Events

Carrie Athay and Thomas Heuser with the Idaho Falls Symphony will present "The Upcoming Symphony Season".

Rick Aman, President, and/or Amanda Logan, Director of External Affairs, College of Eastern Idaho will present "College of Eastern Idaho at 5 Years - A Look Back and at What's to Come".

Lyle Castle, ISU's Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Programs will present "Idaho State University - Serving the Community".

Wendi Secrist, Executive Director, Idaho Development Workforce Council, will present "From Competitors to Collaborators - Leading Idaho's Workforce Development Initiative".

Dr. Jim Shank, Superintendent of School District 91 will present "Idaho Falls School District 91 Bond Proposal".

Karen Lansing, Executive Director, Habitat For Humanity will present "Innovative Housing Opportunity".

Marsha McDaniel is Senior Advisor and Economic Development Director for the Idaho National Laboratory. In her current role, McDaniel leads the laboratory’s efforts to develop an innovation district and promote technology-based economic development. McDaniel also coordinates the laboratory’s environmental justice efforts.   Her topic is "INL Innovation Engine".

Classification Talks with Kirk Rehfield and Jonathan Gallup

Nancy Shamel, Director, Veterans Mobility Corp will present "Veteran Mobility".

Past President Mike O'Bleness will update us on the Rotary Foundation.

Joe and Kim Mitchell, founders of Idaho Falls Bridge Builders, will present "Refugee Support".

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Kristi Baughman will present "Tourism In East Idaho".  

Kristi Baughman is a Marketing and Business Consultant with Free Range Consulting. She has over 25 years experience in the Marketing Industry, with a focus on Hospitality, Tourism, and DMO's. She currently works with the Yellowstone Teton Territory to help develop the marketing plan to increase lodging revenues in Eastern Idaho.  As a volunteer for the International Economic Development Council, Kristi also helps develop disaster recovery plans in other tourism reliant countries, and speaks at several events that are geared toward helping tourism related partners increase their revenues.  

Larry Cudmore. a North Dakota farm boy, moved to Idaho in 1979 to be a Lutheran pastor starting out in Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene areas for 24 years. He was pastor of first Evangelical Lutheran Church in Idaho Falls for 16 years with his career ending because of cancer. As a result of his cancer journey he  needed to retire. After a year of treatment at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Larry went into remission and decided to start a nonprofit using horses to help children with special needs. That all started in the fall of 2018 and they now have, at Champs Heart, land,180 trained volunteers and a capacity to have 300 special needs children a week! Larry has been married to Wendy for 49 years. They have three children and six grandchildren.

Lori Priest, Director, Ronald McDonald House, will present "How your donation makes a difference".

McKayla Matlack a wife, mother friend, boss and Civitan, has been married to her soulmate, Nate, for as long as she has worked for DWI, 17 years!  She began her career with DWI as a Developmental Specialist in 2005 out of our Satellite location in Salmon Idaho. In 2007 she became the Director over the services in Salmon. In 2008 her husband was relocated to Idaho Falls and she remained with DWI working in Idaho Falls as the Director over the Human Resource Solutions program, while maintaining her support with the Salmon services.  In 2010 she was promoted to the Director of Medicaid services in Idaho Falls, overseeing the Adult LIFE program.  In 2011 she was promoted to the Vice President over all Medicaid programs Idaho Falls, Salmon and Rexburg.  In 2017 she became a CARF Accredited Surveyor, benefitting Development Workshop and Community Rehab Programs across the Country. Most recently, in 2019 she was promoted to the President/CEO. Her proudest accomplishment to date is surviving her first 2 years as CEO during a pandemic and celebrating with DWI, 50 years of success. 

When she is not working, she has two children Cooper (12) and Natalie (16), who keep her very busy and yet she still has time to dedicate many hours to her 2^nd family; the Civitan Club of Idaho Falls, Hearts and Hands Civitan Club and Shining Stars Junior Civitan’s.  She has worked closely with other Civitan members to support youth, the homeless, the disabled, and her community. Giving to others is her first passion, next to being a Las Vegas Raiders fan. She also has a hairless cat named Howie and a dog named Duke. 

Fellow Rotarian, Dr. Cheryl O'Brien, Director of the Idaho Women's Business Center and Board Member of the Idaho State Historical Society will update us on the "Idaho State Historical Society".

Dr. Cheryl O’Brien worked several years as a naval architect for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and then over 30 years at the INL, where she directed Engineering Programs including criticality and nuclear safety, engineering design, and structural analysis. Her management career included bringing green building design and clean energy advocacy to the Laboratory as one of the first LEED^TM Accredited Professionals in Idaho. With a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering her technical expertise is natural hazard structural analysis and has planned and led technical conference sessions in Asia and Europe. Post career, she completed a Doctor of Arts degree in Political Science with a focus on state legislative adoption of nuclear energy policy and understanding attitudes and risk perception. She is now working part-time as an Associate Director for a non-profit organization advancing women in business. One of her community commitments is serving as a governor appointee on the Board of Trustees for the Idaho State Historical Society, representing District 7. She and her husband Barry own a historical home in Idaho Falls.

Jeff Carr, Executive Director, Rod Hansen, Exhibits Director and Chloe Doucette, Senior Director of Programs at the Museum of Idaho will present "Traveling Exhibits in 2023 & Educational Programming".

SAVE THE DATE to join your fellow Rotarians and their spouses for an evening of holiday cheer and fellowship on Thursday January 19th at 6 pm at the home of  Todd and Gina Stevenson.  

Sign-up and RSVP will be coming soon.  You won't want to miss this fun event!

Classification Talks with Karen Lansing and Christopher White

Chris White and his wife will host a Fireside Meeting at his home on Thursdasy January 26, 2023 at 6:00 PM.  If you are new member you won't want to miss this opportunity to learn more about our Club.

Angie Lee, Director of Promise Ridge Shelter Board Topic: The Promise Ridge Story.

February is Rotary International  "Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution" Month.

Rotary Exchange Student, Emma Verhofstad, will make a Netherlands presentation.

District 5400 Govenor, Janice Fulkerson, will present "District 5400 Update:.

Becky Leatham is a Certified Prevention Specialist and has spent the last 20 years in the field of youth leadership and substance abuse prevention. Living most of her life in Idaho, she is the mother to four adult children, grandma to four adorable grandchildren, and “mom’ to hundreds. Becky began her journey impacting teens many years ago as a volunteer at her children’s school and an AmeriCorps Service Member. She credits her success to great mentors early in her career and a knowledgeable and passionate group of coworkers she calls friends today. Becky is the founder and Executive Director for Community Youth in Action and is mentoring a large staff to always carry on her mission if she ever “gets hit by a bus” or chooses to retire.

Mayor Sean Coletti will be our speaker and his topic is "The Cost of Water - One City's Experience with Water Conservation".

Sean Coletti graduated from Rigby High School and attended Ricks College prior to serving as a missionary in Seoul, Korea for two years. Afterward, he continued his education at Brigham Young University, where he received his Bachelors Degree in Political Science, and University of Connecticut Law School, all while serving in the Army National Guard as a counterintelligence agent and Korean linguist.  After school, Sean clerked in Twin Falls and then American Samoa, after which he began as a new associate at Hopkins Roden Crockett Hansen & Hoopes, PLLC, where he is now Partner and has been working for 15 years.  Sean served two terms on the Ammon City Council and is on his second term as Mayor of Ammon.  In addition to his Mayor responsibilities he also serves on various boards including the Imagine Idaho Foundation, the Idaho Health Facilities Authority, the Idaho Magistrate’s Commission, and the Idaho Workforce Development Council.  Sean is married to Ammon native Jessi Grigg Coletti, and they have two sons, Jaydn and Sterling.