We are excited to announce that ReVillage, our $100,000 grant recipient, will present to the Rotary Club of Greater Bend at our meeting on Tuesday, August 20. This is a great chance to learn about their plans to open a new daycare center in Bend, Oregon.

As a “daycare desert” with a critical shortage of spaces for young children, Bend needs ReVillage’s commitment to high-quality early childhood education. Their innovative play-based learning and cooperative model nurture creativity, independence, and social-emotional development, involving parents and caregivers in the process and fostering a strong community.

ReVillage will share insights into their educational philosophy, how they create engaging learning environments and how they foster collaboration among families. This model supports children’s development and builds lasting connections among parents and caregivers, enriching the entire community.

We encourage all members to attend this inspiring presentation to understand how our grant will impact local families and help create a brighter future for Bend.

Arrive 15 minutes early to enjoy the special surprises we have prepared for you!

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

On Tuesday, August 13, our lunch program will be a presentation from Carissa Heinige and Sarah Worthington from Deschutes County Public Health about all things smoke and health.

They will cover what is PM2.5 and why should we care, along with public health recommendations for how to stay safe and healthy when there is poor air quality in the area. They will also share about our roles in helping prepare and respond to smoke events in Deschutes County, as well as ways in which everyone can stay informed about smoke events.

Carissa Heinige is the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP)Coordinator for Deschutes County. As the PHEP coordinator, Carissa helps provide linkages between community partners, County emergency management, and various state agencies to help ensure public health needs are met during and after disasters. Carissa has been in her current role since 2021, and first started with Deschutes County Public Health in 2020 to support pandemic response.

Sarah Worthington is the Climate and Health Coordinator serving Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson County Public Health Departments. In this role, Sarah supports projects and partnerships that increase community resilience to climate-related hazards such as wildfires and extreme heat. Previously Sarah’s work focused on diabetes management and prevention.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Deschutes County Landfill

On Tuesday, August 6, 2024, our lunch speaker will be Tim Brownell, Director of the Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste.

With the eventual and quickly approaching closing of Knott Landfill at the end of this decade, Tim will be speaking about the current search and process for locating a new disposal facility here in the County. This is one of several initiatives that the Department is looking at to improve the solid waste management, recycling, composting, and waste prevention systems and programs in the County.

Tim Brownell currently serves as the Director of Solid Waste for Deschutes County, having moved to Bend, OR approximately 2 years ago. He has had a varied career in recycling, solid waste management and policy, and originally starting out in the industry in San Francisco, which included setting up the first recycling collection route on the iconic Lombard St. He and his wife Carol love all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer and are enjoying amazing places and spaces in Central Oregon.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Autobiographies (Patty Dempsey, Scott Parr, and Scott Breon)

On Tuesday, July 23, our lunch program will be autobiographies from long-time member Patty Dempsey, and new members Scott Parr and Scott Breon.

Come learn more about some very interesting fellow Rotarians!

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Environmental Sustainability – Sherry Auerbach

On Tuesday, July 16, our lunch program will be a presentation on Environmental Sustainability from Sherry Auerbach, co-chair of the Los Altos Rotary Club’s Climate Action committee. She’ll be talking about two environmental-related programs their club has put in place in their communities working with youth. The first is a Lithium Battery collection day and the other is for polyurethane plastic recycling.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Bend Fire and Rescue

On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, our lunch speakers will be Melissa Steele and Heather Miller from Bend Fire and Rescue.

They will be sharing Bend Fire and Rescue’s new “Own Your Zone: First Five Feet” campaign that educates homeowners on how to protect their homes from the number one leading cause of wildfire destruction: Embers! The presenters will speak about wildfire safety preparation and prevention, and the emergency alert system.

Melissa Steele works in the Fire Prevention Division as a Fire Inspector with Bend Fire and Rescue. She is responsible for all commercial business fire inspections in the Southeast District of the city. She also serves as the Wildfire Mitigation Specialist for the department, and conducts all wildfire assessments for city and rural district residents. Before that, she was a Fire Captain with United States Forest Service on the Fremont-Winema National Forest for 5 years. She previously worked for Oregon Department of Forestry as an Inmate Fire Crew Supervisor, and before that she came from Paradise, CA and worked as a firefighter/EMT for CalFire. She has a total of 24 years in the fire service.

Heather Miller works for the Oregon State Fire Marshal as a regional Fire Risk Reduction Specialist for Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson and Wheeler Counties, and is based in the Bend area. She works with communities, structural and wildland fire agencies and local governments to identify and implement wildfire risk reduction and resiliency strategies. She started her fire career as a volunteer firefighter/EMT in the Eugene area in 2001 and was hired as a Fire Prevention Coordinator by that same fire department in 2003. Heather worked her way up to Fire Marshal and moved to the Oregon State Fire Marshal as a Deputy State Fire Marshal in 2011. She took some time off to start a family and volunteered at Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District for 7 years before assuming her current job.

Important location note: We will be meeting at the Convention Center, in the Cascade Room.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Incoming Presidents

On Tuesday, July 2, our lunch program will be a presentation from our new co-presidents, Sharon Gueck and Tyler Swanson. They’ll be sharing their goals and vision for our upcoming year.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Dr. Kimberly Schlam – Personalized Dentistry and Technology’s Impact on the Future of Dental Health

On Tuesday, June 18, our lunch program will be a presentation entitled “Personalized Dentistry and Technology’s Impact on the Future of Dental Health” from Dr. Kimberly Schlam of Bend Prosthodontics. Dr. Schlam will share how dentistry is using technology to create a virtualized patient to collaboratively treat complex conditions. She will review where dentistry has been and where it is going and why the link between dentistry and medicine needs more attention. Location: Boys and Girls Club, 500 NW Wall St.

Dr. Kimberly Schlam recently opened the first private practice Prosthodontic office in Bend, Oregon. Her practice focuses on patient centric, multi-specialty, collaborative care. Her research has focused on patient reported quality of life outcomes of implant prosthetics. She focuses on using digital technology to improve techniques, communication, and enhance her patients’ experiences. She is an educator for SPEAR, a key opinion leader for Straumann implants and speaks internationally about her clinical care.

Dr. Schlam received her dental training from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and her Certificate of Prosthodontics and Master’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill. She has also served as an active duty US Army prosthodontist.

Note: This week, we’ll be at the Boys and Girls Club offices at 500 NW Wall St.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Norm Knodt – PeaceTrees Vietnam

On Tuesday, June 11, our lunch program will be a presentation on PeaceTrees Vietnam, from Norman Knodt. Norm will present a combination of photos that he took in Vietnam in 1968, as well as current photos of those same areas that he took in 2018 and 2023 while participating in Citizen Diplomacy Trips sponsored by PeaceTrees Vietnam. These trips include visiting the actual demining operations, meeting with staff from the US Embassy in Hanoi and visiting several cultural sites. PeaceTrees has been the recipient of a grant from the Rotary International Foundation as well as support from several Rotary Clubs’ local foundations.

This organization has been providing unexploded ordnance clearance and Mine Risk Education in Vietnam for 28 years. They also provide several types of support for families that have suffered death and/or injury from contact with unexploded ordnance.

About Norm Knodt:

Norm is a Financial Advisor with Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC, and lives and works at Eagle Crest.

In 1966 he enlisted in the US Army and became a helicopter pilot, and served in Vietnam from January 1968 until January 1969. He flew UH-1B & C armed helicopters (gunships) and participated in operations at the Battle of Hue, Khe Sahn and the A Shau Valley.

Norm worked in the civilian helicopter industry as Chief Pilot for the Pan American World Airways helicopter operation in New York, New York and as Director of Operations for Omniflight Offshore Inc. supporting the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. He was also employed by Columbia Helicopters located in Aurora, OR, and was Chief Pilot for Columbia’s operation in Papua New Guinea.

While no longer an active Rotarian, Norm was a member of the Manteca Rotary Club in Manteca, CA and served two years as President (one for the Centennial Year). He also served as an Assistant District Governor and at the district level on the Rotary International Foundation Committee as sub chair for the Permanent Fund (now the Endowment Fund).

In 2015, Norm learned of the PeaceTrees Vietnam organization. He has made two trips to Vietnam as part of their Citizen Diplomacy Program and is now a member of their Board of Directors.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

Rotary Lunch Program: Heather Ficht + East Cascades Works

On Tuesday, June 4, our lunch program will be a presentation entitled “The State of the Workforce in Central Oregon” from Heather Ficht, Executive Director of East Cascades Works. Heather is the Executive Director of the East Cascades Works, a non-profit serving the ten counties on the east slope of the Cascades Mountain range in Oregon including Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Wheeler, Gilliam, Jefferson, Crook, Deschutes, Lake and Klamath counties. East Cascades Works mission is to support the talent needs of employers, and maximize and align investments in the career goals of individuals to fuel a thriving economy.

Heather has over 25 years’ experience in workforce development in Oregon, ranging from direct service to working for local workforce boards. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University of Wisconsin Madison and her Master’s in Social Work from Portland State University. Heather has supported the start-up of several organizations as well as programs and has extensive experience with youth workforce programming and re-engagement strategies that launch young people on to careers.

Currently, Heather serves as a member of the state’s Workforce and Talent Development Board and is immediate past Chair of her industry partnership in Oregon called Oregon Workforce Partnership (OWP), a collaboration of the 9 local workforce boards in Oregon. She also serves on the state’s oversight body for the public workforce system in Oregon along with state agency leaders called the Workforce System Executive Team (WSET) and as a member of the Oregon Governor’s Workforce and Talent Development Board.

We’ll be in our usual room at the Riverhouse – Deschutes South.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person and virtual. We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.