Greeter: Cindy

Invocation: Justin Salters

Song: Jeff Gutierrez with ‘God Bless America’ 

Roving Mic: Jordan Kaufman

_______________________________

Spoke Guest Editor:

Ashley Vorhees

Ashley Vorhees is the Executive Director for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Kern County. A native to Kern County, Ashley graduated from Cal State, Bakersfield where she earned her BA in Communications. Go Runners! Ashley is an active Rotarian of the Bakersfield Downtown Rotary Club and volunteers in other capacities as she understands the power of giving back. She is inspired daily by her two children, Grace and Noah. In her free time, Ashley likes to take up a good novel, golf and travel.

_________________________________

Guests:

• Bill LaManque, Director for Kern County Airports (Steve Sanders)
• Kristin Warner, Deputy Chief of Staff for CSUB (Vernon Harper)
• Millie Clowes (Kat Clowes)
• Clayton Dunbar, Dunbar & Sons (Justin Salters)

Good News & Announcements:

Margarita Party is April 9^th at Dr. & Teresa Shambaugh’s home. Rotarians are asked to provide auction items which could be something personal like; a backyard picnic, an ocean boat ride, staying at your beach house, borrowing your dune buggy, backpacking The Way or baskets filled with discarded items from your home. More details to follow.

Waterman grant cycle will open March 1^st and close May 1^st. The Foundation has $50,000 to support capital projects of local nonprofits. See the flyer Jeff sent out for more info!

Phoenix at Sundale County Club is hosting a concert featuring Indian classical music, Absolute Focus, this Saturday from 4:30-6:30pm. Entry is free, but they are accepting donations!

Program:

Rotarians were cleared for takeoff as Ryan Crowl, President of Loyd’s Aviation, hosted our club at one of their impressive hangars at Meadows Field Airport. Against the backdrop of two sleek aircrafts, Ryan shared the rich history of the company, the services they provide, and where the future of aviation may be headed.

Founded in 1958 by Byron E. Loyd in a rented office at an old Bakersfield hotel, Loyd’s Aviation has grown from humble beginnings into a regional leader in aviation services. Leadership passed to Steve Loyd in 1986, and in 2016 Ryan took the controls as President. Today, the company is in its seventh decade of operation — a testament to steady leadership and a commitment to top-tier service.

What began with a single hangar has expanded to accommodate hundreds of aircraft. Along the way, Loyd’s Aviation has added line service operations, maintenance and parts, aircraft charter and management, hangar rental, and aircraft sales. They now operate three full-service FBO locations in Bakersfield, Paso Robles, and Delano, supporting military, cargo, commercial, and general aviation aircraft with safety and efficiency at the forefront.

Ryan also gave us a glimpse into aviation’s not-so-distant future. From Advanced Air Mobility to electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (think less runway, more rooftop pickup), the industry is exploring concepts that sound straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. While our local airports aren’t quite ready for front-door spacecraft service just yet, innovation — and significant investment — is clearly accelerating.

Many thanks to Ryan and the team at Loyd’s Aviation for an engaging program that truly helped our club soar a little higher.