with decades of involvement
within the Butte County community where she, her husband Mike, and their family call
home. Being fourth generation of the family business, Shubert’s Ice Cream & Candy,
naturally led Kasey to attending only local schooling and acquiring her unique life skills
as well as values of hard work from the beloved Chico community.
 Though she took over ownership with her brother Nathan just a decade ago, she has
been involved within the family business from an early age. Over the years Kasey has
been involved in and served on several boards, clubs, and service organizations. 
Currently the focus of her charitable time has been with the Omega Nu Sorority, which
largely focuses on causes benefiting women and children as well as providing
Scholarships to local High School Seniors continuing to college.
    Kasey and Mike have a large family of five kids, three grandchildren and two dogs.
Though most of her children are grown, she states that it is important to be active and
involved in our community because the decisions we make now influence not only our
own future but most importantly our kids’ futures.

Mark Roberts

District Rotary Foundation Chair 2023-2026

Past District Governor 2020-2021

Mark’s first encounter with Rotary was as a founding member and second president of the Rotaract Club at the University of San Francisco in the late 1970s.

After a 30-year hiatus, he joined the Rotary Club of Lamorinda Sunrise in 2009. He was club president during 2012-13.

Most of Mark’s career was in non-profit management, primarily fundraising, including at the University of San Francisco, Saint Mary’s College of California and California Shakespeare Theater. He retired at the end of 2018.

In Rotary District 5160, Mark was assistant governor for 2 years for the Lamorinda Fab 5 clubs. He held positions with District Rotary Foundation Committee. He was selected to the District Governor line in May 2018 and completed his year as DG on June 30, 2021. He is currently District Rotary Foundation Chair (DRFC).

Mark is a big wine and single malt Scotch guy. He is a history, old maps, gardening and car buff and is a lifelong SF Giants and 49ers fan.

His spouse, current District Governor Claire, is also a Lamorinda Sunrise Rotarian and past club president. They have been married 38 years and, after living in Orinda since 1993, moved to Danville in 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please meet at 1:30 pm at the City Plaza, the event starts at 2:00 pm.

We will pass out Rotary vests, assign you a corner, and take a group picture before sending you out.

Group social afterwords TBD. 

Parking passes for the lot at Chico Municipal Parking lot will be available.  Parking Lot Map

Biography for Mike DiGiordano Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of California District 15 Commander Mike is a retired Technical Sergeant (E-6) in the United States Air Force.

He joined the military as a law enforcement specialist in June 1975 and retired as the noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) of the Public Affairs Office at Beale Air Force Base. His retirement came at the direction of then Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Sheila Widnall, and at the request of Congressman Wally Herger for the purpose of joining the congressman as a congressional field representative (GS-14 equivalent) in his northern California district office. Mike’s first assignment was with the 100th Security Police Squadron at Beale. He was a patrol dog handler and specialized in explosive detection. He was later the NCOIC of the dog kennel supervising the use of drug detection dogs on the base. He then cross-trained into Public Affairs and was both the chief of community relations and media relations for the wing. He specialized in providing tours to all ages and groups, both locally and internationally, to the U-2 Dragon Lady and SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance missions. He was the media spokesman for the SR-71’s role in surveying the land around Mt. St. Helens after the eruption in 1980. Mike was selected to be part of the Headquarters 8th Air Force Public Affairs office at Barksdale AFB, LA. He was in charge of special projects and worked extensively with the annual bombing and navigations symposiums held each year at the base. He was part of the Space Shuttle Endeavor’s historic trip from Edwards AFB, CA back to “The Cape” in Florida via Barksdale piggy backing aboard a specially-equipped NASA 747. Mike attended the Newspaper Editor’s Course at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN, enroute to his next assignment at the 1605th Military Air Support Wing on the island of Terceira, in the Azores. There his base newspaper coverage included a visit by the Vice President George H. W. Bush and a hurricane that nearly destroyed the base. He earned several writing awards which aided in his selection to his next assignment. Mike left the Azores to become an editor for the Pacific Stars and Stripes in Tokyo, Japan. He also covered for vacationing bureau chiefs and was in Okinawa when the Marines finished their new harried pad on Ie Shima, a small island off the Motobu Peninsula on Okinawa. Ie Shima is where famed American journalist Ernie Pyle is buried. Mike returned to the United States stepping into the role of acting NCOIC at George AFB. CA, as units for the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing were deploying to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield. He was the military spokesman when aircraft from the 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron, led the fight into Baghdad on January 17, 1991 – the start of Desert Storm. He spearheaded numerous events honoring the spouses of deployed members to include Military Family Appreciation Day at Disneyland, securing tickets to the Orange Bowl, a Raiders game and several musical concerts for families of deployed members. He was also on the Air Force team for the Family Feud during Military Appreciation Week. He later deployed to Dhahran where he worked both public affairs and protocol functions. He stayed two rotations before returning home. George AFB closed on December 15, 1992, and after delivering video and photos of the closing ceremony to March AFB, CA, he returned to his first base at Beale. During a civic leader tour from Beale to Hill AFB and Nellis AFB, Mike was recognized for his abilities and was offered a position with Congressman Herger. There he stayed five years before moving out of the political arena. Mike retired from Chico Police Department in 2018 after more than 17 years as a community service officer where he helped revive National Night Out for the City of Chico. He worked primarily as a traffic collision investigator. He joined the VFW in October 2012 as a life member in Post 1555. He helped revive and head the Post’s Honor Guard. He is in his fourth year as the VFW CA District 15 Commander and currently the Post Sr. Vice Commander. He is married to his wife, Debbie, who is a life-long Chico resident. They have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. They belong to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge 423, and are members of the Chico Elks RVers. In his spare time he is a volunteer for the California Highway Patrol.

Ken Brummel-Smith, MD is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Geriatrics at the Florida State University College of Medicine. He founded and served as chair of the Department of Geriatrics from 2003 until 2015. He has been selected 16 times by his peers as a member of the “Best Doctors in America.” He was a member of the National Advisory Council on Aging for the National Institute on Aging and a Health and Aging Policy Fellow with the Senate Special Committee on Aging in Washington DC. He is a past-president of the American Geriatrics Society. He served on the Aging, Disability and Independence Forum of the National Academy of Medicine. He is the medical director of Florida Association of Homes for the Aged.

He graduated from the University of Southern California School of Medicine, did a residency in family medicine, and a fellowship at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. He retired from FSU in 2017 and is enjoying playing pickleball and hiking. He is very interested in community service, serving as the president of the Mt. Shasta Rotary Club, Board of Directors for the Mt. Shasta Recreation and Parks District, and is the USAPA Pickleball Ambassador for Siskiyou County. He continues to provide community education on health issues and consulting to medical schools on ethics, geriatrics and COVID. For 16 years he has served as the organizer of the annual medical mission trip to Filipinas, Panama for FSUCares.

 

Rotaract will be taking over the regular Chico Noon Rotary meeting on Dec 12th.Come and support Rotaract President Megan Page as she gives us an update of the Rotaract's activities!

Shane Romain is the Assistant Park and Natural Resurces Manager forPublic Works.

Started as a Park Ranger with City of Chico 16 years ago.

CSU, Chico Grad. Parks and Natural Resources Management

Resident of Chico since 1997. Native, San Mateo, Ca

Please hellp me welcome Shane!

 

 

 

Annual Review of the first half of this Chico Noon Rotary Club's year.

(Send in your photos for recognition, you know, he knows people!)

 

Steve Perez became Chico State’s 13^th president on July 1, 2023, after serving as the University’s interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. As president, he intentionally focuses on building and maintaining strong teams that will work hard every day to support the success of Chico State students, colleagues, and the region. 

Prior to coming to Chico State, Perez served as interim president from January to December 2022 at San Jose State University, where he kept the institution on an upward trajectory during a time of transition.  He was previously provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Sacramento State. Over his two decades of service to that university, he also served as associate professor, professor, assistant to the president for special projects, faculty athletics representative, interim dean for the College of Business Administration, and interim provost. During his time teaching, Perez taught macroeconomics at all levels, as well as econometrics, sports economics, labor economics, and mathematics for economists. 

Perez and his wife, Tanya, revived the tradition of the President occupying the Albert E. Warren’s Center, Julia Morgan house, at Chico State when they moved in last August.  In September, he shared the house with the community by hosting two open house events. Steve has been a member of the San Jose Rotary and worked to support his communities in multiple ways. He is especially fond of the time he spent coaching his two sons’ Little League teams.  

Meeting begins at 6:30 pm

Getting to know Ed Anderson Ed Anderson was born in San Diego and resided in various parts of the country while his father was serving as a recruiting officer. He and his family moved to Paradise, California in 1945 upon his father’s retirement from the Navy. He graduated from Chico High School in 1954, because at the time Paradise did not yet have a high school. Failing to pass the hearing examination after receiving both a Presidential and Congressional appointment to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1954. Following his honorable discharge in 1958, he enrolled in Chico State University and in 1963 received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. After graduation he worked for several years for the City of Chico before going to work for a local consulting firm. In 1972 he went into business with two brothers and formed the consulting firm of Rolls, Anderson and Rolls. He semi-retired from his firm in 1995, but continued to work for several communities as their consultant engineer up until 2022. He is now completely retired from Engineering, but occasionally writes reports regarding malpractice claims, for the State Board of Professional Civil Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists as a Technical Expert Consultant. For the past 21 years he has been participating in Rotary golf tournaments around the world and throughout the US. He became a member of the Chico Rotary Club in 1981, and was President in 1999. He has also served two terms as club secretary. He has been writing the weekly golf column 19 years for the Chico Enterprise Record. Most of his time is devoted to playing golf and research and writing books. He still carries a single digit handicap and has currently shot at or below his age 625+ times.

Christina Skaggs has been President of BCSAR since 2021.  Since that time she has brought all fundraising in house and started SOS (Supporters of SAR) unit to the team.  She is a Physician Assistant and loves wilderness medicine most of all. 

 

Dr. Scott Schumann - Bio Scott Schumann is the Director of Operations for Parks and Facilities at the Chico Area Recreation and Park District (CARD) . He holds a Doctorate in Recreation from the University of Utah and a Masters Degree from CSU Chico. Prior to coming to CARD, Scott spent several years overseas in Southeast Asia in various roles including Deputy Principal of one of the largest and fastest growing international schools in Singapore, Regional Head of Outdoor Education in Asia for the Cognita Schools Group, and Chief Program Officer (CPO) at The Jump Foundation, a global non-profit providing recreation experiences for international schools. He’s developed programs and facilities in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, and Nepal. He is a former University Professor, Outward Bound instructor, mountain guide, researcher, and author. While he has published widely in the field of Outdoor Education with particular focus on mechanisms of learning and risk management; Scott is relentlessly committed to providing opportunities for individuals to develop resilience, connection to nature, and a connection to their community through recreation. It’s the provision of recreational spaces and experiences that motivates him to the do the work at CARD. While serving at CARD since 2021, Scott has collaboratively implemented scores of park projects including the addition of 5 new parks into the CARD inventory (Husa Ranch, Hartley, Indigo, Emerson, and Rotary Centennial), Community Park pickleball expansion, improved basketball facilities, the new bocce court complex, 4 new playgrounds, and the 3M Chapman Park revitalization, in addition to functional improvements in facilities, utilities, and parks operational systems. When not in the parks you’ll catch him climbing, skiing, backpacking, and rafting with his partner, Dr. Joan Schumann who is the Principal at Wilson Elementary School in Gridley, and their two kids, Devi and Rowan.

Rotaract meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month.

Ms. Virginia L. Guleff Virginia Guleff was appointed the Superintendent/President of Butte-Glenn Community College District effective July 1, 2022. She was previously the Vice President of Instruction and Accreditation Liaison Officer for Butte College, where she oversaw all instructional programs including the economic and workforce development arm of the College as well as all accreditation activities, for six years. Virginia began in the California Community College System in 1986 as a tutor at De Anza College. She has served as a classified employee at De Anza College; a part-time faculty member, a full-time tenured faculty member, an ESL coordinator, and as Chair of English, Communication and World Language in the San Diego Community College District; Dean of CTE, Transfer and Basic Skills as well as Vice President of Education and Student Services at Mendocino College; and Vice President of Instruction at Solano College. President Guleff’s leadership at Butte College is focused on securing DEIA2 practices into the foundation of the College, starting with updating the mission statement; reinvigorating participatory governance; and working with the campus community to develop a new strategic plan.

John Waterman

I am on my fifth Rotary Club, Dixon, Davis, Paradise, Roseville, and Red Bluff. I am serving as President for Red Bluff this year. What a journey it has been. Red Bluff Rotary is the 5th largest club in the district. A very giving club, from the foundation to community projects, we are a classic club. We do a lot of fundraising, especially in April, but this year in May also. Our charter night is May 13th and dinner will be on May 18th, you are all invited. We are also having a golf tournament at Rolling Hills on May 17th, and you are invited to this also.