President Mike opened the meeting with some introductions and announcements, as noted below, and called for a moment of silence for PP Mel Johnson who passed away on Saturday, 12/28.

Both speakers were introduced by their sponsor, Gil Sparks who told how he met each of them, and gave some obscure fun facts about each.

 

Keni Sturgeon.   She is Executive Director of the Wenatchee Museum and Cultural Center; Jordan is General Manager of Cascade Auto Center.

About Keni, Gil revealed these things :  She can pilot an oyster dredge boat and is a certified snake handler.  Her dad taught her to how to shoot pool, shoot a rifle, throw darts, cut down trees with a chain saw, and throw a football, and she has actually met the Dalai Lama.  In her talk she used an excellent PowerPoint with photos, cleverly linking key dates of her life with famous events or people, such as being born on the same day as the first moon landing, and how conflicted her mother was in trying to focus on both.  She talked about growing up in the San Francisco bay area with an adopted sister.  Her brother Michael was born in 1979, same year Joe Montana was drafted by the 49ers, and BTW she is a 49ers fan.  She spent hours at the King Tut exhibit and loved it.  She gave a list of her favorite cult classic movies.  As a teen, she spent two months in Europe.

Prior to joining the Wenatchee Valley Museum in November, she was with Pacific Science Center in Seattle, as their Vice President of Science Engagement and Outreach. She has served as the Museum Director and Curator at the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem, Oregon from 2007-2014, and was previously the Director of Education and Programs at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She also spent time as the Director of the Jensen Arctic Museum at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.

Keni received her master’s degree in cultural anthropology and museum studies, from Arizona State University in 2000, and her B.A. degree in anthropology and archaeology, with a minor in history from Sonoma State University. In 2017 she earned a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the University of Illinois. Since 2008 Sturgeon has served as adjunct professor teaching online museum studies graduate courses for the University of Oklahoma’s masters of arts in museum studies program, and she is on the Western Museums Association’s board of directors, serving as their VP of Membership & Community Engagement.  For more information, Listen HERE to Keni  and visit  Keni's PowerPoint  .

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Jordan Baldock.   Jordan's Fun Facts - Things in common with Gil.  He is a certified scuba diver, and motorcycle fan and loves fly fishing and the ocean.  Gil appreciates how Cascade Auto has supported Rotary.

He was born in 1990 in Wenatchee and does not handle snakes. When he got into some trouble, his parents sent him to high school in Seattle, where he made many friends, including his wife Gwen.  There he played sports and was in the school band.  He has an older brother Alex who is a musician.

Later, he attended the California Maritime Academy, a state school in Vallejo, majoring in Global Studies and Maritime Affairs with an emphasis on admiralty (maritime) law. 

He learned to sail and participated in the sport of crew.  The school helped him secure a good job  at American President Lines (APL) in the Spring of 2013 as a Container Yard (CY) Superintendent, then worked the gate, rail, and ship and learned an incredible amount of the world of shipping, import and export and stevedoring.  He lived in San Pedro and Long Beach, CA.  He married Gwen in 2017.  For more information visit  Jordan's PowerPoint  and listen HERE to Jordan's talk.

A VERY BIG THANK-YOU    From Belia Torres Sanchez, Family Advocacy Coordinator, Lewis and Clark Elementary.   "Thank you for your fine attention and dedication to coordinate the luncheon Christmas celebration  for lunch buddies.  We feel very thankful and humble to recognize your great effort, and time, and generosity by getting everything ready for the students and to all of us. Thank you for the presents for every student you got, the wonderful Christmas environment, including the Choir, Santa, and the excellent food and  time we enjoyed by sharing with other Rotary members.   I do not have enough words to express our sincere thankfulness. We wish you and your whole family a blessed New Year 2020!"

ROTARY YOUTH - BEATRICE AROUND TOWN          With Tom and Mary Ann McNair     Mary Ann and Tom McNair had a fun night out with Beatrice on Saturday.  The photo shows her at the Robert Graves gallery at the college. She’s standing beside her favorite painting.