Events

Bruce Spear, a member of the Englewood Rotary Club, is an expert in Underwater Acoustics and Sonar Systems.  While working in Washington, D.C. a number of years ago, so many people noticed his resemblance to our 16th President that he was sometimes greeted on the street as "Mr. President".  He took up the study of President Lincoln and is a member of The Association of Lincoln Presenters.  Bruce has been sharing his portrayal of Lincoln to schools and clubs since 1996.

Keith Reester is the Public Works Director for the City of Littleton. Keith stepped into that role as Acting Director in June 2017. Prior to Littleton, he operated his own consulting firm Reester & Associates engaging with government, private and non-profit organizations driving performance innovation, analysis, and leadership improvements. Keith has extensive experience as a local government leader in multiple cities across the country. Reester is also the author of the book Define. Measure. Create – Inspiring a Leadership Journey. Keith Reester can be reached at kreester@littltetongov.org
 

After graduating from CSU in Horticulture/Landscape Design, Beth spent decades as a professional horticulturist, including several years at Hudson Gardens. She’s been a Master Gardener in both Jefferson and Arapahoe counties, and has worked at South Platte Park in varying capacities since 2005. She has been a full-time Park Interpreter since early 2012. She is also a licensed secondary math teacher. Beth’s experience as an educator and interpreter has helped her develop her style as an approachable and inclusive instructor.  Beth is passionate about helping home owners choose appropriate plant material to create their own best landscape while using water responsibly. In her own colorful landscape, the backyard is comprised of regional natives, and the front yard is predominantly xeric.

Karen Bish started as an intern for the Littleton/ Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant, now known as the South Platte Water Renewal Partners, in 2003 and was hired on full time as an apprentice operator in 2004.  Since that time, Karen has worked her way up in state certification licenses, earning her Wastewater A, (which is the highest level), Water D, and Industrial Wastewater D licenses.  Karen is a successful graduate of the Water Quality Management associate program at Red Rocks Community College and additionally holds a bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences, minor in biology, from University of Northern Colorado. Karen has moved up several times since starting at South Platte Water Renewal Partners and is currently the Community Outreach Supervisor. Karen is married and enjoys spending time in the mountains with her husband.

Stoli is a retired Air Force Colonel who amassed 3,000 hours of F-16s flying time including 450 hours of combat time during most of his Air Force career while serving all around the world.  Some of his most notable assignments were working on Capitol Hill as an Air Force Legislative Affairs officer and interacting with Representatives and Professional Staff Members on a daily basis.  He also was the Vice Wing Commander at Kunsan Air Base in Korea where he commanded 4,000 Airmen, U.S. and Korean civilians conducting joint military operations and training to enhance U.S. and South Korean partnerships against the North Korean regime.  Finally. Colonel Nikolai served on the Air Staff at the Pentagon executing an operational budget of over 7 billion dollars and overseeing Air Force training, acquisition and combat readiness.

David Talbot is a child of the baby boom after WWII.

Born in 1952, David started well but in the spring of 1955, when he was 2.5 years old, he contracted polio, just 2 weeks after the announcement  that a vaccination had been discovered.

David went through several years of rehab and started on his journey to overcome the physical restrictions that were the result with his bout with polio.

As the challenge was physical, that is where David put his focus.

High School football, mountain climbing and bicycling in Europe (even running with the bulls in Pamplona) were his signs that despite the disfiguration, he had whipped polio.

Or so David thought.  After a number of active careers from Dental Hygiene, teaching and professional photographer, He is now back in the struggle against polio.

This time it is the return of the symptoms, not the disease itself.  Joint, bone and muscle pain and a continued loss of strength in his polio affected left leg have left him back on crutches after some 45 years of freedom from mobility equipment.

In 2005 David was in Uganda, East Africa with his wife Candice where they witnessed an incredible need for mobility devices. The impact of seeing the need first hand was the seed that grew into Crutches 4 Africa.  Since the inception, 98,000 mobility devices have been given away free to people in need in 16 countries in Africa and 10 countries in other parts of the developing world.

David is a Paul Harris fellow and is a member of Mountain Foothills Rotary club in Evergreen Colorado, and was the 2011 recipient of the International Service Award for a Polio Free World.

Update:  On November 13^th, 2016, David died.  He experienced major cardiac arrest during which his heart stopped altogether.  CPR was performed for over 30 minutes and his heart was restarted with the help of some electrical shocks.  His story of “new life” and recovery continues.

Scott Perry is an NFL Historian. His self-published book, NFL Since 1970, is in it's 9th season of being the ultimate way Pro-Football fans can keep track how their favorite team stacks up against the other 31 clubs in wins since the NFL/AFL merger. His goal is to see the book reach all 30 NFL markets and educate fans on what the true history is of each team.

Diane McClymonds, Executive Director, TLC Meals on Wheels

Diane McClymonds turned her passion for cooking and feeding people into a volunteer opportunity and later her vocation.  She started her working career as a project manager for Citibank Diners Club.  In 2004 she began volunteering for TLC Meals on Wheels as a driver.  After spending 5 years as a volunteer on the TLC Meals on Wheels Board of Directors, she was hired as their Director of Operations in 2011.  She was appointed by the Board as Executive Director in 2013 and continues to serve in that capacity.  Although she loves to cook and feed people, she does not get to cook for the 400+ clients of TLC Meals on Wheels.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Candice Talbot attended Mackinac College in Michigan and Mankato State University in Minnesota.  She married David Talbot, founder of Crutches 4 Africa in 1976 in Colorado and they have foster parented 10 children over a period of 10 years. 

Candice worked as a dental assistant for 32 years and a professional wedding and portrait photographer for 32 years as Talbot Photography and Videography.  She lived in a United Methodist Mission in Appalachian, KY for several years and spent a year and a half in Israel working on a Kibbutz near the Egyptian border.  She loves to weave on a loom, has done leatherwork for many years, as well as stained glass, knitting, needlepoint, and cooking.  The hobbies are on hold now as she has made a full time commitment to Crutches 4 Africa as Director of Operations.

When in Africa in 2005, she taught sewing to locals in Uganda for a week, making dresses from huge donated t-shirts.  She stayed in touch with the founder of Hope 4 Women.

Dress a Girl Around the World is a Campaign under Hope 4 Women International (a 501 (c) 3 organization) bringing dignity to women around the world since 2006.  Dress a Girl Around the World was started with pillowcase dresses at that time.  Candice has made many of them herself, and continues to contribute help when possible with creation and distribution around the world.

Dress a Girl Around the World dreams of a world in which every girl has at least one new dress.  They want girls to know that they are worthy of respect, and that they are loved by God.

Heather has a diverse background first as a CPA and then as a high school business teacher,  but she realized over the past decade that her true passion is bringing people together and building community over food. She and her husband Troy made a dramatic life change in 2012 by quitting their jobs and moving their family to Uganda, Africa for a year of service. It was during this experience that she confirmed the unique power of food to break down barriers.  When she returned to the states, she decided it was time to pursue her lifelong dream of owning a restaurant. Her purpose in opening GraceFull is to love people well through food and invest in the local community by connecting people to new outlets for serving each other and opportunities to give back.  

GraceFull Community Cafe opened in historic downtown Littleton on May 2016 and is a for profit restaurant that partners with GraceFull Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that invests in the Littleton community.  GraceFull Foundation's mission is to provide a home in the Littleton community where people of all backgrounds can gather, eat well and be inspired to give back.  The Foundation's primary program is Grace in Action meals which enables all guests to enjoy a freshly prepared meal, regardless of their ability to pay.  Nearly 1 in 10 Coloradans struggles with hunger.  Nearly 1 in 7 Colorado Kids may not know when/where they will get their next meal and more than 1 in 10 Colorado Seniors struggle with having enough food.  GraceFull Foundation also provides 6 daily volunteer opportunities for people to serve at the cafe and invest in the Littleton community.  Food security is a very real challenge and GraceFull Foundation is averaging 43 Grace in Action meals per day to individuals in the Littleton community who are in a season of struggle.  You can visit gracefullcafe.com to learn more and see what is on the menu each week!  

Scott Friedman, CSP, 2004-05 President of the National Speakers Association (NSA), is the author of “Celebrate- Lessons Learned from the World’s Most Admired Organizations,” “Happily Ever Laughter,”  “Using Humor For A Change" and  "A Celebration a Day - 365 ways to a Happier, Healthier Workplace."

This presentation is geared toward bringing the audience to explore an inner journey in order to reach higher levels of joy and peace.  Looking deeper at how unresolved emotions play a role in what we manifest into our lives.  Learning to shine the light of Forgiveness into the dark, secluded, area of the heart to free oneself from the victim inside.  Thinking positive can only take you so far, as we can’t always “think” our way out, but must “feel” our way out, in order to obtain desired outcomes. 

As for myself, raised in NJ in a family where Schizophrenia impacted my beloved Mother, Brother, and relatives lives.  An abusive father that made matters worse, followed by the tragic death of my best girlfriend at age 14, and the murder of my grandfather.  I also faced mental health challenges myself, through the love of God and deep introspection I obtained an awareness of wisdom, compassion, and a message of hope.  My family, through much suffering has come full circle, and has grown tremendously, at the end of the day we are all here to grow and evolve, and that is what I am here to teach.  

Denise joined the City of Littleton as Economic Development Director in September of 2012. She looked to Littleton as the “best practices” resource when developing the business services model for her past position. Since joining the city Denise and her team have developed a business attraction program based on the robust services that help with business retention.
Previously, Denise served as Executive Director of the Jefferson County Business Resource Center (JCBRC) for seven years. Denise has a background in banking and small business development and has planned, owned, and operated two service businesses and one retail operation in Jefferson County. She has researched and written several procedural manuals including; “The Small Business Guide to Payroll Tax Reporting” and “What You Should Know as a Small Business Owner”.
Denise graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in from Regis University. She is a native of Jefferson County. She and her husband reside in Lakewood and have three daughters.

Eric Ervin is an Economic Development Specialist for the City of Littleton’s Economic Development department providing businesses with market research, GIS (computer mapping and analysis), and business marketing strategies - both traditional and online. Mr. Ervin is a native of Littleton, Colorado and received his education from Colorado State University. He has worked for the City of Littleton since 1999. 

Littleton voters will decide on November 6 whether to merge fire and rescue services with South Metro Fire Rescue.  City Manager Mark Relph, Littleton Interm Fire Chief Jeff Tasker, and South Metro Assistant Chief Mile Dell'Orfano will discuss the reasons for this proposed merger and explain the short and long term impact on the City of Littleton. 

 

Matt Crane is serving his first full term as Clerk and Recorder.  Matt was elected to oversee one of the busiest County offices, which is responsible for registering motor vehicles, recording deeds, issuing marriage and civil union licenses, registering voters, administering elections and maintaining records for the Board of County Commissioners.  The office comprises 120 employees and four office locations.

Matt is a fiscal conservative committed to providing excellent customer service and efficient government programs. Under Matt’s leadership, the Clerk and Recorder’s Office has adopted new technologies and improved business practices to better serve citizens and retain employees. Matt led the adoption of an electronic queuing system and posted wait times online, so citizens can plan a trip to our branches. He unveiled Colorado’s first self-service kiosks for license plate renewals. He also moved the County’s driver’s license and passport services to appointment-only, to eliminate long waits and ensure a more positive experience for customers. These initiatives have, in turn, helped to better manage the workload and reduce average wait times for Motor Vehicle services from 1 hour to just 15 minutes.

In 2018, Matt’s goals include expanding the use and availability of Colorado MVExpress kiosks, rolling out a new computer system for document recording, supporting the launch of Colorado’s new motor vehicle computer system, and conducting successful elections, including Colorado’s first-ever Primary Election in which unaffiliated voters may cast a ballot.

As the chief election official for the County, Matt is committed to conducting fair, accurate, secure and transparent elections. He is one of a select group of election administrators in Colorado with both state and county elections experience, and holds state and national certifications in elections. In 2007, Matt was invited to participate in identifying national election best practices with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Under Matt’s leadership, Arapahoe County piloted Colorado’s new risk limiting audit for election results, and adopted Colorado’s new uniform voting system in 2016, which features more efficient and auditable voting equipment.

Matt serves as Secretary of the Colorado County Clerk’s Association, chair of the Colorado Electronic Recording Technology Board and member of the National Voter Registration Act Working Group. He is a member of the Leadership Denver Class of 2018.

Matt lives in Littleton with his wife Lisa and their two children.

Scott Friedman, CSP, 2004-05 President of the National Speakers Association (NSA), is the author of “Celebrate- Lessons Learned from the World’s Most Admired Organizations,” “Happily Ever Laughter,”  “Using Humor For A Change" and  "A Celebration a Day - 365 ways to a Happier, Healthier Workplace."

Erik Larson and his father own UP Aerospace, Inc., a Colorado based company. Erik is an Aerospace Technician and he performs all the rocket design work, machining, and is the LCO (Launch Control Officer). UP Aerospace has successfully launched rockets for NASA, US Air Force, Dept. of Homeland Security, Lockheed Martin, and the DOD (Dept. of Defense).

Sheryl Machado is a Senior Associate at GBSM and serves as The Communications Consultant for the  E-470 Public Highway Authority. Prior to joining GBSM, Sheryl worked as a consultant for Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD), where she handled stakeholder communications and public information. Sheryl previously served as the public relations manager for Ames Construction, during which time she led the company’s communications and engagement for numerous large-scale infrastructure projects in Colorado including the construction of CDOT’s US 36 Express Lanes Project. Prior to entering the public relations sector Sheryl worked as an award winning journalist in the Texas and Colorado markets. Locally she worked for Denver’s WB2 News and Fox 31 News. She loves working as a consultant as she gets the opportunity to work with a diverse array of clients and projects and be out in the public, much like she is today sharing information with groups like the Rotary Club of Littleton.

Club member Brian Ewert will be sharing the facts related to the LPS Board of Education and the LPS Long Range Planning Committee's future vision of the school district,  including some new and renovated buildings and properties (LPS Ballot Measure 4A) AND new innovative career and technical education programming, adequate and equitable staffing for schools, early childhood education, & additional safety, security, and mental health initiatives (State-wide Ballot Measure Amendment 73).

Derek Tetlow is our Littleton Rotary Evening Meeting Facilitator, he is a Sports Videographer, a husband, an avid gardener, a sports fan and enthusiast, but most importantly (for purposes of this program) he is a stay at home father for his two sons. Derek's program will discuss the important role fathers play in their childrens lives.

Fred Fleming is Director of Special Services for the Denver Broncos.  Fortunately, after the Thursday night win against Arizona, Fred will have a few positive things to tell us about.

In this presentation, Wade Frary, Director of Communications and Outreach for Project reCYCLE, will be covering the basics of the Dream Bike program, which gives students in Title-1 schools the opportunity to earn a bicycle through showing growth in the Three A's: Academics, Attendance, and Attitude. This year, Dream Bike is in 10 Title-1 schools throughout the Metro Area and is giving over 1,100 students the opportunity to earn their bike, helmet, bike lock, and safety lights. One of the schools served is Field Elementary in Littleton. We will be discussing the possibilities of partnering together for this program at Field.  

Wade Frary is currently the Director of Communications and Outreach for Project ReCycle.  Project ReCycle is a Douglas County based 501(c)3 Non-Profit. We collect and ReCycle used bikes, fixes them up and provides them to children in need.  They also provide kids a new helmet, bike lock and safety light. 

Before working as a consultant for Project ReCycle, Wade served as a volunteer who collected donated bikes from the South Metro Denver area and local bike shops.  He is a native of Colorado and an alumnus of Colorado State University.  Wade is a former career Air Force Officer, retired from the United States Air Force Academy, Chief of Cadet Airlift,  in 1995.  After his 20 year career in the Air Force, Wade launched a second career as a College Administrator.  He served as the Vice President of Mt. San Antonio College in California, the largest two-year college in the nation with over 48,000 students.  After retiring from California Colleges, Wade also served 8.5 years in the Federal Government with the Bureau of Land Management.  He was the National Training Officer for BLM and also served as the Employee/Labor Relations Specialist for BLM National Operations Center, Denver Federal Center, Lakewood, CO.

Wade enjoys cycling, skiing, fly fishing, pickleball and tennis. 

Al MacDonald has been the Executive Director of the Littleton Symphony Orchestra for four years. Prior to that he was president of the LSO for 14 years.  Al has extensive experience in nonprofit management, having served on the executive committee of the United States Cycling Federation (now USA Cycling) and other organizations. He is also the proprietor of AGR Technology, a sports timing company, and has worked at three Olympic Games and many World Championships.

The Littleton Symphony produces four "masterworks" concerts a year, in addition to a children's concert, a Christmas concert, and a New Year's Eve concert.  Al's focus with the Littleton Symphony Orchestra is on strengthening the orchestra's ties to the community of Littleton, and to attract new audience members while continuing to please the orchestra's existing patrons. The Littleton Rotary Foundation grant to support their free Children's Concert is an important part of the outreach efforts.

John Mullin grew up in Littleton, attended St. Mary’s Elementary and graduated from Mullen High School.  He served in the U.S. Marines from 1966-69.  John is retired following a 40 year career in Fire Service, the last nine as Fire Chief, Littleton Fire Dept.

John and his high school sweetheart, Colleen, are celebrating 49 years of marriage.  He now enjoys spending time with grandkids, teaching at DPS and volunteering with VOA.

Since it’s Thanksgiving week and we think attendance is going to be somewhat low, we’ve decided to have an informal meeting on November 20th to have a meal and a few beers at CB & Potts.

 

My name is Patricia Maloney.  I am 17 years old and I am currently a senior at Heritage High School. I live at home in Littleton, Colorado with my parents, Kim and Brian Maloney, my younger sister, Leah, and our sheepadoodle, Saint. I swim and play tennis for Heritage and participate in many other clubs. Aside from the activities and sports I partake in during the school year, I also work at Earth Treks (a climbing gym) and spend much of my free time climbing, hiking, and skiing. My senior year has kept me extremely busy with numerous university and scholarship applications for in and out of state schools, although I would like to attend Colorado School of Mines next fall.
 

Last year I was blessed with the opportunity to participate in Rotary International’s Youth Exchange in a small town called Poprad in Eastern Slovakia. The decision to embark on such a journey was a difficult one for my parents and me because I was sixteen years old at the time and just growing accustomed to high school. I left everything behind and immersed myself in a foreign culture without having any proficiency in the Slovak language. This experience instilled in me respect and admiration for different cultures and has shaped a sturdy platform on which to build my future.

Break Bread offers a weekly community meal that offers nourishment, unconditional love, and abundant grace.

Jen Engquist joined the Break Bread team after serving in Cambodia as Country Program Coordinator for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Young Adults in Global Mission program.  Prior to her time in Cambodia, she served as the Community Center and Member Relations Director for Churches United for the Homeless, a shelter in Moorhead, MN.  In 2016, she graduated from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, with her Master's in Public Administration.

Jen is from rural North Dakota, loves listening to stories, and is passionate about social justice and equity work that focuses on reducing the incidence and impact of poverty.  She is thrilled to be a part of Break Bread and the Littleton community.

Jen will be joined by Rotarians Brian Ewert, Superintendent of Littleton Public Schools (Brian was named the 2015 Colorado Superintendent of the Year by the Colorado Association of School Executives) and Rev. Trudy Robinson, Senior Pastor, Littleton United Methodist Church and member of the board of directors of Break Bread. (She says the elevator speech for her ministry is:  "To love. To choose love in every situation, to lead with love, to challenge others to love, to live in the hope of love.”)

Break Bread has been a recipient of Littleton Rotary Foundation grants for the past 2 years.

Break Bread offers a weekly community meal that offers nourishment, unconditional love, and abundant grace.

Jen Engquist joined the Break Bread team after serving in Cambodia as Country Program Coordinator for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Young Adults in Global Mission program.  Prior to her time in Cambodia, she served as the Community Center and Member Relations Director for Churches United for the Homeless, a shelter in Moorhead, MN.  In 2016, she graduated from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, with her Master's in Public Administration.

Jen is from rural North Dakota, loves listening to stories, and is passionate about social justice and equity work that focuses on reducing the incidence and impact of poverty.  She is thrilled to be a part of Break Bread and the Littleton community.

Jen will be joined by Rotarians Brian Ewert, Superintendent of Littleton Public Schools (Brian was named the 2015 Colorado Superintendent of the Year by the Colorado Association of School Executives) and Rev. Trudy Robinson, Senior Pastor, Littleton United Methodist Church and member of the board of directors of Break Bread. (She says the elevator speech for her ministry is:  "To love. To choose love in every situation, to lead with love, to challenge others to love, to live in the hope of love.”)

Break Bread has been a recipient of Littleton Rotary Foundation grants for the past 2 years.

Located in Douglas County, south of Chatfield State Park, Sterling Ranch will eventually contain about 12,000 homes to be built over the next 20 to 25 years.  This 3,400 acre development will have nine unique villages radiating out from an amenity rich town center.  The first, Providence Village, is actively being constructed and is their flagship development featuring seven different homebuilders.

Randy Pye, Community Outreach Manager, will discuss development plans, and the impacts this development will have on transportation, natural resources, schools, and other issues important to their neighbors in the region.

Tim Portz is a Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Sterling Capital Management in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  As a lecturer and commentator, he shares his knowledge of Bitcoins and the underlying blockchain technology that authenticates and tracks this virtual currency.  Tim does not sell, trade, or recommend the purchase of Bitcoins, but is happy to help us understand a bit more about cryptocurrencies.  

Come prepared for an evening of fun!  This meeting will be held at the Vintage Reserve Clubhouse - 6646 S Depew St, LIttleton, CO 80123 - 6:00 PM.  Please bring a white elephant gift to exchange and a food dish (main course, salad, appetizer, dessert) to share.