Cindy Pasko has been the Executive Director of The Living Room since 2018. The Living Room is a home-grown nonprofit serving women and children experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness. The Living Room was founded in 1993 here in Santa Rosa.
Cindy has almost 20 years’ experience, both in California and in Oregon working with communities to close homelessness service gaps and build diverse collaborations to better respond to those who are at risk. She is a Leadership Fellow of Sierra Health Foundation Class XV and she strongly believes that homelessness is a public health issue that requires us to deploy whole-person prevention and solutions.
If you ask Cindy’s team what she is like at work, they will tell you that Cindy is intelligent and witty. She is professional but still brings a fun energy with her humorous nature.
Cindy lives in Cloverdale but loves all of Sonoma County. She and her dog, Vespa, like to hike and make new friends wherever they go.
Investigative Genetic Genealogy by Lt. Kirk Campbell, Sacramento District Attorney's Office
Our speaker for February 17, 2022, was Kirk Campbell from the Sacramento County District Attorneys’ Office. Kirk is currently in the DA’s Homicide/Gangs Unit and is part of a team that conducts genetic genealogy investigations to identify violent crime suspects from DNA samples. He was with the Sacramento Police Department for thirty years and helped identify the Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo, who was ultimately convicted of murdering 13 people and committing numerous assaults. Kirk’s presentation was entitled “Investigative Genetic Genealogy.” He was introduced by his brother, Sunrise member Mark Campbell.
The Golden State Killer, DeAngelo, was active between 1974 and 1986 in multiple parts of the state. Multiple law enforcement organizations spent 40 years unsuccessfully trying to identify a suspect in dozens of murders and potentially hundreds of sexual assaults. These investigations failed to identify a strong suspect for these crimes. However, DeAngelo was ultimately identified through the use of Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG). A civilian genealogist, Barbara Rae-Venter, came up with DeAngelo’s name. DeAngelo ultimately pleaded guilty to 13 murders and several sexual assaults. He admitted committing 62 separate sexual assaults. He received multiple life sentences.
Kirk also described other IGG successes, including the so-called Nor Cal Rapist, Roy Waller, who is accused of sexual assaults of 9 women in six Northern California counties, including Sonoma, from the 1991-2006. Waller was identified by IGG investigators in 45 minutes!
Another key case involved the exoneration of Ricky Davis for the murder of an El Dorado County woman after serving nearly 15 years in prison! However, DNA samples left on the deceased’s nightgown were tested after the Innocence Project became involved. Davis’ DNA was not found on these samples. Kirk’s group was brought in to conduct an IGG investigation and they ultimately identified Michael Green, who is now awaiting trial in El Dorado County. Ricky Davis’ conviction was vacated, and he was declared “factually innocent” by the El Dorado District Attorney.
IGG techniques rely on the use of direct-to-consumer companies for identifying suspects or victims in criminal cases. The technique is increasingly being used after standard law enforcement DNA testing fails to identify a suspect in the CODIS database. Teams like Kirk’s take the DNA profile and access public databases such as GedMatch and often find potential matches in those databases. Ultimately, the team attempts to build a genealogy that identifies a common ancestor of the potential matches of the DNA sample and then builds downward through the family tree to identify a suspect. Once a suspect is identified, law enforcement uses its own CODIS database and other traditional investigative methods to confirm guilt and move towards a criminal trial. In this respect, IGG is merely a tool to identify possible suspects, much like an anonymous tip, that needs further investigation.
Kirk mentioned that expanded use by the public of those databases that are made available to law enforcement, such as GedMatch and FamilyTreeDNA, can help law enforcement investigators solve many different violent crimes and identify victims.
Thank you, Kirk, for the amazing presentation. And thank you, Mark, for bringing Kirk’s message to Sunrise Rotary!
Click HERE to view the recording of Kirk Campbell's presentation. The recording is available for a short time.
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!
On Friday, February 18th we welcomed Pisces season. We are now in the watery, dreamy world of the sign ruled by the planet Neptune. For the past two months, we have been urged to be bold, altruistic, and collaborative. We are now taking a shift into feeling the feels.
Make sure you have plenty of Kleenex this next month, because the tears are going to flow for many of us, and that is a great situation. Channel your inner Brene Brown and lean into being raw and vulnerable. This water sign is going to help cleanse your soul and spirit. We are going to take a break from action and movement, and now it is time to quietly reflect, explore all your emotions, and indulge in all things romantic and dreamy. Now is a fantastic opportunity to tap into your intuition and your spiritual side. Pisces is the last sign of the astrological year, so reflecting, slowing down, and embracing calm, is tantamount.
This Pisces season is also going to bring in a lot of love in our lives. Sparks will fly, and we may discover deeper connections to those close to us in a very untraditional way this month. There are never any certainties in life, and that can make life so exciting! This is the perfect time to read poetry, create beautiful pieces of art, listen and perform music, dance, daydream, bedazzle your wardrobe, and analyze your dreams. You have a full month to fully embrace having your head in the clouds and filling it with dreams. This lovely respite will get us geared up and ready to go for Aries season. Whooo hooo
Four engineers get in a car. The car won't start. The Mechanical Engineer says: "It's a broken starter" The Electrical engineer says: "Dead battery" The Chemical engineer says: "Impurities in the gasoline" The IT engineer says: "Hey guys, I have an idea. How about we all get out of the car and get back in"
Rotary members meet with EU officials to examine Rotary’s role in achieving peace
By Bryant Brownlee
More than 240 Rotary members and other guests gathered in Brussels, Belgium, on 8 March for Rotary at the European Union, a special event that explored how Rotary and the European Union can work together to achieve peace.
The meeting was the first of its kind at the European Union (EU) and was modeled on the tradition of Rotary Day at the United Nations. Rotary members, EU officials, and business leaders at the two-hour event asked how business and civil society organizations like Rotary can work with the EU to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build more peaceful and stable societies.
More than 240 Rotary members and guests gathered in Brussels, Belgium, on 8 March for Rotary at the European Union.
Nikita Philippi
Françoise Tulkens, a professor and former vice president of the European Court of Human Rights, moderated the meeting, which included presentations from Karmenu Vella, European commissioner for environment, maritime affairs, and fisheries; Jean de leu de Cecil, general secretary of the board of Colruyt Group; Rene Branders, president of the Belgian Federation of Chambers of Commerce; and John Hewko, Rotary general secretary.
Vella emphasized the importance of working with business and civil society to achieve the development goals. He also recognized the important role Rotary can play in this global effort.
“You have a massive asset, your vast network, and you can use it to bring community stakeholders together in order to turn the SDGs into reality. Rotary International is uniquely placed to create transformational alliances between business and civil society, pushing forward the implementation of our common agenda,” said Vella.
Hewko highlighted Rotary’s efforts to address the ongoing migration crisis and foster inclusive economic development.
Rotary General Secretary John Hewko and Belgium District 2170 Governor Nathalie Huyghebaert at the European Union in Brussels.
Nikita Philippi
"At Rotary, we believe that we can only respond by forming smart partnerships in which the EU, governments, civil society, the private sector, and other organizations all play an important role. This is why the growing relationship between Rotary and the European Union is a cause for optimism,” said Hewko.
Because the EU supports the global polio eradication effort, organizers of Rotary at the European Union are confident that there are other opportunities for collaboration between the organizations.
The event was coordinated with the European Commission and organized by Michel Coomans and Hugo-Maria Schally, RI representatives to the EU, with the support of Kathleen Van Rysseghem, Philippe Vanstalle, and Nathalie Huyghebaert, the governors of the Rotary districts in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Sunrise - Founded June 30, 1986
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