Rotary Meeting, July 19, 2022
Many thirsty Rotarians arrived to hear the classic tunes of Hotel California. They each enjoyed a glass or two of wine made by our speaker, SEAN MINOR, wines courtesy of our wine sponsor – DIANE MIZELL.
As the music played and the wine poured, our greeters JEFFREY DRISCOLL (Peter Shiro State Farm) STEVE BRANDENBURGER (Loch Leven Lodge) and CRAIG BROWN (CB Property Inspections) had to step in to control excessive spontaneous dancing. When PRESIDENT LINDA GEERY observed that DAVE BRANDENBURGER (Newmark) was now also at the wine bar and photo bombing the other members (as evidenced in this newsletter), PRESIDENT LINDA called the meeting to order to better control the festivities.
PAST PRESIDENT WALTER DAHL proposed that Rotary formalize an open door wine policy….if you bring a bottle of wine, we will open the door.
Then STEVE HEATH (Rotary Club of Sacramento) expressed concerns with this proposal and suggested conferring with the Board and possibly legal counsel – so PAST PRESIDENT WALTER DAHL’s proposal is still pending.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
DAN FENOCCHIO (Cunningham Engineering) provided a very timely and appropriate thought for the day in light of our speaker. Not surprisingly if you know DAN, his thought for the day was…. WINE.
Our speaker today is SEAN from SEAN MINOR WINES, therefore, the theme for our thought of the day is, not surprisingly, WINE…
Wine has inspired countless famous enthusiast to remark about this glorious beverage over the years. Here are a couple such remarks…
LOUIS PASTEUR (puh-stoor) said – “ A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.”
THOMAS JEFFERSON said – “Wine brightens the life and thinking of anyone.”
WC FIELDS said – “I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”
LEOANARDO DA VINCI (devinchi) said – “The discovery of good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the discovery of a new star.”
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN said- “Wine is constant proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy.”
…And here is what I say – “The best wine isn’t from France, or Spain, or Italy or even Napa. No, my friends, the best wine is the wine that is shared with good friends.”
So cheers friends,
Cheers and thank you DAN for your viticulture perspectives.
INTRODUCTIONS
KATHE NATHAN acting Sergeant at Arms (Merchants Bank of Commerce) introduced our guests.
Our guests today included: JOHN MASSEY (Luxe Aviation) guest of TIM PINKNEY (Luxe Aviation LLC); KIM MORAN guest of KELLEY MORAN; and LAURIE SISNEROS guest of RICK DAVIS.
KATHE assured each of the guests that we would be on our best behavior at the next meeting.
JIM HENDERSON, Attorney (Messing Adam & Jasmine) indicated that for an undisclosed fee, he would delete your picture.
MEETING SPONSOR
Meeting sponsor JOHN WOOD (McGee & Thielen Insurance Brokers), who is better known for his wild sense of humor, shifted gears and addresses a serious topic. While the topic was serious, JOHN was sporting a pair of elite, designer Rotary meeting sponsor sun glasses.
JOHN donated his time to the club to discuss why each of us should sponsor a meeting. Thank you JOHN! Please consider the following:
What is the Sponsor of the Day?
An opportunity to make a $350 contribution to the club and be sponsor of an upcoming meeting, which earns you:
1. Three minutes of meeting time to tell your fellow Rotarians about your business or non-profit;
2. The ability to put a write-up in the Pulse to reach the Rotarians who couldn’t attend the meeting; and
3. VIP parking in the “Meeting Sponsor of the Day” parking spot just outside the building on the day of your Sponsorship.
Why Be the Sponsor of the Day?
#1 – It’s Good For Your Business
* Where else can you reach 200 of the most successful and ethical business people in this city for a $350 marketing spend? Nowhere else!
* For $350 you can become top-of-mind with this A-List of potential customers.
#2 It’s Good for the Club
* 100% of your Sponsor of the Day contribution benefits the club’s finances directly.
* It is the most impactful way you can financially support the club itself.
#3 It’s Good for the Young Professionals
* If you prefer, make a $350 contribution to the “Young Professional’s Sponsor of the Day Scholarship Fund”, so that a Young Professional can be a Sponsor of the Day and introduce their business or non-profit to the Club, courtesy of your generous gift.
* You can support a Young Professional of your choosing, or make a contribution to the Scholarship Fund and one will be assigned, and you’ll leverage your contribution by 3X: 1) It’s great for the Young Professional,; 2) It’s great for the Club, and 3) you’ll feel great doing it!
#4 You Get Swag!
* Be a Sponsor of the Day yourself, or fund a Young Professional, and you’ll receive the sought after Rotary Sponsor of the Day Commemorative Sunglasses!
* Decked out in the club colors of yellow and blue, with the Rotary insignias on the sides, the Rotary Sponsor of the Day Sunglasses are a must-have reward to complement your Eddie Mulligan and Paul Harris pins!
Who Do I Contact to Get Started?
Reach out to Sponsor of the Day committee members KATHE NATHAN, MEGAN WYGANT, or JOHN WOOD for additional details!
MEMBERSHIP MINUTE
SARAH HODGE (ACWA) and PETER DANNENFELSER (Architectural Arts) provided the Membership Minute (an innovative meeting addition by PRESIDENT GEERY). SARAH and PETER announced that each meeting will have a separate new and prospective member table. This is an option but not a requirement, for new and prospective members to sit for meetings. Current Rotarians are encouraged to mix with the new and prospective members to help provide a better prospective of our club.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Another innovative meeting addition from PRESIDENT GEERY. ELFRENA FORD (Arata Brothers Trust) then honored six (6) very special ROTARIANS!
DIANE MIZELL, her birthday is July 25th – 32 years in Rotary
Before retiring, DIANE was the Sacramento, Fresno and Reno area manager for TRW, now known as Experian, which is a credit reporting company. She worked there for 25 years.
DIANE loves playing golf, walking long distances, and playing Bocce Ball. Her team is very good and has been in the finals at the Del Paso tournaments.
DIANE was the first woman president of the Rotary Club of Sacramento 21 years ago! Now everyone knows her as the fund raiser for Rotary, especially golf for kids when she asks “Will you donate for …” We all usually just say yes.
KELLEY MORAN, his birthday is Jully 19th – 18 years in Rotary
KELLEY was a Political Consultant for over 40 years and had – Republic, Democrat and Independent candidates as clients. Now he’s evolved into meditation and yoga teacher.
Fun Facts- he is taking a tour group including some Rotarian members to Northern India this November. They will visit Rishikesh, which is considered the birthplace of yoga where even the Beatles came and learned to meditate.
His hobbies are playing with his German Shephard dogs, all kinds of dancing and laughing because he says laughter is the best medicine.
CLAYTON LEE, his birthday is July 22 – Rotary 41 years, 28 years SAC and 13 years in N Hollywood Rotary
CLAYTON had a career in Real Estate, renovating over 600 Apartments and a number of retail centers during his work years.
Now he loves travelling and has visited 67 countries and done many trips involved with his love of scuba diving.
As we know, he loves supporting Rotary international projects since that work changes lives thousands of people developing countries. His work has been recognized by District 5180 and in 2022, a citation for meritorious service from Rotary International.
Fun Facts- He has 7 children and 17 grandchildren.
SURENDER SINGAL, his birthday is July 3rd – 3 years in Rotary
SURENDER was born in Northwest India (Punjab) and moved to Sane Jose in his teen years. He graduated from San Jose State and worked in Sacramento with the US Army as Civilian electrical engineer for 31 years. His family members still live in San Jose where there is an active Indian community that he enjoys being a part of. He retired in 2017 and now has time to join Rotary, try new hobbies like glass blowing and volunteers with the Sacramento Tree Foundation to plant 1,000s of trees with groups of volunteers. He is inspired by JOHN F. KENNEDY’s quote “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
KEEFIE BREUER, her birthday is July 12th – Rotary 10 years
KEEFIE has been a Rotary member for nearly 10 years. But that doesn’t tell her whole Rotary story.
When her husband of 67 years, ART BREUER, joined Rotary in 1993, KEEFIE was asked if she would sign in members and guests at meetings. Now nearly 30 years later, she is still signing in guests. When there was only male members in Rotary, the female spouses started a club called Inner Wheel. Since woman can now be members, Inner Wheel is no longer a relevant group. But KEEFIE was active in that group for nearly 20 years and was its president in 3 different times.
KEEFIE loves history. In 1973, 49 years ago, they wanted to start tours of Old Sacramento. KEEFIE was one of the first ones to do the historic tours as a volunteer. She was so good that she was hired for two things – doing 1-2 day tours of historical places around N. California for the spouses of men attending conventions in Sacramento and next she was escorting tour groups to Alaska, China, Australia, New Zealand, and best of all around the Arabian Peninsula.
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Annual BARTHOLOMEW/ BRAUTIGAM Swim Party!
This is a not to be missed event. Your club dues cover the cost of all Adults and soft beverages, food, pool time and sunshine. (This means HAL and BEVERLY are paying for all of this….THANK YOU HAL and BEVERLY!!!
7/24/2022 / 3:00 p.m.
- JAMIE FURLONG announced the Multi-Club , Multi District International Collaboration meeting: Yes- this is a big deal and should not be missed.
- Being a Part of an International Collaboration that Saves Thousands of Lives Daily.
This is a huge Rotary event and all clubs and districts are invited to attend “Imagine” w/ VIP Special Guest & Renowned Musician Clemon.
All Rotarians are encouraged to Please wear international attire, costumes are options as well as a shirt representing any other country in support of International Service.
Date: August 9, 2022
Time: Noon (Lunch Meeting)
Location: Annunciation Greek Orthodox 600 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95816
Club members will RSVP via the regular email that goes out before the meeting
All Rotarians are encouraged to Please wear international attire, costumes are options as well as a shirt representing any other country in support of International Service.
Date: August 9, 2022
Time: Noon (Lunch Meeting)
Location: Annunciation Greek Orthodox 600 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95816
Club members will RSVP via the regular email that goes out before the meeting
Non Members of our club should RSVP to Hershenhouse Call or Text 916.208.1703
- Please Give Blood – while Rotary is no longer tracking donations at this time, please take the time to give blood at any time and any location…..Blood is needed now more than ever before.
YOU’RE A GEM FOR GIVING
- PAST PRESIDENT JIM LEET (Boutin Jones Inc.) donated in honor of his granddaughter hitting her first golf ball. Her shot was diagonal and JIM mused that perhaps his granddaughter was entering a new world of frustration at a young age.
- SARAH HODGE (ACWA) donated to get the year off to a good start. Thank you SARAH!
- PAST PRESIDENT TIM PINKNEY (Luxe Aviation, LLC) donated and announced that he has now donated 50 gallons of blood. That is an amazing milestone evidencing great generosity!
CHAIR OF THE DAY
PAST PRESIDENT DIANE MIZELL, our wine sponsor then introduced our speaker, Mr. SEAN MINOR of SEAN MINOR WINES.
GUEST SPEAKER
MEET SEAN
Winemaker, dad to the Four Bears Winery, LLC, and lover of classic cars.
Born in Kansas, SEAN MINOR was surrounded by agriculture, hard work, and the values responsible for the unwavering work ethic of Midwestern families. The practice of caring for the land and bringing the harvest to the dinner table has always been close to SEAN’s heart, and winemaking celebrates this concept to its full extent.
His career in wine began after a formal education in finance from Arizona State University where he also met his wife, NICOLE. They moved to California after graduation, where SEAN began his fine wine career working for Napa Valley’s Beaulieu Vineyard. He knew right from the start the wine industry was the right place for him. He began taking classes at U.C. Davis in Viticultural and Enology in hopes of developing a further understanding of grape growing and wine production.
SEAN and NICOLE moved to the Pacific Northwest after being recruited by King Estate Winery (widely renown for producing Oregon’s largest and most highly regarded Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris) to manage the Estate. It was here that SEAN met Will Bucklin, King Estate’s then winemaker, and developed an even stronger knowledge of winemaking. He learned firsthand the importance of site-specific viticulture and ended up leaving King Estate to lead Benton Lane Winery, rounding out his cool climate viticulture experience.
SEAN, NICOLE, and their three kids (the fourth yet to be born) returned to California in 2001 for the opportunity to manage Renwood Winery and enhance his experience growing and marketing some of the Golden State’s best Zinfandel and Syrah. Four years later, they founded SEAN MINOR WINES and, well, the rest is (our) history.
SEAN has a lot in common with many Rotarians as he is often enjoying a hard to beat golf course, poolside in a deep nap under the sun, or camping outdoors with the modern convenience of a cooler, some chilled Rosé and a fishing rod. He works hard and plays hard, and does it all for the love of his family.
SEAN provided a very unique perspective on the wine industry. His family business is comprised of eight (8) members and he views this winery as “small but mighty.”
There are over 11,000 bonded wine companies but SEAN and Four Bears are different. They focus almost exclusively on restaurant trade. His wines are now distributed throughout the United States. Truly small but mighty.
SEAN’s Chardonay was recognized by Wine Spectator and other wine critics as a top value for the past three (3) years.
SEAN’s Pinot is recognized by others as a top Pinot in California by Wine Spectator.
Be sure to view SEAN’s slides for a unique discussion view of the California wine growing areas, weather and soil – click here.
STINGERS UP!
Not since the late 1960s has Sacramento State enjoyed the kind of sustained football success that TROY TAYLOR has brought in just two seasons. Taylor, the 11th head football coach in Sac State history, will be Rotary’s guest speaker on Tuesday, July 26th. A hometown product who starred at Cordova High School, and then at the University of California, Berkeley, has won two Big Sky Conference championships and two Big Sky Coach of the Year awards in his two seasons as head coach of the Hornets. The only thing that prevented TAYLOR from winning back-to-back championships was the pandemic, which wiped out the Hornets’ 2020 season. TAYLOR, who also played briefly for the NFL’s New York Jets and later coached at Eastern Washington University and the University of Utah, is expected to draw a large Rotary crowd, so don’t delay in making your reservations. AND ALL OF YOU SAC STATE ALUMS, SHOW YOUR GREEN AND GOLD PRIDE ON TUESDAY. STINGERS UP!
UPCOMING MEETINGS AT A GLANCE!
07/26/2022 – TROY TAYLOR / CSUS Head Football Coach STINGER’s UP!
Be sure not to miss an opportunity to learn about Sacramento State Football!
08/02/2022 – GREG LUCAS / State Librarian Click here to connect to Greg via LinkedIn.
Click here for a recent interview with GREG. GREG has a very unique story. Be sure to read the
interview- we will see you August 2nd.
/ International Community Services Day
Click here to connect to JAMIE via LinkedIn. This is a unique multi-club, multi-district meeting. A first of
its kind and you get to wear a costume (costume not required.)
08/16/2022 – BROWN BAG DAY!
