Events

AssistanceLeague® Reno-Sparks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to helping those in need within our community by serving children, seniors, veterans and victims of abuse. Our all- volunteer organization operates 11 philanthropic programs such as Operation School Bell (providing school clothing for elementary and middle students), Veterans (supporting homeless veterans, as well as those in community settings), and Food Pantry (distributing groceries to low income seniors at the Senior Center, Indian Colony, and to those homebound).  Our thrift shop at 1701 Vassar in Reno is the primary source of income for our programs and we are proud to say what we make here stays here in the Reno-Sparks community.

Lorie Schaefer has lived and worked in Northern Nevada for over forty years. For many years she taught in the Carson City School District. During that time she also contributed to the weekly Fresh Ideas column in Carson City’s Nevada Appeal. Retired now, she lives in Reno with her husband where she spends her time avoiding housework by reading, writing, and watching her granddaughter grow up way too fast. Lorie serves on the Assistance League board and is the Marketing Committee chairperson.

Carolyn Dondero, M. Ed., is a fourth generation Nevadian who retired from 31 years of teaching high school English in Southern California. She also taught 17 years in Nevada. Carolyn is affiliated with Assistance League and P.E.O. Her purpose is to contribute to community and support human rights. She is a reading grandmother with AL.

The Rotary Club of Reno’s International Committee assists the club in developing programs that promote understanding and good will among Rotarians and among peoples throughout the world. The Rotarian motto, “Service Above Self,” conveys the humanitarian spirit of the organization’s more that 1.2 million members.  International service projects promote strong fellowship among Rotarians worldwide while helping the poorest of the poor.

While Committee members may identify potential projects by attending a Rotary Project Fair, it has become more common in recent years that our projects stem from 2 sources. First, we consider joining in projects and support to other clubs, individuals, and organizations many if not most, we have worked with before. Secondly, we create our own projects where we see the need and solicit other Clubs to support us.

We are currently managing 8 projects from areas as diverse as Uganda, Romania, Thailand, and Haiti and will be spotlighting them for today’s presentation.

Pat Hickey was born in Carson City and grew up in Lake Tahoe, the place where his Irish ancestors settled in the 1870s. Pat has been a ski bum, a seeker, a reporter, an assemblyman, an education advocate, and a proud parent and grandparent. His “Memo from the Middle” Sunday column is carried in the Reno Gazette Journal.

Pat received his Master’s Degree from the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada. His lifelong interest in life after death is matched only by his fascination with the lives he and other Nevadans are currently leading.

Dan Lee is a local security contractor who has given thousands of hours to the Washoe County sheriff’s Hasty Team, specializing in water rescue and recovery.

For twenty-three years he was helicopter deployed and has jumped out of Bell helicopters, Hughes, Blackhawks, Jayhawks, and even the giant Chinook. He has saved dozens of lives and found and recovered the bodies of dozens more people.

Here are some highlights of Mr. Lee’s long career with the Hasty Team:

• Navigated the backcountry and spent the night in ten degrees below zero weather with someone who froze to death. The next morning, Mr. Lee dug up that person and carried them over miles of rugged terrain back to civilization.
• Jumped out of many rescue vessels in bad weather with four-foot swells, during the night, so he could swim to an uninhabited island to rescue hypothermic boaters.
• Involved in the deepest body recovery in freshwater ever recorded: 1,565 feet deep in Lake Tahoe.

He is a master scuba diver and has been decorated by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department with the Distinguished Medal of Valor for those who have engaged in specific acts of bravery and has received the Medal of Valor twice. Mr. Lee will be sharing insights from his new book of underwater adventures called Heroes’ Treasure.

Have you ever wondered what makes a good leader? Have you had a boss that focused on managing you rather than leading? What kind of a leader do those around you think you are? Importantly, what can you do to become a better leader?

All good questions and most will be answered in the presentation on Rotary Leadership, a program that uses servant leadership as a deep resource. The training program was conceived and implemented in a pilot project in North America in 2021 by Rotarians Dr. Kent Keith of Honolulu Sunrise, an international expert on servant leadership, and Jerry Hall of the Reno Rotary Club. Districts in Seattle and Denver have implemented the training program and District 5190 trained facilitators and completed the first in person training October 12-13 – a day and half of intensive training at the Atlantis Hotel. Six additional districts will begin the implementation process this week via online training to prepare trainers in those districts for full implementation.

The training uses the 10 Key Practices of servant leadership as defined in Kent Keith’s book The Case for Servant Leadership. The Reno Rotary presentation will provide an overview of the key practices, training modules, the pilot project, and what districts are doing to bring this training to their clubs and club members.

Leadership training will build a stronger Rotary and will be a value-added benefit of Rotary membership that can also be used in a Rotarians business or profession. Start 2025 off right by coming to the first meeting of the year and hearing a story that could change how you lead. 

Amy Heald is an arts administrator, educator and oboist based in Reno, NV. She currently is the Executive Director of the Reno Chamber Orchestra where she brought a focus to youth engagement that had been missing at the orchestra. Previously, Amy was the Director of Education and Community Engagement with the Seattle Symphony, and the Education and Community Engagement Director with the Reno Philharmonic. While in Seattle Amy designed and launched the highly successful Seattle Symphony Tiny Tots concert program which regularly saw sold out audiences and provided a family friendly introduction to the orchestra. Amy also oversaw the quick transition of nearly all the Seattle Symphony’s education and community engagement programs to digital platforms at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an oboist Amy prefers performing chamber music and has also played with the Reno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Susanville Symphony, and the Britt Festival Orchestra. She also teaches privately. Outside of the performing arts world Amy enjoys running, reading, gardening, being mom to her young daughter, and cooking with her husband Drew.

Stephanie Gibson is a curator and arts administrator from Ottawa, Canada. She has worked in varying capacities of exhibition management at institutions including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. She was most recently the Assistant Director at Nevada Humanities, the state’s affiliate to the National Endowment for the Humanities. Gibson curated the inaugural exhibition at the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art, and is passionate about connecting people with art, and turning big, thoughtful ideas into engaging exhibitions and public programming. In her work, Gibson maintains a strong commitment to the equitable treatment of all people in every aspect of a project, as well as in the understanding of who participates in – and has access to – the arts and humanities.

The Lilley Museum of Art’s permanent collection offers a remarkable window into diverse artistic traditions, mediums, and historical moments. Spanning centuries and continents, the collection showcases an array of works that invite viewers to explore the impressive depth and breadth of human creativity and expression. Stephanie Gibson will provide an introduction to the Lilley Museum of Art’s permanent collection, highlighting the Director’s favorite pieces, with a discussion about how art appreciation is a critical component to a robust liberal arts education.

Our speakers next Monday are Jaime Chapman & Tres Benzley. Jaime Chapman is the Executive Director of MidTown Reno, where she showcases the neighborhood’s unique character through community engagement and special events. With a strong passion for fostering connections, Jaime leads initiatives that celebrate the vibrant arts and culture scene, attracting both locals and visitors. Tres Benzley has been an active and vocal member of MidTown through from the beginning with the Creative Coalition of MidTown and then on to the inception of the MidTown Reno Business Association, where he has held the role of Vice President and now currently the Board President of the MidTown District. 

Richard Godfrey is a practicing surgical oncologist with international work that includes Nepal, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Kenya, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone. He participates in a hospital building project with Matibabu Foundation-Kenya which serves rural, hard-to-reach, and vulnerable communities. With friendships in communities including the Mau Forest Lake Victoria, and the Maasai Mara, his experiences give him respect for the Kenyan people and their resilience in facing challenging health related conditions. He served in Nepal 17 Peace Corps, ‘68-’70.

Stateside, Godfrey was Executive Director for a non-profit Graduate Medical Education program for Surgical Residents and practiced at Kaiser and Alameda County Medical Center. Serving on the Boards of Directors for several organizations, he is especially active with PINCC (Prevention of Cervical Cancer Globally) and Rotary.

He is a home apiarist in California and pursues a nascent honey-making business in the western region of Kenya, near Lake Victoria. His books include novels and a non-fiction work on Kenya. He has a Beagle named Darwin who writes short stories.

www.rgodfreybooks.com

Niki Rubarth is the Northern Nevada Regional Director for the Alzheimer’s Association where she leads fund development initiatives and ensures the delivery of programs that support people living with dementia and their caregivers. She joined the Association in 2015 and has helped grow its presence significantly through community engagement, volunteer recruitment, and advocacy.  Niki manages a portfolio of federal and state grants, including a public health program, Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure (BOLD), dedicated to reducing the incidence and impact of Alzheimer’s and other dementia in our state. In 2024, Niki oversaw fundraising efforts that generated more than $1 million to benefit the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. She was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Nevada Commission on Aging and is a past member of the Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. Niki began her career in human resources and training in the City of London and moved to Reno in 1998. She is dedicated to our community and has served in leadership and volunteer roles with local nonprofits, including Susan G Komen, the Children’s Cabinet, Court Appointed Special Advocates and Crisis Call Center.  Niki is married to Darryl and has two adult daughters who are pursuing their own careers helping others.  She is a keen traveler, an avid hiker, and a somewhat reluctant empty nester.  

With 28 years of law enforcement experience, Chief Kathryn Nance came to Reno Police Department in 2023 after serving as the Stockton Police Department’s Deputy Chief of Operations, responsible for nearly 400 sworn and professional employees and a $107 million budget. Prior to this role, she served as the Police Department’s Deputy Chief of Logistics, Police Captain of Strategic Operations, Patrol/Special Investigations, Police Lieutenant, and Patrol/Investigations/Task Force Sergeant. Chief Nance and her husband, James, have a family of four children and two grandchildren.  They are enjoying the outdoor lifestyle and sense of community that Reno offers.

Dave is currently secretary of Reno Sunrise Rotary. He has worked in sheltering with the American Red Cross, in response to disasters throughout the US, for more than 25 years. He is currently the only trained ShelterBox ambassador in our district.  He also volunteers with and supports Community Health Alliance, CareChest, and other northern Nevada community organizations. 

Dave will speak about ShelterBox, a global humanitarian organization that provides the most critical supplies to people displaced by disaster or conflict. He’ll talk about current ShelterBox responses across the globe,  including in the US. And he’ll talk about what makes ShelterBox different and it’s special connection to Rotary.

Mike Kazmierski is the Executive Director of Strengthen our Community (SoC), a non-profit that is committed to developing cooperative, caring solutions to regional needs. Mike has been a government, community, and non-profit organization leader for many years and is eager to address complex community challenges with innovative and collaborative solutions. 

Mike has led economic development non-profits over the past 25 years and was the President & CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) from 2011-2023. Under his leadership, EDAWN's non-profit team successfully diversified the regional economy, earning recognition as one of the top economic development agencies in the country. Mike’s tenure saw the attraction of over 250 new companies to the region, leading to significant job growth and the transformation of the region into a burgeoning technology and advanced manufacturing hub.  

Kazmierski is a retired Army Colonel. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), a master’s degree in business administration, and a master’s degree in military arts & science. Mike is a Wisconsin native, and his wife, Margaret, is a former attorney, schoolteacher, and now a realtor for Dickson Realty. 

Neoma joined the DRP as Executive Director in August of 2022. Prior to that role, voters first elected Neoma to the Reno City Council in 2012 and she served in that role, as well as a Vice Mayor position for 10 years. While on City Council, Neoma represented an area of Northwest Reno that includes the Old Northwest, University of Nevada, Somersett and Verdi neighborhoods as well as parts of downtown Reno.

Neoma is putting her years of experience to work to help improve Downtown Reno.

Achievement Beyond Obstacles is a joint youth program with four Area 8 Rotary Clubs.  High School counselors and Principals select seniors who are on track to graduate despite enormous challenges in their life.  In this program, students spend a Leadership Weekend with professional coaches Dean and Rochelle Whellams, receive financial aid education and college mentoring, and guidance to help them with their next step in life. Every student who attended Leadership Weekend is invited to attend a Rotary meeting and bring a guest. We will hear a 3-minute presentation from them about their journey and what their plans are post high school. 

Dr. Caplovitz is a cognitive neuroscientist who researches the principles and neural mechanisms that underlie how humans (and octopuses) visually experience the world. He received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Dartmouth College and did post-doctoral training at Princeton University. He has nearly 30 years of pre-graduate, graduate and post-graduate experience researching the brain using a combination of behavioral and non-invasive neuroimaging techniques. In addition, Dr. Caplovitz has formal training in computational mathematics with a Master’s degree from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and has completed internships at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, AT&T Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed empirical papers and has received funding for his research from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. He is currently a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada Reno where he directs the C-Vision Laboratory and teaches classes on Statistics, Perception and the History of Neuroscience.

Nick Tscheekar leads fundraising for Volunteers of America’s programs in Northern Nevada, which are dedicated to moving people from homelessness to independence. 

Travis Sandefur is the VOA Regional Vice President of Northern Nevada. Prior to joining VOA’s staff, Travis served on the VOA Board of Directors for four years as a member and as the Vice Chair. He is a local business owner of Pangolin Café, and a dedicated advocate for the community.

Volunteers of America Northern California and Northern Nevada (VOA) moves people from homelessness to independence with love and dignity. VOA houses and shelters more than 1,000 people on any given night in the Reno-Sparks Area.

VOA offers a unique continuum of housing options and services for people who are experiencing homelessness or are struggling. Supports range from conducting outreach along the Truckee River in the downtown corridor to build rapport with people sleeping outside, to operating the Nevada Cares Campus emergency shelter, offering case management, and providing more than 400 units of affordable housing.

Helen Townsell, the daughter of Jeff and Carrie Townsell, and Granddaughter of Ollie and Helen Westbrook, has six brothers, is the mother of four, grandmother of seven and great grandmother to one. She is married to Jim Parker, step-mother to seven, step-grandmother to seven and step-great grandmother to one.

Helen was born in California and migrated with her family to Reno, Nevada in 1956. She was raised in Black Springs, located in the North Valleys. She attended The Holy Child Day Home, located on Reno Street. She attended St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, first through eighth grade, 9th grade at Clayton Jr. High and graduated from Procter Hug High School in 1973. In 1991 she received an Associate’s Degree in Sociology.

In March of 2008, Helen founded The Westbrook Foundation in memory of her grandparents. Its purpose was “Youth Empowerment through Educational Scholarships” and gave academic scholarships to local graduating seniors furthering their education.

Helen wrote and published a book in 2010; “A Cry for Help” chronicling the building of a black community, Black Springs, Nevada, in the early fifties through the year 2000.

President Laurie will give a presentation about the projects, scholarships, and support our club has provided to our community and internationally this past Rotary year.

Vicki Puliz began her 4-year term as Trustee of The Rotary Foundation on July 1, 2025. 

As part of her preparation to serve, she participated in the April 2025 Trustee meeting and Arch Klump Society celebration in Evanston, Illinois at the world headquarters of Rotary International.

Vicki will share an overview of the impactful work of Our Rotary Foundation, along with an update of key initiatives and highlights discussed at the recent Trustee meeting.