President Bob Hermann, Jr. (Information Technology: Administration | Retired) called the meeting to order at 12:25 PM on May 6, 2025 and welcomed everyone attending in person or on Zoom. The Club observed a moment of silence in memory of Pope Francis who had died on April 21, 2025.
A Big Thank You
President Bob expressed his gratitude for all of the get-well cards, flowers, and well wishes that he had received after his recent hip replacement surgery. He pointed out that he has recovered well as evidenced by his participation at the recent Bike Build.
Today's Guests
Our guests were Nese Ozler and Shelley Wenzel. Our speaker was Scott Plakun (Management Consulting | The Plakun Group). Welcome to all!
News on Our Members
- Mary Jansen — President Bob acknowledged Mary Jansen (Nonprofit Management | Catholic Charities SF) who joined our Club on April 17, 2025 as a member of our Corporate Member — Catholic Charities SF. We look forward to getting to know Mary and welcoming her into our Club.
- James Chen — Jianying (James) Chen (Healthcare: Acupuncture | American Institute of Zhizhen Therapy and New Qigong), his wife Estela, and their son Abraham relocated to Florida. We learned of their move when his recent Rotary anniversary card was returned as undeliverable. This is a reminder to all to update your information on ClubRunner and my.rotary.org
- Milo Hanke — Milo Hanke (Financial Services: Advising | Hanke & Co. Wealth Management, LLC) has been busy building his new office in Union Square.
- Mary Liu — Past President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) was honored for Distinguished Service at the recent Alliance for Smiles Gala. Anita Stangl (Medical Services | Alliance for Smiles) thanked those who attended the Gala.
New Paul Harris Fellow
Paul Harris (1868-1947) founded the first Rotary Club in Chicago in 1905, hoping to bring some of what he treasured from his rural Vermont upbringing to the big city. Rotary would not exist without his vision of a group of business professionals who helped each other by helping others. For each $1,000 donated to The Rotary Foundation, a person can become a Paul Harris Fellow. Congratulations to Tim Hornbecker (Nonprofit Management | Retired, The Arc CA) who received his PHF + 4 pin.
EREY
The May 2025 winner of the Every Rotarian Every Year Spin the Wheel contest was Steven Lindstrom (Software Engineering | Chairish.com). The June 2025 winner of the Every Rotarian Every Year Spin the Wheel contest was Andi Valo-Espina (Haberdashery | Andrea-E-Soci Custom Tailoring). Congratulations to Steven and Andi who each received $25.
Past and Upcoming Events
- President Bob thanked the Rotarians who served at the recent Family House dinner. See full story here.
- President Bob shared a slide show on the recent Bike Build. Our Club along with several other organizations built and distributed 174 bikes. We received press from the San Francisco Sheriff's Department and the YMCA. See photos here.
- Check the Club's calendar for upcoming meetings and events.
- At the District 5150 level, consider donating pennies to end polio or joining Rotary Day at the San Francisco Giants on June 8, 2025.
Guest Speaker
President Bob introduced Past President and District 5150 DEI Chair Scott Plakun. Scott spoke about how he and Past President John Mathers started the DEI Initiative within our Club in 2020. Also, in the same year, Rotary International launched an Ad Hoc DEI Committee. DEI is important, because it increases membership, eliminates barriers, makes everyone feel included, and allows for everyone to learn about others' traditions, holidays, food, and history. In our Club, we have held ethnic dinners, watched films about events in other cultures, and heard from speakers and members regarding their traditions. Approximately a century ago, Paul Harris remarked, "Our differences make us stronger; let's celebrate diversity." If you are interested in joining our DEI Committee, please contact Tim Hornbecker.President Bob thanked Scott Plakun and announced that 100 children would be inoculated against polio in Scott's name.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 PM.
Meeting Volunteers
President Bob thanked today's meeting volunteers: Cecile Chiquette (Accounting | Retired) for serving as volunteer coordinator; Stacey Poole (Law: Family | Lerner Poole & Stewart, LLP) for serving as scribe; Jim Patrick (Retail: Office Supplies | Patrick & Co.) for serving as photographer; Allan Herzog (Financial Services: Advising | Wells Fargo Advisors) for managing the microphone; Kirt Burdick of the Academy of Art University for managing the audio-visual equipment during our in-person meeting; Dan Davies (Information Technology: Consulting | Zipline International) for social media; Tim Hornbecker for serving as greeter; and Ann Daugherty (Financial Services: Private Trading | IBN Financial Services) for doing check-in at the Hotel Nikko.