Aaron Falk has served as the President and CEO of the Kern Community Foundation since 2021.

Aaron grew up in Bakersfield and graduated from Stockdale High School. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters of Business Administration degree from California State University, Bakersfield. He also completed the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College as a civilian.

Guests and Visiting Rotarians:

• Stan Eschner brought his wife Ginnie. 
• Jeff Johnson brought his grandson Jonah, Steve Montgomery of the Bakersfield Historical Society, and Steve’s wife Joyce.
• Sam Newland brought his n/a Lexi Newland.
• Our lovely BMOA host and Twilight Rotarian Amy Smith brought Victor Gonzales from the museum.
• Adrian Mercedes from CVPA was somebody’s guest.
• Scott Quintana brought Jacob Frost.
• Vernon Harper brought Dwayne Cantrell, Chief Enrollment Officer at CSUB.

Good news and announcements:

• Randy Saunders invited everyone to the Baked Potato Bash on Saturday, August 24 at Crusader Brewing.
• Aaron Falk shared that Kern Community Foundation’s Fire Relief Fund is now active to support the response to the Borel Fire in Kern River Valley.
• Steve Sanders thanked Stan and Ginnie Eschner for ongoing support of CALM.  
• Stan Eschner thanked the Chair and CEO of his marriage, Jenny, for 70 years of service.
• Janelle Capra announced that Leadership Bakersfield is accepting applications.  She also thanked Kristen Watson for Rotary’s speaker donations.
• Kristen Watson thanked those who attended the first Rotary mixer at Imbibe.
• Paddy Collins praised our previous fearless leader Joe Hay for his perfect attendance in the month of August.

Program

• Jorge Barrientos introduced our speaker David Coffey to talk about Bakersfield Built.  Every 5 years, Bakersfield hosts a symposium and architecture tour—Bakersfield Museum of Art will have a special exhibit beginning in late September.  Tickets for the tour are on sale now.

• David showed us ~100 pictures of buildings that show the progression of Bakersfield architecture over time, including some remarkable pre-earthquake Victorian homes.  The Frank Lloyd House is heavily featured, as is the work of Richard Nuestra.
• We developed a reputation of growing our own architects after the earthquake.  Bakersfield showcases a mix of historic buildings and modern structures.  Notable examples include the Beale Memorial Clock Tower, a remnant of Bakersfield's early 20th-century civic pride, and the Fox Theater, a beautifully restored Art Deco landmark from the 1930s (Mike McCoy has already called dibs on anything currently in use).  Modern residential and commercial developments continue to shape the skyline, creating a unique architectural landscape that mirrors Bakersfield's evolution from a small agricultural hub to a bustling urban center.