Dr. Robert D. Lightfoot is the Executive/Medical Director of Victory Health Partners, a faith based, nonprofit medical clinic formed to provide medical care to low income uninsured patients in the Gulf Coast. It was after serving on several mission trips to Central and South America with his wife, Tami, Dr. Lightfoot realized the need in his own community to provide care to those without health insurance.
Dr. Lightfoot graduated summa cum laude from Auburn University in 1977. He graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1981, with honors. After completing his internship and residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in 1986, Dr. Lightfoot joined his brother in Mobile, where he has practiced as a general surgeon for 17 years.
Dr. Lightfoot is a member of the Medical Association of Alabama, Mobile County Medical Society, Christian Medical and Dental Association and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Lightfoot and his wife Tami enjoy spending time with their 6 children and 9 grandchildren. They are active members in their church, Church of His Presence.
Dec. 1, 2016–David Bagwell
David Bagwell
David Bagwell is a retired lawyer who lives in Point Clear. He was President of our club almost a quarter century ago in 1992, was an assistant district governor, and is now a member of the Point Clear Rotary Club. Before he retired he was listed as a Super Lawyer in antitrust law and in what they named “Bet the Company Litigation”, but he would rather be remembered as a decent maritime lawyer, which people understand.
David is a graduate of Vanderbilt University where he and Win Hallett were fraternity brothers. He graduated in 1968, one of those years when the world fell apart. After college he travelled around the world for a year studying international business on a Corning Travelling Fellowship. He reports that all the Corning Fellows but him got rich in business.
David says that he did not learn much in kindergarten, but that in Army Boot Camp he learned everything he needed to know to be a lawyer: how to type and how to bayonet people.
David went to Alabama Law School where he was in the same class with Senator Jeff Sessions. David had a higher grade average than Sen. Sessions did, but Sen. Sessions climbed higher in the world than David did.
David and his wife have three adult children, and seven grandchildren. He likes to fish and shoot birds and read and visit grandchildren.
Oct. 27, 2016
Minutes of the October 27, 2016 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president Les Greet at 12:05 PM. Claire McCarron offered the invocation and Tom Martenstein welcomed members’ guests and visiting Rotarians. Tommy Blankenship led the club in song and the Pledge.
Student Guest: Lauryn Rawlins, a senior at Baker High School, was given the Youth Merit Award.
New Members:
• Claire McCarron introduced Ginger Bedsole, an attorney with Phelps Dunbar.
• Skip Brown then introduced Briley Shirah, a CPA and his partner in the firm of Russell, Thompson, Butler & Houston.
Program: Russell Ladd: ”The Mobile Tensaw River Delta.”
Cart Blackwell introduced fellow Rotarian Russell Ladd who presented a power point program discussing his many decades of experiences in and around the Mobile Tensaw River Delta.
Russell discussed the area’s growth and recalled the days when it was very secluded adding “if you saw another boat you knew who the owner was and where they were going.” There were only 25 or 30 boats plying those waters in years past – boats like the Lysistrata owned by Waterman Steamship and the Yes Sir owned by the Mobile Paint Company.
Boats were run on gasoline engines (not diesel) he said, and there were no generators. Lights were run on batteries and when the batteries ran out, so did the lights. Russell juxtaposed those boats with the one he purchased in 1977, The Delta Dream equipped with every convenience including air conditioning. He added that the air conditioning had put an end to hearing the noisy sounds of nature at night.
Today the Delta is far more crowded he said, as he showed an image of a two mile stretch of houseboats. Despite the newcomers and the occasional high powered bass boat roaring through, the area remains tranquil and one which three generations of Ladds are still thoroughly enjoying, he said.
Les thanked Russell for speaking to the club and presented him with a certificate noting that in his honor a donation has been made to the Rotary International Foundation.
Tom McGehee
Oct. 13, 2016
Minutes of the October 13, 2016 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president Les Greet at 12:15 PM. Henry Seawell offered the invocation and Tom Martenstein welcomed members’ guests and visiting Rotarians.
Student Guest: Alex White, a senior at the Alabama School of Math and Science was introduced as the Student of the Week by Rotarian Monica Motley, President of the school.
Paul Harris Fellow: Sarah Teague was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow “plus one.”
Announcements: Les Greer made the following announcements:
• The Rotary Children’s Foundation will meet following today’s meeting.
• The Board of the Rotary Club of Mobile will meet following the October 20 meeting.
Program: Elyse Goonan: “One Mobile”
Cart Blackwell introduced Elyse Goonan, executive director of One Mobile. Mrs. Goonan explained that One Mobile is a local privately-funded, non-profit organization which seeks to improve the quality of life in Mobile via the sharing of ideas through their website, onemobile.org. The site offers a way to share ideas regarding at least 10 different areas of concern ranging from the environment to the arts.
As a 501 C3 organization, One Mobile can also assist local organizations in their raising of tax deductible contributions. Some of the programs the group has assisted include the Midtown Mobile Movement, Mobile Streets Alive and Food Fight – a program where competing teams aid food banks by creating sculptures from canned goods.
Mrs. Goonan said that as a result of an idea sent in a “safe drop off” had been established at four local police precincts. Anyone buying or selling an item on Craigslist or some other site can meet at one of those precincts and have a safe location for the transaction. She said that if the other party does not want to meet at a police station you might want to reconsider doing business with him.
A new program which many Mobilians will soon take note of is a program creating artistic murals around town. She said the program is called “Create Change” and will partner apprentices with professional artists as they create scenic murals around Mobile.
Les Greer thanked Mrs. Goonan for being our speaker and said that in her honor a donation has been made to the Rotary International Foundation. The meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM.
Tom McGehee
Sept. 29, 2016
September 29, 2016 Minutes
Submitted by Tommy Fulton, Contributing Editor
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by John Dukes. Kate Carver gave the invocation, followed by Gordon Korb, who led us in song. Jeff Zoghby introduced our guests along with visiting Rotarians.
Announcements: *** New member orientation will be October 11th.
***Rotary Gala will be October 5th @ Dauphins…Please RSVP.
***The Mobile West event on Oct. 4th has been moved to the Bluegill.
Program: Rick Harvey introduced our speaker, Dr. Tony Waldrop, President of University of South Alabama.
Dr. Waldrop announced the new theme for USA as “Upward & Onward.” This is the kickoff of a $150 million dollar campaign. USA has enrolled 16,700 students and is proud to announce that it has just achieved a record year in academic performance. They have put together a strategic plan which accentuates five major priorities.
1. Athletics. USA won the prestigious Vic Burns Cup, which is given to the best overall sports program in the Sunbelt Conference. The Jaguars also achieved the best academic record in their conference.
2. Excellence in Healthcare. South Alabama is working toward a new facility in Fairhope, which will double their space. They are also building the Strada Patient Care Center, near the Mitchell Cancer Institute.
3. Enhancement of Research and Graduate Education. USA is expanding their focus on the Center of Real Estate and Economic Development. Another example is the partnership with Galapagos Island.
4. Global Engagement. Dr. Waldrop announced a record number of international students at South. They also have developed a Global Certificate Program. South has more than 100 students now studying abroad.
5. University Community Engagement. USA sponsors the Community Engagement Focus Sessions, the Mayor’s Luncheon for all of the mayor’s in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, and an expansion of their volunteer emphasis programs.
Finally, during a question and answer session, Dr. Waldrop expressed interest in a 20,000 seat, on-campus football stadium. They estimate the cost of the facility will be somewhere between $85 million and $115 million to build.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.
Nov. 24, 2016–NO MEETING / Thanksgiving
Nov. 17, 2016– John Peebles – Barton Academy update
John is a native of this city and a graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He has been licensed and active in area real estate markets since 1975 and served for over 23 years as member, and later chairman, of the Mobile Zoning Board of Adjustment. He and Allan Cameron founded Peebles & Cameron in 2001, taking up a national relationship with Grubb & Ellis in 2003. When the NAI flag was offered to them in 2010 they became NAI Peebles & Cameron, and in 2013 they merged with the firm of Gleason and Roberds, becoming NAI-Mobile. John is the only dual accredited commercial real estate broker (SIOR and CCIM) in south Alabama. Peebles has redeveloped over 25 historic buildings since returning to Mobile, and is presently engaged in converting a 19th century Masonic lodge on St. Francis Street into 21st century creative space and 16 high end loft apartments. He was an organizer and founding member of the Board of the Downtown Mobile District Management Corporation (the “BID”) and remains actively engaged with the Downtown Alliance and it’s varied enterprises. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Hearin Chandler Mobile Carnival Museum and maintains an active interest in Mardi Gras as a cultural icon in this City. He currently serves on the board of the Alabama School of Math and Science, the Alabama Archives Foundation in Montgomery, the Mobile Arts and Sports Association, and the Friends of Magnolia Cemetery. His past service includes the boards of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and the Mobile History Museum. Peebles is also a serving brother of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. He is married to the former Allison Hand and has two sons aged 27 and 24. He is a communicant of Christ Episcopal Church, where he has served on the vestry and as Warden.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Mobile Area Association of Realtors Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) Mobile Commercial Investment Real Estate Exchange Club Alabama Association of Realtors Mobile Chamber of Commerce Mobile Carnival Museum Downtown Mobile District Management Corporation Downtown Mobile Alliance
Nov. 10, 2016–Chris Barraza – Connect Mobile Program
Chris Barraza is the Director of Programs for Mobile United, working to create a continuum of development programs for emerging leaders of all ages and backgrounds. She oversees the curriculum, logistics, execution and evaluation of Mobile United’s three programs, Youth Leadership, Connect & Leadership Mobile.
Philadelphia born and bred, Chris graduated from St. Basil’s Academy and then Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a major in art history and a minor in psychology. She is currently enrolled in Spring Hill College’s MLA program, concentrating on Leadership & Ethics. Before joining Mobile United as the Administrator of Leadership Mobile, she was a public relations manager at Red Square, the director of marketing and communications for the Centre for the Living Arts and a special events and public relations manager for the City of Mobile for eight years where she instituted the first-ever Mayor’s Citizens Academy.
Chris has had the honor of being recognized by Mobile Bay Magazine’s inaugural 40 Under 40, Main Street Mobile, the History Museum of Mobile, the City of Mobile and was a Leadership Mobile Graduate in 2009 as well as the Dean of the Class of 2014, the two best classes EVER!
Nov. 3, 2016– John Kilpatrick – Veteran's Recovery Resources
John Kilpatrick is the founder of Veterans Recovery Resources which fulfills his calling to help military service members and veterans struggling with substance abuse and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is an accomplished Entrepreneur and Litigation Support Consultant at his company Legal Imaging for over nineteen years. He has over 30 years reserve military service including 12 years as an intelligence analyst in the US Marine Corps Reserve and over 18 years as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the US Army Reserve. His active duty overseas tours include Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-1991), Panama (1999), Kosovo (2005-06) and Kuwait (2015).He also served an eighteen month tour at the Office of the Surgeon General at Headquarters, Department of the Army (2009-2010). John is currently a Lieutenant Colonel assigned as Commander of the 7223rd Medical Support Unit in Mobile, AL. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spring Hill College and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. John and his wife Laurie (Collins) have been married for over 21 years and have three children, Owen (14), Henry (13) and Kate (9). They are active members of St. Mary Catholic Church.
Sept. 22, 2016
Minutes of the Rotary Meeting – September 22, 2016
By: Henry R. Seawell, IV
Invocation, Song, Music and Pledge
John Dukes called the meeting to order. Paul Giardina gave the invocation. Tommy Blankenship led the Song and Pledge.
Introduction of Guests and Visitors: Tom Martenstein. Claire McCarron introduced Ginger Bedsole, attorney at Phelps Dunbar, and Bob Chappelle introduced Cathy Pope.
Announcements: The Rotary Children’s Foundation Meeting was held the afternoon of September 22, 2016 in the Ashland Suite. Invitations for the Rotary Club Gala to be held on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, at Dauphin’s restaurant have been sent out and members were asked to RSVP. Finally, the most junior members of the organization – of which I am one – were asked to attend a New Member Orientation on October 11, 2016 at 6:55 a.m. in the Rotary Room at Mobile Infirmary. This is the first such orientation since 2013 and all members inducted since that time are encouraged to attend.
Program
Speaker: Dr. Tim Smith, President of the University of Mobile was introduced by Tom McGehee.
Dr. Tim Smith was introduced as the 4th President of the University of Mobile. Dr. Smith, hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, possesses an impressive educational background, which includes two Ph.D.’s and two Master’s Degrees in Christian and Healthcare Education, as well as a career in Anesthesiology.
Upon its inception in 1961, the University of Mobile (the “University”) was first led by Dr. William K. Weaver, Jr. The University is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention, which agreed to build and operate the college if the Mobile community would raise $1.5 million in two years – a goal that was met and exceeded in only one year. Its motto is “Higher Education for a Higher Purpose.” The school has received accolades for its outstanding residence halls and campus beautification. Furthermore, a testament to the continued success of the school is the dedication of its faculty and staff, many of whom have served under all four university presidents.
The University of Mobile has made a concerted effort to partner with the Mobile community to develop programs that will serve the local economy and build a talented workforce for the City of Mobile and beyond through the implementation of quality education and Christian principles. Most recently, sixty teams participated in Project Serve, the University’s annual service project, providing services ranging from visits to local nursing homes to landscaping. A full 1,300 participants, including students, faculty and staff, were involved, which is impressive given a total student body of approximately 1,500 students. Dr. Smith advised that the University is transitioning into a four day academic week beginning in the Spring of 2017, a move designed to encourage students to use their Fridays wisely and engage in service projects, mission work and internships. Dr. Smith invited local businesses to make recommendations for internship opportunities and suggestions as to the manner in which to better involve University of Mobile students in local workforce and economic development. The University of Mobile seems primed for a tremendous amount of academic and spiritual growth under the leadership of Dr. Tim Smith.
The meeting was adjourned.