From May 7 2026 by Jackie Lebow, Jr.
Invocation: President Cara Sauceda rang the bell at 12:12 pm. David Hartman provided an inspirational and thankful prayer for our first responders.
Pledge and Song: President Cara acknowledged the pianist, Alyssa Ham, playing for the Club today. Alyssa has a bachelor’s degree in jazz piano and a Masters in collaborative piano. She has been with the MSU Theater Department for 7 years. President Cara led the pledge and song “You’re a Grand Old Flag” followed by our traditional Rotary greeting.
Visitors and Guests: Angela Cully from Christ Academy was in attendance.
Sunshine Report: Bill Miller is taking a break from Rotary and is in a care facility. Josh Phillip’s Mother is extremely sick and in the hospital. Please keep these two in your prayers.
Brag Bucket: Noros Martin passed the brag bucket around. Carla Dowlen’s nephew received his CEC Engineering Certificate and is just a sophomore. She also thanked Tommy Richardson for all his work on flags. President Cara mentioned her daughter has enough credits to graduate one year early. Cara also thanked Lance Spruiell for his flag work. John Mayfield mentioned the Singing Men tonight at the First Baptist Church.
Birthdays: None this week
Announcements: President Cara recognized Jerry with the catering staff as today was his last day. Cara also mentioned she is preparing flyers to be used in place of door hangars (we are out of door hangars). Andy Kocher has flag sleeves. Last item was the NCO Academy Dedication Ceremony on Wednesday, May 27th, from 2:30 to 5:30 pm.
Program: Annual Service Above Self Award Presentation
Mike Saville started the presentation by celebrating the unwavering dedication, bravery, and selflessness of our first responders. The nominees represent the best of our community, and the committee’s decision was not an easy one. Mike thanked the selection committee members: Jeremy Woodward, Jackie Lebow, Dave Hartman, and Braden Wood. He also thanked President Cara for her involvement. Mike also recognized and thanked the supervisors who took the time to nominate and highlight the individuals for nomination.
The first nominee was Paramedic Brett Ruth from American Medical Response (AMR) providing ambulance and EMS services in Wichita Falls. Paramedic Ruth is a dedicated first responder who exemplifies selfless service through leadership, mentorship, and community commitment with a deep-rooted desire to make a difference in the lives of those around him. Brett distinguished himself through leadership and excellence, earning a promotion to Field Training Officer. Brett volunteers his time locally with the Wichita West Volunteer Fire Department, The Arc of Wichita County, and Special Olympics. He was joined by his wife of 11 years, Chelsey, his mother Crystal, and his supervisor Scott Meadows.
The second nominee was Deputy Fire Chief Juan Dominguez from the Sheppard Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services. Deputy Dominguez is an approachable leader, and young firefighters seek his advice on a multitude of issues. He served as the Incident Commander during 50 emergencies during the year, each one ending with positive results and no injuries while he protected airmen from more than 30 allied countries. That protection also included 220 aircraft, 7.2 million square feet of real estate, 3 fire stations, 3,700 acres, 2 geographically separated areas, and a regional airport all valued in excess of $5.5 billion. Deputy Dominguez was joined by the Sheppard Air Force Base Fire Chief David Mounsey and the Civil Engineering Squadron Commander at Sheppard, Lt Col Brad Shields.
Our third nominee was Lieutenant Richard “Donny” Johns, a law enforcement officer with the Wichita Falls ISD Police Department. With more than 30 years in law enforcement, he helped build the department from the ground up in 2019 when ISD Police Force had less than 10 officers serving 15,000 students and staff. He has been especially dependable during high stress situations and staffing challenges. He addressed every threat so the students and staff could return to a safe environment. He has been married to his wife Dana for 33 years, and together they have raised two children, Chase and Kylie. Lt Johns was joined by the WFISD Chief of Police, Anthony Smith.
David Hartman announced the selection of the First Responder Service Above Self Award to Sheppard Air Force Base’s Deputy Fire Chief Juan Dominguez. David L. Mounsey, his supervisor at Sheppard’s Fire and Emergency Services, who nominated him wrote the following:
“Deputy Fire Chief Juan Dominguez is the point man for the fire department. He refreshed the mutual aid program by establishing 11 new agreements with local municipalities and expanded five additional agreements with regional counties. There was immediate impact as Sheppard Fire and Emergency Services responded to 78 requests for help off the base in 2025. He ensured all response vehicles were staffed for daily operations. He humbled himself by personally staffing vehicles when required. He led the efforts to attain (Sheppard’s Fire and Emergency Services) third internationally Accredited Agency Status, one of only 300 accredited agencies across the world. He also serves on the Local Emergency Planning Committee, the District #3 Emergency Management Working Group, and the Wichita Country Fire Chiefs Group. Besides fire protection orientated programs, he oversees all vehicles in the squadron, is a member of the Wing Inspection Team, and oversaw the ambulance service on base.”
Special thanks to Mike Saville and David Hartman for providing an excellent presentation.
A donation to the WFISD Foundation in honor of today’s three finalists will be made.
Four Way Test: President Cara concluded the meeting at 12:51 pm.