Sgt at Arms: Chris Rath Digital Experience: Bob Keefer
Invocation & Pledge: Camille Metoyer Moten
Navigator: Dakotah Smith
Cashiers/Check-in: John Mock & Sarah Robak
Admin Support: Ryan Lemmon
Greeters: Gene DeBoer & Susan Koesters
New Member Host: Need Volunteer
Speaker Host: Hal Daub
Speaker: Dean Jordan Pritle
Buffet Lunch is $18 for members and $20 for visiting Rotarians and guests. Lunch ticket is back. Please collect your lunch ticket after check-in and put it in the jar at the beginning of the buffet line
Rotary Speaker – April 22, 2026 Jordan Pirtle Dean of Secondary Partnerships Metropolitan Community College
We look forward to welcoming Jordan Pirtle, Dean of Secondary Partnerships at Metropolitan Community College. With more than 20 years in education, Jordan leads collaborative efforts with nearly 30 school districts to expand college access for high school students through dual enrollment programs.
Jordan is known for her relationship-first leadership style, building strong partnerships that create real opportunities for student success. Her work is helping thousands of students earn college credit early, explore meaningful career pathways, and gain the confidence to pursue their future.
In this presentation, Jordan will share how these partnerships are transforming the educational landscape across the Omaha metro. She will highlight the measurable impact of dual enrollment, including increased college-going rates and stronger alignment with workforce needs in our community.
Outside of her professional work, Jordan enjoys teaching fitness classes, supporting her husband’s business, and spending time with family, including her bonus son, Kyle, a cattle farmer in their hometown in Iowa.
Please join us in welcoming Jennifer Potmesil to our Rotary family!
Jennifer is an Executive Assistant to the Chief Merchandising Officer at Nebraska Furniture Mart, where she brings a strong background in strategic program and project management, executive support, and organizational communications. In recognition of her leadership and contributions to a major company initiative, she was recently honored with the President's Award—an accolade reserved for the top 1% of staff each year.
Jennifer will earn her Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies, with a concentration in General Administration and a minor in Emergency Management, from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in May. Her academic excellence has earned her membership in the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society, recognizing the top 5% of students in her program, as well as the Society for Collegiate Leadership and Achievement. She is also the recipient of both the College of Public Affairs and Community Service Undergraduate Dean's Award and the Division of Continuing Studies Undergraduate Major Award.
Deeply committed to service, Jennifer volunteers with several community-focused organizations across Omaha. Her efforts support families, children, animals, and vulnerable populations, reflecting her belief in strengthening communities through hands-on engagement.
Jennifer looks forward to contributing her skills, energy, and passion for service to the Rotary community.
99 Years Strong: Celebrating Omaha’s Young Leaders
For nearly a century, the Rotary Club of Omaha has honored the very best of our youth through the 8th Grade Honor Roll. Now in its 99th year, this tradition recognizes students who exemplify leadership, character, scholarship, and presence.
This is more than an award. It is a launchpad. Many honorees return as graduating seniors to receive scholarships, proving a powerful truth: when a community believes in its young people, they rise and give back.
Event Details
99th Rotary Honor Roll Celebration Date: Monday, April 27, 2026 Time: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM Location: CHI Health Center, Omaha
The Rotary Club of Omaha is proud to continue a long-standing tradition of service and partnership with Scouting America. For generations, Rotarians have worked side by side with Scouts, helping build facilities, mentoring young leaders, and supporting programs that shape character, leadership, and lifelong skills.
On May 2, we invite all members, families, and friends to join us for our annual Rotary Work Day at Camp Cedars, a hands-on day of impact, fellowship, and purpose.
Why This Matters
Our partnership with Scouting runs deep. From constructing Scout pavilions to supporting troop initiatives, Rotary has played a meaningful role in strengthening a program that helps young people grow into capable, service-minded leaders. Rotary Work Day is one of the most visible and impactful ways we continue that mission.
What We’ll Be Doing
This year’s projects are focused on preparing Camp Cedars for a busy summer season serving more than 1,500 youth. Volunteers will be organized into teams working on a variety of projects, including:
Securing and installing tent frames across campsites
Repairing and replacing weathered wood structures
Deep cleaning shower houses and camp facilities
Clearing debris and improving campgrounds
Assisting with construction and maintenance projects
There are opportunities for all skill levels, whether you are experienced or simply ready to help.
A Great Fit for Everyone
If you are a Rotarian with high school students who need service hours, this is a perfect opportunity for them to participate in meaningful, structured service alongside community leaders.
If you are a new Rotarian looking for a place to get involved and make an immediate impact, this is it. This is Rotary in action.
Leading by Example
This is more than a workday. It is a chance to show our young people what leadership looks like. Rotarians do not just talk about service, we live it. We show up, we work, and we lead the way.
Roxanne has been a dancer, dance instructor, choreographer and teaching artist for most of her life. She was the assistant and resident choreographer, and the Director of Education and Outreach at the Omaha Community Playhouse for many years. Roxanne’s career led to deeper work in the nonprofit community including as the Executive Director of The ARTery, Development Director at the Omaha Public Schools Foundation, Executive Director of Pacific Ballroom Dance in the PNW, and currently the Development Director at the Omaha Community Playhouse.
She became a National Dance Institute Teaching Artist and a Dancing Classrooms Teaching Artist after attending trainings in New York. She also became a Dancing Classrooms Senior Teaching Artist and Site Evaluator, studying with founder Pierre Dulaine. Roxanne was the Dancing Classrooms Site Director in Omaha NE and the Greater Seattle area for several years.
Roxanne’s dedication to providing arts programming opportunities for underserved communities led her to trainings for Dance for Parkinson’s, work with Alzheimer’s patients, and persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Through Dancing Classrooms, she developed an adapted syllabus for students in Alternate Curriculum Programs.
Welcome to Rotary, Roxanne—we’re glad to have you with us!
Andrea Bellamy serves as the Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships for Briggs & Barrett, a nonprofit dedicated to SIDS awareness and safe sleep education. In her role, she focuses on expanding partnerships and advancing the organization’s mission to support families through education, prevention, and compassionate care.
Andrea is married to her husband, Adam, and together they have four children—Alexis, Gia, Leo, and Asher—as well as their beloved labradoodle, Chase. Outside of her professional work, Andrea enjoys traveling, cooking, attending concerts, and cheering on her children in their many activities.
Welcome, and thank you for being part of our Rotary community, Andrea!
Rotary District 5650 Rotarians—Welcome to April! “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. April is a promise that May is bound to keep, and we know it.” Having grown up on a farm and ranch, I think this quote by Hal Borland, writer, journalist, and naturalist, born May 14th, 1900, in Sterling, Nebraska, speaks to the seasonal transition that spring represents for hope and renewal as we move toward May.
We definitely need the promise of moisture and calm weather. March was a difficult month for our region with droughts and wildfires. In western Nebraska so many people are looking for better days ahead, where the wildfires have caused so much damage. Fortunately, like our own devastating tornados that ripped across Nebraska and Iowa, from two years ago, April 26th, 2024, the wildfires have also brought people together to help those in need including Rotarians to “Unite for Good.”
I wanted to highlight the successful volunteer efforts of our fellow Rotarians located in Rotary District 5630 located to the west of our District 5650. Hot Meals USA, a nonprofit, started by a Rotarian in the Kearney Rotary Club, has been serving free meals to firefighting crews from across the area nonstop with help from Rotary volunteers in Ogallala and North Platte. Rotary District 5630.
Past District Governor 2024-25, Lorena Beckius, has worked nonstop to help organize volunteers and donations for Hot Meals USA volunteer feeding locations in Ogallala and North Platte. The Rotary and community volunteers have staffed three shifts 7 days a week for the past few weeks helping to gather supplies and to prepare and serve meals.
Hot Meals USA is the same group that came to our help a couple of years ago when we faced our own disaster after the April 26th, 2024 tornados. I am including their website in case you would like to help or donate. https://www.hotmealsusa.org/. You can also follow Hot Meals USA on their Facebook page and please find a signup link with current volunteer opportunities.
Within hours of deadly floods and landslides that struck Mexico in October, Rotary members were responding. In hard-hit Poza Rica, Rotary and Rotaract members brought residents to safety, plowed mud-laden streets, and moved house to house to clean properties. The effort was supported by clubs throughout District 4185 and by neighboring districts and others abroad. The Rotary Club of Poza Rica joined the nonprofit Planet Water Foundation to install four water towers and a water block in the neediest area and deliver purified water elsewhere. The club also coordinated with World Central Kitchen to provide hot meals. Still, “we desperately need help to get back on our feet and return to our normal lives,” says club member Pepe Badillo. “The houses were a total loss. Everything was destroyed, from a single plate to the bedrooms on the second floor.”
India
The city of Thane, northeast of Mumbai, is recognized for its arts and culture scene. It’s home to drama troupes, an art expo, international film festivals, and comedy venues. What it was lacking, says Atul Bhide, of the Rotary Club of Thane Hills, was a large showcase for aficionados of the written word. To amend that, the club (which also sponsors a book-reading initiative for youth) launched the Thane Literature Festival. Over two days in November, bibliophiles toasted 22 authors and poets who read from their work and participated in panel discussions. The event honored journalist and writing coach Bachi Karkaria with the Thane Literature Festival lifetime achievement award, and judges critiqued entries in a short-story contest. “Encouraging reading habits and love for literature for Gen-Next is also our motive behind this literature festival,” says Bhide.
Rotarians are making a difference at Stephen Center. CLICK HERE to sign up.
Stephen Center partners with the community, families, and individuals to overcome homelessness, addiction, and poverty. Stephen Center has served the homeless and low-income in Omaha since 1984 through its three programs: Emergency Shelter, HERO Program, and Transitional Living Program. The Omaha Downtown Rotary partners with Stephens Center in serving hot meals to its residents.
April 7, 2026 volunteers at Stephen Center L to R: Fletcher Reel, Scott Kinnaird, and Hal France
At our July 16 meeting, Outgoing President Heather Legge proudly recognized an extraordinary group of members, our Perfect Attendance Rotarians!
Achieving perfect Rotary attendance is no small feat. It reflects dedication, service, and an unwavering commitment to our club’s mission. Whether it's showing up at weekly meetings (in person or via Zoom), joining service projects, attending committee meetings, helping with club operations, gathering with fellow Rotarians (3 or more), visiting other clubs, participating in online makeups, or engaging in board activities, these Rotarians show up, step up, and make a difference! Let's give a big round of applause to these role models of Rotary engagement!
See the full list of honorees below.
July is the perfect month to start your own journey to becoming a Perfect Rotarian! Join us, stay involved, and let’s make service and fellowship a way of life.
Where three or more Rotarians gather, it's called a Rotary Social, and you earn attendance credits. Rotarians may come from different clubs. Connect with Rotarians and enjoy the power of Rotary fellowship. Below are our recent Rotary Socials.
Three Rotarians preparing for the 2026 ICAN Leadership Conference.
Rotarians meet up L to R: Fr. Lloyd Gnirk, Paul Cohen, Fletcher Reel, and Mike Mancuso (not in photo)
Rotarians were recognized at the Annual Stephen Center Volunteers Dinner Awards. Rotarian Award Recipients: Matt Boulay, Colleen Brennan, Christopher Nwafor, Fletcher Reel, Project Chair Steve McCollister, Scott Kinnaird, Hannah Patterson, with Stephen Center CEO Chris Knauf and Rotary Executive Director Yolanda Hoffman
Rotarian’s at the Colleen Brennan for Douglas County commissioner L to R: President Gretchen Harvey, Colleen Brennan, Bill Harvey, Doug Pedersen, Hal Daub, Fletcher Reel, and Rebecca Rens
Rotarians at What's Next office L to R: Hal France, David Carrig, Thomas Pargett, and Jill Slupe
Pictured from left to right: Dakotah Smith, Hal Daub, First Lady Viv Ewing and Mayor John Ewing
Rotarians at the Omaha Central Library Reception L to R: Mayor John Ewing, First Lady Viv Ewing, and Former Congressman Hal Daub
Rotary Means Business L to R: James Mackiewicz, Bill Harvey, and Jesse Moore
Rotarians Meet Up: Candi Jacobs, PDG Tom Kerfoot, and James Mackiewicz
Rotarians at Hillcrest Foundation for Enhancing Lives fundraiser L to R: Sandy Lemke, President Gretchen Harvey, Bill Harvey, Shayne Fili, Mike Mancuso, Tom Adams, and Randy Wieseler
Three Rotarians at the B2B Networking Event (From left to right): Deb Skinner, Ryan Lemmon, and Sandy Lemke.
Rotarians at LeadHERship L to R: Cella Quinn, Jill Slupe, Shayne Fili, Ami Konwinski, Susan Koesters, and Sarah Robak
Pachyderm Luncheon Group. From L to R: Steve McCollister, Hal Daub & Charlie Peters
Rotarians at the Annual Callistus Myelona Foundation Gala. L to R: Former Congressman & Mayor Hal Daub, First Lady Viv Ewing, and Mayor John Ewing
The Rotary Club of Omaha is now recruiting more members! It's your opportunity to join the Rotary Club of Omaha, click here to complete the membership application form. For questions, please contact Membership Chair Sarah Robak at sarah.robakcfa@gmail.com.
American Express Online Giving
Archdiocesan Schools
Bennington Schools Foundation
Centris
Chase Bank
Club Foundation
Club Service Fund
CFO Systems
Creighton University
DA Davidson
Elkhorn Schools Foundation
EHPV
FNBO
Goodwill Industries
Jungle Driving
Metro Community College
Millard Schools Foundation
Omaha Massage Therapy
Omaha Public Schools Foundation
Ralston Schools Foundation
UNO College of Business Administration
Union Omaha
Westside Foundation
Individuals:
Anonymous Donor
Bill Harvey
Brett Frevert
Chris Rath
Colleen Brennan
Deb Skinner
Fletcher Reel
Fr. Lloyd Gnirk
Gretchen Harvey
Heidi McGinness
Jim Stewart
Jim Suttle
John Ewing
John Marburger
John Mock
Larry Guenther
Lisa Tonjes Moritz
Mary Daub
Hal Daub
Paul Cohen
Randy Wieseler
Sandy Lemke
Todd Lemke
Scott Buchholz
Steve Carper
Steve McCollister
Tom Gouttierre
Viv Ewing
Rotary Speaker – April 22, 2026
Please join us in welcoming Jennifer Potmesil to our Rotary family!
Roxanne has been a dancer, dance instructor, choreographer and teaching artist for most of her life. She was the assistant and resident choreographer, and the Director of Education and Outreach at the Omaha Community Playhouse for many years. Roxanne’s career led to deeper work in the nonprofit community including as the Executive Director of The ARTery, Development Director at the Omaha Public Schools Foundation, Executive Director of Pacific Ballroom Dance in the PNW, and currently the Development Director at the Omaha Community Playhouse.
Rotary District 5650 Rotarians—Welcome to April! “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. April is a promise that May is bound to keep, and we know it.” Having grown up on a farm and ranch, I think this quote by Hal Borland, writer, journalist, and naturalist, born May 14th, 1900, in Sterling, Nebraska, speaks to the seasonal transition that spring represents for hope and renewal as we move toward May.
Mexico
