Featured Speaker for January 12th Meeting: Pete Doragh The Doragh Law Firm, P.L. Topic: Guardian ad Litem Program serving foster children in Lee County. A Rotarian in southwest Florida since 1992, Pete served as District Governor for the 2014-2015 term and has been honored as District 6960 “Rotarian of the Decade” 2011-2020. PDG Pete has served as President for two Rotary Clubs: The Rotary Clubs of Fort Myers South & Fort Myers Sunrise. Pete and his wife, Cyndi, are both active in their Club, District and at the Zone level. They are both Major Donors, members of the Bequest Society, Benefactors, Paul Harris Society Members, Discussion Leaders for (RLI) Rotary Leadership Institute and as Zone Training Leaders, as well as members of the 2017 RI Convention Executive Committee, held in Atlanta, GA. Pete is currently chair of the O-E Rotary Youth Exchange Multi-District serving 14 districts from Florida to Ohio, and our District RYE Chair. [...]

This Donation couldn't be possible without the help of our outstanding Rotarians, effective fundraising efforts, and generous contributions from members and local businesses. Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation Enriching our park, enhancing our community The Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation is a non-profit organization which tasked themselves with enhancing the beauty and experience of Lakes Park. The Foundation continues to make efforts that grow its membership, volunteerism and donations. Current Projects Currently, the Foundation is working to raise funds that support the following enhancements to Lakes Park: * COMMUNITY GARDEN – replacement of aging raised beds where people learn to grow their own food and donate the extra to a local soup kitchen. * CHILDREN’S GARDEN – planned additions include demo garden certifications and a human sundial. * LAKES PARK SUMMER CAMP – funding of programs and equipment to enhance the Summer Camp experience. Learn About Sunrise Rotary Fort Myers [...]

Featured Speaker for January 5th Meeting: Earl Quenzel Partner Quenzel Marketing Agency Topic: Club Survey Results - Implications Moving Forward Earl is an experienced brand builder with a proven track record for creating shareowner and stakeholder value for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) brands.  A creative thought-leader who blends an intense customer focus with solid people skills and clear process orientation, he's delivered growth within the framework of a vast corporate matrix looking for a turn-around as well as within the hands-on requirements of a start-up. Considered a marketing pioneer in airline and telecommunications, Earl led teams at TWA, Eastern, Continental, and AT&T during their transformation from a stable, government-regulated environment to a competitive, de-regulated marketing environment, often against new entrants with lower cost structures. Earl also led the marketing and sales teams that successfully launched the Travel Channel and Priceline.com across Europe.

Featured Speaker for December 29th Meeting: Barbara Manzo Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation After forty-one years of working in the field of Parks and Recreation (twenty-two of which were with Lee County Parks and Recreation), Barbara retired in 2012 to pursue the pastimes she enjoys. In 2014 Barbara joined the LPEF to help the Foundation achieve its goals and be the liaison between the Foundation and the County. Barbara started her career in New York, where she was the Deputy Director and Director respectively in two Cities in Westchester. Born and raised in NY, she moved to Lee County in 1990 with her husband to take the job of Deputy Director. In 2009 Barbara took the reins as Director of Lee County Parks and Recreation. In 2003 Barbara worked closely with John Armenia to form the LPEF. John's vision brought many people to the table. It helped LeeCounty Parks and Recreation achieve [...]

Featured Speaker for December 15th Meeting: Adam Molloy The School District of Lee County 1/2 Penny Sales Tax Update Dr. Adam Molloy is the Coordinator of Community Engagement for the School District of Lee County. He was born and raised in Fort Myers and attended the University of Florida. Prior to taking a job in community engagement he taught US History for 12 years at North Fort Myers High School. His research interests include the history and development of student assignment plans, demographic trends in post-unitary districts, and the history of desegregation in Lee County. He is the proud father of two children Matthew and Taylor, and husband of MaryBeth.

Featured Speaker for December 8th Meeting: Gary Goforth Travelogue Greece and Beyond Astounding archaeological sites, islands of extreme beauty, rural villages, and some of the tastiest bites in the world – Greece will have you be saying ‘opa!’ in no time. Learn about the charismatic nation that continues to grace us with incredible historical monuments, ancient cities, picture-perfect coastline, and some of the best parties in the Mediterranean. Learn more about the picturesque Greek islands and Beyond with Gary Goforth.

Featured Speaker for December 1st Meeting: Tommy Doyle Lee County Supervisor of Elections The Security of Our Elections Tommy Doyle is a lifelong resident of Lee County with a deep-rooted passion for the county's history and traditions. His fundamental belief in our representative form of government led him to run for office. He was elected Supervisor of Elections in November 2016 and took office in January 2017. His desire to strengthen the values of outstanding customer service to the citizens of Lee County and emphasize fiduciary responsibility in election budget management has brought forth innovation and excellence in the day-to-day operations of the Lee County Elections Office. He has made it a top priority to safeguard the security of the office's network databases, computer systems, and elections. By ensuring an ongoing commitment to coordinating enhanced systems security practices, the office reinforces its dedication to secure elections and the voters of Lee County. Since [...]

Featured Speaker for November 17th Meeting: Charles Reith & Belinda Rodenbaugh District 6960 Environment Team Rotary Powered Secure Energy Charles is a retired professor and consultant in the sustainability space. He was a professor at four different universities and served as Provost and Director of Sustainability at the American University of Nigeria. His research addresses climate adaptation, renewable energy, industrial ecology, and corporate environmental strategy. His professional practice includes management and technical consultancies with multinational corporations and energy/environmental ministries, where he helped point the way toward sustainable resource management. He presently leads Sarasota’s Florida House as the President of FHI’s Board of Directors. Within her 1st month, Belinda attended RLI and became a Graduate in 1 year. In her second month, she proposed a New Member Mentor Program after attending District 7600 Assembly. By the third month, she was requested to become Newsletter Editor. During her fourth month, she received a Paul Harris [...]

Featured Speaker for November 10th Meeting: SFC Toluao & SSG Conto Fort Myers Recruiting Station Armed Forces Enlisting in the military can be an exciting, life-changing experience. There are many reasons why men and women across the United States show interest in the Armed Forces. Whether you are looking for a life of adventure and personal fulfillment, come from a long line of family members who have served, or wish for benefits and job security that come along with being in the military, joining the military can create an excellent foundation for future personal growth. Next week, we will learn about the military benefits of serving your country, paying for school, military career paths, and more from our featured speakers SFC Toluao and SSG Conto.

Featured Speaker for November 3rd Meeting: John Zadrovitz Manager South Trail Tire & Auto Repair John is originally from Fairfield County in Ct. He lived at Sandy Hook until 2001, when he was given the opportunity to have a job at South Trail Tire and eventually purchase it. He was part owner/manager of an independent auto supply store for 23 years and was then the Service Advisor for South Trail for 5+ years before purchasing it on May 1, 2007. John has been married for 35 years to his wife, Sheri, RN, at Lee Health System. They have two children, Sean, who recently married and lives in Charlotte, NC, and Kristine, living in Arlington, VA.