Month: September 2018

Minutes of the Rotary Meeting
July 19, 2018
By Kathy Miller
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Ernest Ladd at 12:00 p.m. Richard Franklin offered the invocation and Larry Sindel led the Club in song and the Pledge of Allegiance. He was accompanied by Les Greer.
Guests: Jeff Zoghby introduced guests and visitors.
New Members: Scott Fenn was introduced by Robby McClure.
Announcements: Ernest announced that there would be a board meeting today in the Ashland Suite. He reminded members of the Tarpon Tournament on Saturday, July 28 and the Captain’s Reception on July 26 at Ruth’s Chris.
Program: Claire McCarron introduced Ryan Hankins, Executive Director of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA). PARCA was formed in 1988 under the leadership of former governor Albert Brewer for the purpose of compiling and providing objective data to better inform policymakers in government. PARCA is a nonprofit funded by contributions and seeks to establish sound facts to be used to make sound, objective decisions. Mr. Hankins gave members examples of the projects and research in which PARCA has been involved. He discussed at length PARCA’s recent research about the priorities of Alabama voters. The purpose of the study was determined what issues were the most important to Alabamians. He discussed the methodology of the survey and the distribution of responses. The top ten issues or priorities PARCA identified were K-12 education, healthcare, government corruption and ethics, mental health and substance abuse, poverty and homelessness, jobs and the economy, crime and public safety, job training and workforce development, improving the state’s image, and tax reform.
Adjournment: After announcing members’ birthdays and reminding members of the Tarpon Tournament Captain’s Reception next week at Ruth’s Chris at 6:00, Ernest adjourned the meeting at 1:00 p.m.

Minutes of the July 12, 2018, Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Immediate Past President John Dukes at 12:15 PM. Kathy Miller offered the invocation and Larry Sindel led the group in song accompanied by Bill Oppenheimer on the piano. Jeff Zoghby welcomed visiting Rotarians and members’ guests.
Announcements:
• John Dukes announced that the board will meet following next week’s meeting.
• Members are reminded that the annual Tarpon Tournament will take place on July 28th with a Thursday evening reception at Ruth’s Chris on July 26th. Sponsors are still needed. This will take the place of the lunch meeting.
Program: The Year in Review
Outgoing president John Dukes took a look back at the Rotary year just ended. He noted that there had been 45 meetings, we had welcomed 14 new Rotarians and recognized 19 student guests. Social events for members included a gala at Southern National, an inaugural Mardi Gras parade party at the Carnival Museum and after work events at local watering holes to encourage fellowship and welcome potential members.
Last year the club assisted with two global projects as well as donated to help Houston Rotarians following Hurricane Harvey.
Locally, the Tarpon Tournament brought in $20,000 in donations while grants upgraded the gym at Dumas Wesley, aided Baykeeper’s SWAMP program, helped with a literacy project at Light of the Village and the installation of a new lending library at the Mobile County Training School.
In addition the Rotary Children’s Foundation distributed $100,000 to ten local organizations. John thanked the club, the board of directors as well as Peggy Buggs and Tommy Blankenship for their assistance in a successful year and for the opportunity to serve as this club’s president.
Annual Passing of the Gavel
John Dukes called on past presidents to come forward and pass the gavel. He read off each name and the theme for the year in which they served. Russell Ladd who presided in 1970-71 passed the gavel down the line until John Dukes passed it into the hands of the incoming president, Ernest Ladd, IV.
President Ladd thanked John and addressed the club with brief remarks noting his optimism for another successful year ahead for the club.
Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 12:40 PM.
Tom McGehee

Minutes of the June 28, 2018 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by John Dukes at 12:15 PM. John Pisarkiewicz offered the invocation. John Smith led the club in song and the Pledge of Allegiance. Jeff Zoghby welcomed members’ guests and visiting Rotarians.
Announcements:
• John Dukes announced that the Board meeting is to be held today in the Ashland Suite
• John Dukes reminded us of the passing of the gavel ceremony on July 12
• John Dukes reminded everyone of the annual roster and requested anyone who would like to supply a new photo and add/correct any personal info to please do so asap.
• There will be no meeting on July 4
• The annual tarpon tournament will be July 28. Ernest Ladd is leading the effort for our club. The captain’s meeting will be at Ruth’s Chris on July 26 in place of our regular meeting. More info to follow.
Program: Distinguished Young Women
Rob Diehl introduced Kendra Haskins, Executive Director.
Distinguished Young Women, formerly America’s Junior Miss, was founded in 1958 as a way to reward the accomplishments of high school senior girls seeking to pursue higher education. Visionaries quickly saw the need to recognize outstanding young women from all across the country and what we now know as Distinguished Young Women was born.
While modest in its beginnings, Distinguished Young Women grew and remains today the largest and oldest scholarship program of its kind for high school girls. With scholarship, leadership and talent as its overarching theme, Distinguished Young Women has drawn over 765,000 young women to compete in the program at the local, state and national level and $106 million in cash scholarships has been awarded to deserving young women. On her way to being named the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2017, Skye Bork, earned over $38,000 through her participation in the state and national programs.
For the Class of 2018, more than 100 colleges and universities have made available over $1 billion dollars in college-granted scholarships to nearly 3,000 participants in more than 415 local and state programs. With the completion of the 61st National Finals, more than $2.1 million in cash scholarships will have been earned by those young women. Thanks to the dedicated perseverance of thousands of volunteers across the country who devote countless hours and resources to ensure the success of this program, these young women have all been afforded the opportunity to achieve!
John Dukes thanked the DYW ladies for their encouraging remarks and entertainment and noted that in their honor a donation has been made to the Rotary Children’s Foundation. John reported that our club has donated approximately $12,000 to the Foundation this year.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 1:47 PM.
Rob Diehl

Minutes of the Rotary Club of Mobile—June 21, 2018
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by John Dukes.
Kate Carver gave the invocation, followed by Larry Sindel who led us in song and the Pledge.
Introduction of Guests & Visitors: Jeff Zoghby introduced our guests and visiting Rotarians.
Announcements: Earnest Ladd advised the 2018 Rotary Tarpon Tournament will take place Saturday, July 28. The captain’s meeting is set for Thursday, July 26 at Ruth’s Chris. Full and complete information, including how to become a sponsor, can be found at www.rotarytarpon.com. All proceeds support Rotary projects and the Rotary Foundation.
Program: Stephen McNair introduced our speaker, Dr. Carl Cunningham Jr., advisor, Mobile Kappa League. The Mobile Kappa League is a program for the educational, occupational and social guidance of male students in grades 9-12.
Kappa League was founded in 1969 by the Los Angeles Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Members of the fraternity began forming Kappa Leagues across the country. The Mobile Kappa League was established in Mobile at Toulminville High School in 1979. The program is now countywide. Dr. Cunningham is serving his 16th year as advisor to the Mobile Kappa League. Kappa League has five primary focus areas in the development of young men. They are self-identity, training, competition, social development and health education. Kappa League students are active in the community, participating in such events as Startup Weekend, financial literacy workshops, and community service with agencies such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Kappa League students work a minimum of 25 service hours during the summers. Students are also encouraged to hold fundraisers to support Kappa League initiatives. The ultimate goal is to help the student graduate from high school and be work-ready for a career, or move on to higher education. Since 2005, Kappa League students have earned $32 million in scholarship offerings.
Dr. Cunningham highlighted recent success stories of four young men who are presently attending Auburn University, Stanford University, Alabama State University and the University of Florida. He then called on current Kappa League President, Stefon Ward, a student at St. Luke’s Episcopal School, to address the club.
After a question and answer session, John Dukes thanks Dr. Cunningham for his presentation and presented a certificate to him, noting that a donation in his honor had been made to the Rotary International Foundation.
The meeting was adjourned at 1 p.m.
Bob Chappelle

Minutes of the June 14, 2018, Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by John Dukes at 12:15 PM. Sumpter McGowin offered the invocation and Les Greer led the club in song while he played the piano. John Dukes welcomed visiting Rotarians and members’ guests.
Announcements:
• John Dukes announced that the board will meet following next week’s meeting.
• Members are requested to check the current Rotary Roster and get any address or contact corrections to Peg ASAP. Also if you do not have a photograph or your photo is out of date a current image should be sent to Peg as well.
• John said that on Tuesday, June 19th the club will have an afterhours get together at the Cheese Cottage on St. Louis Street. Owner Kristi Barber addressed the club and said she and her staff look forward to seeing us next week and providing hors d’oeuvres.
Program: Amanda Solley: Alabama Contemporary Arts Center
Tom McGehee introduced Amanda Solley who is the Executive Director for the Alabama Contemporary Arts Center located on Cathedral Square. Ms. Solley said that it is the center’s mission to engage the community on social issues in a creative and challenging manner using contemporary art.
The center seeks to reach all age groups – from schools to senior centers and use participatory exhibits letting visitors create art and get their hands dirty. Ms. Solley said they have also brought in performances related to the exhibits on view. As an example she cited the performance of Caribbean dances by students from Dunbar Magnet School in conjunction with the current exhibit featuring Cuban art.
School groups are encouraged and she said that the center works with both the local school system and local universities for meaningful visits. The center will host numerous camp groups during the summer months, she added. The present exhibition on Cuba has been extended through July 1st she said.
John thanked Amanda for her program and presented her with a certificate noting that in her honor a donation has been made to Rotary’s Polio Plus Program.
The meeting adjourned at 12:45 PM.
Tom McGehee

06/7/18 Minutes
Submitted by Tommy Fulton, Contributing Editor
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by John Dukes.
Bry Shields gave the invocation, followed by Larry Sindel, who led us in song and the Pledge.
Introduction of Guests & Visitors: Jeff Zoghby introduced our guests along with visiting Rotarians.
Announcements: John requested that members submit new photos and information for the roster to Peg. The District Annual Conference will be held on 6/7-6/10 at the Beau Rivage. There will be a club social at the Cheese Cottage on Tuesday, June 19th.
Program: Tom McGehee introduced our speaker, Tommy Fulton, Development Director for the Little Sisters of the Poor and Uber Driver, who spoke on “Visions of Life from the Wheel of an Uber Driver.
Tommy Fulton has been driving for Uber since January of 2017 in a part-time status. As a member of the Downtown Mobile Rotary, he has regaled his tablemates with stories of the various adventures he’s experienced as a driver. Eventually, they encouraged him to present those stories to the membership.
Tommy has given more than 2,500 rides, which amounts to an estimated 5,000 riders. He stated that one of his challenges was choosing which stories to tell. He has given rides to people of all economic ranges, as well as people from 46 countries throughout the world. These encounters become even more interesting because there seems to be a difference in the willingness to open up to an Uber driver, unlike past experiences with taxi drivers.
He told stories of families traveling through town, people going through marital challenges, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, family business challenges and those who are in Mobile to board the cruise ship. One of the stories was about a woman who had been abused as a child, and had grown up to become a martial artist with a goal to train others to defend themselves.
Tommy’s stories included riders dressed as the Incredible Hulk and Tonya Harding, an adult entertainer on her way to work, the comedian Jay Pharoah, a Chinese couple visiting the USS Alabama, and a lady describing events of intrigue as she rode to Pensacola to reunite with her boyfriend after he had been released from jail for the sixth time. The opportunity to meet visitors from all around the world has been one of his biggest surprises.
Finally, he praised the people of Mobile as he stated, “One of the most common threads of commentary from the riders, especially from out-of-town visitors, is how friendly our people are in Mobile!”
Because his speech was so amazing and completely filled the allotted time, there was no question and answer session. John Dukes thanked Mr. Fulton for his presentation and presented a certificate to him, noting that a donation in his honor had been made to the Rotary International Foundation. This was a huuuuge honor as Mr. Fulton is the only speaker to receive this recognition from the Rotary Club of Mobile in recent history…(about a week)! P.S. – Never let the speaker also serve as the contributing editor…just saying!
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.

Minutes of the Rotary Meeting
May 31, 2018
By Kathy Miller
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by John Dukes at 12:00 p.m. Michael Pierce offered the invocation and Tommy Blankenship led the Club in song and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Guests: Jeff Zoghby introduced guests and visitors.
Student Guest: Jay Turner presented the 2018-2019 Rotary Scholarship Award winners, Kathrine “Katie” Eubanks of Satsuma High School, who will attend the University of Alabama, and Kamryn Pigg of Bryant High School, who will attend Tulane. He also introduced their parents. John thanked Jeff Luther for coordinating the student guests each week during this Rotary year.
Announcements: Arial Chavez told the Club about his visit to a Rotary Club in La Paz, Bolivia and presented our Club with a banner from the La Paz Club. John requested that members who need photos for the new Rotary roster or who needed to update their information contact Peggy. John also asked that those interested in volunteering for committees to let Peggy know. He reminded the members that on Tuesday, June 19, there will be a monthly Rotary social at the Cheese Cottage at 5:00 p.m. He also reminded members of the multi-district conference in Biloxi at the Beau Rivage.
Program: James Fowler introduced Chris Curry, Executive Director of the Mobile Airport Authority. Mr. Curry has 35 years of experience and has served in an executive capacity at three airports. In 2016 he was named Aviation Professional of the Year by the Florida Department of Transportation. He holds a degree in professional aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and an associate degree from the Community College of the U.S. Airforce. Mr. Curry summarized the operations governed by the Mobile Airport Authority, a five member, self-sustaining board. The MAA owns and operates the Mobile Regional Airport) and the Brookley Aeroplex which includes both the downtown airport (250 acres) and the industrial complex (a 450 acre industrial park). Mr. Curry outlined recent discussions regarding consideration of commercial air travel from Brookley. He noted that Via, Mobile’s newest carrier, agreed to come into the MRA with the intent of transitioning to the downtown airport. He noted that the industrial complex has over 80 tenants employing over 4,000 people, including the Airbus assembly line, Airbus Engineering, VTMAE and Continental Motors. He said that MRA ranks as one of the highest fair airports in the country primarily because it is an airport utilized for business travel and is priced for business as opposed to leisure travel. He noted that promoting leisure travel and attracting leisure carriers will bring prices down. He said that approximately 50% of MRA’s passengers live within 40 miles of the airport. 30% of the passengers travel from Pensacola and 20% from New Orleans. He noted that Washington D.C. is our area’s number one underserved market followed by New York, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Mr. Curry said that the MAA is completing a five year study, which began on February 2, 2018. The study includes evaluation of the cost of moving commercial air traffic downtown versus building better access to MRA from I-10 to the airport. The five year study addresses how commercial service and growth would be accomplished at the downtown airport and which options would attract low cost carriers to our market. The next step will be an airport master plan which will involve public comment and consideration of environmental issues, noise and facilities. Mr. Curry answered questions from members and Mr. Dukes presented Mr. Curry with a certificate for speaking to the Club.
Adjournment: After announcing members’ birthdays and the program for next week, John adjourned the meeting at 1:00 p.m.

05/24/18 Minutes
Submitted by Tommy Fulton, Contributing Editor
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by John Dukes.
John Moses gave the invocation, followed by Larry Sindel and Bill Oppenheimer, who led us in song and the Pledge.
Introduction of Guests & Visitors: Tommy Blankenship introduced our guests along with visiting Rotarians.
Announcements: Juwan Turner Howard gave a short inspirational talk regarding his involvement in the Google Scholarship Program and his efforts to rise from poverty. His desire is to help others climb the path to success. The District Annual Conference will be held on 6/7-6/10 at the Beau Rivage. There will be a club social at the Cheese Cottage on Tuesday, June 19th.
Program: Tom McGehee introduced our speaker, Elizabeth Stevens, Executive Director of the Downtown Mobile Alliance.
Ms. Stevens began by acknowledging that downtown areas in cities throughout the United States are reviving themselves. Mobile is a perfect example of this progress. There are more than 600 units under various stages of development in our downtown area. The vast majority of those are residential in nature. Just a few of those projects include the Tower on Ryan, the Merchants Bank building, the Meridian at the Port project and countless other efforts.
According to Ms. Stevens, much of this has been spurred on by federal and state tax credits. Interestingly, much of these tax credits are due to our Louisiana neighbors. Other changes in regulations will contribute to revitalization, including a bill that changes the liquor sales time to 10:00 am on Sunday mornings, which will improve traffic for Sunday brunches.
Ms. Stevens also stated that the combination of residential and business growth is necessary for the success of the downtown renewal effort. She cited examples which included Serda’s Brewery, Iron Hand Brewery, Olde Mobile Antiques, Cheese Cottage, Fowler Lighting and the Hargrove renovations of the former WALA building. This is working because of long-range planning and a desire to make downtown more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.
There will be a meeting on June 13th at the Steeple from 5-7 pm, which will present ideas and ask for input. The “Street Design Summit” is a great opportunity to see the exciting future for a more dynamic downtown. Ms. Stevens asked for support for the Downtown Mobile Alliance.
After a question and answer session, John Dukes thanked Ms. Stevens for her presentation and presented a certificate to her, noting that a donation in her honor had been made to the Rotary International Foundation.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.