Events

Michael W. Lattanzi, M.D., M.S., is a medical oncologist at Texas Oncoloy Austin Central. He is heavily involved in clinical trials and the advancement of research in cancer care.

About Dr. Michael W. Lattanzi

Hanna Mendyuk will talk to us about providing medical care, nursing services and support to Ukrainians caught in the uprovoked war by Russia.

About Hanna Mendyuk

Help Honor Flight Austin say Thank You to our Veterans with a “Trip of a Lifetime”

Our WWII and Korean War Veterans statewide will receive first priority.  We are asking for your help finding every willing and able World War II and Korean War Veterans anywhere in Texas, so we can fly them to Washington D.C.,COST FREE, to see their Memorials. We are also taking Vietnam War and Cold War Veterans from the 14 surrounding counties to participate in our flights. 

The Honor Flight Austin mission is to transport veterans with a specific priority to Washington, D.C. to visit their memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices and return them home to their families and loved ones.  Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation and as a culturally diverse, free nation. It is estimated that 372 World War II veterans are dying each day, our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women, is running out.

About Steve Quakenbush - Chief Executive Officer

Steve Quakenbush was stationed at Fort Hood Texas in the early ‘90s and knew one day he would return, he is now a proud Texan for over seven years.  Steve graduated Cal Poly, SLO with a brand new butter bar and served for four years active duty and nine years reserves in the U.S. ARMY.  GO ARMY!  Steve has been working with Honor Flight Austin since late 2014 and looks forward to many more years honoring our Texas Veteran

About Lee Leffingwell - Board Member

As a board member, Former Mayor Leffingwell was instrumental in the creation of Honor Flight Austin. Mayor Leffingwell, a veteran himself, served as an officer and a pilot in the United States Navy and served in the Vietnam War. After leaving active duty, he served in the Navy Reserves and retired at the rank of Commander. Mayor Leffingwell attended the second and Austin’s largest Honor Flight in October 2012. Mayor Leffingwell is committed to helping Honor Flight Austin serve all local WWII Veterans.  As Navy Veteran, a Council Member and Mayor, Mayor Leffingwell has been very passionate and focused on supporting Veterans; under his leadership and vision, the City of Austin has created an unequivocal Veterans program. The City of Austin has been recognized both locally and nationally for their unprecedented program; most notably is receiving the DOD, Secretary of Defense Freedom Award; one of only 15 employers nationally to receive this honor and of course the DAV’s state and national commanders large employer of the year award.

Honor Flight Austin is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. You may choose to donate with a check, please make your checks out to Honor Flight Austin and mail to:

Honor Flight Austin
1108 Lavaca St.
Suite #110 – Box 609
Austin, TX 78701

Honor Flight Austin - Honor Flight Austin

5870 District Governor Shannon Coleman is committed to increasing our giving and creating more awareness to help finish the job of END POLIO NOW.  PDG Scott Rainey will share insight on how our district has supported this in the past and what our plans are for this year.  This is not your grandpa’s look at this problem.  Get ready to have some fun and break a record!!

About Scott Rainey

Scott Rainey was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He attended the University of Oklahoma and is a proud Sooner!  Scott is married to Martha Bowles, who he met in church in Clear Lake, TX.  Scott has a daughter Taylor McConnell who has blessed him with three granddaughters Parker Anne, Charlie Mae, and Mason Rayne.  Scott’s Stepson Chase Cusack works in the entertainment industry.  Scott and Martha have three dogs, Desmond, Sophie Ann, and Macie, all Yorkies.

Scott trades petrochemicals and fuel products as his day job.

Scott is highly involved with Rotary.  He is a member of the Rotary Club of Austin and was previously a member of the Space Center club in Houston where he served in several capacities, including Club President in 2014-15.  He was an Assistant Governor in 2016-17 & 2017-18.  He served as Rotary District 5890 Governor for the year 2020-21, “The Pandemic Year”.  Scott is a Major Donor and member of the White Hat Society.

Scott’s passions include His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his family, and Sooner football

Merry Rotary Christmas!

6- 9 pm Saturday, December 10th

BBQ Dinner

Bring an appetizer or dessert to share

BYOB

Directions to Rotary Holiday Party

• Saturday, December 10, 2022
• Villa Serena Clubhouse, 8111 Club Ct, 78759
• Kay and Aubrey Wilson, Hosts

1. Arrive at the intersection of Steck Ave. and Greenslope Dr. by whatever route you follow, you will find a Baptist Church on the NW corner and a brick wall surrounding the Villa Serena townhome community on the SE side.
2. From the intersection go south on Greenslope Dr. ½ block to South Drive on the left, the entrance to Villa Serena. [Note: South Drive is not a through street to Forest Mesa].
3. Follow South Drive to the 4^th street - past West Ct, past Middle Ct, past East Ct to Club Court.
4. Turn Left onto Club Ct and drive straight ahead to the Clubhouse.
5. There are about 10 parking spaces in front of the club house and cul de sac. Additional parking is available on South Drive along the non-red curb; the red curb on South Drive is a NO PARKING fire lane. Empty guest parking spaces on East Ct., Middle Ct. and West Ct are available, and just a short walk along a lighted residential sidewalk to the Clubhouse.

The Project Schoolhouse Team are happy to report on the progress made towards clean water and sanitation in the community of Bilampi, Nicaragua, generously supported by a Global Grant. The team returned from a trip to visit the project and are eager to share photos and an update.

Selina Serna, Executive Director & Board Member

Executive Director Herb Dyer and Medical Director Dr. Kate Tindall will introduce us to Hospice Austin, and the role hospice organizations play in palliative care and End of Life.

Herb Dyer, MPA - Hospice Austin Interim Executive Director

As Interim Executive Director, Herb Dyer is responsible for all programs and services of Hospice Austin. He has spent the majority of his career in health care and in strategic development. Herb has more than two decades of experience as an executive in hospital administration. He served most recently as Vice President of Ascension Health where he was responsible for shared services across 12 hospitals serving the greater Austin area. Herb has a long history of leading complex capital projects and diverse teams. After leaving healthcare administration, Herb developed a successful consulting company in 2018 to help business with leadership training and strategic development. His company was acquired by AXIOM Learning Solutions in 2022 where he then served as Principal Consultant with AXIOM.

Herb has been involved with Hospice Austin for more than a decade. He served on its Operating Board of Directors for nine years and also served on and was chair of Hospice Austin’s Fund Board for three years. He is deeply committed to Hospice Austin’s mission and legacy of nonprofit excellence.

Herb has a Master’s in Public Administration from Baruch College, City University of New York.

Kate Tindall, MD - Austin Palliative Care Medical Director

Dr. Kate Tindall is the Medical Director for Austin Palliative Care, a community-based palliative care program that cares for patients in their homes who are seriously ill but not eligible or ready for hospice care. She is dual board-certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She completed her training, including her Palliative Medicine fellowship, at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Before joining Austin Palliative Care, Dr. Tindall was the Assistant Medical Director of the Palliative Care team for Parkland Hospital as well as Assistant Professor at the UTSW Medical School. She brings a passion for providing compassionate, patient-centered care to the seriously ill population. Austin Palliative Care, a nonprofit organization, is the only community-based palliative care program of its kind in the area.

The Teachers and Student Council will host our annual Club meeting on the premises of Wooldridge Elementary.

Address:

Wooldridge Elementary School
1412 Norseman Terrace,
Austin, TX 78758

About Jeffrey J Whittig:

About Jessie Files

Jessie Files is passionate about using her skillsets to help people suffering or struggling worldwide. This passion has led her to work as an Information Management Officer for the WHO, United Nations in Haiti, Mali, Yemen, and Djibouti. She has also worked as a Geographer, Partnership Specialist and Growth Marketing Manager respectively with the U.S. Census Bureau and Sendwave.

Jessie was born and raised in Haiti. A Fulbright scholarship recipient, she holds a bachelor ‘s degree in Computer Science and a master’s degree in Forest Ecology and Management from Michigan Technological University. She speaks Haitian Creole, French, English, and Spanish. Jessie lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Michael and two daughters, Mikaela and Sofia.

Evie Barnard will talk to us about the Rotary Interact Club at McCallum High School that she founded, and the cool things that they do!

About Evie Barnard

Evelyn (Evie) Barnard is a current senior at McCallum high school. She is the co founder and president of the schools Rotary Interact club, in addition to being the Editor-in-chief of her newspaper. Evie is also involved in other volunteer organizations, including the National Honors Society, National Art Honors Society, and AVID. Next year she plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin as a Journalism major. After college she hopes to obtain a masters degree and eventually work for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. When Evie is not in class or volunteering, you can find her drawing, reading, writing or skateboarding.

Frank Ivy will talk to us about Rotary One and the Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, IL.

About Frank Ivy

Born and raised in Austin, TX, Frank is a 3^rd generation Austinite.  He is a graduate of Anderson High School and has a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.  He has been married for 35 years to his wonderful wife Alison.  They has two adult children:  Tyler who lives in Round Rock, and Haley who lives in Kennesaw, GA.  Frank has been a commercial banker for 39 years having spent 20 years at community banks, 8 years at large national banks, and 11 years in the Credit Union industry.  Frank has been with Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union for the past 8 years as a commercial real estate lender.

Frank joined the Northeast Austin Rotary Club in January 1996 and became Club Treasurer in July of that year and has been Treasurer for 18 of his 26 years in Rotary.  Frank has served as his club’s Foundation Chair for the past 25 years and is a Paul Harris Fellow +4.  Frank was Club President in 1999-2000 and again in 2014-15 for the North by Northeast Rotary Club in which the North Austin and the Northeast Austin Rotary Clubs merged in 2012.  Frank was inducted into the District’s Roll of Fame in 2010.  Frank has served on the District Board as Assistant Governor for 3 years from 2017 -2021, and Lt. Governor for 2 years from 2021 – 2023.

Mark Kurusz will talk to us about the development of the artifical heart, and the breakthroughs that made this life-saving technology possible.

About Mark Kurusz:

Mark Kurusz has been a member of the Rotary Club of West Austin since 2011. He spent nearly 40 years as a clinical perfusionist (operates heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery) in two university settings (Penn State-Hershey Medical Center, 1972-1977 and the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, 1977-2006) and with one contract group in Austin, Texas (2006-2010). Over the course of his career, he had the opportunity to meet many leading figures in the development of artificial organs. This led to a long-time interest in medical history, and he has published several articles and book chapters on historical events and clinical research. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the UTMB Department of Surgery. Today, he will recount the story surrounding the first implantable artificial heart, which occurred in 1969. While the case initially generated euphoria, there was much controversy and criticism concerning details of the event. This led to a famous, decades-long feud between two former colleagues, Drs. Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley. Mark is still involved in blood pumping and works for a start-up company developing a left ventricular assist device for heart failure patients. He and his wife have been married for 50 years, raised three daughters, have seven grandchildren, and have lived in Austin since 2006.

Ayah Alomari and Tiger Yang will be speaking to us about the Greater Austin Chapter of Engineers Without Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving communities across the world by engineering infrastructure projects. The Greater Austin Chapter will also be speaking about its water project in Tanzania, where they are rehabilitating a water system for a village of over 12,000 people.

About our speakers:

Ayah Alomari: 

Ayah Alomari is a native Austinite with a love of built environments and humanitarian work. She recently graduated from UT Austin with an M.S. in Structural Engineering and B.S. in Civil Engineering and is now a practicing EIT at KPFF Consulting Engineers. She joined EWB ATX in 2020 and has served on the Tanzania project as both a fundraiser and a Health Safety Officer for their in-country travel in August 2022. In her free time, she enjoys Dungeons and Dragons, hanging out with her family chickens, and kayaking around Red Bud Isle.

Tiger Yang began volunteering with Engineers Without Borders in 2016 as a freshman at Rice University. He has held roles such as Project Lead and President at the Rice Student Chapter and now serves as Director of Finance for the EWB Austin Chapter. Tiger graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Business and works as a software engineer at Silicon Labs. Outside of EWB and work, he enjoys soccer, cooking, and finance.

About Officer Shelly Borton:

Michelle Borton is a police office with the Austin Police Department  Austin, TX.

• Patrol Officer in Southeast FRANK sector
• Street Response Unit, conducting street level narcotics, prostitution, and high crime operations
• Cadet Training Instructor, Austin Police Training Academy.  Specialized in defensive tactics
• District Representative Unit Downtown area command.  Responsible for community outreach with business owners, special events in downtown, and acting at the direction of Downtown Commander.
• Crisis Intervention Unit/Homeless Outreach Street Team assignment (HOST).  Assigned as the APD representative to a collaborative team consisting of EMS, Downtown Community Court, Integral Care to assist persons experiencing homelessness in the downtown area.  This team assists with mental health services, medical, substance abuse treatment, and other homeless services.  

She has received special training and developed skills in:

• Mental Health Officer
• Hostage Negotiator
• Adjunct Firearms Instructor
• Adjunct Defensive Tactics Instructor
• Bicycle Patrol
• Crowd Management Team
• Bicycle Public Order Team

About Charles F Stahl

Charles F Stahl was a practicing architect with the firm Barrow & Stahl. David B. Barrow and Charles F Stahl both graduated from the University of Texas. Barrow & Stahl formed their office in Austin Texas in the 60's and produced both commercial and residential works from the 1960's until present day.  Their work was influential in the design, layout, and look of the Balcones neighborhood in Austin, TX.

Chuck was President of the Rotary Club of West Austin from 1973-1974, and became a member of the District 5870 Rotary Hall of Fame in 2005.  He is the longest serving Rotarian in the Rotary Club of West Austin, and is a Paul Harris recipient.

The Ukraine war has exposed a raft of contradictions in which world leaders are making claims that have little substance.  By focusing on the underlying economics we can gain a clearer picture of the forces shaping responses to the war by the major powers.  At the start of the war the Russian leadership said that they "wanted a new deal with the West."  That is a fine wish but there never was a deal with the West following the breakup of the Soviet empire.  Western responses have been less than direct.  Let us look at who has what to win and who has what to lose. 

About KC Cerny

K.C. founded Management Information Analysis (www.mia-consulting.com) in 1990 with the  goal of providing analysis to support corporate decision making. Over the years, he has helped build a well-rounded team. Corporations increasingly capture more and more data, without having a centralized solution to process it, and often they have multiple warring information systems. Having a team that can unravel and manage data allows us to support quantitative decision making at a very high level.

Dr. Cerny received a BA from Princeton University and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, TX.

Management Information Analysis is a team of proven professionals that support you with data integration services, custom application development, and enterprise and strategic planning solutions