Girdwood Rotary Club Meeting Programs & Speakers
July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025 Programs (Ron Burson, President)
July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2025 Programs (Jody Liddicoat, President
July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025 programs (Carol Howerton, President)
July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2006 programs (David Alexander, President)
Meetings will begin each Thursday promptly at 7 pm at the Alyeska Prince Hotel, unless otherwise noted on the calendar below. Please check the marquee in the hotel lobby to verify the meeting room. For more information, contact our current president.
| 2005 - 2006 Rotary Year | |||
| Meeting Date | Speaker | Subject | Sponsor |
| August 11, 2025 | Navin Sharma, Girdwood seasoned paramedic and current medical officer for the Vancouver, Washington SWAT team | Carol Howerton | |
| August 18, 2025 | Mike Hawker, Alaska State Representative | The upcoming and past legislative sessions and what the price of oil means | David Alexander |
| August 25, 2025 | Aves Thompson, Director of the Division of Weights and Measures and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement for the Alaska Department of Transportation, | Aves has been on the international commission of measurement standards. There are measurement standards for all devices used in commerce, and Aves, a very well spoken guy, can tell us the origin of some units, how they’ve evolved, and procedures to keep the seller from adjusting measurements in his/her favor. | David Alexander |
| September 1, 2025 | Judith A. Alamprese, Sociologist, from Abt Associates in Washington, D.C. | Community involvement with reference to Rotary | David Alexander |
| September 8, 2025 | Caity Wilson, Girdwood Exchange Student to Switzerland, | Caity Wilson, our rebound exchange student from Switzerland, will tell us about her experiences from the year past this week. She joined the soccer team and fit right in from the beginning of her adventure. She is back in the U.S. and is attending Dimond High this year | David Alexander |
| September 15, 2025 | Linda Solomon | Linda, Development Director from Bean’s Café, will speak on the growth and importance of Bean’s Café. Bean’s has grown from a soup kitchen to a large meal producing enterprise that provides men and women without homes an opportunity to learn and be nourished. Who had this great idea? Why, Lynne Ballew, an American hero in our midst. In the ‘70’s, Lynne perceived the need for this eatery and took for its name her daughter’s nickname, Bean. Later, seeing another critical social need, Lynne created Safe Harbor Inn, a “midway” residence for people en route to a job or a life different from their previous existence. No, its not a shelter. Just a “motel” for a reasonable price where companies such as Nine Star Enterprises can buy a room for a few months or a year and house people in need. If she had done one of these things, her contributions to the greater Anchorage community would be enormous. She did both. Linda will tell us the Bean’s story. If you like the notion of people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, you’ll enjoy hearing about Bean’s. | David Alexander |
| September 22, 2025 | Senator Con Bunde, Alaska State Senate | This year and next year in the Alaska State Legislature | David Alexander |
| September 29, 2025 | Dennis McMillian, Chief Executive Officer, the Foraker Group | Dennis will speak Foraker's efforts to make budgeting and policy planning smoother for service agencies and the Foraker Model | David Alexander |
| October 6, 2025 | Asst DG Paul McGuire | Paul McGuire’s Members Orientation Meeting; Tammy Bruce, Palmer President, hopes to be at this meeting. The Rotary Information Session and Induction ceremony will be conducted for Ginny Grupp and Joyce Kiana. | David Alexander |
| October 13, 2025 | Nichole Sherebernikoff |
Nichole, a sixteen
year old figure skater from Girdwood, will present a video of her
skating and talk about her aspirations to make Junior Nationals.
The Olympics is a distant dream but for now she wants to compete
Statewide, then make it to the Junior Nationals. Nichole is raising
funds to help her get to all the competitions. It costs thousands
of dollars for coaching and travel to all the competitions.
|
Carol Howerton |
| October 20, 2025 | Rebecca Reichlin, Four Valleys Community Schools |
Rebecca will speak on
Community Schools and their importance to our community. It is so
important that she gets the support she needs. We don't want to lose the
opportunities the Four Valleys Community Schools provides Girdwood. Importance of Community Schools History of Four Valleys Community Schools Celebrating 25th Anniversary! Current Status 501 (C)(3) application status Memorandum of Agreement with Anchorage School District Plan of Operation Financial Status Funding Support Look to the Future |
Ron Burson |
| October 27, 2025 | Paola Banchero, UAA Professor of Journalism & Public Speaking | Paola Banchero, UAA Professor of Journalism and Public Speaking will speak on Hispanics and the Media. October is Hispanic Heritage Month and Professor Banchero will address how Hispanics are portrayed and what power they have in the entertainment and news media. | Ron Burson |
| November 3, 2025 | Bill Harbin, Airline Captain | Retired international airline Captain Bill Harbin will speak on the history and various facets of airlines and international flying. | Ron Burson |
| November 10, 2025 | Doug Wu | Girdwood Computer Guru Extraordinaire & Girdwood Chamber of Commerce | |
| November 17, 2025 | Dr. Travis Rector, PhD Astrophysics, UAA Professor, Department of Astronomy & Physics | Dr. Rector will speak on celestial images and imagining. | Ron Burson |
| November 24, 2025 | No Meeting | Thanksgiving Holiday | |
| December 1, 2025 | Hilary Morgan from Homeward Bound | Hilary will talk about Homeward Bound and homelessness in Anchorage - 2006-2007 Officer elections will also be held | Jen Esterl |
| December 8, 2025 | District 5010 Governor Skip Cook and wife, Olga | David Alexander | |
| December 15, 2025 | Charter Night | Celebration of our Charter Members | |
| December 22, 2025 | Christmas Holiday Celebration | ||
| December 29, 2024 | Assembly Night | ||
| January 5, 2025 | Joe Wolner, Girdwood Playground Committee |
Joe will update the club on plans for upgrading the Girdwood playground
|
David Alexander |
| January 12, 2025 | Shareen Crosby | The program is Shareen Crosby talking about Pillars this year. She is the co-chair of Pillars of Freedom for Anchorage area Rotary | David Alexander |
| January 19, 2025 | Darryl Jordan | on The Knik Arm Causeway | David Alexander |
| January 26, 2025 |
Jeremy Zidek, Communications Coordinator - Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon & Western Washington |
Jeremy Zidek states "I have looked at the Rotary clubs 4-way test and think that the Rotary and the BBB have many common goals. I would love the opportunity to come and speak with your members about the ways that the BBB serves our community." (unconfirmed) |
David Alexander |
| February 2, 2025 | Lana Johnson | on Historic Gold Mining in Alaska | Lana Johnson |
| February 9, 2025 | Shannon O'Brien, Whittier pre-school teacher | Whittier Pre-school Art Project | David Alexander |
| February 16, 2025 | Walt Hays, the Alaska Volunteer Coordinator for the PET Project | Joint Meeting with the Lions Club - PET is Personal Energy Transportation, a sturdy, hand-cranked cart designed to provide mobility for the disabled. Since 1996 PET has distributed over 5,000 units free to persons with mobility needs in some 52 countries. PETS are distributed through hospitals, mission stations, clinics and NGOs." | Ken Osuna |
| February 23, 2025 |
Allen Kemplen, Area Planner with the Alaska Department of Transportation
|
Allen is Area Planner with the Alaska Department of Transportation. He will speak on the concept of Urban Design and the creation of a more livable Winter City especially as it relates to the revisions of Title 21, the Land Use Plan Map and associated zoning changes, and how transportation fits into everything, specifically the Glenn/ Seward interchange . He is currently a member of the Urban Design Commission, Municipal Airport Aviation Advisory Commission and chair of the Fairview Community Council Neighborhood Planning Committee. Allen is the former State House Representative for Fairview and Mountain View. |
David Alexander |
| February 23, 2025 | Board Meeting (joint current and 2006-2007 boards) following regular meeting | Agenda: Carol Howerton - Tour of Homes, Phil Livingston - review of IFSR events, Constitution and By-Laws | David Alexander |
| February 24, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 |
Arrival and Cocktail Reception 5 to 9 pm |
|
| February 25, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 |
Ski Alyeska Check-in at Aurora Bar from 12 noon to 5pm Opening Reception at from Prince Court 5 pm to 8 pm |
|
| February 26, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 |
Ski Alyeska Tour of Art Community with Lunch at Jack Sprat Home Hospitality in Evening |
|
| February 27, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 |
Ski Alyeska, also Cat or Heli Ski AnchorageTrip with Lunch Dinner at Double Musky or Turnagain House |
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| February 28, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 | Everyone on Train Trip to Seward, All Day Trip | |
| March 1, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 |
Ski Alyeska, also Cat or Heli Ski Cooking Class or Heli Sight Seeing Annual Meeting at Portage Visitor Center |
|
| March 2, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 |
Ski Alyeska Racing Joint Rotary Meeting with BBQ at Challenge Alaska Dinner at 7 Glaciers Max 90 |
|
| March 2, 2025 | Joint Meeting at Challenge Alaska | This is a joint meeting with clubs attending the IFSR event. The meeting starts at noon. | IFSR - Phil Livingston |
| March 3, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 |
Ski Alyeska Move to Capt. Cook Hotel Gala Banquet in Evening at Cook |
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| March 4, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 |
Breakfast at Captain Cook Start of Iditarod Dinner on Own |
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| March 5, 2025 | IFSR Event Alyeska 2006 | DEPART | |
| March 9, 2025 | Dorn Van Dommelen, UAA Geography Chair | Dorn will speak on Canadian / US relations | David Alexander |
| March 16, 2025 | Membership Forum & BOD Mtg | ||
| March 21, 2025 | Candidates Forum Night | 4 Mayoral Candidates, 5 school board and 3 GBOS candidates will address the issues and answer questions in this candidates night in Prince Court at the Alyeska Hotel beginning at 7 pm | Tom Yeager |
| March 23, 2025 | Lupe Chavez, East Rotarian and former Ambassadorial Scholarship holder | Ms. Chavez will speak on Ambassadorial Scholarships and "Why I joined Rotary." | David Alexander |
| March 30, 2025 | Paul Crews | Legal Robotics Projects | David Alexander |
| April 6, 2025 | Fred Posido / Seward Rotary Club Exchange | Lunch at Jack Sprat at noon then ski from 1 with hors d' oeuvres at George McCoy's home at 5 pm. The meeting begins at 7 pm at the Alyeska Prince Hotel. | David Alexander |
| April 6, 2025 | Rod Pfleiger, Northwest Cruise Ship Association | Alaska tourism and the Northwest Cruise Ship Association | David Alexander |
| April 9, 2025 | Gulsah Kucuk's West Coast Fundraising Dinner | Note - this dinner is in lieu of the April 13th meeting. Gulsah needs to raise money for her Youth Exchange trip to the West Coast at the end of the school year. | Kerry Dorius |
| April 20, 2025 | Justin Harris / BOD Mtg | Justin will speak on Consumer Credit - A board meeting will immediately follow the regular meeting - all are invited | David Alexander |
| April 22, 2025 | Avalanche Express | Come on out to Alyeska Resort's Winter Carnival weekend. Avalanche Express immediately follows the Slush Cup and is held under Chair 3. | |
| April 27, 2025 | Shannon O'Brien | On the Whittier School Art Project and their needs featuring Girdwood sculpture | <td height="18" style="border-left:1px solid #000080; border-right:1px solid #000080; border-top:2px solid #000080; border-bottom:2px solid #000080; height: 13.2pt; color: #000000; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoratio|