Stories
It was a busy night on Tuesday! Rotary After Dark(RAD) member Rick Grossman walked the club through Rotary International's Foundation. The Foundation is the core financial arm of Rotary International and supports our programs like Reading by Nine and Shoes for Little Souls. Our Blood Drive completed this evening as well, with 17 participants. Way to go Simi Sunset! We also celebrated the 2 year club anniversary for 2 members, Sam Rafeh and Josh Platten. Sam couldn't make it that night but we persuaded Josh to take a photo! In addition to celebrating RADster Brian Neiens's 40th birthday! Afterwards we had a guest speaker from For The Need Foundation to discuss their upcoming charity pickle ball tournament. All proceeds go to fund the projects and kids supported by this fine organization. |
September 10 meeting recapTuesday's meeting this week, club President Rob Sherman celebrated Rotary Club of Simi Sunset's Wayne Snyder and his wife Marilyn's 35th wedding anniversary! Congrats to the both of you! Our speaker that evening was Dr. Eldad "Dr. E" Einav. Dr E is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM), Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and an Active member of the Obesity Medical Association. Dr E spoke to us about the obesity epidemic, the increase in obesity through the decades, partially due to over processed foods, and their impact on humans. Then moved on to the revolution in weight loss with Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, also known as GLP-1 agonists. It was quite interesting to hear about these drugs and their impact on our health, even beyond their ability to help us lose weight. You just never know who will be speaking at a Rotary After Dark meeting! If you'd like to find out more about our evening Rotary club please visit www.simisunsetrotry.org or just stop by any Tuesday night at 7pm at the Wood Ranch Golf Club. All are welcome! #5240 #simivalley #rotaryinternational #rotary |
Service Club MonthIt's "Service Club Month" for the County of Ventura! Today Rotary Club of Simi Sunset's very own Mike Kort was in attendance as well as the Morning Club's Rotarian Savi Bhim who spoke about giving back to the community. We don't do it for the recognition but it is nice to be recognized for what we do. |
September 3rd Meeting recapTuesday was an exciting day as a new member was proposed for our club. Jaimee Roark was proposed by Jill Haney and the board approved in a special session held after our meeting. Our guest tonight presented a story of courage, endurance, and love. Cheryl Tsieprati told our club the story of her and her late husband Ismail's 30+ year battle with ALS(Lou Gehrig's disease) and how perseverance and an unwillingness to let a terrible disease keep you down lead them to many adventures throughout the world. Cheryl and Ismail co-authored a book about their life together and their battle with ALS. Their book, One Blink at a Time, can be found on Amazon if you'd like to pick up a copy. |
New Member ProposalA new member was proposed to the board of directors at our meeting last night. Jill Haney proposed Jaimee Roark (small business owner).The board of directors approved the proposal on September 3rd, 2024.
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A President's First MeetingWelcome to a new year of Rotary! That's right, we kicked off our new year with a new President, Kelley Gilliland....no wait, that was us pranking our very real new President Rob Sherman! In our first meeting of the year we showed our love for our President with casual dress and casual competition. Even last year's President couldn't keep away and joined via Zoom while on a beach vacation! Each year Rotary Int'l has a theme and this years theme is The Magic of Rotary, and in that tradition our new president brought a real magician to Tuesday's meeting. With Simi Sunset Rotary you never know what's going to happen, but it is always fun! |
Board nominations 2024-2025Our current President Elect, Robert Sherman, nominated candidates for his upcoming Board of Directors as follows:
Please join us in welcoming our 2024-2024 Simi Sunset Rotary board!
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SHOES FOR LITTLE SOULSShoes for Little Souls is a community service project hosted by the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset in partnership with Kohl's Department Store in Simi Valley. The goal is to help homeless (or at risk) families get back-to-school clothing for their children. Children who will be able to feel better about themselves when they return to school next month. The community also comes together to support parents in difficult times.
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New Member Proposal - Desiree HintzA new member was proposed to the board of directors during the July meeting. Brian Neiens proposed Desiree Hintz. The board of directors approved the proposal. |
MOORPARK COLLEGE ATHLETICSMoorpark college athletics department presenting us all the new opportunities available for the community and updating us with all the sports programs the college offers for future students.
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Acorn Reports on Simi SunsetHuge shout out to the Simi Valley Acorn for including an article about our clubs’ allocations meeting. |
AllocationThis week our club celebrated "Allocations Week". This is where our club gives monies to the different 501c3 that make we feel make the biggest difference to our community. This year was extra special as this year we were able to raise more funds that we ever have as a club. Such a great night to see many of the "Movers and Shakers" of our town all together in the same room. Thank you all who were able to attend and thank you all for everything you do on a daily basis to make Simi Valley a community that we all love to live in. Honored were: Southeast County YMCA 99.1 The Ranch Simi Valley Police Foundation Boy Scout Troop 698 For the Need Moorpark College Foundation Cancer Support Community Valley Free Clinic of Simi Valley Girl Scout Troop #65436 Marcelle Erian Cancer Foundation Body Brain Train Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10049 Samaritan Center Community Action of Ventura County #Rotary #rotaryclubofsimisunset #rad #simi #simivalley |
For The TroopsComing off Memorial Day our club had a 5th Tuesday where the club is normally dark. We chose to come together and spend some time to make our service men and women's lives a little nicer by packing boxes at For the Troops. These boxes are shipped world wide to members o the armed forces that are stationed away from home.
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Veterans Memorial WallHonoring those that gave their all this weekend. The Rotary Club of Simi Sunset assisted in the unveiling of the new Veterans wall at the El Rancho Simi Pioneer Cemetery that our club partnered with to rebuild. Moving experience to be a part of such a honorable activity. #Rotary #rotaryclubofsimisunset #rad
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PTA Honorary Service AwardsSimi Valley PTA presents the Honorary Service Award to the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset
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Operation WarmThe Rotary Club of Simi Sunset partners with Operation Warm to fulfill the needs of over 300 of our local children in need.
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Dr. Sevet Johnson CEO if Ventura CountyHad an educational meeting this past week learning about the county of Ventura from our County CEO, Dr. Sevet Johnson. So much information about the county was packed into our meeting. Love being a part of Rotary for the learning possibilities. #RAD #Rotary #SimiSunsetRotary #simisunset #rotaryafterdark
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Brian Talks Parks and MoreBrian Dennert talked Parks and Recreation and more.
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Peace Through Rock PaintingSimi Rotary clubs step closer to peace through the painting of rocks.
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Paul Harris Fellows and BINGOShort but sweet meeting this week. Cynthia Conway was presented her Paul Harris Fellow(PHF) +1 and Mike Kort led us in a game of Rotary BINGO. |
Operation WarmOperation Warm works with youth and schools to provide shoes and jackets to those in need.
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Harps and HappinessFirst meeting of the year in the books and already so much going on. New speakers, Music, Blue Badges and Paul Harris Fellows...
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Pumping Goodness into the WorldKicking the year off right the three clubs in Simi Valley all joined together to bring the community for a much needed resource. Blood that flows through your body is always needed and when Rotary was asked we delivered.
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Holiday ReflectionAs the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset wraps up 2022 we loop back to all the great things were were able to accomplish and to those who's lives we have touched. This is why we do the things we do. Just to make the world a little of a better place and to bring smiles to those around us. Happy Holidays from our club to you,
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Bike BuildRotary at work for the under privileged youth in Simi.
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Spark of LoveWow, Just Wow.... Under the direction of our president Mike Kort we took the lead in one of the coolest toy drives I have ever seen.Groups from all over Simi and people just wanting to give joined the call to offer up their support to those in need. The sky opened up with a little moisture as the community opened their hearts on December 10th as we received so much support that we needed to take three trips to the donation drop off.
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Neiens Joins the Club |
Speaker with a one, two punchOur wonderful president Mike Kort was out sick and we were lucky enough to have our very own past president Stephanie Sieminski fill in. Our speaker for the evening was 2 time golden glove boxer Alicia Doyle. She took us through her path on becoming a boxer and later a celebrated author.
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Motors and MoreClassic bikes and cool riders made such a great day.
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Vocational and PHFAndrew shared Rotary with his wife Suzanne and Mark and Ryan spoke about their professions. Gurren Hovhannisayan and Maggie Kestly have both been proposed for membership and this is their second week of being published. |
Guide Dogs of AmericaAnytime I can hang out with my extended family and dogs I count that as a fun night. |
Big Brothers and Big SistersAmber Landis with Big Brothers and Big Sisters spoke with us last night.
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Chuckin' the AxWith Roraty comes fellowship and with fellowship comes SOCIALS....
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Beer Fest is a Success |
We Are Growing |
2022 Allocation MeetingIt was allocation time at our meeting last Tuesday. This is the payoff for a years worth of fundraising where our club gives money to local non-profit organizations. Giving back to your community is something many people think about but aren’t really sure where to start or how to make an impact. Rotary Club of Simi Sunset is a local organization that can help Simi Valley residents connect to their community and make a real difference. |
Simi Sunset Demotion 2022Last Saturday was a big night for the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset The Rotary Club of Simi Sunset. It was our annual recognition for the outgoing club president and recognition awards for club members. |
2022 Johnna's Tea Party wrap-upRotary Club of Simi Sunset Presented Johnna's Tea Party last weekend. Click here to view a fantastic video of our event! |
Board nominations 2022-2023Every year, at this time, the presidential nominating committee (all active Past Presidents) get together and nominate a candidate to be the President Elect Nominee for the following year. Tonight it was announced that Bill Saunders is their proposed candidate for President Elect. Also, our current President Elect, Mike Kort, nominated candidates for his upcoming Board of Directors as follows:
Please join us in welcoming our 2022-2023 Simi Sunset Rotary board! |
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New Member ProposalA new member was proposed to the board of directors at our meeting tonight. Sally Tomniczak proposed Floyd McCrary(Construction). The board of directors approved the proposal. |
9/11 Tribute - Thank youThe Rotary Club of Simi Sunset would like to thank the community for coming out and participating in our remembrance of the victims of 9/11.
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9/11 Tribute - Donations to 9/11 organizationsThe Rotary Club of Simi Sunset would like to inform the community that we are also raising funds for America's 911 Foundation Inc. Please contact mkort@simisunsetrotary.org for more information. Businesses, or community members, may sponsor a banner at the tribute event for a donation of $50 or more. The banners will be hung at the tribute event. You may remove the banners after the event if you would like to display it at your office or home. All proceeds will go to America's 911 Foundation Inc. The banner is 12" x 36" with grommets.. The banner can be personalized with a company logo, or an individual, with whatever they would like to have say on it. All content must be approved by The Rotary Club of Simi Sunset. Please reach out to mkort@simisunsetrotary.org if you are interested in donating to 9/11 charities with a banner sponsorship. |
9/11 20th Anniversary TributeThis September 11th marks the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. The Rotary Club of Simi Sunset will be hosting a tribute to the 9/11 victims this year at the Veterans Plaza located at Lemon Park in Simi Valley. Starting at 8:45am we will be honoring the 2,977 victims by reading their names and ceremoniously placing a flower for each in the Veteran's Pool. We welcome all community members to come out and remember the victims, heroes, and first responders from that terrible day. We recommend those attending bring their own chairs and blankets. We are looking for volunteers to participate! If you would like to participate in the reading of the names please fill out the form found here: https://forms.gle/tSvUd7VpHr3Re73VA We are now accepting donations for banners to fly at the event. All proceeds will go to America's 911 Foundation Inc. Please click here to see how you can dontate: https://simisunsetrotary.org/Stories/9-11-tribute-donations and contact mkort@simisunsetrotary.org for more information. |
2021-2022 Board NominationsEvery year, at this time, the presidential nominating committee (all active Past Presidents) get together and nominate a candidate to be the President Elect Nominee for the following year. Tonight it was announced that Mike Kort is their proposed candidate for President Elect. Also, our current President Elect, Stephanie Sieminski, nominated candidates for her upcoming Board of Directors as follows:
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Various Community Projects by Simi SunsetLike everyone else this year, COVID has thwarted a lot of planned Events/Fundraisers for Simi Sunset. But that doesn't mean we stop giving back and providing service above self. Especially during the Holiday season! It's time to regroup, rethink, and restrategize! People are still in need and our community still needs support. Take a look at the following projects our club completed in just the last month. If you find yourself wanting to participate, get in touch with our Club, our Club Service Chair, and/or our Community Service Chair. We are always looking for like-minded people and always available to support our community. www.SimiSunsetRotary.org |
A Very Krispy Kreme ChristmasA Very Krispy Kreme Christmas! Our club is bringing Krispy Kreme to Simi Valley. Pick some up for your family. Pick some up as gifts. This is a perfect gift idea for our First Responders. How many dozens do you want? ORDER HERE!
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Senior Center Holiday Food DriveOn December 12th, our Club will be having a food drive for the benefit of the Simi Valley Senior Center. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many seniors are experiencing the challenges of not being able to acquire the needed food during this upcoming holiday season. Please come by the Senior Center and drop off any non-perishable items from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm on the 12th. Or if you are unable to on this date, you may drop off food items at The Junkyard Cafe or City Printing at anytime. You may also call or text us and we will be happy to pick up (see the flyer for details). Thank you and please share this. |
Bar-Side Chat - Book ClubWe had our first ever Bar-Side Chat about a book that a number of our members got to read. The book of choice to start us off: Seed Folks by Paul Fleischman. It was a quick book about people coming together from all walks of life and making extraordinary things. Much like Rotary! It was great to hear different points of view. This "book club" discussion could be a trend at Simi Sunset. Even the bell showed up on Zoom!
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Monica White - Food ShareMonica White, President and CEO at Food Share of Ventura County joined us to explain how Food Share distributes millions of pounds of healthy food every year. She is looking for help with donations, volunteering, gleaning, and food drives. Learn more at Food Share's website: www.FoodShare.com
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Election Day at The End of the RoadInstead of our traditional meeting, we had a social to watch the election day proceedings. It's not like we needed an excuse to hang out at the bar at The End of the Road.
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Mike Kort - People of ActionMike Kort, member and Club Service Chair of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset, took action at our local Samaritan Center. One of their two dryers broke down and they couldn't afford to repair. Mike found a dryer on Simi Exchange, bought it, hauled it, removed the old unit and installed the new one. The Samaritan Center was appreciative and stated that the machine works great. Mike did all this on his own and gave Simi Sunset the recognition. That is service above self. That is INSPIRATION!
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Peter Thommen - Systems EngineerSystems Engineer, Peter Thommen, from Northrop Grumman gave us a brief lesson on satellites. Peter started his career as a software engineer in 1976 and is currently lead engineer of the team that tests software that flies satellites as space vehicles. Peter shared some stories and fun facts about how satellites work and what they do when they are no longer in commission.
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Dr. Michaela Reaves - History ProfessorOur second (and 3rd) in-person speakers of 2020! It's getting better all the time! Another great turn out for our speakers this evening. First, immediate Past District Governor, Savi Bhim spent a little time to give praise to club members that were on her District Staff last year. Congrats to Jill Haney, Maryann Fiore Hopkins, and Richard Grossman for all their hard work. Savi also presented ALL of them with a Paul Harris Fellow -- the highest honor in Rotary. It is well deserved! To end the evening, our speaker, Dr. Michaela Reaves, History Professor from Cal Lutheran, gave us a fun look at badly behaving US Presidents.
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Blue Thin WineWe had a great in-person turnout as we Zoomed with Dave & Michele Harrington, Owners of Thin Blue Wine Cellars. They provided a few bottles for all of us to taste as they described their wine and how Thin Blue Wine was created. Dave is a retired Sherrif's Sergeant and Michele is a Marine corps vet. Together they share their passion for wine by selling some pretty tasty bottles. A portion of all sales is donated to Support families of fallen officers and Marines. We had a great evening. To place an order, visit: www.thinbluewinecellars.com
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Rocky Rhodes - International Coffee ConsultantOur first live speaker in 2020-2021! We were honored to have fellow Rotarian and International Coffee Consultant, Rocky Rhodes, join us in person. He shared some stories about a recent project in Myanmar and other fun journies. His knowledge of coffee is mind blowing and he's a great speaker!
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Club Social - Tarantula Hill Brewing CompanyA club social!!! It's been a rough half year not being able to catch up with fellow club members. But socializing is what Simi Sunset does best and we easily fell back into the swing of things. We met up at Tarantula Hill Brewing Company in TO where they provided more than enough space, huge tables, food, and excellent beer. Hopefully, there are more of these in the near future! |
Tony Freinberg - Edendale StrategiesWe zoomed with Tony Freinberg, Founder of Edendale Strategies. Edendale Strategies is a consulting firm, focused on communications council and crisis management. Their clients include Fortune 100 companies and famous artists (actors, directors, musicians, etc.) Tony shared some interesting stories about how he helps his clients convey their message effectively.
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Ken Craft - Hope of the Valley Rescue MissionKen Craft, CEO of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission Zoomed with us to tell us a little about the non-profit organization. Hope of the Valley's mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger and homelessness. It is their intent to provide hope, hot meals, housing, health services, and healing. They believe that everyone deserves a second chance. There are many ways to get involved, in particular, donations and volunteering are welcome. To get more information or to contact them, please visit their website: HopeoftheValley.org
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Kelly Behle - Simi Valley Public LibraryKelly Behle, Library Director at the Simi Valley Public Library gave us an update on how they are accommodating the public and students during quarantine. Especially since school is back in (online) session. The Library is providing curbside pickup. The public can now put items on hold and pick them up at the library. We also learned that their online library service, Hoopla, has an even broader selection.
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Deb Linden - Rotary District GovernorOur District Governor, Deb Linden, and Group 5 Assistant Governor, Dylan Gunning gave us a visit to see how we run things. Both of them dropped some knowledge on us and encouraged us to keep pushing forward during COVID. Congrats to Mike Kort for being presented with a District 5240 People of Action Award by our DG. You truly deserve it!
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Support of a Local Wish KidThe Rotary Club of Simi Sunset was asked by Make-A-Wish to support a local Simi Valley resident. Joey fell into a swimming pool when he was 18 months old. The accident dramatically changed his and his family's lives. Now at the age of 15, he suffers from a nervous system disorder which has left him confined to a wheelchair. He can communicate through a tablet and with smiles and noises. His wish... An adaptive swing! Many wish kids avoid large groups during COVID-19 as it could put their health at risk. Having this swing would allow him to enjoy being outside with his family. |
Scott Mosher - Boys & Girls ClubScott Mosher, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark/Simi Valley, joined us at yet another hybrid meeting. He discussed the services that the Boys & Girls club are currently offering during quarantine and the challenges they are overcoming. |
Bill Saunders - El Rancho Simi CemetarySimi Sunset Club Member, Bill Saunders, owner of WJ Saunders Insurance right here in Simi Valley, delighted us with being a speaker! Bill is also the Board Chair for El Rancho Simi Cemetery (Pioneer Cemetery) -- the first recorded cemetery in Simi Valley. Established in 1890, Bill says there is a section devoted to Pioneers and their families. Bill was proud to mention that since he's been involved with the Cemetery their financial position and grounds have been improving. It was great to learn a little about Simi's history. |
Brian Reed - Simi Valley Chamber of CommerceOur first official "hybrid" meeting. Those who wanted to attend in person, met at 'The End of the Road' while the rest continued with the video meeting. Our speaker was Brian Reed, Board Chair for the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce and Manager at Simi Hills Golf Course. Brian updated us on how the Chamber operates and our members, of course, asked questions about Simi Hills. |
Angel Sierra - Simi Valley Senior CenterWe just had a packed meeting! First...Some of our members piloted a socially distant gathering at one of their homes. They were able to join the meeting remotely while bonding (read: testing beer). We shall see if this takes on a bigger role in our future. Next, we had Trevor Cordova present his Eagle Scout project to the club. Trevor is a very well spoken and organized individual that plans to improve the Simi at the Garden location with a memorial for US Veterans! We will provide details for how to help his cause in another post. Lastly, we had Angel Sierra, President of The Simi Valley Senior Center, come explain how the center has been utilized over the last few months during COVID. With it's large facility they've been able to obtain and provide meals for the elderly. One program, the Senior Share Program, packages meals for eligible seniors for pickup on a weekly basis. Another, their Meals on Wheels program delivers meals to those who are physically unable to pickup or are practicing social distancing. The Senior Center is in need of help! If you are so inclined to volunteer, please call (805) 583-6363
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Sylvie Belmond - Simi Valley AcornSylvie Belmond, Editor for the Simi Valley Acorn gave us a quick update as to how The Acorn operates and how she selects editorials on a weekly basis.
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Frank Martinez - San Fernando BrewingThis is a first! We got to virtually tour San Fernando Brewing Company (@sanfernandobrewingco )!!! Our Club Service Chair, Mike Kort organized a virtual tour with Frank Martinez at the brewery. Mike even took orders and delivered beers to the club. As we learned all things hops and grains at the brewery, we were also able to taste the product.
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Brian Gabler - City ManagerPresident Markus did well for his second meeting. Organized and with a presentation. Quite the recovery, well done! Our speaker was Simi Valley's City Manager, Brian Gabler. It's always a pleasure to hear from him about city updates. He elaborated on COVID and a couple new businesses opening up soon. It appears that Amazon will utilize a new building in Central Simi for storage and shipping. Brian says that should bring in quite a few new jobs. Thanks for spending the time, Brian!
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Mark's First MeetingThe New President's first meeting never goes as planned in Simi Sunset. While they try to conduct a true meeting, the club has a different agenda. Immediate Past President Joey planned for shenanigans. While Prez Mark thought we were struggling to get online (to the Zoom meeting), we all changed our names to "Reconnecting..." and a bunch of us went to the Birdie Bar to have some food and drinks. While there, Mark tried to get some words in, but the sounds of horns, birds, "elk calls," and the newly established chant, "Markus," were too overpowering. A couple times Mark was "muted" by the Zoom host so the club can talk about other things. Somehow, Mark was able to share his slideshow, but he was promptly removed from the Zoom meeting. He eventually made it to the Birdie Bar, showing off his, "where are my paaaants?" garb. We gave him a warm welcome and tagged his truck. As Mark said, we showed him nothing but love. It's gonna be a great year, Mark! Good planning Joe and Mike!
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Suprise Last MeetingTrying to stay true to form... We couldn't exactly plan for a Simi Sunset Demotion the way we wanted during COVID, so we did the next best thing... Planned a prank online meeting on his birthday (with a special speaker) where our now Past President, Joey, waited for us to get on the call. After waiting a while we all did a drive-by with signs, decorations, and water balloons. We will get our demotion in when this is all over. This is just the beginning.
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Allocations Meeting 2020We had a great turnout for one of the best meetings of the year... Our Allocations Meeting!
By the end of the Rotary Year (June 30th), our club donates all the funds we have raised from our events to local organizations and charities. This is what Simi Sunset is about--giving back to our community. We invite representatives from each organization that will receive our donation to present a small speech about what their organization does and how our donation helps. Some of the organizations that we donated to this year: BACA (Biker's Against Child Abuse) Free Clinic of Simi Valley Moorpark College foundation Royal High School Wrestling Team Moorpark College Athletics |
Robert Brill - Simi Valley Police DepartmentRobert Brill, Deputy Chief at Simi Valley Police Department came to educate us on the precautions that the Simi police are using to keep both the public and the officers safe during the COVID 19 pandemic. He also informed us about the local protests and rallies that have peacefully occurred here with the cooperation of the attendees and the police.
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New Member ProposalA new member was proposed to the board of directors during the June meeting. Jill Haney proposed Marin Kakachev. The board of directors approved the proposal. |
Jason Peplinski - Simi Valley Unified School DistrictDr. Jason Peplinski is the Superintendent for the Simi Valley Unified School District. He came to talk to us about the school year 2020-2021 during the pandemic. This was a very important meeting to attend for so many of our club members that have children or family members attending school. Dr. Peplinksi and his staff are working very hard to answer many parents' concerns over how they will continue schooling. So far they have several options that they are weighing. With changes in regulations happening every day, it seems Dr. Peplinski and his staff are always on top of communications to families with new updates. Thank you Dr. Peplinksi for all you are doing!
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Amy Corneau - Simi Valley Chamber of CommerceAmy Corneau, Director of Member Relations for the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce joined us yesterday to update us on all things new at the Chamber and how they are handling COVID. They've updated their website and have valuable information about what businesses and restaurants are open during the pandemic.
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Eric Harrison - United WayEric Harrison is the President & CEO of United Way of Ventura County. Also a fellow Rotarian! United Way's mission is to improve lives by inspiring and mobilizing the caring power and resources of our community. Eric came to talk to us about the current state of homelessness in Ventura County. Especially during these trying times.
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Dr. Cynthia ConwayOur speaker last night was our very own Dr. Cynthia Conway. She is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy at Kids Connection Development Therapy Center. She treats clients from birth to 21 years of age with various developmental disabilities. Dr. Cynthia gave us a brief rundown of how she operates, how her business is growing, and some success stories with her patients. For those that were in attendance, it was quite clear how passionate she is about her job. Very inspiring!
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Jennifer Swenson - President & CEO Adventist Health Hospital in Simi ValleyAnother great turnout last night as we listened to Jennifer Swenson, President & CEO Adventist Health Hospital in Simi Valley. She gave us an update on how COVID-19 has affected the hospital.
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Amy Dodd & Jason Love - ComediansIt was a Happy Cinco de Mayo! Some of us dressed appropriately and celebrated with margaritas. To top it off, we had two guest comedians join us, Amy Dodd and Jason Love. Their segments were hilarious! We must applaud them for doing so well. It must be hard to have their punchlines delivered through video chat. Both did amazing and for our biggest Zoom attendance yet!
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Captain Bill D'antuono - Offshore NaplesAnother great meeting last night! Captain Bill D'antuono, Dive Master and owner of Offshore Naples came to talk about Fishing, Spearfishing, and Diving. If you are thinking about booking a trip to Florida, consider taking his charter. For more info, check out his site: offshorenaples.com
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Jim Siegrist - iBreakThroughWeek 4 Zoom Session with a Speaker! Jim Siegrist (@siegristjim), Chief Revenue Officer of iBreakThrough came to talk about how this technological consulting firm does virtual events. So needed, especially in these challenging times.
If you know a member and would like to attend these meetings as a guest, feel free to reach out! |
Online Bingo!We are getting the hang of this. Our 3rd Zoom session was our largest. Complete with flag salute, invocation, happy bucks, announcements, and our program: Online Bingo! Take that COVID! We plan to mix in program Speakers in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for announcements.
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Senior Center Share ProgramDuring the COVID-19 "shelter in place" restrictions, members of our club still took the time to provide service where needed. Our Community Service Chair, Mike Kort, met with the Simi Valley Senior Center to help with their Senior Share Program. A program that sorts and distributes food to seniors that qualify. This is especially needed for those that can't get out during the Pandemic. Our volunteers were careful with the social distancing and wore masks. This will be an ongoing project to help those in need during these challenging times. THANK YOU TO ALL THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED!
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Utilizing Zoom to Conduct BusinessSimi Sunset doing our best to take care of business as usual. With Zoom we were able to get through our announcements and held our first annual Trivia Night. The "Meeting After the Meeting" is still in full effect. One thing is clear... This club has love for eachother!
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New Member ProposalA new member was proposed to the board of directors at our meeting last night. Richard Grossman proposed Anica Barbosa (Health Services). The board of directors approved the proposal. |
Joshua Kort - Eagle Scout ProjectDespite the pandemic, a number of us met up at a member's house to conduct business as usual. We utilized some technology to hangout with a few more via video conference. I must say, we adapted quite well and quickly. Quite the Rotary Moment if you will. We had a great speaker! Joshua Kort presented his Eagle Scout Project. His father, Mike Kort, a member of our club and the rest of his family was present. Joshua's presentation was received very well. He is looking for assistance, for items listed in his presentation, and monetary donations. If you are inclined to donate, please Contact Us. |
District Governor Visit & Vocational Award CeremonyEvery year we are delighted by a visit from our District Governor. This year proved no different as our DG, Savi Bhim, graced us with her presence and gave us a motivational speech about Rotary and our District. In usual fashion, we also like to have our distinguished guest present while we present some amazing awards. This time, our Vocational Service Chair, Paula Miller, presented awards to three outstanding individuals. The recipients were:
We wanted to recognize these professions and these exceptional people who serve to protect our community’s lives, homes, businesses and prepare our children for the future.
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Reading By Nine 2020The Rotary Club of Simi Sunset recently did their annual Reading By Nine community project. The event took place on Monday, March 9th, 2020 at Crestview and Parkview Elementary Schools in Simi Valley. This long time community project started with the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset getting a Rotary grant to help fund the purchase of hundreds of books for an elementary school. This year's club Community Service Chair, Mike Kort, coordinated with Simi's Unified School District to find out which elementary school had the most need for new books. For the second time in a row, the combined donations from the Simi Sunset Club and Rotary Grants helped provide enough books for TWO schools. Mike then coordinated with the schools to plan a day where Rotarians can deliver the books to several classrooms, possibly read a story or two, and get the children excited about reading. One of Rotary's key causes is to support basic education and literacy. Both schools were excited about this project. Mike said, "the teachers and the principals were very appreciative and the kids enjoyed being read to." The experience of reading in front of these students and watching their faces light up with eagerness to hear more is quite rewarding. In most cases, the students can't wait to see all the new books they've received. The end result... 557 books were delivered to 2 schools. Over 300 kids and teachers benefited this year! Many thanks to Schwabe books for their participation and allowing all books to be 50% off to the schools. Thanks to Simi Unified School District for helping us coordinate this project on a yearly basis. And of course, all the Rotarians and volunteers for their help in selecting, delivering and reading the books to the students. |
Group 5 Dinner - Bob MillerMembers from all five Rotary Clubs in Moorpark and Simi Valley meet once a year to share projects and listen to a great speaker. Our distinguished speaker was Hall of Famer, Bob Miller, Sportscaster for the LA Kings! |
Patty Mullins - Make A WishPatty Mullins is the CEO of Make A Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties. Make A Wish grants wishes to children who are battling life threatening medical conditions. Patty's chapter was founded in 1985 and has granted the wishes of more than 1,750 local children between 2 1/2 - 18 years of age. They serve Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Patty believes that the wishes that are granted are game-changers for these children and she shared many of their touching stories.
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Jeremy Jensen - JJJBeesJeremy Jensen was a very delightful and passionate speaker about his business, JJJBees. His company was founded in 2010 as a result of the rapid decrease of bees in captivity, over the last decade. The importance of saving the bees has been the primary motivation for the company and its continued growth. Since its foundation, the company has grown to 200 hives. Jeremy provided excellent insight as to how bees exist in nature and how they behave. He also provided us all with a taste of honey. Nice touch!
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Amanda Wilson - National Immunization DaySimi Sunset club member, Amanda Wilson, shared her recent experience on a National Immunization Day (NID) trip to India. NID is a yearly activity that usually consists of Rotarians from all over the world heading to India for a couple weeks where planning committees organize strategic teams that conduct door to door immunizations. The goal... to End Polio Now! During the door to door immunizations, Rotarians provide drops for children to help their bodies become immune to the virus. Amanda shared that 170 - 172 million children were immunized in one day. Our district, along with our club, helps to support members that would like to go. Our District NID Coordinator, Anil Garg (also present this evening) has been on over a dozen NID trips to aid our district team in India. |
Patti Braga - Ventura County Leadership AcademyPattie Braga is a Director at the Ventura County Leadership Academy. Much like Simi Valley Leadership provided by Simi Chamber of Commerce, the Ventura County Leadership Academy connects and cultivates a diverse network of passionate, capable leaders through an immersion in both critical issues shaping Ventura County and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Pattie came to tell us all about it.
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Interact ClubTonight's meeting was led by the Interact Club at Santa Susana High School. Simi Sunset's Charter. Interact is the stepping stone into Rotary. They hold their own meetings, have a board of directors, and plan community events. These kids are our future and we couldn't be prouder. |
Gregory L Davis - NASAGregory L Davis is the Principal Technologist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. He came to speak to us about the how the lab came to be and what it's doing currently. More importantly, he talked about the rovers and other devices that they've sent to Mars and the data they are collecting. He was very excited to announce that there is an upcoming mission to land another Rover in July of this year. For those who are interested, you can watch JPL building this rover live on YOUTUBE.
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John Loprieno - Performing Arts at Moorpark CollegeJohn Loprieno is an American actor and writer and has appeared in many TV shows and soap operas. John also happens to be the Department Chair for the Performing Arts program at Moorpark College. John had many inspirational things to say about his career, how he got into acting and of course the wonderful things Performing Arts program is doing. A production of Romeo & Juliet is coming up soon!
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Hamed Khalkhali, Ph.D - AeroVironmentHamed Khalkhali, Ph.D, is the Vice President of Engineering at AeroVironment. AeroVironment is an American defense contractor headquartered here in Simi Valley, that is primarily involved in unmanned aerial vehicles--drones. Hamed spoke openly about drones they have created and what they are used for.
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A Thank You Card from Simi YMCABack in November, a few of us PAINTED the YMCA at Santa Su Elementary School. They, in turn, showed their appreciation. Thank you for the thank you! |
Stephen Silver - CartoonistStephen Silver is a professional British artist, cartoonist and character designer. He is best known as the lead character designer for the animated series "Kim Possible." He's worked on much more and is also an Art Instructor. This evening, he shared how he got into this career and then we had a little fun. He gave us a quick tutorial on some character work and for about 15 minutes we were all his students. Again, it's surprising to see the amount of talent we have in our club. Click the "Read more..." Button to see our artwork. |
Simi Sunset Christmas Party(More photos coming soon. Check again later. Also, upload your own!)
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Max Copenhagen - Ventura County Civil Grand JuryMax Copenhagen and his colleague are Grand Jurors in Ventura County. They came to share exactly what they do as a Grand Juror and how to become one. Per the County of Ventura... By law, to become a grand juror a person must: (1) be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older; (2) have been a resident of Ventura County for one year immediately prior to being selected; (3) be of ordinary intelligence, sound judgment, and good character; and (4) have sufficient knowledge of English to understand and report grand jury business. A person may not serve on the grand jury if he or she: (1) is currently serving as a trial juror; (2) has been discharged as a grand juror in any court in California within one year; (3) has been convicted of misconduct in office or any felony or high crime; or (4) is serving as an elected public officer.
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Gabe Solberg - DISC Personality AssessmentGabe Solberg is a Senior Learning Specialist at Cydcor. Cydcor is a company that helps their clients obtain and retain customers. Part of Gabe's positition at Cydcor is to help staff with understanding of different personality traits and human behavior. Pyschologists believe that understanding personality traits will help build better relationships at work, home, and every day life. Before the meeting began, Gabe had us all take a quick assessment using DISC. DISC is a behavior assessment tool based on the DISC theory of psychologist William Moulton Marston, which centers on four different personality traits which are currently Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). During the meeting Gabe explained to us what our results meant. Quite interesting to hear everyone's results and how they relate to our actual relationships.
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New Member - Gary PaulTonight we inducted a new member. Please welcome, Rotarian Gary Paul! |
YMCA Painting Project |
2020-21 Board of DirectorsPresident: Mark Lowry Past President: Joe Grossman President Elect: Stephanie Sieminski Secretary: Stephanie Angeli Treasurer: Amanda Wilson Sgt At Arms: Paula Miller Club Service: Mike Kort Community Service: Linda Ferry International Service: Lizzy Whitlock Vocational Service: Loren DeLotell Youth Service: Terry Talley Director at Large (Communications): Ryan Mills Director at Large: Jill Haney Membership Chair: Reed Galloway Foundation Chair: Richard Grossman Congrats to the upcoming Board! |
Vanessa Bechtel - 2020 CensusVentura County has been identified as one of the most at-risk counties in the nation for an undercount in the 2020 Census (59th out of over 3,000 respectively). Each person that is not counted is a loss of $2,000 per person/per year for ten years. Literally, hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake for the programs that help bridge gaps in our society and allow all to live in dignity. Vanessa Bechtel serves as the President and CEO of the Ventura County Community Foundation, but tonight she came to us to help spread a message -- Fill out those census forms! She claims that the accuracy of the forms will help Ventura County financially.
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YES!Rob Sherman and Stephanie Sieminski at YES! 2019.
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Brick Connors - Fighter Pilot ParentRetired US Navy Captain Brad “Brick” Connors is a former Navy Strike Fighter Pilot and amassed over 4,500 hours and over 1,000 carrier landings during multiple combat deployments. He was the Commanding Officer at Naval Base Ventura County for more than 3 years before he retired. He also has written a book called Fighter Pilot Parent that is available on Amazon. Tonight he told some heroic stories of other fighter pilots that he looked up to and a little bit about his deployments. He links he leadership in the air to parenting his 4 children. "Every parent wants the same: to have our children take off into the world and its adventures, but to return home safely at the end of the day." After the meeting our club was so enthralled by his stories, that Brick stayed for a book signing. |
Diego Velasquez - Wheel Chair ProjectDiego Velasquez is a Rotarian from the Conejo Valley Club who has a passion in collecting funds to support an International Wheel Chair Project. The wheel chairs are donated to those that don't have the means to afford a chair and have been faced with everyday challenges. Diego came to visit us and shared how the donations have made a positive impact for both the individual and their families. The chairs cost $100 to make and to date, the project has donated 9,831 chairs.
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Gems of the Solar System - Dan BurbachPast President, Dan Burbach, is a wealth management advisor at UBS, but in his off-time, he delights us with mysteries of science. Tonight, he showcased his knowledge in Gems of the Solar System -- a slideshow of images sent from missions to outer space. Dan shared some very interesting facts about objects, moons, satellites, and more. It's always a pleasure to see what Dan shares with us. |
2020-2021 Board NominationsEvery year, at this time, the presidential nominating committee (all the Past Presidents) get together and nominate a candidate to be the President Elect Nominee for the following year. Tonight it was announced that Stephanie Sieminski is their proposed candidate for President Elect. Amanda Wilson was also proposed as a candidate for President Elect Nominee by a fellow club member. Lastly, Mark Lowry, the current President Elect nominated candidates for his upcoming Board of Directors as follows: President: Mark Lowry Past President: Joe Grossman Secretary: Stephanie Angeli Treasurer: Amanda Wilson Sgt At Arms: Paula Miller Club Service: Mike Kort Community Service: Linda Ferry International Service: Lizzy Whitlock Vocational Service: Loren DeLotell Youth Service: Terry Talley Director at Large (Communications): Ryan Mills Director at Large: Jill Haney Membership Chair: Reed Galloway Foundation Chair: Richard Grossman |
Fire Marshall ChuckFor his acts of bravery in saving his own property during the recent fires, President Joe dubbed Chuck Carmichael Fireman of the Year. Glad you, your wife, and your property are safe Chuck!
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Vocational NightIt's a 5th Tuesday! Every 5th Tuesday of the month, we like to take this time to have an offsite meeting or social. Tonight, our very own Vocational Chair, Paula Miller, planned an evening at Moorpark College. Vocational Night included talks from the Moorpark College President, Dr. Julius O. Sokenu and student counselor, Trevor Hess. Programs included Exotic Animal Training Management, Biotechnology, Film & TV Media, Computer Networks Engineering, Cyber Security, and Performing Arts. Many of our members invited students and others interested in taking classes or discovering careers tonight. Very informative. Thanks Paula!
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YES! Talk and BrainstormingYES! - Youth Empowerment Summit is a one day workshop for high school students where they will be inspired by a diverse group of exceptional speakers, make life-long friends through fellowship activities, and discuss the ethical and social issues they are faced with daily. Tonight we had one of the activity counselors, Rob Sherman, use us (think guinea pig) as testing for new activities. Although, it seems like our club members made it through unscathed, we can assure you that we did not follow all the rules. And more rules were made up afterwards. Fun night! And the YES! attendees are going to have a great time.
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Chris Hamilton - Fraud ExaminarChris Hamilton is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Valuation Analyst. Most of his professional time is spent in the areas of business valuation, forensic accounting, and litigation related engagements. He has served as an expert in hundreds of cases in civil, criminal, probate, and family court matters. Chris usually comes to the club to entertain us with his latest findings in fraudulent activity. Tonight he spoke mostly of Micahel Avenatti, an attorney.
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District Conference 2019 - Santa YnezWhen the District Conference is in a good location, our club tries to make the most of it. This year's conference in Santa Ynez (Chumash Casino/Solvang) didn't disappoint. A good size group (and our significant others) made it out. We had a blast! |
Dr. Hani Youssef - Assistant SuperintendentDr. Hani Youssef is the Assistant Superintendent for Simi Valley Unified School District. He came to give us an update on how the district is doing. He mentioned that they keep track of students coming and going from the district and that attendance in Simi schools has been growing over the last year. Something that hasn't been achieved for quite some time. He mention several new programs and career paths for students. And he discussed new technology/beautification that some schools have received and will be receiving shortly. All good information.
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Phillip Minton - Cell TherapyPhillip Minton is an EU Commercial Readiness / Operational Excellence consultant at bluebird bio (an intentional lower-cased name of a biotech company). He and his guest spoke about Cell Therapy and how it is transforming our lives. Cell therapy is therapy in which cellular material is injected, grafted or implanted into a patient; this generally means intact, living cells. For example, T cells capable of fighting cancer cells via cell-mediated immunity may be injected in the course of immunotherapy. Phillip mentioned several ground breaking cases where cell therapy is helping those with life threatening illnesses. Be on the look out for huge success stories. Phillip says bio-technology is about to explode.
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Twinsies, Tripletsies, and Joey |
Lynn Matalon - Influence EconomyOur speaker tonight was Lynn Matalon, Founder of Influence Economy. Lynn's passion is harnessing the power to create everlasting impact through speaking and inspiring. Her passion is nested in empowering organizations and individuals with the skillsets and knowledge required for creating enormous influence and substantial impact for economic and personal growth. She founded the Influence Economy to share her knowledge of the power of influence to accelerate development, leadership, communication, synergy, flow and impact from workplace to home-life. Tonight she gave us a taste of what she does by giving examples for influencing business, personal, and even Rotarian relationships. For more information, visit: https://www.influence-economy.com
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New Member - Cassie MoungeyTonight we inducted a new member. Please welcome, Rotarian Cassie Moungey!
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Feeding the NeedyOn Monday, September 23rd, a few members of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset helped serve hot meals to people in need of food at the Samaritan Center in Simi Valley. This small but impactful project was organized by the club’s Community Service Director, Mike Kort. Mike contacted several restaurants to provide the meals who were more than happy to donate and coordinated the timing with The Samaritan Center. Thanks to Chick Fil-A, El Huarache de Mexico, and Smokin Steve's Pit BBQ at least 50 people in need were served. Mike was able to pick up all the food and deliver the meals to the Samaritan Center where they were heated and prepped. Mike even prepared lemonade at his home the night before. When the doors opened at 5:30p, a long line of those in need were served, buffet style, by rotarians who greeted them. To top off the evening, The Samaritan Center provided cake for dessert. Mike says that he was “impressed at how extremely polite and very appreciative everyone was. Many of them would go out of their way to show their gratitude.” Giving to the community is what Rotary is about. Those that helped serve, left with happy hearts. Mike would like to thank the restaurants that provided the meals. They had enough food for the initial rush, some of them having second helpings, and some leftovers that were packed up for those that couldn’t make it in time. Many thanks to:
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Allen Gittleson - MentalistTonight we were entertained by mentalist, Allen Gittleson. Check out his website for more info and to book at your next event: MentalWires.com. |
New Member ProposalA new member was proposed to the board of directors at our meeting tonight. Rob Sherman proposed Gary Paul (Sales - Flooring). The board of directors approved the proposal. |
Elena Brokaw - Museum of Ventura CountyOur speaker tonight was Elena Brokaw, Exexutive Director at the Museum of Ventura County. The Museum, through its collections, exhibits, educational programs and publications, celebrates the history, art, and culture of Ventura County and the Channel Islands. Elena came to speak about how the museum almost closed its doors for good and how they've overcome many obstacles to remain open. She mentioned several exhibits and the Museum's 5 year Reinvention plan. For more information about the Museum, visit: https://venturamuseum.org
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Chad Cook - Ventura County Fire DepartmentOur speaker tonight was Chad Cook, Assistant Chief at Ventura County Fire Department. Chad came to speak about the recent fires in the area but ended up cutting out his presentation to talk about many different things: Hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, random fire stories, silly things that people call 911 for, and how the young crowd thinks mobile apps can open garage doors in a power outage. The discussion was VERY entertaining and we would gladly have him come back for more.
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15 Years of Rotary!Happy 15 Years, Jill Haney!!! |
New Member ProposalA new member was proposed to the board of directors at our meeting tonight. Mark Lowry proposed Cassie Moungey (Educator). The board of directors approved the proposal. |
Simi's Endless Summer Beer Fest - 2019WOW! Another great BEER FEST! We hope you had as much fun as we did. 23 Breweries!!! 7 Food Trucks! And awesome music! It was quite the success and we couldn't have pulled it off without all of you! With that said, we have a few words of thanks... |
A Few AwardsOur immediate Past District Governor and dear friend of the club, Sandi Schwartz, came out from Bakersfield to present a couple of awards to our club. Past President, Linda Ferry, received a Rotary Citation (used to be called the Presidential Citation) for doing an outstanding job as President and guiding our club through many accomplishments last year. |
Thomas Herdering - 99.1 The RanchTonight's speaker was Thomas Herdering, Director of Community Outreach for 99.1 The Ranch. As a non-profit community radio station, 99.1 The Ranch, has a goal to connect the people of Simi Valley to each other through music, local events, artists, business, and government while building citywide relationships and participation. Thomas, a Simi Valley resident for over 30 years is proud to have been with The Ranch since the beginning. Even before the FCC granted the broadcast license, Thomas has been hard at work as The Ranch’s Director of Community Outreach developing business relationships and sponsorships. Tonight he spoke on the happenings at The Ranch, how it's been gaining traction, and continuing to grow. He mentioned several partnerships, sponsors, and programs that get involved. One particular program that they are working very hard on is The Ranch Friday Night Lights -- a broadcast of all the Simi Valley/Moorpark High School Football Games. Of course, their are many ways for businesses and brands to get involved with sponsorships with this program. For more information, visit: www.991theranch.com
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Stan Nowak - AeroVironmentOur speaker tonight was Stan Nowak, a Marketing Director for AeroVironment. Based in California, AeroVironment is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems, tactical missile systems and electric vehicle charging and test systems, and serves militaries and government agencies in the U.S. and more than 35 allied nations, as well as businesses and consumers. Stan gave a quick motivational talk about his career in marketing and how he ended up at AeroVironment.
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Rotary Social At The IceoplexTonight we took a trip right down the road to the Iceoplex. The Iceoplex is the training center for our various hockey organizations (Mariners Youth Hockey, LA Kings High School League, Titans AAA, CSUN and Cal Lutheran college hockey). With world class trainers and coaches on staff they offer instruction in hockey, figure skating, off-ice strength training and agility, curling, speed skating, synchronized skating, and ice theater on two sheets of ice (NHL and Olympic). And it's all right here in SIMI! We got the grand tour this evening including visits to the bar, party room, gym, storage rooms, machine rooms (how the ice stays cold, etc.), and up close to the Zambonis. We learned a few things about how the ice is treated and how they keep it cold. At the end we got to skate (or at least try to skate) on the Olympic rink. Thanks Pat and Iceoplex for a great eventing. |
Fernan Diamse - Team Red, White & BlueOur speaker tonight, Fernan Diamse is a U.S. Navy Veteran of 14 years. He served as a hospital corpsman with the fleet marine force in various parts of the United States and in South East Asia. He is a volunteer and currently serves as the Veteran Engagement Director for Team RWB (Team Red, White & Blue). Team RWB's mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Fernan spoke passionately about how his organization helps veterans get reacclimated into society after serving for a number of years. He mentioned that being in the field for 14 years (with some vets serving for 20-30 years), was almost like prison, in the sense that he was out of touch with society. Finding this organization has helped him dramatically and he is returning the favor by helping others. He went on to explain all sorts of different activities Team RWB puts on: social events, fundraisers, racing (both virtual and physical), bike riding, kick-boxing and much more. A touching moment happened when one of our own veterans, Chuck, stood up and thanked Fernan for his services. Chuck mentioned the difference between him coming home from serving without organizations like Team RWB and his son coming home from serving with organizations like Team RWB was drastically better. Fernan mentioned that becoming a member of Team RWB is free for both Veterans and civilians. For more information visit their website: www.TeamRWB.org Top marks for getting Red, White & Blue shirts in the photo!
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Presenting a Flag from Brentwood, TennesseeOne of our members, Amanda Wilson, took a trip to Brentwood, Tennessee. While visiting, she attended a Rotary meeting in the area and traded club flags. Tonight she presented the Brentwood flag to our club and President Joe.
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Shoes for Little Souls Community ProjectShoes for Little Souls is a community service project hosted by the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset in partnership with The Samaritan Center and Kohl's Department Store in Simi Valley. The goal is to help homeless (or at risk) families get back-to-school clothing for their children. Children who will be able to feel better about themselves when they return to school next month. The community also comes together to support parents in difficult times. The 17th Annual shopping spree took place on Saturday, July 20, 2019. This year, the Chair for Shoes For Little Souls, Mike Kort, brought together volunteers from many different organizations. Spearheaded by members of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset, volunteers from Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce, Soroptomist, Kiwanis Club, Parents from Boy Scouts Troop 698, and several other community volunteers came to support the project. With a total of 39 volunteers, Mike made sure that there was at least one volunteer for every child to help shop. |
Caroline Prijatel-Sutton - Coalition for Family HarmonyOur speaker tonight was Caroline Prijatel-Sutton, Executive Director of the Coalition for Family Harmony. The mission of the Coalition is to provide direct services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; to educate the community regarding violence against women, children, and men; to prevent the cycle of violence. Caroline gave us some very interesting stats on victims right here in our own back yard and how the Coalition has helped. You can reach them via their 24 Hour Hotline: 1.800.300.2181. For more information, visit their website: https://thecoalition.org
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Joey's First MeetingAs the new year begins, we like to break the ice with the new president and have a little fun at their expense. Instead of our traditional meeting for Joe, we planned to meet on the balcony of our normal meeting place. Joe is a contractor by trait, so we made a construction zone for him to conduct his meeting. Out on the balcony, we could be as loud and obnoxious as possible with our own power tools, drills, saws, hammers, music, and hamburgers. Our speaker "forgot to show up" and instead we created uniquely designed Rotary Wheels. Wheels that will haunt Joe for the rest of his term. Joe's task during the meeting (because he couldn't get through his agenda) was to take the lead in his pink apron and tool belt. He had to show us how to make these VERY creative wheels and add his personal touch with supplied, glitter, paint, glue, rhinestones, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, fuzzy balls, and pretty much anything else we could find at the time. Great first meeting Joe! To view more photos CLICK HERE.
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Joe's Visit to Rotary International ConventionFor the last meeting of the year, we had our very own President Elect, Joe Grossman, tell us about his adventures at the Rotary International Convention. This year's convention was in Hamburg, Germany. Joe brought us some Hofbrau Beer to taste while he explained German traditions, dining experiences, and the plethora of beers he had on the trip.
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Linda Ferry's DemotionAt the end of every Rotary Year, we have a little fun by kicking out our current President. In usual fashion, we made her do things out of the ordinary throughout the day. She was dressed in an old flight attendant's outfit and was told to give flight instructions to strangers. Apparently she sang, willingly. By the time she got to her final destination, we had created "Ferry Land" -- a magical land of fairies at The End of the Road (AKA, Chuck's House). Guests were told to come as fairies and/or Raider fans (She is a Bronco's fan). Dinner was served and some well-constructed skits were presented, again, poking fun at her expense. At the end of the night, she was able to give out her awards for the year. THANKS FOR A FANTASTIC YEAR, LINDA!!!! For those interested in a PG Version of our event photos, please click here: ONLINE PHOTO ALBUM |
Allocations MeetingBy the end of the Rotary Year (June 30th), our club collects all the funds we have made over the last year and donates them to local organizations and charities. This is what Simi Sunset is about--giving back to our community. We have a special meeting, our Allocations Meeting, where representatives from each organization are invited to receive a donation and present a small speech about what their organization does and how the money helps. This year our club donated money to: Moorpark College foundation, Simi Valley YMCA, CASA, Marcelle Erian Cancer Foundation, Not One More, Royal High School Wrestling Team, Boy Scout Troop 698, Five Star Theatricals, Free Clinic of Simi Valley, Jacob Carrillo, Santa Susana interact Hearing about what these organizations do and how our club has helped is one of the best feelings as a Rotarian. Well done Simi Sunset, you should be proud!
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Sharon ThomasTonight we honored Sharon Thomas, a recently retired English Teacher at Hillside Middle School. Sharon (Mrs. Thomas to most) has been instrumental in changing the lives of so many children. She also helped facilitate in our Rotary District's Four Way Test Essay Contest. The goal of the contest is to encourage students to consider how “The 4-Way Test” (Rotary's ethical code of conduct) can be used in everyday decision-making. This is accomplished by expressing their thoughts in an essay that relates a case or story where they applied these principles in their everyday life. Winners are given a monetary award. Filling Sharon's shoes at the school and for our contest will be a hard task. She will definitely be missed. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!!!
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Deputy Chief Brill - SVPDOur speaker tonight was Deputy Chief Robert Brill of the Simi Valley Police Department. He spoke about Simi Valley's current crime rates, how they've dropped about 25% from last year, and what the SVPD is doing to be of better service to Simi Valley.
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Terry Talley's Trip to PeruTonight's speaker was our very own, immediate Past President, Terry Talley. He recently went on a Rotary trip to Peru. Rotary trips usually involve teaming up with other rotary clubs, both local and at the destination, to help with a project that the destination is organizing. These trips also help to realize what other countries are in need of and how Rotary can get involved. Terry mentioned a few projects that he got to help with.
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Mystery Trip to LancasterFor the past couple years, our club has enjoyed a Mystery Trip to a secret location planned by a member of the club. No one else knows where we are going and what we'll be doing. This year we were told to wear sports attire and meet at Simi High School parking lot. When we arrived, two vans were waiting for us and we were escorted off. Our excursion took us all the way out to Lancaster. You can imagine the anticipation in that long drive. Our first stop was Bravery Brewery where we enjoyed a couple beers, played some raffle games, and snacked. Then we all hopped in our vans and took another small trip to The Hangar -- The home stadium of the Lancaster JetHawks (a Minor League baseball team). We were given the VIP treatment with our own tables and BBQ and seats just behind home plate. The local team got smashed, but we all had a great time! A quick shout out to Cindy Belmonte... Thank you for planning this year's (and previous year's) Mystery Trip!!!
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Brenda Coyle - C3 FinancialOur speaker tonight was Brenda Coyle, a financial planner at C3 Financial Strategies. They specialize in Financial Planning, Social Security Planning, Retirement Income, Planning Estate Review & Resolution, Investment Management, Life Insurance, Long Term Care Insurance, Health Insurance, and Medicare Insurance. Brenda had 4 stories to share about "financial problems in a crisis" and how she and her team helped. For more information, visit her website: http://c3financialstrategies.com/index.htm
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RYLA AttendeesOur program for the evening was the group of students that attended RYLA recently. Each year, thousands of young people take part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program worldwide. Young people are chosen for their leadership potential to attend an all-expenses-paid camp to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice. Rotary clubs and districts select participants and facilitate the event’s curriculum. The attendees we sent talked about their time there and how much it changed their lives.
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13th Annual Gator RunIt was a great turn out even though the weather wasn't participating. Thank you to our loyal running fans and sponsors for sticking it out in the rain. Despite the wetness, we had a lot of fun and we couldn't have done it with out everyone's support. Our race results are live! You can check them out HERE. Our photos have been posted. You can check them out on our FACEBOOK PAGE. Here's a teaser... |
Gator Run Goodie Bag Stuffing NightEvery year, around this time, we get together, have some food and drinks, socialize, and stuff the Gator Run's Goodie Bags for a couple hours. Kids helped too! |
Aly Moore - BugibleOur speaker tonight was Aly Moore from Bugible. After studying public health at Yale University, Aly searched for a way to address the challenges of food deprivation by sustainably and nutritiously feeding our growing population. She started Bugible.com (blog) to support the growing insect agriculture industry and slowly grew a cult following on Instagram. Today, Bugible focuses on continuing to spread awareness about other sustainable and nutritious potential of bugs through collaborations with institutions of all kinds from the International Culinary Center, Yale University, Parks & Recreation Districts, or even the Girl Scouts of America. And she brought samples...
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Jeannie Liss - Mobile Vietnam War MemorialTonight's speaker was Jeannie Liss, a Kiwanian, that was asking for help for the Mobile Vietnam War Memorial event that will be happening on Memorial Weekend. The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District is hosting the AV-Wall, The Mobile Vietnam Memorial Wall, a half-scale mobile replica of The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. She say's A strong volunteer workforce is critical. Volunteers are needed around the clock, 2 hour shifts, for a four-day display. Training is mandatory. The AV-Wall personnel will provide detailed training before the display. Services include guarding the wall and aid in finding names. Please call 805-584-4453 for additional information.
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10th Annual Johnna's High Tea PartyThe 10th Annual High Tea Party was a success! Delicious food and drinks, live entertainment, fancy hats, all sorts of auctions and prizes, and of course, tea! Portions of the proceeds benefits the Marcelle Erian Cancer Foundation. What a great event and for a good cause. For more information about the Marcelle Erian Cancer Foundation, visit: MarcelleErianCancerFoundation.org
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Simi Club Social - Nabu Wines |
Mike IS Taller Than Mark |
Group 5 Dinner With Dick RutanEvery year, Group 5 (Rotary Clubs of Simi and Moopark) gets together to have a fancy dinner and brag about all the accomplishments we made this year. Our guest speaker was Dick Rutan, the first pilot to make a non-stop flight around the world. |
Boy Scout Eagle ProjectTonight, we heard from a boy scout about a project he is trying to put together at the Simi Adult School. He is trying to raise enough funds to create an appealing, artistic, and usable rock garden in an area where there is currently no landscaping. His presentation (on a slideshow) included costs, labor, and food. It was a very well thought out plan. We felt inclined to donate our Happy Bucks for this evening to his cause. Good luck!
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Joe Gets a Box of ShirtsOur President Elect, Joe Grossman of Spellman Construction, constantly wears bright colored shirts at his job sites while he is working. After completing the renovation of the Boys & Girls Club Art Room, he was given an almost endless supply of shirts by the project chair, Jon Lam of Emory Financial. Jon says, "now we will always know where Joe is."
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Visiting the Rotary Club of Lima PeruTerry Talley, Immediate Past President, took a trip to Peru to further our investigations on international projects and visited the Rotary Club of Lima.
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BolioA few Simi Sunsetters participated in Bolio today! This was a Group 5 (Simi Valley and Moorpark) Rotary event where funds were raised to help eradicate Polio. Simple... Raise money, play games, have fun with friends! |
Celebrating the Completion of the Boys & Girls Club Art Room |
Brian Gabler - Interim City ManagerTonight's speaker was Simi Valley's Interim City Manager, Brian Gabler. Brian has been with the city since 1986 and has had the position of Assistant City Manager. Recently, Simi City Council appointed him Interim City Manager since the previous Manager left for Alameda City. Tonight, Brian spoke about what businesses are coming and going in Simi Valley. He says the future holds a lot of industrial plans for the city which could bring in roughly 1800 jobs. He mentioned quite a few locations that they are looking to demolish and develop. One that piqued a lot of interest is the "Farmer's Insurance" building -- the tallest building in the city -- which has been vacant since 2010. He mentioned the possibility of the structure being demolished and replaced with shops and condos. Very interesting conversations ensued. |
Visiting The Rotary Club of Huntsville AlabamaAmanda W., Club Secretary, took a trip to Alabama and visited the Rotary Club of Huntsville.
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Jay Carrot - Simi Valley Home BrewOur speaker tonight was Jay Carrot, owner of Simi Valley Home Brew in the Town Center. Simi Valley Home Brew is your #1 source for all things home brewed - They specialize in Beer, Wine, Cheese, Soda, Sake, Cider, Kombucha & Mead! Tonight, Jay shared in the process of brewing at home and presented a few of the items that you'll need. Quite a few of our members are big fans of the store and say that he has the best supply in town. For more information about Simi Valley Home Brew, visit: https://simivalleyhomebrew.com |
Born to Perform StudiosBorn to Perform Studios came to strut their stuff tonight, showing off a few performances (singing and dancing!). BTPS focuses on high-quality musical theatre training for young performers in the Ventura County. Training includes private lessons, classes, workshops, camps, and Musical Theatre productions. For more information about Born to Perform Studios, visit: https://www.borntoperformstudio.com
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Completion of Boys & Girls Club RenovationAs a club we donated countless hours of service (shout out to President Elect, Joe Grossman of Spellman Construction!!) and $1,000 towards the remodel and furnishing of the Boys and Girls Club Art Room, which will be utilized by hundreds of kids and families throughout Simi Valley for years to come! We would like to say THANK YOU to the MANY community volunteers including the Boy Scouts Troop 698, members of the Simi Valley Leadership Class of 2019, John Mackenzie Electric, Valley Village Lighting, Spellman Construction, Lowe’s, Amgen, The Lam family, and our club, the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset. |
New Member - Claude Balikcian |
The Prez Needs to Travel Comfortably |
Cindy O'brien - Comfort KeepersOur speaker tonight was Cindy O'brien from Comfort Keepers. Comfort Keepers caregivers travel to clients' homes to provide care services and living assistance. Our work allows seniors and disabled individuals to live independently and as comfortable as possible. With our expert caregivers in your loved one’s home, you can rest assured knowing he or she is receiving the best care possible. Cindy's message tonight was to urge us into finding care for our loved ones that are in need before something serious happens. For more information on Comfort Keepers, visit: https://www.comfortkeepers.com
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Reading By NineThe Rotary Club of Simi Sunset recently did their annual Reading By Nine community project. The event took place on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at Arroyo Vista and Knolls Elementary Schools in Simi Valley. This long time community project started with the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset getting a Rotary grant to help fund the purchase of hundreds of books for an elementary school. This year's club Community Service Chair, Stephanie Sieminski and club Secretary, Amanda W., then coordinated with Simi's School District to find out which elementary school had the most need for new books. This year, the combined donations from the Simi Sunset Club and Rotary Grants helped provide enough books for TWO schools -- Arroyo Vista Elementary and Knolls Elementary. Stephanie then coordinated with the schools to plan a day where Rotarians can deliver the books to several classrooms, possibly read a story or two, and get the children excited about reading. One of Rotary's key causes is to support basic education and literacy.
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Steven Coffed - JPL/NASAIt's always a pleasure to have a representative from JPL come out and talk about their latest inventions and achievements. Tonight we had Steven Coffed, an InSight Lander Engineer speak to us about JPL's recent landing on Mars. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to give the Red Planet its first thorough checkup since it formed 4.5 billion years ago. It is the first outer space robotic explorer to study in-depth the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Steven was excited to talk about how they overcame hurdles and are currently collecting new and interesting data about Mars. For more information about InSight, visit: https://mars.nasa.gov/insight
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New Member ProposalA new member was proposed to the board of directors at our meeting tonight. Bill Saunders proposed Claude Balickan (Dry Cleaning). The board of directors approved the proposal. |
Renovation Project at Boys & Girls ClubOur very own President Elect and local contractor, Joseph Grossman, will donate his time and professional expertise to help manage a renovation project at the Boys & Girls Club. The art room is used by the thousands of local kids who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Simi Valley every year!
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Keep AwayCurrent Treasurer (and President Elect Nominee), Mark Lowry, showing off his height and stealing the club bell from Sgt. at Arms, Lizzy Whitlock. |
Pat Montoya - Not One MoreOur speaker tonight was Pat Montoya, President of Not One More. Not one more is a group of supporters, each with their own unique talents and dedication, from very diverse backgrounds, but all having been touched in one way or another by substance abuse, addiction, or sadly, death. With commitment and integrity, they are working hard to change our part of the world, to make it a safe city for our children, families and neighbors. They stand united as a community to say "Not One More overdose, Not One More lost spirit, and Not One More grieving heart." Pat spoke about his personal experience and why Not One More was not only beneficial to him, but to the many lives he can help. He encouraged us to help spread the word about this wonderful program. For more information, visit: https://notonemore.net
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Jim Lewis, Polio PlusOur speaker tonight was the one and only, Jim Lewis. Jim Lewis is a survivor and advocate for the eradication of Polio. Because he got the virus on his parents 10th wedding anniversary, when he was a young boy, Jim travels the world to help Rotary International eradicate polio. Tonight he was asking for new pledges to donate the the Polio Plus Foundation. Donations help Rotary and its partners reach every child with the polio vaccine. Thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, each contribution will be tripled, getting us even closer to a polio-free world. Tonight our club had at least 15 MEMBERS DONATE $100 EACH. For more information on Polio and the Polio Plus Foundation, visit: www.endpolio.org |
Darrell Dumond Gets His Blue Badge!Congrats Darrell!
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Patrick CassidyOur delightful guest tonight was Patrick Cassidy who is best known for his roles in musical theater and television. Patrick dazzled the meeting with stories from his childhood -- what it was like to grow up in a family full of stars (Brothers: David Cassidy & Shaun Cassidy, and Parents: Jack Cassidy & Shirley Jones). He also mixed in a few songs accompanied by his pianist. It was a treat to watch! Patrick is currently working as the Artistic Director for 5-Star Theatricals (Formerly known as Cabrillo Music Theater). For more information about 5-Star Theatricals, visit: 5startheatricals.com
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Stephanie Angeli Gets Her Blue BadgeCongrats Stephanie!
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Interact Club YES! EssaysTonight, we had some guests from Santa Susana High School Interact. Our club is the charter club for SSHS Interact. These three young ladies happened to also attend YES! Simi Valley's Youth Empowerment Summit. Hosted by the clubs in Simi Valley, YES! generates positive results for children that want to become leaders. The Interact Club at SSHS wrote essays about YES! to compete for a scholarship. The top 3 were invited to presented their essays and talk about YES! Our club Vocational Service Chair, Reed Galloway, presented. |
Mike James - Simi Valley Education FoundationIt was great to be back after the holiday break! Our speaker tonight was Mike James, President of the Simi Valley Education Foundation. The mission of the Simi Valley Education Foundation is to bring together community and civic entities in providing additional resources to students in Simi Valley’s public schools through student scholarships, classroom and department/grade level grants, and providing resources for our youth. Through community support, program development, and collaboration, the Foundation seeks to strengthen our public schools and the education they provide to our children. Mike explained some of the events they have going on this year to raise money and awareness. He also mentioned a few of the resources they provide to the schools. One in particular was, what I'm calling, a learning shirt -- the shirt had a code on the front that a mobile app can translate into an interactive, human body, learning tool. See picture below. This is just one example of the tools the Foundation can provide. For more information about the Simi Valley Education Foundation, visit: svef.org |
Christmas Party at the End of the Road |
Stacy Jewell - Human Trafficking SurvivorTonight's speaker was Stacy Jewell, a writer, director, and Human Trafficking Survivor. At age 19 she was abducted and forced into the dark world of sex trafficking. After being held captive for almost two years, she was liberated from the violence and abuse of the sex industry. Presently, she is an internationally recognized survivor leader in the human trafficking movement. The first part of her presentation, she did a live performance of a poem she wrote. The poem told her story and what she had been through. It was a very moving, but sad story. And to think that her situation happens on a daily basis in our own backyard. She went on to explain an organization that she is launching in the next few days: Jewell Survivor City Radio Podcast -- an avenue to create more public awareness of Human Trafficking.
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Dr. Michaela ReavesOur speaker tonight was Dr. Michaela Reaves, a History Professor at Cal Lutheran University. Tonight's topic... An indepth, speed round, history lesson on Pilgrims meeting with Indians and how the Thanksgiving tradition was started.
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2019-2020 Board Nominations!2019-2020 Board Nominations President Elect: Joe Grossman Past President: Linda Ferry President Elect Nominee: Mark Lowry Secretary: Julia Fritz Treasurer: Amanda W. Sgt At Arms: Rob Sherman Club Service: Stephanie Sieminski Community Service: Mike Kort International Service: Terry Talley Vocational Service: Paula Miller Youth Service: Lizzy Whitlock Director at Large (Communications): Ryan Mills Director at Large: Jill Haney Director at Large (Foundation): Kelley Gilliland |
Dan Burbach - The End of the WorldThe speaker tonight was our very own, Dan Burbach. Dan is a Past President of our club and a Wealth Management Professional. He has a passion for science and gave us a "TED Talk" on how and when the last human might vanish from planet earth. It was quite intriguing and might I say one of the more interesting speakers we've had this year. Be on the lookout for exploding stars and possible aliens! Thanks Dan!
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Bohemian Rhapsody - Club SocialA few of us took a break from all the craziness to watch a movie. Thanks for planning this, Mike Kort, Club Service Director! |
Moorpark College AthleticsTonight's speakers came to us from the Moorpark College Athletics Department. Phil McPherson -- Associate Head Football Coach, Mike Stuart -- Head Football Coach, and Vance Manakas -- Director of Athletics, came to speak to us about how they got to be in their positions and goals for the college.
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YES!YES! (Youth Empowerment Summit), is organized by the three Rotary Clubs in Simi Valley and was created to help empower young people to gain a greater understanding of issues, both personal and school related, through interaction and problem solving with peers and adult leaders. YES! hopes to create life-changers in our youth by developing effective leadership, communication, decision-making skills and strong values. We had quite a few members from our club help to organize, facilitate, and secure the event. It's unbelievable how much these kids change in one day! For more information, visit: simiyes.org |
A Visit to CydcorInstead of our traditional meeting, we took a trip to visit one of our very own member's place of business. Stephanie Sieminski is a Sales Operations Manager at Cydcor. Cydcor started in Canada and is becoming a leader in outsourced sales. Each department is fully focused on its mission within the company. As a whole, that allows them to significantly grow and achieve unmatched sales results for their clients. Their team members work seamlessly together to provide support and solutions for their clients and the sales representatives in the field. Their culture of collaboration internally and with clients ensures that they provide the world-class solutions that they're known for. |
New Honorary Members!Our Board of Directors has voted to induct two new honorary members. Honorary membership is given to non-member individuals who have distinguished themselves by giving outstanding service for the benefit of our club and Rotary International. Please welcome Melinda Carmichael (Rotarian Chuck Carmichael's Spouse) and Floyd McCrary (Rotarian Sally Tomniczak's Boyfriend ) as Honorary Members of Simi Sunset. Both members have giving beyond service above self. Congratulations you two and THANK YOU for all you do.
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Geoff Dean, Ventura County SheriffTonight's speaker was Geoff Dean, Ventura County Sheriff, who shared with us all the great ways the Sheriff's Department is protecting it's community. Sheriff Dean is the 19th Sheriff of Ventura County and a 40-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. He is a lifetime resident of California, born in Los Angeles and raised in Simi Valley. Geoff and his family are residents of Camarillo. He has been the Sheriff for the past seven years. What he spoke about most was how technology is changing the way he runs his operations. Specifically he mentioned drones with infrared and heat cameras to catch criminals and find lost hikers, body-cams that "aid both sides of the badge," and mobile apps with facial recognition. He also made mention that if homeowners have installed Ring Doorbell (a doorbell with a camera that captures live feeds), they can utilize the footage, with permission, to help with investigations. He later mentioned that Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley have always been the safest places to live in the county. For more information about the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, visit: www.vcsd.org
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Tierra Rejada Clean Up Crew! |
New Members!Please welcome new members Stephanie Angeli and Darrell Dumond (husband and wife) to the club! |
Visiting the Rotary Club of Dupont CircleAmanda W., Club Secretary, took a trip to Washington DC and visited the Rotary Club of Dupont Circle.
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Todd Kelley, Boy Scouts - Troop 698Our club is the Chartered Organization for Boy Scouts Troop 698, one of the largest troops in Simi Valley. Responsibilities of chartered organizations include providing quality leadership and adequate meeting facilities and for the Scouting unit, as well as appointing a chartered organization representative to coordinate all Scouting unit operations within the organization. This has created a great partnership between our club and the troop. The boys have been a big help for us at some of our events. Todd Kelly is the Troop's Assistant Committee Chair and filled us in on how the Troop is doing.
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For the TroopsTonight our club visited For the Troops, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to providing members of the American military with “We Care” packages containing basic necessities, goodies, games and—most of all—a show of support. They gave us a brief rundown of how the operation works, how they gather donations, and how they pack and ship care packages to our American Heroes. Then we quickly got to work! Packing quite a few of our own packages and writing some letters. Packages included, but not limited to... Snacks, books, dvds, cds, socks, toothpastes/toothbrushes, shampoo, candy, and gum. Even our club kids got involved!
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Tour of the New SVUSD HeadquartersThis evening we visited the newly purchased Simi Valley Unified School District Headquarters. We started off with a regular Rotary meeting, then we were given the Grand Tour by SVUSD Superintendent Jason Peplinski. He showed us nearly all of the 120,075-square-foot structure and gave us the inside scoop as to what the building has to offer. The building itself is beautiful! There was ample room for district staff to get work done. The setting was tasteful with huge conference rooms and adequate office furniture. We couldn't help but feel excited for SVUSD and hope that other agencies and businesses take notice. But there was more... The previous owners of the building was The Seventh-Day Adventist Church. They had two sound stages -- one with "green screen" tech, recording booths, dressing rooms, a makeup room with wall mounted lights surrounding the mirrors, a green room, and plenty more office space. In addition to the abundance of SVUSD office space, the production suite is still there! Jason had mentioned that they intend to rent out this space as a potential stream of income. |
Ky Spangler, Assistant City Clerk for Simi ValleyTonight we had the pleasure of listening to the Assistant City Clerk of Simi Valley, Ky Spangler. Ky came to relay information on a new district voting structure and how it will affect Simi Valley. For those that don't know, our city manager is recommending that the City Council consider initiating the districting process due to a litigation threat. The organization that initiated the threat wants Simi Valley to switch to a by-district system in which council candidates run in geographical council districts rather than citywide. Under such a system, voters in each electoral district only vote for the candidates running for a single council seat in their district. The candidates must reside in and be registered voters of the district in which they are running.
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New Member ProposalsTwo new members were proposed to the board of directors at our meeting tonight. Adam Mutal proposed both Stephanie Angeli (Accounting) and Darrell DuMond (Marketing). The board of directors approved the proposal. |
Mark Toohey, CA Earthquake AuthorityOur speaker tonight was Mark Toohey, an Insurance Agent and Consumer Outreach, Training and Engagement Advisor, and Strategist at California Earthquake Authority. The CEA is a privately funded, publicly managed organization that sells California earthquake insurance policies through participating insurance companies. Established in September 1996 by the California Legislature, it is based in Sacramento, California. Mark's message was clear... "There's a 99% chance that a 6.7 magnitude earthquake will happen within the next 30 years." In other words... Get insured! For more information about CEA, visit: earthquakeauthority.com
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Santa Susana InteractorsTonight, we had our very own Interact Club join us at the meeting. Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Interact clubs organize at least two projects every year, one that helps their school or community and one that promotes international understanding. Rotary Clubs, such as ours, sponsor, mentor, and guide Interactors as they carry out projects and develop leadership skills. Our club sponsors the Interact Club at Santa Susana High School. We are very proud of these brilliant, young people who are already thinking of how they can help their community and others worldwide. They are going to make great leaders one day.
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Emily Barany, Co-Founder of Thomas Fire HelpTonight's speaker is the co-founder of ThomasFireHelp.org. The Thomas Fire was a recent and extraordinary fire in Ventura, CA that burned 281,893 acres. 1,063 structures were destroyed and 280 structures were damaged. Many homes were lost and the value in damages were in the multi-millions. Subsequently, the area had a large amount of rain fall that caused major flooding and mudslides. Many lives were lost and more structures were destroyed. The area was in need of immediate and desparate help. |
Simi's Endless Summer Beer Fest 2018Yesterday was our first attempt at a Beer Fest fundraiser and it was a success! We offered 13 craft breweries with 25 beers to taste, live music, a live radio station, and the best food trucks in town. Needless to say, WE SOLD OUT!!!! We had the best location and the best weather. This was an event to promote our local breweries where the focus of the Beer Fest is on the beer! One hundred percent of all Beer Fest profits are donated in support of charitable, educational, and humanitarian causes. Good times were had by all in attendance. |
Rotary District Governor, Sandi SchwartzLast night was a splendid evening as we were graced with the presence of our amazing District Governor, Sandi Schwartz. When district governors visit clubs, they in general, get a feel for how clubs run their board and club meetings. Afterwards, they give a "state of the district address" where we learn how things are going in Rotary. Tonight was no different as we dressed to impress, ate some delicious food, and drank a little Timber -- The Official District Drink. |
Melissa Baffa, Nautilus LiveTonight's speaker was Melissa Baffa, Development Officer and Biologist at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Although the museum wasn't mentioned often, she did speak of an expedition that she was glad to be apart -- Nautilus Live. The expedition engages in scientific exploration of the seafloor. Using a 64 foot vessel and vehicles she called EVs, they could conduct research of the seafloor 72 hours at a time. Not only does the expedition collect data, they broadcast their findings LIVE on the internet for anyone to watch.
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Terry Talley Gets His Past President Pin |
Welcome Back ChuckFellow Rotarian, Chuck Carmichael (along with Rotarian, Cindy Belmonte) had an unfortunate accident during Past President Terry Talley's demotion in June. Chuck was in and out of the hospital and has recently graced us with his presence at our meetings. Terry had some awards for Chuck for all the excellent service he provided during Terry's year as President. Welcome back Chuck!
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Cheryl Tsieprati, One Blink at a TimeTonight's speaker was Cheryl Tsieprati, a health care professional for over 40 years. Her husband, Ismail Tsieprati, has been living with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for more than 30 years. ALS is a disease that causes muscles to deteriorate over time. Cheryl mentioned that people with ALS usually only live around 5 years after their diagnosis. Through love, support, and an affinity for life, Ismail persevered. After 10 years, Ismail began to lose all muscles control and it was hard to communicate. Cheryl and Ismail developed a way to communicate through Ismail's eye blinking. Cheryl would call out numbers and letters and Ismail's blinks indicated which figure he wanted to select. Eventually spelling out words. Pushing through, they eventually wrote a story: One Blink at a Time. An upbeat, inspirational autobiographical book about living happy and productive lives despite adversities. Ismail wrote every other chapter of the book by communicating through blinking. Cheryl shared a passage from the book written by Ismail with us. A truly inspiring story! Check out their book on Amazon.com. |
Shoes for Little SoulsShoes for Little Souls, is a community service project, put on by the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset in partnership with The Samaritan Center of Simi Valley and Kohl's Department Store in Simi Valley. The goal is to help homeless (or at risk) families get back-to-school clothes for their children; this project builds incredible confidence in these kids. Imagine when they show up on their first day of school. The community also comes together to support parents in difficult times. On Wednesday, July 18, 2018, we had our 16th annual shopping spree. One of the best organized in years! |
Ryan Mills Gets AcknowledgementRyan Mills was recognized by Past District Governor, Nick Frankle, for a job well done on the District 5240 website (RotaryDistrict5240.org) in his role as District Communications Chair during Rotary Year 2017-18.
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Karen L Gabler, Attorney Employment LawThis evening we had Karen L Gabler, Attorney Employment Law speak to our club about new employment law changes. She was very knowledgeable regarding the following topics:
For all the hot tips for Employers, you can find Karen at www.LightGablerLaw.com
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Simi Valley Community GardenSimi Valley Community Garden. click here for there website----> https://www.simiatthegarden.org/ Robbie Hidalgo presented to the best Meduim Sized Rotary club in our district about the Simi Valley Community Garden. His first question "how many of you know the Simi Valley has a Community Garden?" Half of the members lifted their hands to show that they knew that we had a community garden. Just in-case you are like the 50% that had know idea, the community garden is a 3 acre plot located on Sinaloa between Royal and L.A. Avenue, and in order to access the garden you have to go through the parking lot of the Seventh Day Adventist Church until you see this: |
Gabriel RamirezGabriel Ramirez, a scout member of Troop 698 in Simi Valley presented his Eagle Scout idea to Simi Sunset Rotary tonight. Gabriel's Idea is to build an outdoor classroom at the Elementary School in which he previously attended, Hollow Hills Elementary. Gabriel projects that he will need approximatly $2,400 and a lot of volunteers to complete his project, which should take 1.5 days to complete once the money and man hours have been collected. To Donate to Gabriel's project visit his gofundme paid by clicking the link here --> https://www.gofundme.com/hollow-hills-outdoor-classroom |
Johnna's Tea PartyThe Rotary Club of Simi Sunset is pleased to announce that Johnna's Annual Tea Party was an overwhelming and complete success. |
Nat GertlerNat Gertler is an award-winning writer with experience in books, magazines, web, TV, and comics. In comics, he has been a writer and an entrepreneur. He has written and spoken extensively about the artform. In addition to his general comics knowledge, he is a specialist in the works of Charles M. Schulz, creator of "Peanuts". He also works as a publisher, an editor, and provides freelance ebook and comic book services. |
RYLAEach year, thousands of young people take part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program worldwide. Young people are chosen for their leadership potential to attend an all-expenses-paid camp to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice. Rotary clubs and districts select participants and facilitate the event’s curriculum. Rotary District 5240 spans the central coast of California from San Luis Obispo to Agoura Hills covering inland to China Lake. This district is comprised of 72 independent local Rotary clubs. Each year the district hosts a leadership retreat for high school students local to each of these clubs. The opportunity for each Rotary club to make an impact in their own back yards is far reaching through this event. |
Aging805805Aging takes all aspects of well-being into consideration when working with an older adult. We are a non-medical practice, but speak to the social, psychological and general health needs of elder care. The phone rings in the middle of the night… We’ve all been there and we all know alarming news awaits on the other end of the line. Whether it’s one major crisis or a growing number of catastrophes, as our elder population continues to increase so do our caregiving responsibilities. But are you prepared for that phone call regarding your aging loved one? Amy Genson Guss of 805Aging can help alleviate some of that panic by providing hands-on assistance, stress relief and practical elder care strategies to families in crisis, as well as to those who simply recognize the need for expert geriatric care management. Elder care encompasses a variety of tasks ranging from, but no limited to, managing medications or talking to doctors; helping with bathing or dressing; or taking care of household chores, meals, or bills for someone who cannot do these things alone.
For more information please visit the 805Aging website by clicking here---> http://805aging.com/ |
Paul Harris FellowTuesday April 10th Paul Harris Fellow Alert, as Rob Keegan got his fifth Paul Harris Fellow in as many months. Congrats Rob!!! The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. |
Hub 101Our Guest tonight is Greg Monterrosa of Hub 101 Gmonterrosa@callutheran.edu Our 10 week program is being Lead by Jennifer Buzza, Mike Panesis, and Greg Monterrosa. Learn: Help your startup become a reality through learning about best practices for fast-growth businesses. Execute: Utilize our mentors to help engineer business plans that will get the ball rolling. Grow: Spread your branches by raising the capital necessary for turning your dream of a running a successful startup into a reality.
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New Paul Harris FellowNew Paul Harris Fellow March 27th The Newest Paul Harris Fellow is Phil Belmonte. Congratulations Phil!! The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Many notable figures have been named as Paul Harris Fellows, including U.S.. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S.. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and teeth cleaner extraordinaire Andrew Mahler. |
Paul Harris FellowNew Paul Harris Fellow September 19th The Newest Paul Harris Fellow is went to Amanda W. Congratulations Amanda!! The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Many notable figures have been named as Paul Harris Fellows, including U.S.. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S.. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and waste drainage engineer Ralph Kleemeyer. |
Polio PlusJim Lewis is a survivor and advocate for the eradication of Polio. Because he got the virus on his parents 10th wedding anniversary, when he was a young boy, Jim travels the world to help Rotary International (RI) eradicate polio. |
Reading By NineOn March 2nd, Simi Sunset Rotary Club went to Garden Grove Elementary School to read to their students. Pictured below is Rotarian Michael Kort, who was reading Theodore Geisel, AKA Dr. Suess.
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New Member ProposalOctober 10th Today Paula Miller Proposed Loren Delotel, under mortgage finance. The board of Simi Sunset, the Best Medium sized club in the district, unanimously voted Loren’s approval. |
Blue Badge AlertWe have a Blue Badge Alert!! When a new member is inducted into the best medium sized club in the district, you must earn your blue badge. Tonight Stephanie Folster-Sieienski re-earned hers by completing said tasks, Congrats Stephanie!!! |
Pin PresentationInternational Chair Cindy Belmonte went to Columbia and was presented a pin to give to the club from Columbia. |
5 Star TheatricalsOur Guest "Speaker" was 5 Star Theatricals, formally known as The Cabrillo Music Theatre. They performed The Hunchback of Notre Dame for Simi Sunset Rotary Club. Visit our facebook to see a life performance. Visit there website to purchase tickets |
Speaker Vera TellerVera Teller, Ph.D. is coach, lecturer, and author whose core purpose is to educate, prepare, and motivate students through college to competitively apply for and succeed in careers post-college. |
Ventura County Civic Alliance |
Blue Badge AlertWe have a Blue Badge Alert!! When a new member is inducted into the best medium sized club in the district, you must earn your blue badge. Tonight Karon De Silva Earned hers by completing said tasks. Congrats Karon!!! |
Blue Badge AlertWe have a Blue Badge Alert!! When a new member is inducted into the best medium sized club in the district, you must earn your blue badge. Tonight Julia Fritz Earned hers by completing said tasks, Congrats Julia!!! |
New MemberPlease re-welcome back to Simi Sunset Rotary Club, Stephanie Sieminski, under sales and marketing, who was re-proposed by Rob Sherman. Stephanie is a welcomed back with loving arms, because she was sorely missed by Simi Sunset Rotary Club. WELCOME BACK STEPH!!! |
New Member ProposalOctober 10th Today Rob Sherman Proposed Stephanie Sieminski, under sales and marketing . The board of Simi Sunset, the Best Medium sized club in the district, unanimously voted Stephanie’s approval. |
Blue Badge AlertWe have a Blue Badge Alert!! When a new member is inducted into the best medium sized club in the district, you must earn your blue badge. Tonight Amanda W. Earned hers by completing said tasks. Congrats Amanda.
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District Governor Meeting |
Paul Harris Fellow |
New MemberPlease welcome our newest member to Simi Sunset Rotary Club,Karon De Silva, who works for Sunset Hills Country Club who was proposed by Lisa Derkos. We look forward to working with Karon who will be a valuable addition to the club. WELCOME KARON!!! |
Honduras ProjectThe Rotary Club of Simi Sunset, the best meduim sized club in the district, completed its second project in Honduras this week thanks to the hard work of International chair Cindy Belmonte. Cindy has excelled in her role as international chair accomplishing a lot outside of the United Sates, this time getting together with the Rotary club Valle de Sula in Honduras.
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VCFDThe best medium sized club in the district got a special visit from the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD). Captain Prater of the Wood Ranch Station (44) gave us a brief demonstration of the Jaws of life, and a quick overview of the Quint 44. |
Member proposalOctober 10th Today Lisa Derkos Proposed Karon De Silva, under unknown. The board of Simi Sunset, the Best Medium sized club in the district, unanimously voted Karen's approval. |
New MemberPlease welcome our newest member to Simi Sunset Rotary Club, Julia Fritz, under City Government who was proposed by Kelley Gilliland. We look forward to working with Julia who will be a valuable addition to the club. WELCOME JULIA!!! |
Five Threads Brewing CompanyFive Threads Brewing Company came to indulge us in there fine quality beers on Tuesday October 13th. |
Paul Harris FellowSeptember 19th One of our newest members, Paula Miller became our newest Paul Harris Fellow. Congratulations Paula!! The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Many notable figures have been named as Paul Harris Fellows, including U.S.. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S.. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and Retired Del Taco Franchisee owner Kelley Gilliland. |
The ChiefSeptember 19th Simi Sunset was treated to yet another honored guest, as we welcomed the newest Simi Valley Chief of Police, David Livingstone... |
Pediatric Wheelchair DistributionSeptember 19th On September 11 Simi Sunset rotary club, along with Rotarians and Interacters from District 52 were gifted the fruits of there labor. International Chair Cindy Belmonte worked tirelessly with the other clubs and interact clubs in the district to deliver 14 pediatric wheel chairs to Children in need will be delivering pediatric wheelchairs to Quiché children in Guatemala. Well Done Cindy, this is truly impressive!!! To see photos, click read more... |
Member ProposalSeptember 19th Today Kelley Gilliland Proposed Julia Fritz, under City Government. The board of Simi Sunset, the Best Medium sized club in the district, unanimously voted Julia's approval.
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Simi Valley CPCSeptember 5th The Simi Valley CPC was our honored guest speakers of the week. We would like to thank Jan Lackey (Exceutive Director) and Christine Estrada (Marketing and Outreach Director) for coming to us to teach us about the Simi Valley CPC. The Community Pregnancy Clinic (CPC) is a licensed medical clinic offering FREE pregnancy testing, ultrasound examinations, STD testing & treatment, options information, and other related services. |
Blue BadgesLast week two of our newest members received their blue name badge. After joining the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset each new member must obtain a set of signatures and learn a little bit about each position. Paula Miller and Marina Porche each received their blue badge this week, congratulations Rotarians!! |
Mark Your Calendars! |
Quote of the Week - Who Said It?
We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.
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Thought for the Week - Who Said It?
An optimist is the human personification of spring.
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Welcome to our new website!We are all excited to see how Club Runner will revolutionize the way we manage our day to day club activities, as well as communicate more effectively. This will allow us to connect with the district. Attendance will be easily track-able. |
How secure is all this data?
No need to worry. ClubRunner secures all your private information using the latest security technologies.
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