Category: Meeting Minutes

April 7, 2016 Minutes
Submitted by Tommy Fulton, Contributing Editor
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Robby McClure. Don Foose gave the invocation, followed by Larry Sindel, who led us in song, accompanied by Bill Oppenheimer at the piano. Tommy Blankenship introduced our guests along with visiting Rotarians.
Student Guest: Saty Putcha presented our student guest, Courtney Reed, from Faith Academy.
Announcements: Bry Shields, III gave an update on the Kyser Miree Fishing Tournament, which will be held on Saturday, June 4th. The main weigh-station has been moved to The Wharf in Orange Beach.
Program: Garrett Williamson introduced our speaker, Andrew Saunders, the Executive Director of the Mobile Botanical Gardens. Donna Camp, who has been associated with Mobile Botanical Gardens for many years, also contributed to the presentation.
The Gardens were incorporated in 1976. It consists of 100 acres, which originally was a longleaf pine forest, which has restored in a major portion of the grounds. In addition to the longleaf pine forests, the Gardens feature a large variety of “Collection” gardens. These include paved garden paths, Azaleas in the Rhododendron Gardens, Camellias in the WinterGarden, a Pollinator Garden, an Herb Garden and many others.
The Gardens are 100% maintained by volunteers and donations. The city provides no funds. The goal is to provide a total ecosystem for the enjoyment of its patrons, but also to instill passion for nature, and promote interest in gardening, conservation and outdoor activities. Mr. Saunders stated that participation leads to education, which ultimately leads to preservation.
One of the more successful programs instituted around 14-15 years ago is the annual burning of the longleaf pine forest. This clears away the underbrush and allows for healthier growth. MBG boasts the largest “city-limit” longleaf forest managed by fire in the country.
Mrs. Camp stressed the beauty of the floral aspects of the gardens. Both speakers answered questions from the audience.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.

Minutes of the March 31, 2016 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Robby McClure at 12:15 PM. After Dan McDaniel offered the invocation the group was led in song by Larry Sindel accompanied by Bill Oppenheimer on the piano. Tommy Blankenship welcomed visiting Rotarians and members’ guests.
Rotary District Conference at Gulf Shores Members were reminded of the upcoming conference and those who are interested should contact Peggy.
Program: Casi Callway, Executive Director of Mobile Baykeeper
John Dukes introduced Casi Callaway who gave an update on her organization’s goals in helping the Environment, Economy and the Community. She presented an overview of Mobile Baykeeper’s efforts for clean water, clean air, a good environment for wildlife and responsible government.
She invited her listeners to get involved, noting the numerous clean up days and her organization’s willingness to help set up further such events around our community. Casi discussed the new Mobile Greenway Initiative which she said will connect Langdon Park with downtown Mobile and lead ultimately to Dog River. The first 7 miles are underway, she added.
Mobilians need to “get engaged” she said, and to be aware of issues confronting this region. She described the recent Tank Farm Ordinance as one that while not perfect is “a good balance.” Casi added that her organization is not just about environmental issues but seeks to improve the whole community, supporting tourism, business, and a healthy, thriving environment.
After answering a number of questions, Robby thanked her for speaking to the club and presented her with a certificate noting that in her honor a donation had been made to the Bay Bears Charities.
The meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM.
Tom McGehee

Minutes of the Rotary Meeting – March 24, 2016
By: Henry R. Seawell, IV
Invocation, Song, Music and Pledge
Robbie McClure called the meeting to order. Jimmy Lyon gave the invocation.
Larry Sindel led the song and pledge, accompanied by Les Greer on the piano.
Introduction of Guests and Visitors: Tommy Blankenship
Student Guest: The student of the week was Santajia Lindsey from C.F. Vigor High School, introduced by Saty Putcha.
Announcements: Rotarians were reminded of the upcoming District Conference, which is scheduled to be held in Orange Beach April 22-24, 2016. Les Greer gave an announcement regarding the status of the CART Program. To date, the Club has contributed $3,587.72 to the CART Program, monies that will help further the fight against Alzheimer’s.
Program
Speaker: Jeff Carter, Executive Director of the City of Mobile’s Innovation Team (the “Team”), was introduced by Cart Blackwell.
Mr. Carter, a lifelong resident of Mobile and graduate of the University of South Alabama, discussed the current state of blight in the Mobile area and the Team’s efforts to mitigate these conditions. Mobile has the distinction of being one of eighteen cities in the United States that receive funds from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Team has used those funds, in part, to implement the Bloomberg Innovation Delivery Model to deliver adequate and effective public service.
According to Carter, Mobile has 1,256 blighted properties. These conditions have an adverse effect on property value estimated at $83MM and effect more than 13,000 homeowners. These blighted properties are generally dilapidated, open to the public and/or abandoned. Every property within a 150’ radius is negatively impacted.
In the past, the only method used by the City to remediate blight was using the criminal ordinances to levy fines or other penalties against property owners that failed to maintain. This has not worked, but rather served to further burden the court’s docket. A push is being made by the Team to better implement methodology aimed at the property itself. Specifically, many of the blighted properties are not marketable due to issues with heirship, clouded title, or tax issues. By tackling these deficiencies directly, the Team hopes to make the land saleable.
The Team has likewise instituted a “blight index” to rate the degree of blight. Fortunately, only 15% of these properties have reached the point where they are no longer salvageable and must be demolished. Presently, 25% of Mobilians live within 150’ of a blighted structure, but the Team has undertaken the lofty goal of reducing that figure to 20% by next year. Finally, Mr. Carter introduced the five member “Team Innovation,” all of which have impressive resumes and a unique skill set. The City of Mobile appears to be in good hands with Team Innovation tackling blight.
The meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of the March 17, 2016 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 12:20 PM by Robby McClure, club president. Ariel Chavez offered the invocation and afterwards Larry Sindel led the club in song. Tom Martenstein welcomed members of guests and a visiting Rotarian.
Youth Merit Award: Ashleigh Neese, a senior at UMS-Wright was awarded the Youth Merit Award and said she plans to attend Birmingham Southern in the fall.
New Member: Jimmy Lyon, a principal in Exit Realty Lyon was introduced as the newest Rotarian by Dan McDaniel.
Announcements: Robby made the following announcements:
• A board meeting will take today after the meeting.
• If planning a visit to Mobile West at Briquettes on Montlimar Drive, please come before 11:45AM to place you order for lunch so that the program can be on schedule.
Program: Furnishing the Bellingrath Home: Did She Shop til She Dropped?
Tom McGehee, Museum Director for Bellingrath Gardens and Home presented a power point program highlighting some of the purchases made by Bessie Morse Bellingrath for her home at the center of Bellingrath Gardens which was completed in 1936. Among the treasures and their stories:
• A pair of marble and brass urns once owned by Admiral Raphael Semmes.
• A banquet table and chairs from the London estate of Sir Thomas Lipton who had founded his tea empire in 1890.
• A French display cabinet formerly owned by New York senator and attorney Chauncey DePew. One of his more famous quips: “I get exercise acting as pallbearer to my friends who exercise.” DePew died at the age of 94 in 1928.
• A pair of large sterling silver cups with covers purchased from the estate of the longtime president of Studebaker, Albert R. Erskine, a native of Huntsville. When he was relieved of his duties in 1933 following some very bad management choices, he put a gun to his chest.
• A pair of Sheffield silver wine coasters from the descendant of George Tuthill whose home previously stood on the north west corner of Old Shell Road and Tuthill Lane until a fire consumed it in 1897.
• A bronze Japanese vase was a gift from local nurseryman and Rotarian Tom Kiyona to Mrs. Bellingrath who had been one of his best customers. When war with Japan was declared his property was confiscated in Mobile and he was forced to go into a relocation camp. At war’s end he returned to Mobile briefly, a broken man. He died in Japan, a nation he had left as a small child.
Robby thanked Tom for speaking to the club and announced that in his honor a donation has been made to the Mobile Infirmary Center for Women and Children.

MINUTES
Of the March 10, 2016 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president Robby McClure who invited Tommy Fulton forward to offer the invocation. Tommy Blankenship then led the club in song accompanied by Less Greer on the piano. Tom Martenstein welcomed visiting Rotarians and guests of members.
Youth Merit Award: This week the Youth Merit Award was presented to Elizabeth Morrissette, a senior at St. Pauls. Elizabeth is a granddaughter of John M. Morrissette, Jr, who served as president of the club in 1980/81. She spoke on the subject of service which she termed “a labor of love.”
Announcements: Robby McClure made the following announcements:
• A board meeting will take place after the meeting next week on March 17.
• The Mobile West Rotary Club has changed their location to Briquettes Restaurant on Montlimar Drive.
• Robert Greer presented the club with a certificate from Rotary International thanking the club for its financial assistance in the End Polio Now Campaign.
Program: OysterSouth: A Revolution in Oyster Farming
Cullen Duke introduced Bill Walton, PhD, a professor at Auburn and Senior Scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Dr. Walton discussed the farming of oysters which was introduced through a program sponsored by the Sea Lab in 2003. The goal he said is to provide “consistent, beautiful, branded oysters” at a reasonable price point.
Dr. Walton noted that historically Southerners have been accustomed to plentiful oysters at very reasonable prices but that quality levels were sometimes questionable. He said that through oyster farming the quantity and quality can be controlled.
Currently there are 13 oyster farms in Alabama within five areas surrounding Mobile. He explained that oyster farming is now simply an option and will never completely replace what he termed “bottom culture” to describe traditional oyster harvesting.
After answering numerous questions, Dr. Walton was presented a certificate by Robby McClure, noting that in his honor a donation has been made to MARC.
The meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM.
Tom McGehee

March 3, 2016
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Robby McClure. DeDe Sanogo gave the invocation, followed by Larry Sindel, who led us in song, accompanied by Les Greer at the piano. Tom Martenstein introduced our guests along with visiting Rotarians.
Student Guest: Saty Putcha presented our student guest, Brian Patrick Anderson, from Theodore High School.
Announcements: Tommy Fulton made a plea for our CART fund, which helps fund Alzheimer’s research. Former member, Fr. Greg Lucey, was welcomed back.
Program: Rod Frazer was introduced by Vaughan Morrissette. His program emphasized the details in his book, Send the Alabamians- 167th Alabama Infantry Regiment of Rainbow Division of WWI.
Mr. Frazer took his inspiration for his book from the books of two famous Mobile authors. The first was William Edward March, who wrote Company K. The second was Eugene Sledge, who wrote two books about World War II.
Mr. Frazer described his research for the book, which told about the recruitment of the Alabama men who became famous for their ferocity and tremendous espirit de corps. General Douglas MacArthur was tremendously impressed by these men. American General Edward Plummer was also impressed by these Alabamians, but was also frustrated by their rambunctiousness.
To honor these men, Mr. Frazer purchased some land in France upon which some of the bloodiest battles of WWI were fought. His purpose was to commission a statue portraying a soldier carrying a casualty. More than half of the original 167th Infantry Regiment lost their lives in these battles. It was here that the soldiers from Alabama distinguished themselves by turning back the Germans at Champagne, considered a key win for the allies.
He closed with the observation that Douglass McArthur made his name behind the success of the Alabama Division.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.

Minutes of the Rotary Meeting – February 25, 2016
By: Henry R. Seawell, IV
Invocation, Song, Music and Pledge
Robbie McClure called the meeting to order. John Pisarkiewicz gave the invocation.
Tommy Blankenship led the song and pledge.
Introduction of Guests and Visitors: Tom Martenstein
Student Guest: The student of the week was Sara Taylor from St. Luke’s Episcopal School, introduced by Saty Putcha.
New Members: Thkisha Sanago and Suntrease Williams-Maynard, both of which were introduced by Rosie Chambers.
Announcements: Rotary Club of West Mobile has moved their weekly meeting to Briquettes on Montlimar Road, effective March 3, 2016. Ken Niemeyer announced a partnership between Rotary Club of Mobile and Big Brothers Big Sisters, which has led to the building of six free lending libraries.
Program
Speaker: Bill Sisson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce was introduced by John Dukes and provided a presentation on “Mobile’s Economic Outlook.”
Mr. Sisson began his presentation by citing to the “State of the Economy” in Alabama, an arrangement that was developed by the Mobile Chamber of Commerce (“Chamber”) in December 2015. According to the Chamber’s research, 82% of Mobilians expect more growth in our economy in 2016 compared to the previous year, and a majority of employers anticipate growing their numbers this year. Additionally, local contractors are experiencing a backlog of work, but their progress is somewhat stymied by a lack of skilled laborers.
The top economic issues in Mobile were identified as increasing the number of skilled workers through enhanced job training, developing local and regional job growth, and improving our infrastructure. Key challenges include economic uncertainty, regulatory restrictions, and the monitoring of consumer spending.
A number of impressive accolades were mentioned that should offer excitement to all Mobilians, including:
– Forbes listing Mobile first among cities in new manufacturing opportunities.
– Business Facilities ranking Mobile as the city with the second highest growth potential.
– The United States Department of Commerce naming Mobile as one of its twelve nationally designated manufacturing communities.
Mobile has experienced a 38% increase in manufacturing jobs in the last five years, as well as a 23% increase in wages. The city boasts the second largest manufacturing facility in the state of Alabama, Austal USA, and is home to Airbus’ only “Center of Excellence” in the United States. Mr. Sisson pointed out that the Hamburg, Germany aviation center has afforded that community with 40,000 jobs in its twenty years of development. The Chamber is presently poised to open a “Business Incubator” at a facility on St. Louis St. for the stated purpose of assisting start-up companies to flourish in the areas of manufacturing and distribution.
In summation, the state of the city is strong!
The meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of the February 18, 2016 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president, Robby McClure at 12:15 PM. Wayne Miller offered the invocation and then Larry Sindel led the group in song. Tom Martenstein welcomed guests of members and visiting Rotarians.
Youth Merit Award: Jared Hunter, a senior at Satsuma High School received the Youth Merit Award. He plans to attend Jacksonville State University where he will major in computer science.
New Members
• Monica Motley, PhD, the President of the Alabama School of Math and Science was introduced as a new member by Darby Luxenberg.
• Michael Finan, M.D., was introduced as the second new member by Michael Chambers. Dr. Finan is a gynecological oncologist, and Director of the U.S.A. Mitchell Cancer Institute.
Announcements: Robby McClure made the following announcements:
• The board of directors will meet immediately after today’s regular meeting.
• Members are encouraged to greet the Amtrack train scheduled to stop near the Convention Center at 1:15 PM. today.
• Please contact Aimee Risser should a member know a potential candidate for RYLA.
Program: Andy Newton, President and CEO, Southern Light, LLC
Cart Blackwell introduced Andy Newton who presented a power point program and discussed his growing business which provides fiber optic cable to businesses along the Gulf Coast. Southern Light is one of the ten largest providers servicing four states with over 6,000 miles of fiber optic cable. He explained that just one fiber has more capacity than a six foot diameter copper cable.
One of the newest developments in the business he said was the addition of numerous small cell towers to improve wireless transmission. He explained that there are currently some 500,000 tall towers and it is estimated that by 2020 over 2 million will be needed.
After answering a number of questions from the audience, Robby McClure thanked him for speaking to our club and noted that a donation in his honor has been made to the Mobile Infirmary Foundation. The meeting adjourned at 1:00 P.M.
Tom McGehee

February 4, 2016
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President-elect Les Greer. Bill Kinnaird gave the invocation, followed by an a capella presentation of America the Beautiful by Tommy Blankenship. Tom Martenstein introduced our guests along with visiting Rotarians.
Student Guest: Saty Putcha presented our student guest, Emily Large, from Saraland High School.
Announcements: Rob Hackbarth made a plea for our CART fund, which helps fund Alheimer’s research. Bo Mattei discussed the Rotary’s contribution to Camp ASCCA.
Program: The speaker’s daughter, Kate Carver introduced our speaker, Mark Johnson, who was with the Mobile Police Dept. and served as former Director of United Way of South Alabama. Mr. Johnson has written a book titled, Apprehensions and Convictions, Adventures of a 50-Year Old Rookie Cop.
In 1995, Mark Johnson was hired to run the Mobile Area United Way, after serving in Waukesha, Wisconsin with the United Way. He spent 20 years in the United Way. In his 23 year career, his efforts helped raise more than $100 million. After so much time in the fundraising business, he began to feel burnout.
It was time to find another way to make a difference to his community closer to the front lines. This is when Mr. Johnson decided to join the police force. After being deemed unfit by the Albequerque, NM police force, he eventually was accepted by the Mobile Police Department. Mark saw the difference between the abstract (United Way) and the reality (MPD) in a first-hand manner.
The disadvantages of his age became an asset to be appreciated by his fellow recruits. In a show of “respect”, his first squad car was an elderly person’s scooter. He explained that in one particular situation, he was given a commendation for the same event in which he received a disciplinary letter.
Mr. Johnson’s book is based on his twelve years of experience with the MPD. He spoke about being wounded by gunfire while pursuing a cop-killer. His pistol was damaged by gunfire in this incident. Ultimately, Mark wrapped up his talk by saying, “A cop has the opportunity to meet evil face-to-face and actually do something about it.”
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.

Brad Israel discussed “Values-Based Leadership” today by reflecting on his experience in Afghanistan and the Middle East conflict. He stated that Leaders must “walk-the-walk” because people follow leaders well before they follow the plan. As a Special Forces Detachment Commander, he was active during Operation Winter Stand in Afghanistan. His mentor was LTG Samuel V. Wilson who said, “Take Care of the Men, and the Men Will Take Care of You!”
Brad was also influenced by such people as John Maxwell, quoting him, “True leadership cannot be awarded or assigned. It must be tirelessly earned through respect and influence.”
Mr. Israel said, “Leaders must have shared values with their followers, whether in military or civilian life. Leaders must listen all the way to the lowest level of followers to be truly effective.”
According to a Deloitte study, culture and engagement are the most important issues facing companies throughout the world. He brought up the problems faced by Best Buy just a few years ago. Micro-management by its leaders brought about huge turnover within that company. Eventually, two key employees helped reverse the situation by recognizing that each employee should be treated as a leader individually.
Mr. Israel then discussed the key point from Umair Hague’s book, Betterness: Economics for Humans, which is that profit has its place in business, but more importantly for long-term success, your impact is ultimately more important.
Finally, he ended by quoting Winston Churchill, “To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”