This week’s correspondent:
Ally Triolo is the Chief Communications Officer for Kern County and former AM newsie. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin (hook ‘em!) with a broadcast journalism degree and landed her first TV gig coincidentally in grandparents’ hometown. Ally feels their spirit every day, especially at Downtown Rotary meetings, where her grandfather, Walter Condley, served as a member for many years.
Greeter: Pat Collins
Invocation: Jim Damian
Flag Salute: Mayor Karen Goh
Song: America The Beautiful
Good News & Announcements:
Janelle Capra announced the upcoming Leadership Bakersfield graduation and thanked the club for their continual support of this outstanding program. Leadership Bakersfield empowers emerging leaders to navigate Bakersfield’s future.
President Kristen Watson announced Downtown Rotary’s upcoming happy hour scheduled for Thursday, November 21, which will be hosted by Mike McCoy at his art gallery and antique store. More details coming soon.
President Kristen Watson also congratulated two of our members for their successful outcomes during the 2024 election. Andrae Gonzales was reelected to serve City of Bakersfield Ward 2, and Steve Rodrigue was reelected to serve Kern High School Board Member #2.
Erin Estelle, Chief Marketing Officer of Valley Strong Credit Union, and Sean Hart, Vice President of Citizens Bank, were both sworn in as new members of Downtown Bakersfield Rotary!
(Alex Balfour was also fined $50 for not being at our meeting to introduce Sean. However, Jim Damian stepped in as he was thrilled for another opportunity to hop on the mic.)
Program:
Today’s program brought inspiration and hope as we explored the luxury developments transforming Downtown Bakersfield thanks to the leadership of Anna and Austin Smith of Sage Equities.
This boutique commercial real estate firm brings big city vision to the burgeoning Bakersfield community we call home.
Sage Equities developments have transformed the downtown landscape by showing the market demand for a state-of-the-art urban lifestyle in Bakersfield.
The Smiths have executed numerous developments in East Chester – 918, The Cue, and 17th Place Town Homes – with two more projects on the way.
They develop these beautiful buildings from their inception, and acquire property, raise capital, secure financing, navigate permitting and guide the architectural design of the buildings. They also manage the entire construction process and the operation of the completed property day-to-day — including leasing, maintenance, accounting, compliance, security, marketing and community building.
They are dedicated to delivering solid returns for investors and driven to have a positive and lasting impact on Downtown Bakersfield and its residents.
Sage Equities also is a dedicated commercial brokerage with over $100 million in completed transactions and is a successful property management firm.
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