Right to Left: Sue Tempero from the Rotary Club of Indianapolis, Tiffony Jacobs, Walt Nordstrom and Julie Handschy from Lutherwood Academy
Because of a grant from the Indianapolis Rotary Foundation, Lutheran Child and Family Services were able to have Tiffany Jacobs, an original Freedom Writer from Long Beach, CA visit Lutherwood Residential Treatment Facility and Academy on March 4, 2013. Mr. Walt Nordstrom (Lutherwood Academy teacher) started teaching “Freedom Writers” after seeing the movie and later discovering the book. He had been working for a few years to make this dream a reality. Ms. Julie Handschy is the Education Coordinator at Lutherwood Academy.
It’s no secret that the Rotary Club of Indianapolis provides some of the best speakers available. Most would agree the ability to promote and program 50 weeks of programs per year is enough – but we want more! If you have an idea and would like to suggest a program, PLEASE call the Rotary office at 317-631-3733!
The Indianapolis Rotary Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to cover a portion of the delivery vehicle operating costs for CICOA’s Meals & More program. Pictured: CICOA CEO Orion Bell (left) with Dr. Matt Will, director of external relations at the University of Indianapolis and Vice President of the Indianapolis Rotary Foundation.
The Indianapolis Rotary Foundation is a private, stand-alone corporation that serves as the primary community charitable arm of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis. Annual contributions to the Foundation are added to an eternal endowment fund and allocated income from that fund is utilized to support grants for charitable and educational purposes, primarily in the Indianapolis and Central Indiana areas. Read more about the Indianapolis Rotary Foundation.
Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award The 159th Annual Volunteer Recognition Program – YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
Ralph Taylor has brought his passion for diversity and inclusion to every role he has served in this community. He was the first minority to be elected president of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis and during his leadership he made diversity a key component of his term by discussing this topic at every weekly meeting. When he was Program Officer for the Central Indiana Community Foundation, he launched the Sam H. Jones Creating Greater Awareness Forum to highlight the issues, challenges and concerns of the invisible populations living in the greater Indianapolis area.
Ralph has a long history of supporting our community as a teacher and coach. In addition to being on the youth advisory board of the Fall Creek YMCA and teaching youth basketball, he has been a classroom teacher and coach for IPS. He has been a 4-H Agent for Purdue University Marion Co. Extension Service, Recreation Administrator for Indianapolis Youth Institute, Program Officer for the Central Indiana Community Foundation, a consultant on international relations and is presently a consultant for the Welcoming Indianapolis Project.
In addition to his work experience has has served and continues to serve on several community boards, including the Indianapolis Arts Council, Planned Parenthood of Indianapolis, Coburn Place, the Asian-American Alliance and United Way of Central Indiana’s Committee on Diversity.
When reflecting on his work as an advocate for new arrivals, immigrants and refugees, Ralph is quoted as saying, “I don’t view myself as a leader. I view myself as a concerned individual who wants to make a positive difference in his community. From my perspective, you either care about people or you don’t.”
The Y is proud to recognize him as the first recipient of the 2013 Volunteer/Community Leader Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award.
On January 28, 2014 Rotary Club of Indianapolis welcomes Bille Dragoo to the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Dragoo is an award-winning and nationally recognized entrepreneur. Ms. Dragoo is CEO of RepuCare and a lifelong resident of Indiana with 23 years of innovative executive experience in the medical staffing industry. Please join us (public welcome) at Noon on Tuesday, January 28!
Recently, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, Inc. has announced the 2014 Laureates for the 26th Annual Central Indiana Business Hall of Fame Event, presented by Crowe Horwath LLP, which will take place on Thursday, February 20, 2014. This year’s Laureates are Billie Dragoo, Founder, President and CEO of RepuCare; Dave P. Lindsey, Founder, President and CEO of DEFENDER Direct; David E. Simon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Simon Property Group, Inc. and Michael Smith, Retired EVP/CFO of Anthem.
The 2014 Laureates will be honored at a black tie event to be held on Thursday, February 20, 2014, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. A VIP reception will kick off the event, followed by a dinner and awards ceremony at 7:00 pm.
Sponsorship opportunities are currently available; please contact Tabitha Williams at 252-5900 ext. 8 or visit www.jaindy.org for more information.
Mark Winzenread’s 33-year tenure at Walker defies the norm.
“Statistically, you change jobs every five to seven years,” he said. “I’m always a little embarrassed to say I’ve been here 33. I’ve resigned twice. It just hasn’t worked out.”
Walker, the consumer intelligence consulting firm, wasn’t Winzenread’s first professional job. Out of college, he worked in public accounting but was drawn to the private side.
“It was frustrating to go to clients year after year, make recommendations, and then see that things don’t change. You can’t force a client to do anything,” he noted. “On the inside, I can make things happen.”
Still known locally by some as Walker Research, the company does more than research. Its consultants work with dozens of companies on customer retention and growth strategies.
Since 1993, Phyllis Geeslin has been leading the Harrison Site onward and upward. In that time, she has accomplished much that has enriched our shared community, enhanced the guest experience and preserved Benjamin Harrison’s legacy.
In recognition of those years of service, dedication and contributions to the field of history, Phyllis will receive the 2013 Eli Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Indiana Historical Society (IHS).
She will receive her award during IHS’s annual Founders Day event on Monday, December 2, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
Rotarian Phyllis Geeslin has also served as a Club Director, is a Paul Harris Fellow and the current History Committee Chairwoman.
The Rotary Club of Indianapolis recently added a Mass Texting system, to help communicate with membership and the community in the event of major developments, such as cancellations due to weather events, last minute changes in meeting times, programs or locations.
“While we already send a number of announcements to our members each week,” said Susie Harmless, Executive Director, “it is important to emphasize that the Club is incorporating this system for very important and time-sensitive updates, alerts or announcements –NOT to promote regular events or to advertise. For these things, we will continue to distribute weekly e-news announcements, use our website to keep the community updated and will continue to be very active with social media.”
While it is not scientific, the percentages of individuals who read texts verses email, Facebook and Twitter posts, is staggering. One report said that – 98% of text messages are read vs. 29% of Tweets vs. 12% of Facebook posts vs. 20% of emails. Here’s another recent article on those statistics. Said Greg Albright, Club Manager, “We must provide the easiest methods and various ways to communicate to our membership. Everyone has a mobile phone. In fact, some of our members may have better access to a text message than an email!”
Prize money will be awarded based on the percent of license plate sales by District membership. The total number of plates sold by county within each District is determined from July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014 and divided by the number of members in the District at the end of June 2014. The District with the greatest percentage of sales/members will be awarded the first place prize. Districts with the second and third place percentages will also receive prize awards as listed above. Prize money will be awarded to the 2013-14 District Governors in July 2014 to be used for a charitable purpose within Indiana.
Cost: $40 ($25 group fee, $15 administrative fee)
The group fee is used to fund Indiana college scholarships and education initiatives.
Low-digit plates (q100) are still available at an additional cost of $30.
(Last year, sales increased to 278 plates. Our challenge is to increase sales to 500 plates so we can keep the Rotary Plate alive in Indiana!!)
Support for the RI End Polio Now Campaign For each Rotary License plate sold between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014, the Columbus Sunrise Rotary Club will donate $1 to the Rotary Foundation on behalf of the District to support the End Polio Now initiative:
License plate sales will be tracked for each District: 6540, 6560, 6580
A check for the amount equal to the number of plates sold in each District will be sent to RI Foundation on a quarterly basis (October, January, April & July)
The check will identify the District (6540, 6560, 6580) to receive credit for the donation
Each District Governor will be notified of the amount of the donation on a quarterly basis.
For more information, contact:
Cindy Green at info[at]columbussunriserotary.org or Trish Moore at 812.371.3243
On Thursday, Ocotober 17, Junior Acheivement will recognize two of our very own at the annual “Indy’s Best and Brightest” event. In Banking and Financial Services, LaTonya Gaither, Service Center Manger at the Teachers Credit Union, Rotarian since November, 2012. And, in Technology, Dan Randolph, Lead Biologist with Dow AgroSciences and Rotarian since December, 2010. Our Rotarians are special! Please congratulate these deserving members of our community and thank them for being members of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis!
