On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, our lunch program will consist of presentations from local charities who’ve applied to be the beneficiary of our club’s share of this year’s Duck Race proceeds. Heidi Wright and the donations committee received a lot of great applicants, and have whittled that list down to just a few, and those will be pitching us on their programs/projects. Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

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.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join us on Tuesday April 4, 2023 at our normal meeting spot for new member biographies. This is your chance to hear all about our new members. Where they come from, what they did, where they going on their journey through life.

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, our lunch speaker will be Dana Whitelaw, Executive Director of the High Desert Museum. Dana will be speaking to use about the High Desert Museum’s 40th Anniversary and masterplan.

Dana has been at the High Desert Museum for 14 years. In her previous life, she studied lemurs in Madagascar and studied non-human primates in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and China. Through this work, she earned a PhD in Biological Anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. A native Oregonian and self-described museum nerd, Dana became inspired by the work museums do to energize and engage visitors with the learning and discovery of academia.

Under Dana’s leadership, the High Desert Museum has become a Smithsonian Affiliate, experienced record attendance and was a 2018 finalist for the prestigious National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Dana serves on the boards of the Western Museums Association, the Central Oregon Visitors Association, Oregon’s Cultural Advocacy Coalition and Art in Public Places. She lives in Bend with her husband and two sons, and in their free time they ski, bike and run together.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

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.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, our lunch speakers will be Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator Corinne Heiner and Deschutes County Forester Kevin Moriarty. They’ll be speaking on wildfires and Central Oregon communities.

Moriarty, who started in his new role in November, has served as a natural resources manager for Bend Parks and Recreation District since 2021. He previously worked for the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. Moriarty has a master’s degree in forest sciences from Colorado State University and bachelor’s degrees in general sciences, biology and environmental studies from OSU-Cascades and the University of Oregon.

Heiner, who also started in her new role in November, has wildland fire fighting and digital media experience. She worked for more than five seasons as a wildland fire fighter for GFP Enterprises. Heiner earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources: forest fire and restoration and a minor in communications from Oregon State University’s College of Forestry.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

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.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, our program will be a presentation on the City of Bend Transportation Plan and improvements.

Presenting will be Garrett Sabourin (Principal Engineer), Eric King (City Manager) and Meghan Goss (Executive Assistant).

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

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.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, our lunch speaker will be Bend Fire Chief, Todd Riley. He’ll be speaking on Bend Fire & Rescue fire and medical services, the increasing call volume and impact on emergencies in our region, why faster response times and more resources save lives.

Riley has more than 20 years in fire service with 16 of them at Bend Fire and Rescue. He became a full time firefighter with Bend Fire and Rescue in 2002, after previously serving as a firefighter/paramedic with the City of Sacramento. He was promoted to Fire Engineer in 2006, named Fire Captain in 2013 and was named Battalion Chief in 2016. In October 2019, he replaced retiring Fire Chief Larry Langston.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

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.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, our lunch speaker will be our club member Kit Carmiencke, who’ll be speaking about the connection between domestic abuse and concussions.

Kit is a charter member of Greater Bend Rotary and past president; co-founding board member of Bend Area Habitat for Humanity, and co-founding member with Oran and Janie Teeter of our sister city of Belluno, Italy. He’s served as chair of the board of the Family Resource Center, and served on committees and boards of state and national optometry groups. Integrated Eyecare was awarded Bend Small Business of the year in 2010.

With retirement from clinical practice in 2021, he found that “Living the Covid Dream” was less than fulfilling, so he began an extensive personal study of the neurobiology of concussions. This led to a greater understanding of the long-term consequences of head injuries, particularly for those groups at-risk for recurrent head trauma. He is working to develop a community program to quickly identify concussions of victims of domestic abuse at the site of the incident.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

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.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, our lunch speaker will be Zavier Borja, Community Relations Manager for the City of Bend.

Zavier currently serves on the boards of Parks & Rec, the Latino Community Association, Gray Family Foundation, and more. Zavi founded Vamonos Outside, in hopes to get more Latino and Spanish-speaking community members into the outdoors. Zavier will briefly share about his background that shaped who he is today, and he’ll then focus on his work at the City of Bend, sharing about partnerships and equity, as well as what that means for community engagement.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

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.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, our lunch speaker will be Dr. Laurie Chesley, president of COCC.

Dr. Chesley is the sixth president in Central Oregon Community College’s 70-year history. Her tenure began in July of 2019. Prior to joining COCC, Chesley was provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan. Her administrative and leadership experience spans 18 years and includes both two- and four-year colleges. Chesley served as interim dean of learning at Northwestern Michigan, assistant vice president for academic affairs at Ferris State (Michigan) University, dean of humanities at Montgomery County (Pennsylvania) Community College, and associate dean and dean of arts and sciences at Grand Rapids Community College.

A first-generation college graduate, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Alma College. She went on to receive her master’s and doctorate degrees (her dissertation examined the portrayal of women in the work of Daniel Defoe) in English at the University of Notre Dame, where she met her late-husband, Brent. Chesley taught English at a variety of higher education institutions for 14 years, including five years of full-time teaching at Northwestern Michigan College.

A recipient of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Faculty Excellence Award and a past winner of the Michigan Chapter of the American Council of Education Network’s Distinguished Woman in Higher Education Leadership Award, Chesley is passionate about mentoring the leaders of tomorrow. Born in Michigan, she’s a fan of classic cars, traveling and cycling.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

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.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.