Fort Myers Sunrise Rotary

Featured Speaker for August 28th Meeting: Bob Anthony Mental Health Initiatives Rotary Action Group Bob Anthony chairs the Mental Health Initiatives Rotary Action Group (RAGMHI) for Rotary International (RI). RI made the eradication of polio practical by its trusted presence in the form of Rotary members in 200 countries. Today its RAGHMI members help all communities break stigma, raise awareness, and increase capacity for early treatment and prevention of behavioral health challenges. Bob has personally facilitated implementation of behavioral health projects in the USA, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, India and Nigeria. Bob is also the Executive Director of Adolescent Wellness, Inc. (AWI), a 501c3 non-profit he founded in 2005. AWI promotes development and wider implementation of practical resources to prevent mood disorders and prompt earlier treatment. His professional career as an executive in the tech industry focused on systems integration and his education included an MBA from DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of [...]

Featured Speaker for September 4th Meeting: Meg Middaugh Board Member - Living Well Mission Meg Middaugh, a long-time resident of Fort Myers for over 35 years, is a dedicated Board Member of Living Well Mission (LWM), a non-profit organization in Fort Myers. Her commitment to the board stems from a deep belief in supporting programs that offer life-changing solutions. Living Well Mission (LWM) is a non-profit (501c3) organization, primarily funded by private donations. Its mission is to provide accessible mental health therapy to individuals, regardless of their insurance status or financial capability. Links to applications for assistance are available on the LWM website and in printed materials. Anyone can fill out and submit an application, which is then confidentially evaluated for need. Applicants are contacted within 72 hours, and assistance approval is based on need, not income. This includes those who are employed and may have insurance but still struggle to afford mental [...]

Featured Speaker for September 11th Meeting: Tom D'Amore Remembering September 11th Tom D’Amore retired from JP Morgan Chase Bank several years ago. He was an Executive Director and Market Director and spent 44 years of his life with the bank. Tom lives in Naples, Florida where he is enjoying retirement with his wife, traveling and enjoying all those things he never had time for during his career. On September 11, 2001, Tom was working in New York City managing the JP Morgan Chase branch at the One Chase Tower by the World Trade Center. Tom hasn’t shared his story often but he has shared bits and pieces over the years and although there are things that everyone knows about that fateful day (all the statistics), Tom will share some of the things that he witnessed and, following that day, played a part of. WEEKLY SUNRISE MEETING [...]

Featured Speaker for September 18th Meeting: Bob Lesage England, Scotland, and the Wales Bob Lesage was raised in Sarasota and Ocala. He attended FSU and professional school at the University of Houston. He met and married Bonnie in Houston, 1971. They have two children, Colin and Michelle, and six grandchildren all residing in Lee County. Bob is the Rotary Past President of the Cape Coral, Sanibel, and Ft. Myers Sunrise clubs. He retired from medical optometry practice (past partner of 35 years) and is also a Rotarian. Retirement for Bob means travel, playing guitar, and boating. WEEKLY SUNRISE MEETING Join us on Wednesday at the Doubletree Fort Myers 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 [...]

Featured Speaker for September 25th Meeting: Shari Clark Resiliency Hubs Shari Clark is a US Army veteran who served in the Gulf War. When she left the military, she moved to Ft. Myers to be with her mother in her final months. She worked for Arizona Beverages. When they closed their operations here, Shari went to the Pine Manor Community Center to apply for unemployment and use the computers to search for jobs. She volunteered to help others with job searches. Her skills soon led to being hired as a part-time Outreach Coordinator. Two years later, she was hired by Goodwill to be the full-time Neighborhood Resource Specialist. After 13 years with Goodwill, this January Shari became a Pine Manor employee. WEEKLY SUNRISE MEETING Join us on Wednesday at the Doubletree Fort Myers at Bell Tower Shops 13051 Bell Tower Drive, FL, 33907 [...]

Featured Speakers for October 2nd Meeting: Drew Ogden & Vicki Little Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation Drew Ogden is a new Rotarian in the Bonita Naples club and is also in the Lions Club. He has spoken to our club before. Both Drew and Vicki are energetic speakers and speak passionately about Lakes Park, the importance of the Scarecrows in the Park event to them, and the different projects they have in the pipeline. WEEKLY SUNRISE MEETING Join us on Wednesday at the Doubletree Fort Myers 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 [...]

Featured Speaker for October 16th Meeting: Kevin Anderson Mayor of Fort Myers Kevin B. Anderson was sworn in as the 62nd Mayor of Fort Myers on November 16, 2020, after serving as Ward 4 councilperson for the previous two years. Mayor Anderson retired from Chico’s FAS, Inc. in June 2019 after 15 years. Prior to joining Chico’s, he had a more than 24-year career with the Fort Myers Police Department, holding the rank of Major at retirement. Anderson also served three years in the United States Army. Mayor Anderson is a graduate of Edison Community College (now Florida SouthWestern State College), Florida Gulf Coast University, and the University of Louisville Southern Police Institute. A dynamic community member with a long history of civic involvement, Anderson has been a resident of Fort Myers since 1979, serving on numerous boards and coalitions across Southwest Florida. Currently, Mayor Anderson serves as chair of the Premier Mobile [...]

Featured Speaker for October 23rd Meeting: Ted Sottong CEO - Pickup The Ball Ted has been a Rotarian for over 25 years, and has been a member of the Fort Myers Sunrise Club since 2004. He is a local architect and founded Pickup the Ball, Inc. in 2012. Through that organization, he has connected with young men from stressed areas to help empower them to lead their communities with the goal of transformation. Ted enjoys sports photography in his spare time, along with adventurous travel and making pasta when time permits. Ted thinks black Air Forces are dress shoes and he gave all his ties away, so in his mind, he dressed up for this occasion. WEEKLY SUNRISE MEETING Join us on Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower Shops 13051 Bell Tower Drive, FL, 33907 Can't Make it? [...]

Featured Speaker for October 30th Meeting: Peggy Mouracade Mental Health Dr. Peggy Mouracade has been a part of the medical community of Fort Myers, Florida since 1997. It was no surprise that she chose medicine as a profession in that she was immersed in this world growing up in West Virginia. Her beloved father, her mentor, was a vascular surgeon and through him she witnessed the joy and fulfillment of being a physician. Peggy’s undergraduate studies were done at Wake Forest University and culminated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. She graduated with Magna Cum Laude with Honors and elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She was awarded an Upperclassmen Carswell Scholarship at the end of her freshman year. As part of the scholarship, she spent the summer of her junior year in the Philippines studying healthcare delivery. Cementing an early interest in medicine, she remained in Winston-Salem, NC and attended The [...]

Featured Speaker for November 6th Meeting: Christopher Michael Meadows MS, HAS, BC-HIS American Medical Hearing Centers Christopher Meadows is an expert hearing care provider with over 10 years in the industry who has helped thousands of souls. He is also very skilled as a play-by-play announcer with over 8 years of experience calling football and basketball games. He is a single father who raised his now-grown son, who is in the Navy, by working multiple jobs and putting himself through college, mostly by working in underground coal mines and bartending. After a couple of years working for a regional ESPN radio station and a couple as the Executive Director of a Convention and Visitors Bureau, a friend introduced Chris to the hearing industry. He took to it like a duck does to water, and through hard work and a special way of putting people at ease with their decision to receive the help [...]

Featured Speaker for November 13th Meeting: Kelsey Mitchell District Governor of District 6960 Kelsey Scoggins Mitchell grew up in Naperville, IL and originally moved to Florida in 2006. Kelsey is the loving mother of two children Audrey and Brooks. Kelsey is the proud owner of a Real Estate Team called The Classic Luxury Network brokered by Keller Williams Realty, where she and her team serve all of Florida and Georgia. Kelsey and her team have been in the top ranked teams in multiple Keller Williams offices in both Georgia and Florida. Kelsey was named the “Humanitarian of the Year” award from the Greater Rome Board of REALTORS in 2019. Kelsey received the “Eagle” award for her success from Keller Williams Naples in 2020. Her team was awarded the #3 top group for 2021 in Marco Island. Her team was awarded the #2 expansion team in 2022 with Keller Williams Elite Realty. Kelsey loves [...]

Featured Speaker for November 20th Meeting: Robin Gretz School Gardens Robin Gretz is a retired educator who taught for the School District of Lee County for 36 years. In retirement, she found a passion for gardening. She wrote grants to start a community garden in Pine Manor and a school garden at Villas Elementary. Now, with two Rotary grants, she has helped our club start gardens at Edison Park and Allen Park. Robin is also a foodie and loves to prepare what she grows. WEEKLY SUNRISE MEETING Join us on Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers 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 [...]