ROTARY CLUB OF EUGENE

This Week At Rotary: Bridging the Political Divide Grant Johnson (red/conservative Republican) and Luke Grossmiller (blue/liberal Democrat) are leaders within the local Braver Angels movement seeking to reduce political polarization, a primary crisis of our time. They are working with a team in our local community (Eugene, Springfield, and surrounding areas of Lane County) to bring people of different political perspectives together in an environment where we can respectfully state our facts or opinions without fear of being ridiculed or degraded. We host communication workshops, discussions, and public presentations designed to help us find common ground and connect even when we disagree. Besides sharing about the work of Braver Angels nationally, on the state level, and locally - and how you can get involved - they will offer some interactive BA exercises so that we can get familiar with the skills and practice of becoming confident bridge builders ourselves. Tuesday at Noon at Graduate Eugene Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gJZqvNQn

"SERVICE OVER SELF" ...It is not just a motto but our way of life. And we can walk that out through a couple of opportunities in our area. These are great opportunities to get non Rotary members involved as well: On Saturday, September 28 help at Food For Lane County’s GrassRoots Garden (1465 Coburg Rd.) from 9:00 am to noon. There are different gardening tasks available, and more detail at the sign-up link. To secure your spot, please sign up using the following link https://lnkd.in/gXfZW8DU. Once registered, you’ll receive all necessary volunteer waivers and additional details. For any questions or further assistance, feel free to contact Jesse Quinn at jesse@laneworkforce.org. On Saturday, October 5 help the Eugene Education Fund with their 5K Fun Run at Alton Baker Park with set-up 7:30 am to 9:30 am and/or Race Facilitation from 9:15 to 11:30 am. More details at the sign-up link. To secure your spot, please sign-up using the following link: https://lnkd.in/gEKVWTxQ. For any questions or further assistance, please contact Karen Gaffney at karengaffney@comcast.net. Please help kick-off this year’s community service effort with one or both of these great projects

This Week At Rotary: David Moss Eugene Symphony The Eugene Symphony in Oregon appointed Dave Moss as executive director, effective on January 2, 2024. He succeeds Scott Freck, who served as the orchestra’s executive director for 11 years. Moss was most recently the president and CEO of the Hawai’i Symphony Today at Noon at Graduate Eugene Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gJZqvNQn

This Week At Rotary: Representative Val Hoyle Val was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2010 representing West Eugene and Junction City, and eventually served as House Majority Leader. She was later elected statewide to serve as Oregon's Labor Commissioner, a nonpartisan role leading Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). In January 2023, Val was sworn into the 118th U.S. Congress representing Oregon's 4th Congressional District. Tuesday at Noon at Graduate Eugene Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gJZqvNQn

This Week At Rotary: Lion and Owl - A local Success Story Kirsten Hansen, the co-owner Lion and Owl, is our speaker this week. Kirsten has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant business. Kirsten and her wife, Crystal Platt, are the co-owners of Lion and Owl. Noon at Graduate Eugene Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gJZqvNQn

This Week At Rotary: With 28 years at Pacific Source Health Plans (Pacific Source) and 22 of those years as President and CEO, our speaker today, Ken Provencher, is perfectly positioned to relate the story of the company's history. In 90 years Pacific Source has grown from covering just 600 lives in Lane County to over 600,000 lives throughout Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Their humble employee beginnings in 1933 with just a handful of physicians has grown to nearly 2,000 employees offering healthcare solutions for individuals, small companies, large organizations, and government programs. Ken also left Pacific Source well-positioned to expand on their role as a community healthcare asset that can meet the needs of all community members. Tuesday August 20 Noon at Graduate Eugene Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gJZqvNQn

This Week At Rotary: Have you ever wondered if what you recycle is truly recyclable? Or what happens to your recycling after you put it in the bin? Or if recycling is the best way to prevent waste? Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator Daniel Hiestand will address these questions and more - including a description of the exciting future of recycling in Lane County and Oregon. Tuesday at Noon at Graduate Eugene Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gJZqvNQn

This Week At Rotary: Oregon Festival of American Music This Tuesday's program will be our annual opportunity to welcome August with a sneak preview of what The John G. Shedd Institute and the Oregon Festival of American Music (OFAM) have in store for us. Jim RalphThe program will be introduced by the The Shedd's Jim Ralph. Jim will give us the lowdown on OFAM 2024 (OFAM's 33rd year!). Jim is a co-founder of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts along with Ginevra Ralph. Jim has served as The Shedd's Executive Director from 1995 to the present. He also serves as the company's chief program director and its marketing director. In Person: Graduate Eugene at Noon Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gJZqvNQn

July 23rd Meeting: The Consultancy Project Eve Gray is the Director of Lane County Health & Human Services (H&HS) where she helps guide the organization’s eight divisions and 800 staff on a mission-based approach to helping the most underserved in Lane County access vital services. Eve has over a decade of healthcare experience, including roles in quality, patient safety and operational leadership in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Before coming to Lane County, Eve served with Oregon Medical Group (OMG), as well as PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center in Springfield. Since starting her role at Lane County, Eve has focused heavily on understanding the county response to and responsibilities for our local crises related to homelessness and untreated behavioral health conditions amongst our residents. Eve embraces the idea of a servant leader and practices that service through empowering people to do what they do the best they can do it. She is also results driven with a focus on making a measurable community impact. Eve holds a Master of Science in Nursing, leadership and administration from Walden University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Oregon. Eve is also a Registered Nurse, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality and Certified Medical Practice Executive. She has been a resident of Lane County for almost her entire adult life and cares deeply about making the community a better place. She is married with two children, ages 8 and 11. Though most of her personal time is taken up with her children’s activities, she also enjoys reading, cross country skiing, and enjoying the beautiful outdoors in Oregon. Live at Graduate Eugene at Noon Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gJZqvNQn

July 16th Meeting: Hosea Youth Services - Youth Homeless is Growing Locally image001.jpg Brad Bills, Executive Director of Hosea Youth Services, will be our speaker this Tuesday. Brad has had the opportunity to serve young people for over 25 years, first as the Executive Director for Rogue Valley Youth for Christ (YFC) in Medford for over 16 years and then as a National Field Director for YFC for over 8 years. As a National Field Director, he supported and served 25 YFC chapters on the West Coast. He began as the Hosea Director April 1, 2019. Brad will speak to the issue of homelessness in our community and how Hosea is striving to “catch” our young people now, to provide the support and services they need to work through their barriers and get to a place where they can take care of themselves. The road to a life of health and purpose is long and hard, and we must do all we can to come alongside and show them a pathway out Tomorrow's Meeting Will Be At: The Eugene Mission 1542 W. 1st Eugene Noon Start - Lunch Will Be Served