Meeting Recap and Upcoming Meetings

Good Morning Rotarians, It was nice to spend time with our state Representative Kathleen Passidomo last week at Jane's. She did a great job on catching us up on what's been happening this session in Tallahassee and what to expect in the months ahead. We return to Jane's for breakfast on Wednesday and we have Eileen Connolly-Keesler from the Collier Community Foundation speaking with us this week. It would be great to have a nice turn out for her so please make an effort to attend and please feel free to bring a friend or guest. If you haven't had the opportunity, please say hello and introduce your self to our returning guests and potential new members Tony Power & Olga Schulz. Go ahead and make note that our evening meeting next week will be at a new location, Royale Café Vinoteca, 180 9th St. South. This is on U.S. 41 next door to the Lemon Tree Inn and across the street from the Bellesara Hotel, located in the Downing Frye realty building between 1st and 3rd Avenues South. Mark your calendars.

May 4, 2016 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting

The May 4, 2016 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary meeting was called to order by President Dan Herrington followed by Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Following breakfast visitors and visiting Rotarians were acknowledged. Our program was State Representative Kathleen Passidomo giving us the latest happenings in the Florida Legislature this year and all appreciated very much her updates and description of the various legislative happenings! Meeting was adjourned at 8:30am. Next weeks meeting at Jane's cafe will be Eileen Connolly-Keesler representing the Collier Community Foundation.

Upcoming Meeting Schedule

April 21, 2016 Rotary Meeting Recap

Hello Rotarians,

What a fun and informative night with Rotary Past District Governor Tim Milligan and his wife Sharon last week at Pompano. It was great to hear his experiences with Rotary and some of the more unique groups and associations Rotary offers. I'm all in for an exchange trip myself, thinking Australia & New Zealand.

For those that haven't heard, Pompano is closing for good this Saturday April 30 and there are no current plans to re-open. That make this Thursday our last evening there and we're making it our going away party. We don't have a speaker scheduled so it's just to be an evening of fun and merriment. Let's all show Javier how much we've appreciated his service to our club!

We do have a board meeting tomorrow night (April 27) and will be discussing location options for our evening meetings. Please feel free to email with any suggestions and watch your emails for updates.

Please note: Representative Passidomo will be with us next week at Jane's. Please make an effort to attend so we have a good attendance for our local dignitary. Mark your calendars

Upcoming Events Schedule April 21st - May 14th

Thur. April 21, 5:30 p.m. Pompano, Speaker Tim Milligan Rotary past district Governor

Thur. April 28, 5 p.m. Pompano, Speaker TBD

Wed. May 4, 7:30 a.m. Jane's, Speaker TBD

Wed. May 11, 7:30 a.m. Jane's, Eileen Connolly-Keesler, Collier Community Foundation

May 12-14   District Conference, Sanibel Harbor Marriott Resort & Spa

Mark your calendars! Wear your pin! Bring a guest! 

See you this Wednesday

I have some openings for speakers in May and June. Please email with any suggestions or ideas.

April 4, 2016 Rotary Meeting Recap

Good Morning Rotarians,

We had a great breakfast at Jane's last week with Pamela Miner form the Collier County Museums. Who knew we had so many interesting and educational museums in the county? And they're all free to boot. Check them out when you can. I love the Marco Island one.

November 4, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting

The November 4, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary meeting was called to order at 7:30am by President Dan Herrington followed by Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Guests and visiting Rotarians were introduced by club Secretary Gary Moore. Following reports on our last week's successful fund raiser Mercato WineWalk our guest speaker Gary Lytton, Executive Director of the Friends of Rookery Bay was introduced by club President Dan Herrington. Gary discussed the latest happenings as well as history of Rookery Bay and invited all club members to visit. Additional information on Rookery Bay is available by clicking here. After several questions all members enjoyed Gary's passionate presentation! The meeting was adjourned at 8:30am. Our next meeting will be at November 11, 2015 at Jane's Cafe on 3rd Street with the guest speaker Dr. Debi Strand with Collier County Honor Flight (Veterans Day).

3rd Annual Mercato WineWalk October 28, 2015

Our club meeting was our annual event at Mercato .... The Mercato WineWalk! Hundreds enjoyed the fun and pleasure of walking around Mercato with our Mercato WineWalk Passports to the many restaurants participating with wine samples and some with extra "treats". The events was a great success as we always participate in rain or shine ..... earlier we saw some rain but at the beginning of the WineWalk the weather cooperated and all enjoyed a wonderful time. We thank all restaurant participants, our Rotary members and volunteers from CCCR, Youth Haven and Roteract, and of course all who participated in the Mercato WineWalk. Our sponsors were: A. Vernon Builders, inc.; Kukk Architectural & Design, P.A.; Team Towers Realty; Herrington Insurance Group, Inc.; and Davidson & nick, CPA. Our benefactors are: Collier Child Care Resources, Inc. (CCCR); Youth Haven; and The Tumaini Fund.

October 22, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Club Meeting

The October 22, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting was called to order at 6:00pm by President Elect Rob Samouce followed by Invocation by member Joseph Davidow followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Guests and visiting Rotarians were introduced followed by the introduction of our guest speaker for the evening Amy Snyder, Executive Director of the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida. She discussed the latest happenings and the future plans for the museum. Additional information about the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida by clicking here. Our members enjoyed her presentation very much. Dictionary Day October 23, 2015 was then discussed with our Rotary Club distributing new dictionaries to all the third graders at Naples Park, Vineyards, Laurel Oaks and Parkside Elementary Schools. Below picture of Marcus and Robbie delivering dictionaries to one of seven third grade classes at Parkside Elementary School. Our normal next week meeting will be our annual fundraiser HalloWine Mercato WineWalk on Wednesday October 28, 2015 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Tickets still available online at http://www.MercatoWineWalk.com/ for $40.00 each and at the door for $50.00 each. Our following meeting will be November 4, 2015 7:30am at Janes's Cafe on Third Street with the guest speaker of Gary Lytton of the Rookery Bay National Estuary.

October 14, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting

The October 14, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting was called to order by President Dan Herrington followed by Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Following introduction of visiting Rotarians and visitors our guest speaker was introduced by President Harrington. Paul J. Thein ED.S., President/CEO Greater Naples YMCA discussed the latest happenings and events at the Greater Naples YMCA. His passion was evident in that he was extremely proud of all the exciting positive happenings since the fire and how his goal to make the Greater Naples YMCA Best in Class in all areas served is a happening event!! His fellow Rotarians elected Thein as President of the Waycross, Georgia Rotarians in 2011. Paul Thein’s parents, Dennis and Marge Thein, have been Naples residents for over 25 years. Paul is married to Shanon (Gillespie) of Prattville, Alabama. Shanon is a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR), specializing in pediatrics. Paul and Shanon are proud parents of two children, Shalyn, 8 and Brody, 5. Thein joined the Greater Naples YMCA Team as President/CEO on March 11, 2013. All members enjoyed his passion and presentation very much with many questions asked. Additional information about the Greater Naples YMCA is available by clicking here. President Herrington mentioned to all members that ticket sales are needed for our upcoming October 28th Mercato Wine Walk with tickets available by clicking here. Our next meeting will be Thursday October 22, 2015 at 6:00pm at Pompano Surf and Turf with our guest speaker Amy Snyder of the Holocaust Museum.

October 7, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Club Meeting

The October 7, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Club meeting was called to order by President Elect Robert Samouce followed by Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Visiting Rotarians and guests were then introduced. Jan-Ulrich Bernhardt and Annette Roth-Kroeger Rotary members from the Wedel Rotary Club, Wedel Germany presented our club with their banner and gave welcome from their members to all our club members. Our guest speaker was then introduced. Julie Sprague, Vice Chair of the Collier County School Board graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with both a B.S.E. and M.S.E. degree. She taught physical education and health for thirty years, with ten years at Immokalee High School and ten at Gulf Coast High School. She was the department chair at IHS for seven years and the department chair at GCHS for three. She coached a variety of sports for twenty years. She founded the first Medical Academy in Collier County at Gulf Coast High School. In 2003 she was selected as the Collier County High School Teacher of the Year. She has taught at the pre-school through undergraduate level over the span of her teaching career. Julie is active in the community, currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Immokalee Multicultural Multipurpose Community Action Agency. She also serves as the school board liason to the Collier County Head Start program. She formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Collier County Education Foundation, the American Heart Association Community Board, coordinated walkers for the AHA Heartwalk and coordinated a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She has volunteered for the nonprofit organization FriendsTogether, Inc. which assists HIV/AIDS infected and affected children for the past fifteen years and has completed numerous 300 mile/3 Day bicycle rides from Tallahassee to Lakeland to raise funds for the group. In addition she has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro twice to raise awareness and money for the group. While in Africa, she also did medical mission work for a month. Julie holds the Certified Board Member designation from the Florida School Boards Association and holds Master Board Certification as well. Julie was first elected to the Collier County School Board, District 4, in November of 2008. She was re-elected in 2012 without opposition. She explained in detail with a powerpoint presentation the many exciting happenings in Collier County schools and what the future holds. Our members enjoyed this presentation very much. Additional information available by clicking here. President elect Samouce then reminded all members to be promoting the tickets of our October 28th HalloWINE Mercato Winewalk and to spread the word about http://www.MercatoWineWalk.com . The next meeting will be Wednesday October 14, 2015 at Jane's Cafe on 3rd Street with our guest speaker Paul Thein, President & CEO of the Naples YMCA.

September 30, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting

The September 30, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary meeting was called to order by President Dan Herrington followed by Invocation by member Joseph Davidow. As this was the fifth week of September our meeting was a social event. This meeting was a wonderful Naples beach dinner with all the trimmings and all enjoyed great weather and a truly beautiful sunset from our tables on the beach! A very special thank you to our member Robbie Selby for making this all happen and in an extremely positive way!! All members truly enjoyed this very special event and the great weather and sunset! Our next meeting will be October 7, 2015 at Jane's Cafe on Third Street with our guest speaker Collier County School Board Member Julie Sprague. Please also tell all your friends and associates to visit our website http://www.MercatoWineWalk.com/ and purchase tickets for our October 28, 2015 fundraiser HalloWine Walk at Mercato from 6pm to 8pm! The site has all the information you need!!

September 23, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting

The September 23, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Club meeting was called to order at 7:30am by President Dan Herrington followed by Invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Visiting Rotarians and Guests were then introduced. President Herrington said our website is live and accepting ticket orders for our upcoming October 28 HalloWine Walk at Mercato and available now to order and pay for tickets at http://www.MercatoWineWalk.com/ . President Harrington introduced our guest speaker Mark P. Strain, Chief Hearing Examiner, Collier County Government. He discussed the many happenings in Collier County planning and what the future holds. This was a very exciting and eye awakening presentation on what our future will look like both in Naples and in Collier County. Many questions were asked due to the great interest in the subject and the excellent presentation. Meeting was adjourned at 8:40am. Our next meeting will be our 5th week of September (September 30th) and will be a dinner on the beach of Naples. It will start at 6pm and continue to 8pm. Additional information will be sent to all members with specific questions and answers needed.

September 16, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting

The September 16, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary meeting was called to order at 7:35am by President Dan Herrington followed by Invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Following introduction of guests and visiting Rotarians President Herrington briefed the club members on the latest happenings and projects including our upcoming Mercato WineWalk on October 28, 2015. He stated that tickets will be available online on September 23, 2015. Our guest speaker Penny Taylor, Collier County Commissioner, was introduced by President Herrington. Penny was elected Collier County Commissioner for District 4 in 2014. She is a ten year veteran of Naples City Council and former Vice-Mayor of Naples. She is a photo-journalist with a professional studio in Naples for over thirty years. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida. She is also a members of the Women's Republican Club of Collier County and League of Women Voters. Penny has served as a "foster" mom to over 44 "at risk" children. She discussed the latest happenings at the Collier County Commission and what the future holds. She explained in detail the many opportunities that are present now and in the future. Numerous questions by club members followed her excellent presentation. Additional information on Commissioner Penny Taylor is available by clicking here. The club was adjourned at 8:40am. The Club will be participating in a Beach Clean Up next Saturday September 19th at 8am at the beach parking area at 33rd Avenue South. Next week's meeting will be at 7:30am Wednesday September 23rd at Jane's Cafe with our guest speaker of Mark Strain, Chairman of the Collier County Planning Commission.

September 9, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Meeting

September 9, 2015 Naples Gulf shore Sunset Rotary Meeting was called to order by President Dan Herrington followed by Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Folowing introduction of guests and visiting Rotarians the Happy Dollar was presented. Our guest speaker was the Mayor of Naples, Florida John F. Sorey, III who discussed the many exciting past, current and future events and happenings in Naples, Florida. Mayor John F. Sorey III served on City Council from 2004 to 2012, and was elected Mayor in 2012. With an MBA from the University of Tennessee, his professional background is in manufacturing and distribution management. Mayor Sorey is currently the Executive Director of the Naples Players which is a local community theatre. He was an Army Infantry officer in Vietnam. His volunteer activities include: Chair, Coastal Advisory Committee: Member Tourist Development Council; Board Member, Harvard Club of Naples; Board Member, Community Foundation; and a Member of the Collier County Republican Party Executive Committee. Mayor Sorey is the first mayor of Naples elected to the Florida League of Mayors, Board of Directors. He first came to Naples in 1979 and moved here fulltime in 1998. Mayor Sorey has served many organizations to include: Board Member of the Naples Players, 2000-2013 and President 2001-2003; Member Planning Advisory Board, 2000-2004, and Chairman, 2003-04; Past Board Member, Friends of the Library; Past Member, Environmental Affairs Committee; Past Vice Chair, Big Cypress Basin Board, 2006-2012; Past Board Member, Naples Zoo, 2007-2013; and is a Master Gardener. He and his wife Delores have two children and twin grandsons. Many questions were asked from members after his excellent presentation and all were very excited about the bright and positive picture for Naples now and in the future. Additional information may be found by clicking here. John also mentioned the Naples Players and handed out literature for the upcoming season. The meeting was adjourned at 8:45am. The next meeting will be next Wednesday September 16th at 7:30am at Janes's Cafe on Third with our guest speaker Collier County Commissioner Penny Taylor.

September 2, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Club Meeting

The September 2, 2015 Naples Gulf Shore Sunset Rotary Club meeting was called to order by President Dan Herrington followed by Invocation by member Joseph Davidow followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. President Herrington discussed our upcoming October 28, 2015 Mercato Wine Walk (HalloWine) to be held at the Mercato from 6Pm to 8pm. This will be the 3rd annual Mercato Wine Walk event with 17 establishments participating with reservations/tickets available online within the next few weeks at MercatoWineWalk.com . Our guest speaker Cotrenia Hood, Director of Development, Youth Haven was introduced by our President Dan Herrington. Youth Haven provides emergency shelter and counseling services to abused, neglected and abandoned children, and counseling and family support and prevention service to at-risk families. Cotrenia discussed the latest happenings and events of Youth Haven that has operated continuously for more than 42 years. Their services touch more than 2,400 children and family members annually. Youth Haven's core programs and services include: a) Emergency Shelter; b) Children and Family Counseling Center; c) Family Support and Prevention Services; and d) Homeless and Runaway Youth Program. Their mission is to protect and empower children and strengthen families in Southwest Florida through comprehensive care and community collaboration. Their vision is every child in Southwest Florida will grow up in a safe and nuturing family environment. Youth Haven is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA). It is a member agency of the United Way of Collier County and beneficiary of the Naples Children and Education Foundation. Additional information can be found by clicking here. Many questions were asked by members who enjoyed her presentation very much. Our next weekly meeting will be at 7:30am Wednesday September 9, 2015 at Janes's Cafe on Third with guest speaker Naples Mayor John F. Sorey, III.