Speakers and Sessions
Day 1 | May 3
Opening General Session 1:
Friday, May 3 – 12:00 pm – 1:45 pm | Interact & Lunch
Don Mebus | Rotary Club of Arlington, Texas
Rotary International President’s Representative, Past Rotary International Director, District 5790
Jennifer Montgomery| Rotary International Peace Fellow
Founder of Magenta Girls Initiative in Uganda
Michelle Skedgell | Rotary Club of Hastings, Michigan
District 6360 Environmental Chair, Director of Pierce Cedar Creek Environmental Institute, Edison Neighborhood Urban Garden Fruit Tree Project Team Co-Leader
General Session 2:
Friday, May 3 – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Service Project | Environmental and Community Initiative
Edison Neighborhood Urban Garden Fruit Tree Project
Project Team Leaders
Michelle Skedgell, District 6360 Environmental Chair, Hastings Club, Director of Pierce Cedar Creek Environmental Institute
Sandy Bliesener, Kalamazoo Club, Landscape Architect
Stephan DePuie, Edison Neighborhood Association Director
Gwen Nicholson, Edison Neighborhood Grower Resource HUB Director
Kristen Chesak | Rotary Club of Kalamazoo, Michigan
Executive Director of Arts Council will introduce the Art Hop theme “The Great Outdoors: A Celebration of Public Art”
(Kristen will speak during about Art Hop dinner before we embark on a 90 min walking tour of public art in downtown Kalamazoo)
General Session 3:
Part 1 Art Hop:
Friday, May 3 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
self-guided tour of downtown artists venues Link to May Art Hop – Arts Council
Part 2 Brewery and Pub Crawl
Friday, May 3 – 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
visit local breweries and pubs / sign up for Punch Card during registration.
Day 1 | Sat May 4
Saturday, May 4 – 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm
Energize Yoga | Morning Rise and Shine
Paula DeJongh, Union City Rotary, All Things Serenity Yoga Studio owner and teacher
General Session 4:
Saturday, May 3 – 8:00 am – 9:25 am
Mental Health Initiatives
Prevention, Advocacy and Community Outreach
Suicide Prevention
Frank Mumford, NAMI Director (National Association on Mental Illness)
Saturday, May 3 – 9:30 am – 10:45 am
Walk to Ministry with Community
Stepping Up to Save Lives
District Team Leaders: Mental Health Initiative Committee
Jacquie Blackwell, Mental Health Initiative Chair, Rotary Club of Lakeshore
Cathy Knauf, Mental Health Initiative, Rotary Club of Gull Lake Area
General Session 5:
Saturday, May 3 – 11:00 am – 11:50 am
The New Generations of Rotary
Breakout 1
Kevin Tafil and Rotaract Panel
Breakout 2
Margie Haas, Youth Services Chairs, Rotary Club of Hastings
General Session 6:
Saturday, May 3 – 12:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Lunch – Keynote Speakers
Don Mebus and Louisa Horne
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Saturday, May 3 – 2:15 pm – 3:00 pm
Breakout 3
The Bridge to Understanding the Arts
Gay Walker, Art Therapist
Saturday, May 3 – 2:15 pm – 3:00 pm
Breakout 4
We Don’t Go Where They Are: How Do We get There
Lucinda Stinson, Rotary Club of Kalamazoo, Operation Lending Hands and Western Michigan University Instructor
Saturday, May 3 – 3:15 pm – 4:00 pm
Breakout 5
Strategic Doing
Louisa Horne, Zone 28 Innovative Club Advocate
Saturday, May 3 – 3:15 pm – 4:00 pm
Breakout 6
Yoga as Self-Care
Paula DeJongh, Rotary Club of Union City, All Things Serenity Yoga Studio owner and teacher
Register Now!
Deadline is April 19