To watch the meeting, go to https://www.facebook.com/omaharotary
PROGRAM: Douglas County District Court
John Friend spent 25 years as an Omaha Police Officer. John worked in a variety of positions while climbing through the ranks to police captain. John was responsible for Uniform Patrol, Traffic and Investigative functions over his long career.
John has always been committed to public service. John has served as your Clerk of the District Court for over 11 years. John has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Bellevue University.
John will speak about the court system, jury process, and how it impacts taxpayers.
Your Omaha Downtown Rotary Foundation board of directors has unanimously approved $35,000 (thirty-five thousand dollars) total for community grants to the following organizations:
Assistance League
Boys and Girls Clubs
Intercultural Senior Center
Omaha Children’s Museum
Omaha Latino Center
Merry Makers
Partnership 4 Kids
Project Houseworks
Respect
Set Me Free Project
Urban League
Wow! What a great program – and, of course, the largest grant provided by the foundation is $9,000 (nine thousand dollars) in scholarships awarded one month ago at our Honor Roll event to graduating high school seniors.
The Foundation will invite the grantees to receive their checks at an upcoming meeting at Field Club.
How fortunate we are to have the Foundation (your bequest gift is welcome), and how fortunate we are to have great leadership including President Gary Bren and Secretary / Treasurer Paul Cohen. Additional board members are John Ewing, Clark Rosenlof, Hal Daub, Anna Cramer, Cella Quinn, and yours truly (ex officio). As our new year begins on July 1, 2020, John Ewing will take over as president of the Foundation, with Clark adding secretary / treasurer duties. New board members will include Dianne Dessler, Sean Olson, and Aileen Warren (ex officio) with Gary and Paul concluding service. Foundation board members are appointed by the Club board.
For the uninitiated, the Omaha Downtown Rotary Foundation is 25+ years-old and was developed by Downtown Rotarians to serve Douglas County NE residents. It is separate and distinct from the Rotary International Foundation, which serves people throughout the world, and in Nebraska and Iowa (many annual fund dollars are “turned back” to each Rotary District and are managed by the Grants Management system; PP Brad Burklund and Heather Legge recently became certified in this process).
And that is how our foundations roll – yet another reason to wear that Rotary membership badge with pride.
See you on Wednesday at Field Club as we welcome John Friend with the Douglas County District Court!
We are $1,970 short of our goal of $15,000 to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). This is the best time to donate to double the value of your donation. Past President & District TRF Chair Bill Harvey has an important announcement next week, June 16, on how your $200 donation will become $400! Stay tuned! We are anticipating that we will meet our goal, that we have scheduled a big party on July 8, 6:15 PM, hosted by President John and Pat Sullivan. See details below. For questions, please contact Heather Legge.
Rotary's Board of Directors met on June 11, 2021, for its last board meeting under the illustrious leadership of President John Sullivan. The last portion of the meeting was an item that was not on the agenda and it was started by Gretchen Harvey heaping praises on President John's leadership. There was a unanimous expression of thanks and praise for President John's excellent leadership. Here's a snapshot.
L to R from top to bottom: Jim Stewart, Yolanda Hoffman, Gretchen Harvey, Okley Gibbs, President John Sullivan, Camille Metoyer-Moten, Larry Guenther, Brett Frevert, Nash Mahupete, Aileen Warren. Not in photo but attended the meeting are: Lori Bechtold (incoming Director), Sean Connolly - joining from Cancun, Michelle Boles, and Cesar Garcia (gave a committee report)
Last week at Rotary, President John Sullivan welcomed President-Elect Aileen Warren on her first-in person meeting since the pandemic hit us. Aileen gave her report on future leadership. She also shared the good news of her husband, former Police Chief Tom Warren, as Chief of Staff of Mayor Jean Sthotert effective July 1, 2021. Last week was our highest in-person attendance so far since coming back on April 28, 2021, at 49 Rotarians and guests. If you have not yet come to in-person meetings, please watch this video, click/tap here.
President John Sullivan calling on President-Elect Aileen Warren to present her slate of officers for her new administration by July 1, 2021
John Friend spent 25 years as an Omaha Police Officer. John worked in a variety of positions while climbing through the ranks to police captain. John was responsible for Uniform Patrol, Traffic and Investigative functions over his long career.
