Events

Featured Speaker for September 2nd Meeting: Joe Rider College Football Day Join us this Wednesday as we welcome Joe Rider! A deep passion for football sparked Joe’s interest in an avocation that has lasted 35 years and inspired countless others. The Mattoon, Ill., native attended Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville, Ind., where he was a four-year letterman in football. After high school, Rider attended Bradley University, where he played an additional four years of football and received his bachelor's degree in business administration. After college, he continued his passion for football, playing three years in the Continental Football League. Since 1970, Rider has been a contest official, and has officiated games in high school, college, the Arena Football League and the NFL. As a high school official, he has officiated more than 300 football games and more than 120 basketball games. Rider has also been a part of numerous FHSAA playoff crews [...]

Featured Speaker for September 9th Meeting: Aiste Magitman Spotlight on Lithuania Aiste Magitman was born and raised in Lithuania and moved to the United States about 12 years ago. She is a pharmacist, entrepreneur, wife, mom, and proud Rotarian who now calls Southwest Florida home. Aiste has worked as a pharmacist for many years and recently became the founder of Best Gut Forever, a gut health company inspired by her own personal experiences. Although Florida is now home, Aiste remains very connected to her Lithuanian roots and loves sharing the culture, traditions, history, and unique character of the country where she grew up. She is excited to take her fellow Rotarians on a little trip across the Atlantic and introduce them to Lithuania — a small country with a big history, beautiful traditions, and a few surprises you may not expect! WEEKLY SUNRISE MEETING Join us on Wednesday [...]

Featured Speaker for September 16th Meeting: Priya Ahluwalia Southwest Florida Rotary Club Join us this Wednesday as we welcome Priya Ahluwalia, a member of the Southwest Florida Rotary Club, as she shares an exciting initiative focused on strengthening collaboration among Rotary clubs throughout District 6960 and beyond. Priya Ahluwalia is a true entrepreneur at heart. She has over 14+ years of professional experience in multiple sectors (startups, teaching, and nonprofits). She specializes in strategy, business, life mentoring/coaching, and business development roles across early-stage startups. She is the Founder of MoAloo Ventures (a venture capital firm), where the firm brings ideas to life. MoAloo Ventures help incubate startups and assist them in launching in the market. She has two Masters’s degrees (Chinese Language and English Literature) with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. Priya is fluent in English, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, and Punjabi, with some proficiency in Japanese. She has personal and professional experience in [...]

Featured Speaker for September 23rd Meeting: Jorden Falker Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium Join us this Wednesday as we welcome Jorden Falker, Director of Education for the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium. Growing up on the coast of South Carolina, Jorden’s always loved seashells. As a kid she had no idea that one day she’d be running the education department of the only nationally accredited natural history museum and aquarium in the country that’s dedicated to shells (and the animals that make them). In the nearly 7 years she’s been at the museum, she’s seen a huge renovation, a spike in visitation following the pandemic, and an expansion of research and educational programming despite a category 4 hurricane threatening to ruin it all. In her presentation, Jorden will cover the history of the museum, what’s currently available for exhibits and programs, a brief overview of current and recent research projects, and [...]

Featured Speaker for September 30th Meeting: Leah Mason Literacy Council Gulf Coast With a career that began in the fast-paced communications offices of the White House as a press release writer for the Bush Administration, Leah Mason has built a professional journey defined by leadership, education, and impact. After earning a B.A. in Communications from the University of Toledo, an M.S. in Student Affairs and Conflict Resolution from Nova Southeastern University, and a Ph.D. in Education Leadership, Policy, and Change from Walden University, she dedicated 20 years to public education, advocating for students, fostering inclusive learning environments, and shaping meaningful policy initiatives. Today, Leah serves as the Executive Director of the Literacy Council Gulf Coast, where she leads innovative programs that empower learners and strengthen communities. When she’s not working, Leah, also a Rotarian, enjoys spending time with family and friends, long distance running, reading a good book, and finding inspiration in travel [...]

Featured Speaker for October 7th Meeting: Sandra Hemstead Incoming District Youth Exchange Chair Join us this Wednesday as we welcome Sandra Hemstead, the incoming District Youth Exchange Chair. Sandra will speak about Rotary’s Youth Exchange program, including how it provides young people with the opportunity to experience new cultures, build lasting connections, and grow through international exchange. We hope to see you there! WEEKLY SUNRISE MEETING Join us on Wednesday at the DoubleTree by Hilton at Bell Tower Shops 13051 Bell Tower Drive, FL, 33907 Can't Make it? Join our Zoom Meeting - 2 Ways to Join ONE Click on the link to our ZOOM ROOM below. With this method you can join via a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet or phone. If you use a desktop or laptop you can use your regular browser or download [...]

Featured Speaker for October 14th Meeting: Mike Damiani Radco Industries CEO / Canterbury Football Coach Over past 35 years Michael Damiani has served in a variety of roles at Radco Industries, from plant operations to field sales and international sales management, before assuming the reigns as Chief Executive Officer in 2003. He takes pride in maintaining a clear focus on the company’s business goals while developing a world-class Management Team. Michael loves the challenges of guiding Radco Industries through the myriad of complexities in today’s business and manufacturing environment and is proud of Radco’s achievements that include awards from the U.S. Defense Department and Industry. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Tufts University (Medford, MA) with an emphasis in organic chemistry and experimental design.  Michael has enjoyed the opportunities to apply cutting-edge business theories and a science-based approach to the operations of a mid-size lubricant manufacturing company. Radco Industries’ [...]