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Mark A. Grey is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Northern Iowa. Mark has conducted research on immigrants, refugee and other newcomer populations in Iowa, the United States and internationally for more than 30 years. Mark is a widely recognized scholar on mobile populations and a highly sought-after speaker, trainer and consultant. In addition to UNI, Dr. Grey is on the teaching faculty at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and he holds an adjunct professor appointment with the U.S. Army War College.

March 18 Program - Allen College / Foundation

Jared Seliger, President of Allen College shared recent developments at the school and described the relationship between the healthcare industry and their evolving program.

Rotarian of the Week - Steve Schmitt

Years in Rotary 27, I believe

Hometown Oelwein

College Ellsworth JC, Drake and finally UNI

Job Vice-President of Telecommunications at Advanced Systems, Inc.

Fave Food Spaghetti and Meatballs

Fave Movie It’s a Wonderful Life

Fave quote The Charles Swindoll quote about “Attitude”

Fave thing about Rotary The fellowship and relationships

Something unique about you Father of six, including 27 year-old Triplets, one of which is a Nun

President's Family Gathered Monday

For the last three years, President Katelyn has been proud to bring her family of farmers to the Rural Urban Day Luncheon. Her Grandparents, Jim & Lovelle Pedersen, Uncle Jeff Pedersen and Dad, John Pedersen all work on the family farm south of Hudson in the Eagle Center area. Katelyn has the fondest memories of riding on both green and red tractors and tagging along in the farm truck or four wheeler with her great grandma and grandma to deliver the boys their sack lunches while spending hours in the fields during harvest time. Katelyn recognizes the hard work farmers do and feels blessed to be part of a family who never takes this life for granted.

2018 photo:

2017 photo:

District Conference Highlights

2019 Rural Urban Luncheon

One of our largest meetings of the year was March 11th. This annual event is a unique opportunity to connect with members of an incredibly important sector of our state's economy. Throw in the uncertainty of shifting government programs and regulations, then sprinkle on top increasingly unpredictable weather, and these producers seldom have an easy day at the office.

Aaron Putze was our keynote speaker, he is Director of Communications and external affairs from the Iowa Soybean Association. Thank you to the Rural Urban committee for pulling all the details together!

Rotarian of the Week - Kaye Englin

Years in Rotary - I've been a Rotarian for 16 years. 10 years in the Waverly Chapter, and 6 years here in Waterloo. I'm proud to be a Paul Harris Fellow.

Hometown - Audubon, Iowa

Job - President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa

Fave Food - Grilled steak and fettuccine (with a glass of wine)

Fave thing about Rotary - I enjoy the fellowship with our members, and learning more about the community we all love and serve!

Something unique about you - married to John, my high school sweetheart for 37 years and counting! We love traveling together and with our family! This picture is from our recent trip to the Grand Canyon. We have two adorable grandchildren, Kaylee and Jackson who live three minutes from our home!

March 4 Program

Tom Eachus, Executive Director of Black Hawk Grundy Mental Health made a presentation to the Club regarding the status of mental health in Iowa as well as the mental health care deficit.

March Birthdays

Join us Monday to wish these Rotarians a happy birthday!

Dr. Laura Kurtz	March 13
Mason Fromm	March 16
Brian Aronson	March 19
Eric Ritland	March 20
Rick Jaacks	March 22
Cathy Nicholas	March 24
Steve Brown	March 26
Art Cox	March 26
Holly Johnson	March 30
Bob Regenwether	March 30

Upcoming Programs

March 25^th: Mark Grey, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Northern Iowa will be presenting on his research on immigrants, refugees and other newcomer populations in Iowa.

April 1^st: Hawkeye Community College – Rotary at the new Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center

Rotarian of the Week - Kevin Sonnenberg

Years in Rotary 24 yrs. (counting Crossroads Rotary Club)

Hometown Montrose, Iowa

College UNI

Job Commercial Loan Officer (BankIowa)

Fave Food Toasted Ravioli (St. Louis style) and spaghetti

Fave Movie Saving Private Ryan

Fave quote “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” ~ Rogers Hornsby

Fave thing about Rotary Fellow Rotarians, the surprise of what’s for lunch and the great programs each week.

Something unique about you I’ve been to 12 Jimmy Buffett concerts.

February 18th Program - Skate Park & Pickleball

Paul Huting Waterloo Leisure Services Director will share updates from Waterloo Leisure Services as well as present details about two projects in their pipeline: pickleball courts and the Riverside Skate Park. Both projects are near Riverfront Stadium and are candidates for our club to support financially this year.

Waterloo's skate park was first opened in 2002, but the floods of 2008 and 2016 damaged the ramps and the park has been technically closed for almost 3 years. FEMA originally planned to help but major hurricanes in 2017 redirected funding.

Waterloo Leisure Services has hired a California company, Spohn Ranch, to develop plans for a new all-concrete skate park. On January 30th, a design workshop brought skaters and city officials together to discuss and vote on specific features for the new park. The results and photos of that workshop can be seen on the group's Facebook page.

Somewhat related to the skate park project - the existing concrete slab under the damaged ramps is still in good condition and can be transformed into pickleball courts. If you've heard of pickleball but aren't familiar with how to play, it's basically a combination of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. A pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court, and Leisure Services Recreation Manager Mark Gallagher says three pickleball courts could easily fit on the current skate park concrete pad.

Rotarian of the Week - Deb Pullin-VanAuken

Years in Rotary – My current official initiation date is January 18, 1994 when I joined the Rotary Club of Iowa City A.M., However, I was a Rotarian with the Waterloo Downtown Club for a few years before I moved to Iowa City. At that time, there was not a transfer system in place so there was a six-month period when I was not a Rotary member.

Hometown – Waterloo, Iowa

College – Iowa State University – GO CYCLONES!

Job – Wealth Management Banker, U.S. Bank, Waterloo

Fave Food – Anything chocolate

Fave Movie – I have many favorites … I typically go for something entertaining or fun … but that being said, I do love the Harry Potter series having gotten hooked on the books when I read the first in the series with an Iowa City elementary student I journaled through Rotary with when the book first came out in the U.S.

Fave Quote – I used to collect quotes (before computers and Pinterest), so it is hard to select just one … but one that always sorts itself to the top is “The Shepherd’s Prayer” that my mom posted by her desk in college to remind her of her late father: “Heaven won’t be so lonely if what I hope is true, if a little lamb of God is there or come old friendly ewe. In those celestial pastures beside still waters deep, my the eternal future find me with a little bunch of sheep.”

Fave Thing About Rotary – I actually have two favorites … first, I love being able to help people locally and across the globe through the many Rotary initiatives … and second, I really enjoy the social aspects provided not only through involvement in the local club but also through the many friendships I developed by being involved at the district level when I was in Iowa City.

Something Unique About Me – I spend most of my vacation time helping my family exhibit our purebred, registered Hampshire sheep at three state fairs in the summer and our national show at the North American International Livestock Exposition in the fall. My husband and I recently relocated to the area to help my parents, including assisting them with the sheep operation. Right now is lambing season (approximately January–April) so we are very busy with all the new additions and trying to keep everyone warm and healthy!

February 11 Program - Red Tail Athletics

Hawkeye Community College Athletic Director of Red Tail Athletics, Dave Ball joined us to talk about the athletic programming at Hawkeye Community College.

2019 Service Project Update

Through excellent club finance management practices, our club is in a position to support a local project and possibly tap into a district matching grant. The board has narrowed down a list of projects and we'll hear about them during our February meetings.

George Wyth projects - Feb 4th

Waterloo Pickle Ball Court - Feb 18th

Riverside Skate Park - Feb 18th

Allen/Mental Heath Center landscaping project - Feb 25th

After the presentations, the board will send out a SurveyMonkey for our members to vote on the preferred project.

Rotarian of the Week - Laura Kurtz

Years in Rotary: 5

Hometown: Waterloo

College: UNI for my undergraduate, Iowa for my dental degree

Job: Dentist at Edwards Smith Family Dentistry

Fave Food: OP Pizza - usually taco :)

Fave movie: I love a good romantic comedy... When Harry Met Sally, 10 Things I Hate About You, 27 Dresses, Never Been Kissed...

Fave quote: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Fave thing about Rotary: I love being a part of a group of people that believes in the value of service and giving back to the community.

Something unique about you: My husband & I love country line dancing!

February 4th Program - George Wyth State Park

Lori Eberhard, George Wyth Park Manager talked about the many programs George Wyth State Park has to offer, the soft trails community collaboration and touch on the many activities around the Rotary Shelter.

February Birthdays

Look at this fine list of Rotarians who celebrate another trip around the sun this month! We'll honor them with desserts February 4th.

Mallen, John - Feb 01

Bellinger, Lori - Feb 08

Hayes, Julie - Feb 09

Krogh, Bob - Feb 18

Ritland, Craig - Feb 20

Sinnott, Steven - Feb 21

Rotarian of the Week - Henry Edsill

Years in Rotary: 13

Hometown: Waterloo

College: University of Iowa undergrad, Drake for law school

Job: Attorney with McCrindle Law Office

Favorite Food: Steak & Fries

Favorite Movie: “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”

Favorite Quotes: “No matter how far down the wrong road you have travelled, turn back.”—Turkish proverb; and “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”—Margaret Thatcher.

Favorite Thing About Rotary: Camaraderie in doing good stuff for others.

Something Unique About Me: Fascinated by the craft of live theatre and how a show is put on stage—all the things that go into creating what the audience sees.

January 28 Program - CANCELED

Brent Dahlstrom was scheduled to join us January 28th, but we will work to have him back another date. He will share the many projects that Echo Development is working on in downtown Waterloo such as the Art Block Project, Masonic Temple, and the Public Market / Kombucha Tea project. There are already several completed Echo projects in the Cedar Valley, including Grand Crossing and River Trail Development.

Rotarian of the Week - Kathy Braun

Years in Rotary: Joined 1992

Hometown: Iowa City until 18 months old

College Undergrad: U of Iowa & U of CA-Berkley, MS UNI

Job: Retired. Last 22 years legal investigator @ Dutton, Braun, Staack & Hellman, PLC

Fave Food: sushi grade tuna

Fave Movie: On the Basis of Sex(recently) & Wizard of Oz(always)

Fave quote: “Life is like a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein

Fave thing about Rotary: Meeting & working with unique people of various ages.

Something unique about you: Backpacked for 3 weeks in Colorado with HS students.

This Week's Rotarian Dr. John Berry

Years in Rotary – Three years in Rotary

Hometown- Brooklyn, New York

College- Southern University

Job- CEO & Executive Director Tri-County Child & Family Development Council Inc.

Fave Food- Pork Chops

Fave Movie-Charge of the Light Brigade

Fave quote- Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.

Fave thing about Rotary- Relationships-building

Something unique about you-I am a GED New York City graduate

January 21 Program

Kegan Bakken, General Manager of SingleSpeed joined us to share the many exciting activities at SingleSpeed. He shared the exciting growth of the craft beer industry, how SingleSpeed compares to other craft beer company’s in Iowa and new opportunities for SingleSpeed.

January 14 Program

We'll honor Paul Harris Fellows and collect ideas for a service project our club can facilitate this year. Bring your ideas for projects that will enhance the quality of life in the Cedar Valley and could use a boost from 100+ community leaders.

2 Rotarians Profiled for 20 Under 40

Since being announced in September, fellow Rotarians Heather Labonte and Megan Kugler have been profiled in the Courier's annual 20 Under 40 series. We are proud to have these community leaders in our club, and they join a long list of previous Rotarians honored over the past 17 years. Click the photos below to read each profile: