Keith Rogal is a property developer based in Napa, known for being a visionary in reimagining properties into world-class communities. His notable projects include the Carneros Inn in Napa Valley, and the Napa Pipe redevelopment project, including a large, family-friendly residential community currently under construction, and more recognizably, Napa’s recently-opened Costco. Keith’s development philosophy is guided by the principles of New Urbanism, a movement in urban planning and design that promotes walkable, mixed-use communities. This guiding principle is something Keith hopes will be achieved through the transformation of the Sonoma Developmental Center into a vibrant community destination once again.
"Creating Harmony Through Rotary," Kristine Redko, District Governor
On October 9, 2025 Sunrise Rotary was pleased to host Kristine Redko, District Governor for Rotary District 5130. Kristine has been a Rotarian since 2007, when she co-founded the Rancho Cotati club. She’s held a number of positions in that club, including twice as president. She also helped found the Rotary Club of Sonoma Mountain Twilight. She is a Client Account Executive with Ministry Brands and holds degrees from Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. She is the mother of 15 year old twins, has been married to Dr. Peter Redko for 24 years, and is the lead singer for The Pickled Beets!
District 5130’s theme this year is “Rotary: The Music in our Hearts.” Music plays a huge part in her life. She started her presentation by asking us to think about what our own personal walk-up song is and how it makes us feel. Her question is: “Does Rotary ignite the same passion in you?” She suggested that if Rotary no longer ignites that passion we should consider how to change that. She asked us what keeps us coming to our Rotary meetings. Our overall response was friendship and fellowship. Kristine is an advocate for setting goals and recording them in Rotary Central. She spoke about our club’s goals and suggested that we could try to increase active participation by members by setting a goal for the number or percentage of members who work in at least one key activity. She also suggested goals for increased financial participation (automatic monthly withdrawals work great!) and membership, and strategic planning. One interesting idea is to create a satellite club in Roseland, an idea that is in the works at the District level.
District 5130 has 6 priority goals; (1) building better friendships, (2) providing mental health resources to our communities, (3) understanding and preventing human trafficking, (4) protecting the environment, (5) working together in harmony to make our world a better place, and (6) focusing on youth. Another key goal is to increase membership. Kristine believes that the quality of the Rotary experience is key, so increasing membership by 2-3 people per year is a reasonable goal. One idea is the “Spirits of Rotary.” We can each call or text 1-3 past members and try to reestablish a relationship with them.
In discussing how to combat human trafficking, Kristine mentioned that the best way to protect minors from trafficking is to teach them how to protect themselves. The Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) is working to help educate people about the risks of trafficking. RAGAS publishes an awareness program designed to teach youth about trafficking and is available on the RAGAS website. The Polly Klass Foundation is another valuable resource; it provides a 1-hour youth-based training program. A new idea for fighting food insecurity is called “A Simple Gesture.” The idea is to hang flyers on residential doors asking folks to leave a bag of groceries on the doorstep. Rotarians and others pick up the bags and take them to food pantries. Rotarians are tasked with running the events and managing the drivers’ program. This project is supported by Rotary International and Redwood Credit Union. Kristine cited NorCalMentalHealth.Org for information on local mental health resources. She also mentioned the District 5130 Film Series, including “Climate Stories” and “Soldiers of Song”.
This year’s District Conference will be held in Reno from May 1 to May 3. The conference will be a joint venture with 5 separate districts participating. She reminded us about a 1-day summit in San Francisco on December 11 commemorating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. Thank you, Kristine, for the valuable discussion about our membership in Rotary and District 5130’s initiatives. We look forward to seeing you at Rotary events throughout the year!
On a regular basis, our resident photo pro Warren Smith, submits pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.
Thanks for all the great pictures Warren!Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!
Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary Team Helps the YWCA Sonoma County
This is the DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH sign that Rob Sanville & LEROY THE GOLDEN HAMMER installed in front of the YWCA Office & the Santa Rosa Police station.
October 4th at Ridgeway High School - Peter Planned Another Work Party!
Picture left to right: Max Childs, Mary Banks, Paul O'Rear, Curtis & Semet (Ridgeway HS), Peter Banks and Peter Hoberg.
One warm October morning, this crew helped with gardening, crab grassing and wood chipping spreading.
Peter was digging in!
Getting down and dirty creating defensible space.
Watering the flowers in the Golden Hammer's garden box.
The garden and the grounds around Ridgeway High School are truly inspirational for the students who go there. Look for more opportunities to volunteer coming soon!
Heart Felt Thank You's from the organizers of this year's Job Fair for the Unsheltered.
This is a message of thanks to each of you for your hard work this last Wednesday at the Job & Resource Fair for The Unsheltered Community in Santa Rosa. Your time and effort as a volunteer had a very real impact at least some if not all of the over 300 participants who attended. I heard more expressions of gratitude working on the buffet line than in prior years. Hopefully that event will motivate and enable some of those participants to get prepared for a job application or an interview soon. Maybe it will be the inspiration to get them to find safe housing or needed legal services. Maybe it will be simply a nice day where they were treated with respect and dignity as well as a great lunch prepared by us. Whatever the ultimate impact, I thank you for helping out!
Given current funding trends for the 45 service agencies and 10 employers who hosted tables, we as a committee will have to determine if this event will be planned again next year. I’ll keep you posted. For now, I just extend my gratitude for your true service to our community and maintaining the “active” reputation of our great Rotary Club!
Arthur and Chavette Chaney lending a helping hand.
Thank you all so much!
Steve Herron Philanthropy Chair 25/26 SR Sunrise Rotary Club
Cindy Gillespie, Eloise Tweeten, Peter and Mary Banks make happy volunteers!
A response from Antonio Vigil:
It is not an exaggeration to say that we would not have had these events or have them be as successful as they have been if it wasn't for the support of Sunrise Rotary and its wonderful membership (that's you). The financial support and the food you have provided has been a key driver of getting our unhoused or at-risk community to these events. Having food and then to top it off being able to use your $25 Target gift card to get someone you need is so valuable and appreciated by those attending.
At this event I was able to engage with more attendees than in the past and as mentioned I heard "Thank You" so many times it made me feel so good. Your club stepped up where needed. From getting there early to prepare the food (you ever think of opening a restaurant 🙂) to helping set up the Garrett building when we found out that it had not been set up like it was supposed to be. Your volunteers helped check in at the haircuts area, the coffee/snack, registration and I'm sure with other areas.
Hopefully the day made you feel engaged and that you are directly helping some of our most needy community members.
Now it's time for me to shine the light on who I consider the superstar or at least one of the superstars in our workgroup that has been working on this project of helping the unhoused or at risk and this is yours truly Steve Herron. He won't take the credit but without him and his unwavering support for this project I would not have volunteered to come back from retirement to oversee this event. He has been all in since I approached him about this project. Funding is key with any project and Steve has made it his mission to try to secure the funding needed to make sure we can have the type of event that will bring in this community. I'm sure he has tapped in to his own pocket many times to get what is needed for the project and also to help individual participants. I could go on but I know his personality isn't one that seeks praise....or is it 🙂?
Steve you are Superstar! Volunteers you are Stars!
November 14, Friday marks the 21st Annual Veterans Tribute luncheon.
Organized and sponsored by Santa Rosa Kiwanis and Rotary Club member and their business this year the event resumes at the
Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building.
Purchase your two tickets from Ralph Harryman or Rich Randolph. Invite a Veteran or donate one ticket. Your attendance shows support to our Armed Forces Veterans!
Colonel Misty, Zelk Air National Guard Physician and combat veteran of Iraq and currently Medical Director at Spring Lake Village is our keynote speaker.
Sunrise members are asked to purchase two tickets: one for yourself and one for a veteran. Cash or check are accepted, checks need be payable to Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary, memo Veterans Luncheon.
October is Rotary’s Community Economic Development Month, a time to spotlight our efforts to help communities build thriving, sustainable futures. This month’s observance aligns perfectly with the Rotary core value of leadership.
Leadership means empowering people to guide their own progress. That is precisely what Rotary’s economic development projects aim to achieve.
Take, for example, a recent initiative in southern India in which Rotary members unlocked the power of women of the Adivasi tribal groups through sewing training to earn a living and regain social inclusion. Historically, widows and abandoned women in this region lose social standing and are shunned by society or blamed for their misfortunes. Opportunities to support themselves or obtain training are minimal.
This year, the Rotary Club of Windsor Roseland, Ontario, partnered with clubs in Districts 3203 and 3234 in India — and with the Indian organization Sevalaya Trust — to provide sewing machines and training to 80 Adivasi women. They learned to stitch saree blouses, kurta tunics, and salwar suits, enabling them to support themselves and their families. Each woman received a certificate for completing the program, and the sewing-machine provider offered free long-term maintenance for the machines. The project offered vital income and dignity to women ostracized by society after widowhood.
This story is one example of Rotary leadership in action: local people guiding solutions that address their community needs. Our role is not to deliver charity or to impose outside models, but to foster self-reliance by investing in leadership, skills, and sustainable enterprise.
This October, I invite Rotary members worldwide to reflect on economic leadership in their communities. Who is stepping forward to lead local economic initiatives? Where is there untapped talent that could be supported with training or mentorship? How can your club catalyze opportunity through partnerships with local businesses, vocational schools, or savings groups?
Leadership is not always about being visible. Sometimes it means listening, working collaboratively, and amplifying the voices of others. That approach lies at the heart of Rotary’s philosophy and our lasting impact on economic development.
By building capacity — whether through microcredit groups, vocational training workshops, or entrepreneurship programs — we enable communities to lead their own transformation. When people take ownership of their progress, change becomes sustainable.
Let us lead with good intention and provide support with heart. By nurturing local leadership, we can create opportunities that ripple through communities, empowering individuals, families, and societies.
Together, we can support economies that work for everyone and enact community development projects that last.
You can find all prior "RI President's Messages" at this LINK
Friendship in Rotary often bears fruit that can change the world. When I was Rotary president-elect, I served on the Board of Directors alongside then-Vice President Olayinka “Yinka” Hakeem Babalola from Nigeria. My wife, Susanne, spent time with Yinka’s wife, Preba “Precy” Babalola. Yinka and Precy support The Rotary Foundation, not only as Arch Klumph Society members, Benefactors, and Major Donors but also as Rotary members who are deeply involved in Foundation projects.
Susanne and Precy’s friendship led to their clubs joining forces. For October, as Rotary marks Community Economic Development Month, I thought Precy Babalola could best capture the impact of their collaboration in her own words:
“Obuama, Nigeria, was hit hard by COVID-19. Many families, especially women and young adults, were left without stable income or opportunity. The community urgently needed practical support and long-term solutions.
My club, the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Passport, decided to respond. We partnered with the Rotary E-Club of Hamburg-Connect and our districts to launch a global grant project focused on empowering people with skills that restore hope and dignity.
Over 250 women and young adults were trained in farming fish, poultry, and snails as well as bead making. Local facilitators led hands-on workshops, equipping participants with skills to start enterprises.
Families are now generating income and mothers can send their children to school. Youths are earning, teaching others, and contributing to the local economy.
Women, once stuck, are now leading their own businesses, training others, and finding a new sense of purpose. The project continues to ripple, creating not just jobs but confident community leaders.”
This is what change looks like when dedicated Rotarians work together with the support of The Rotary Foundation.
Community economic development is an area of powerful projects for many reasons. We have experts in our clubs who know how businesses can strengthen their local economy. Such projects can be adapted nearly anywhere and often show early signs of success.
Our Foundation, too, provides the expertise of an engaged professional staff and the Cadre of Technical Advisers.
What began as dinner conversation led to a lifechanging global grant. Isn’t it remarkable that in Rotary, the friendships we make can create opportunities that transform lives for generations?
You can find all prior "Messages from the Foundation Trustee Chair" at this LINK
Rotary members and their partners in service come together each World Polio Day on 24 October to recognize progress in the fight to end the disease. Here is a sample of the ways members are taking action to make history and eradicate polio.
In support of polio eradication, Ralph Zuke has raised more than $57,000 by pedaling his rickshaw bicycle from his Missouri home to recent Rotary International Conventions in North America: Toronto in 2018, Houston in 2022, and Calgary this year, a journey in which he braved hail, sleet, and snow, and even skirted a tornado. His next opportunity will be at the 2028 convention in Minneapolis. “If it’s needed,” Zuke adds, optimistically. “I hope we’ll be done with polio by then.” As governor of District 6060, Zuke rolls out the rickshaw for parades and on his rounds to clubs. “It allows me to tell my passengers about polio, Rotary, and what Rotary has done for polio. It’s a captive audience for a couple minutes. That’s all they need,” says Zuke. “If they donate, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s fine too, but at least they know the story of what Rotary’s done with polio.”
Canada
The annual Pub N Paint event by the Rotary Club of Edmonton Whyte Avenue raises money each November to fight polio. The Alberta club’s regular meeting venue, the Rooster Kitchen, hosts the event. “I do a little spiel about the state of polio and Rotary’s role in eradication,” says Stan Bissell, a past president of the club who inaugurated the project. It’s not unusual for visitors to remark how little they know about polio, he says. “We talk about it so much in Rotary, but people don’t know and think it’s a disease of the past.” After his presentation, an art teacher distributes blank canvases and brushes, guiding Rotarians and guests in replicating landscapes such as Edmonton’s cityscape and a mountain range. “There are some very talented people” among the club’s members, reports Bissell. “But it’s variable — mine is in the garage.”
This story originally appeared in the October 2025 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary projects make a difference in communities around the world.
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In support of polio eradication, Ralph Zuke has raised more than $57,000 by pedaling his rickshaw bicycle from his Missouri home to recent 
The annual Pub N Paint event by the Rotary Club of Edmonton Whyte Avenue raises money each November to fight polio. The Alberta club’s regular meeting venue, the Rooster Kitchen, hosts the event. “I do a little spiel about the state of polio and Rotary’s role in eradication,” says Stan Bissell, a past president of the club who inaugurated the project. It’s not unusual for visitors to remark how little they know about polio, he says. “We talk about it so much in Rotary, but people don’t know and think it’s a disease of the past.” After his presentation, an art teacher distributes blank canvases and brushes, guiding Rotarians and guests in replicating landscapes such as Edmonton’s cityscape and a mountain range. “There are some very talented people” among the club’s members, reports Bissell. “But it’s variable — mine is in the garage.”