Mark Millan is the founder of Data Instincts, a professional consultancy specializing in public outreach for implementing a spectrum of water projects. He has coordinated outreach for dozens of water reuse projects throughout the United States and has advised on reuse internationally.
Mr. Millan has authored numerous papers and participated in many research projects on water-related communications. Mark co-authored the Water Research Foundation’s Developing Model Communication Plans for Advancing Awareness and Fostering Acceptance of Potable Reuse and was a contributing writer to the World Health Organization’s Guidelines for Potable Reuse published in 2017.
He currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Board of Trustees for WateReuse California.Mark served on the council for the Town of Windsor in 2014-18, and was Mayor in 2016.
Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary 40th Anniversary Celebration, by Shauna Lorenzen, Steve Amend, Cindy Gillespie, and Dave Lorenzen
Our special speakers for Thursday, May 7, 2026 were members of the Santa Rosa Sunrise Club’s 40th Club Anniversary Celebration Committee, including Shauna Lorenzen, Steve Amend, Cindy Gillespie, and Dave Lorenzen. They presented details of the Celebration, including the how the idea for the Celebration came about, the agenda, some of the likely visitors, and the need for volunteers. The Celebration will be held on July 27, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Santa Rosa golf and Country Club.
Shauna told us that the idea came about as a result of the 60th anniversary of the Kagoshima Rotary Club’s 60th anniversary in 2023. Eight of our intrepid members and spouses journeyed to Kagoshima (among other places) to help Kagoshima celebrate. Our own upcoming 40-year anniversary seemed a fitting way to celebrate our successes and have a few friends, including many Kagoshima club members other Japanese friends, over for a big Santa Rosa party. Other than fun and frolic, we want to celebrate our successes, including the nearly $3 million we’ve contributed to local and international causes. Shauna and others also highlighted a few of our memorable projects, including Steele Lane Elementary School field construction, the Sabalos surgery clinic, the Santa Rosa Kagoshima Student Exchange Project, and our many international eyecare and dental clinics. Our successes include the 5 times we’ve been recognized as the District Club of the Year and the many Sunrisers who received District 5130 Individual Recognitions.
The evening will start off with a social hour, and an opening statement which will hopefully be provided by Congressional candidate Mike McGuire. There will be no charge to club members for the event. The committee expects about 150 people in attendance. Business attire is expected. Club members are asked to volunteer for set up during the day and to act as greeters and general helpers. The invitation list includes Sunrise past presidents, Santa Rosa Mayor Mark Strapp, Mike Thompson, Chis Rogers, Mike McGuire, 18 Japanese guests, the District Governor and incoming DG, the Elsie Allen Foundation Chair, and the Elsie Allen Interact Teacher and Interact President. Representatives from a variety of the charitable organizations we support will also be invited. Further information was also provided about our Japanese Rotarian guests, including the schedule for their arrivals and departures and plans for some of them to attend a Dodgers game in Sacramento.
Many thanks to the Committee for the summary of festivities at our 40th Anniversary Celebration. Well done!
On the Way ~ the Sierra scenery opened the minds eye to many new opportunities
President Lori as Sgt @ Arms recruit mixes with Paul and Jim of Napa during Sunday brunch. Paul on left is a Senior Living Marketing Director and Jim anIT CFO shares Paul's passion for developing preventive healthcare internationally.
This year's Five District Conference Fest hosted by District 5190 included our district 5130,5170 and 5230. In geographic terms that covers the northern California-Oregon border and south to Kern County. Obviously, Reno and Yearington in Nevada were included.
Food always brings people together!
There's no place like a Rotary gathering to blend a variety of occupations. Here a builder and financial consultant mix it up at breakfast on Saturday. The builder and his wife, fellow Truckee Rotarians, share California zoning and building challenges.
In the House of Friendship, a.k.a. networking, Stockton Rotarians share their club fundraising formula. A member is a professional auctioneer who offers his organizing and money moving expertise for a reasonable mutually beneficial fee.
Youthful exuberance got the participants to their feet and clapping enthusiastically as the youth exchange students entered proudly waving their national flags. This display of diversity and enthusiasm underscores Rotary International impact.
Each Exchange Student received a spotlight, over 25 youth becoming Ambassadors for Goodwill and Better Understanding benefit from your support of The Rotary Foundation, and welcome and hospitality during their typical yearlong stays. Sunrise SRKSEP (Santa Rosa Kagoshima Student Exchange Program) reflects this same spirit.
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!
Shoki Wafula did not know what to expect when he was forced to leave his birth country of Uganda for South Africa. What he found was a Rotary community that welcomed him with warmth and friendship. That experience inspired him to help create a Rotaract e-club where young leaders from around the world could connect, develop their skills, and serve together.
Today, that community includes members across multiple continents who collaborate on leadership development, peacebuilding, and service initiatives. For Wafula, the experience reinforced the lesson that meaningful service begins with people who feel connected, valued, and empowered to lead.
His story reminds us why Youth Service Month is so important. Through Rotaract and programs like Rotary Youth Exchange, young people build leadership skills, develop global understanding, and discover the impact they can make through service.
Rotary’s Action Plan calls on us to enhance participant engagement. At its heart, that goal asks a simple question: How can we ensure that participation in Rotary is meaningful and fulfilling for everyone? Youth programs and Rotaract provide a powerful answer.
When clubs mentor Rotaractors, host exchange students, or support youth leadership initiatives, they create opportunities for members to share their experience in ways that feel personal and rewarding. These connections deepen members’ sense of purpose and strengthen the bonds within our Rotary family.
They also create lasting pathways into Rotary. Thousands of young people complete Rotary programs each year, and they carry those experiences with them throughout their lives. Many remain eager to stay connected.
Organizations such as Rotex International, an association of former Youth Exchange students, help Rotary program alumni continue serving as mentors, leaders, and advocates for our youth programs. As Rotex co-founder Hans Lee wrote in a recent reflection on Youth Exchange alumni, “exchange doesn’t end when you return home.”
When we welcome these young leaders into our clubs and activities, we strengthen the continuity of Rotary across generations.
During Youth Service Month, I hope every Rotary club reflects on how youth programs can enhance engagement for new and longtime members. Collaborate on service projects and invite youth voices into your planning and decision making.
Rotary’s message to the world is that we can Unite for Good. Youth programs show us how that happens in practice — when generations come together, share ideas, and work side by side in service.
When we invest in young people, we are not only shaping future leaders. We are building a stronger, more connected Rotary today.
You can find all prior "RI President's Messages" at this LINK
Our largest program at The Rotary Foundation is PolioPlus, followed by a significant new initiative called the Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge, which emerged from the first Programs of Scale initiative in Zambia. Through this work, we are combating malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases — the three leading killers of children under 5 in Africa.
A healthy child still needs an education, and education is where futures are built.
Rotary is finding ways to invest in the next generation through partnerships and creative approaches. Johan Denolf, of the Rotary Club Damme, Belgium, and Nirmal Rijal, of the Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-Town, Nepal, share one remarkable example:
In the mountains of Nepal, the children of Melamchi Ghyang village had no school. In 1985, a teacher named Purna Gautam set out to change that, founding a school on the promise that no child would ever be turned away. For many girls and boys, it became a lifeline against threats such as child labor, early marriage, and human trafficking.
In 1999, Hilde Kuypers, a Belgian humanitarian, was so moved by Gautam’s mission that she founded KetaKeti, a nonprofit, to support it. KetaKeti and the Rotary Club of Damme built a partnership while the club helped the community recover from a 2015 earthquake.
In 2024, the Rotary Club of Damme — working with the Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-Town and 15 clubs from Belgium and Germany, with support from District 2130 — united around a $175,000 global grant.
The project brought solar energy to the school, eliminated dependence on firewood for cooking, powered a medical post, and launched reforestation and environmental education.
By 2025, enrollment had climbed to 440 students. Rotary clubs committed to three years of teacher salary contributions. By 2027, the school aims to be self-sustaining through an alumni fund, matched dollar-for-dollar by KetaKeti Belgium. What began as one teacher’s promise has become a story of global friendship and the power of education.
Through a Rotary Foundation global grant, hundreds of Nepalese children now have a genuine shot at the future they deserve. Most remarkable of all: The school’s own alumni are now helping secure that future for the next generation. That is the sustainable, generational impact Rotary endeavors to create.
There are countless such stories waiting to happen. With your commitment and The Rotary Foundation behind you, you can be part of one.
You can find all prior "Messages from the Foundation Trustee Chair" at this LINK
The Rotary Club of Monfalcone-Grado revels in the history and charm of its northern Italian region, located northeast of Venice near the Slovenian border. A recent project helped ensure that information is accessible to everyone, including people with visual impairments. In December, members unveiled a multisensory panel explaining the story of the Church of San Proto in San Canzian d’Isonzo, just west of their community. The 15th century chapel sits atop foundations dating to the fourth century. The panel combines educational content with tactile elements and Braille notations, with a placement designed for easy access by wheelchair users. “The church is located along an ancient Roman road and represents an important example of what we often call ‘minor heritage,’ meaning small sites with great historical and cultural value that deserve to be known and protected,” says club member Paolo Messana. Rotary members participated in every phase of the project, says Messana, “from concept and design to approvals and installation.”
Tunisia
When Yassine Harzallah was alerted to overcrowding in a primary school, he paid a visit and witnessed children studying on the floor and in corridors, with their notebooks on their knees. He snapped a photo, and “that image alone was enough to convince every member of our club that we had a responsibility to act,” says Harzallah, president of the Rotary Club of Ruspina Monastir. In December, the entire contingent visited the school, an hour drive from the club’s base in Monastir city. Members brought supplies, including hygiene products, cleaning items, a printer, a wheelbarrow, shovels, and hoes. A member architect drafted blueprints and watched over a local contractor who assembled a modular room off-site at a reduced cost. In January the structure, a new reading room, was delivered.
This story originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary projects make a difference in communities around the world.
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Laguna de Santa Rosa
The Rotary Club of Monfalcone-Grado revels in the history and charm of its northern Italian region, located northeast of Venice near the Slovenian border. A recent project helped ensure that information is accessible to everyone, including people with visual impairments. In December, members unveiled a multisensory panel explaining the story of the Church of San Proto in San Canzian d’Isonzo, just west of their community. The 15th century chapel sits atop foundations dating to the fourth century. The panel combines educational content with tactile elements and Braille notations, with a placement designed for easy access by wheelchair users. “The church is located along an ancient Roman road and represents an important example of what we often call ‘minor heritage,’ meaning small sites with great historical and cultural value that deserve to be known and protected,” says club member Paolo Messana. Rotary members participated in every phase of the project, says Messana, “from concept and design to approvals and installation.”
When Yassine Harzallah was alerted to overcrowding in a primary school, he paid a visit and witnessed children studying on the floor and in corridors, with their notebooks on their knees. He snapped a photo, and “that image alone was enough to convince every member of our club that we had a responsibility to act,” says Harzallah, president of the Rotary Club of Ruspina Monastir. In December, the entire contingent visited the school, an hour drive from the club’s base in Monastir city. Members brought supplies, including hygiene products, cleaning items, a printer, a wheelbarrow, shovels, and hoes. A member architect drafted blueprints and watched over a local contractor who assembled a modular room off-site at a reduced cost. In January the structure, a new reading room, was delivered.