CRAFT TALKS - MEET ANDREA KLIPFEL AND SYD SYMINGTON
President David rang the bell right on time to start the meeting. Ken S. offered the invocation and Michael W. led the club in the flag salute.
Sid S. introduced the Club to a new Morro Bay Rotary song. We sang it, but we need to practice this one more.
Visiting Rotarians were Mary Helen Kelp from Palm Desert and Al Heilly from Indian Wells. Sarah Ketchum introduced her guest, Sandra Cade from Paso Robles Edward Jones.
President David told a joke about a fisherman. A couple people actually laughed.
John W. told us about Grover Beach’s new Eco Rotary Club that he is helping to form. John was fined because it was in the SLO City News and the Tribune and he didn’t mention Morro Bay Rotary.
Our hard working new member Sarah K. announced that the Fish Fry ticket money was due. She reminded everyone that they need to sign up to help. Andrea K. circulated the Dessert list for the Fish Fry asking Rotarians to provide desserts for the event.
Carol F. reminded us of the Avocado and Margarita Festival. We have many Rotarians volunteering to work the beer booth. She also told us the Morro Bay High School Cheerleaders were helping at the main gate and will get a percentage of the income.
President David asked Mike P. what he was thankful for. He said, among many things, he was thankful for his Rotary Friends. David said that’ll be $20. He also asked Dale R., Chuck C., Stanley C., Bill P. and “Gary “Dad” the same question and extracted $20 from each.
John Weiss introduced the Program for the day which was “Craft Talks” by Andrea Klipfel and Syd Symington.
Andrea told us that she and John W’s wife, Christine, both grew up in Dorchester Mass. near Boston. She moved with her parents to Bakersfield where she went to Bakersfield West High School. She met her husband Kevin in Bakersfield. He attended Cal State Bakersfield. Later, they moved to the Bay Area where Kevin worked as a tech for Innovac. She was in the finance department where she worked with consultants. While there she honed her public relations skills. She moved to a small startup Internet Company named Yahoo in 1997. She was their Director of Investor Relations. Her projects included the annual report, which she shared a copy with us. She also had “Headstones” for her work with the Direct Stock Purchase Program and Merger Acquisitions.
To improve their quality of life they moved to Seattle and she went to work for Microsoft. She started on September 10 2001 the day before 9-11. She told us she had to fly to New York for a meeting shortly after. She shared her experience with the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster. After a short time, a small firm that was trying to hire her named Edward Jones. She decided to try them and she became an investment counselor. She liked this job because it gave her a chance to do independent research. She switched to working for Merrill Lynch for a short while, but returned to Edward Jones when an opportunity opened in Morro Bay.
Recently she and her husband Kevin started their own company. They located in Paso Robles because there was a commercial location there in an old Wachovia Bank building. The space was ideal for their needs and included internet hookups. They are having their Grand Opening on August 1st offering a tri tip bbq.
Next John introduced Syd Symington. Syd told us he had nothing in common with Andrea, except occasional headstones.
He was born the third child in his family in St Louis, Mo. He amused us inferring that he had a bit of a wild youth. His parents were public service role models. He was in Dorchester near where Andrea was born and worked on a video at the JFK Library there. His college education was in theater and he performed in Cabarets. He married his first wife and moved to Connecticut. While there he worked running lights in the theater. He had an opportunity to visit Camarillo, California as a lighting consultant on a show there. He had a lifestyle awakening and became a live-at-home dad or “house mom” as he referred to it. Unfortunately, his marriage didn’t last and his wife took over the family mom role and he joined the church, went to divinity school and eventually to theology school. He did some preaching and counseling at hospitals where he was encouraged to become ordained. In Geneseo, New York he joined Rotary and became involved in the community. He liked Rotary because it was an opportunity to mix with “cool interesting, like minded people.” Through his connections he accepted the call to lead the congregation here in Morro Bay at St Peter’s Episcopal Church. He invited us to join them Sunday mornings.
Following the Program President David told us that Andrea, Sarah, Marie and Carol all received their PRLS certificates which he distributed.