Speakers

Bob Downey has been serving as Capital Humane Society's Executive Director since January of 1984.

Bob and his wife Sheri have been married for 37 years.

Bob is a native of Lincoln. He attended Lincoln East High School and then graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 1973. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Teacher's College.

In addition to his work for Capital Humane Society, Bob currently serves as chair of the Lincoln Advisory Board of the BBB. He also serves on the BBB Corporate Board for Nebraska, South Dakota, the Kansas Plains and Southwest Iowa.

He previously served as a board member and treasurer for Community Services Fund, board member, vice chair and treasurer for the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators, board member, chair and treasurer for the National Federation of Humane Societies and as a member of the National Companion Advisory Group to the Humane Society of the United States.

He is founder of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week.

Bob is responsible for having gotten numerous legislative bills introduced and passed in the Nebraska Legislature. He has also supported the efforts of others in doing so.

Bob was named as the 2007 "Nonprofit Executive of the Year" by the Association of Nonprofit Executives.

Outside of work Bob enjoys cycling, weightlifting and spending time with Sheri and his boxer Sam E.

Brent Comstock is a nationally-recognized speaker for his energy, deep knowledge of rural communities, entrepreneurship, and digital strategy.

Lincoln South Rotary Club meeting April 12 will be at Russ's rather than The Venue.

The meeting will be informal. There is no set start / end time. You choose:

• Come early (the cafe opens at 6:00 AM) for coffee and breakfast
• Witness the Grocery Grab (8:00 AM)
• Stay late and enjoy coffee and breakfast.

On Friday, April 26, 2019, we are going to have a very special luncheon.  We will be celebrating the 35^th anniversary of the founding of our Lincoln South Rotary Club.  It will be a fun meeting and one that every member of the club can enjoy.

At that meeting, each person will receive a booklet containing comments, thoughts, and memories of each of our members.  Whether you have been a member 1 month . . . . or 35 years . . . . we want you to be included. 

• You can share a memory of something special that our club did many years ago.
• You can share what drew you to join Lincoln South Rotary.
• You can share what you think is the most special thing about our Club.
• You can share what your favorite event or activity has been in our Club.

It will be a booklet of stories, history, and thoughts about what makes Lincoln South Rotary a very special club.

Deadline to return this to me is Friday, March 1, 2019.

On April 30 the Rotary Clubs of Lincoln will hold the Annual Salute to Business. The Lincoln South Rotary Club meeting for FridayMay 3 will be moved to the April 30 Salute to Business event.

See the events or the article on the website for details.

This is an opportunity for us to hear from our Scholarship Recipients - their future plans and how they support Rotary's motto of Service Above Self. 

Scholarship recipients will present to Lincoln South Rotary May 10
Applications due by April 12 (criteria posted on Education Quest and sent to counselors)
Committee to select recipients:
Audrey Richert, Chair
Members - Clay Ehlers, Mary Gilbride, DeEtta Vrana, Tom Hyde, Don Rabbe, Sjohn Watson

John Ricks is the Executive Director of the Nebraska Tourism Commission. He joined the Commission in January of 2017.

John has helped increase excitement surrounding tourism in Nebraska with the new marketing campaign, “Nebraska. Honestly. It’s not for everyone.” The new campaign garnered press worth over $7.1 million in the month after the unveiling and has since continued to receive attention nationally and internationally ever since.

John has spent more than 25 years working in tourism destination marketing for a number of different states. As an advertising agency executive, he led marketing efforts for Wisconsin and Wyoming. Working with Wyoming, he led strategy efforts that created the award-winning “Forever West” campaign. Previously he was Associate Director of the Colorado Tourism Office where he was architect of the very successful “Come to Life” marketing strategy that resulted in five consecutive years of record-setting results in terms of visitation, visitor spending, tax revenue generated and marketing ROI.

Son of an Army officer, he was born in the Philippines and has lived in destinations around the world including Hawaii, Japan and Okinawa, where he graduated from high school. He’s also an adventure traveler having trekked on Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, the wide open spaces of Patagonia and in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in Bhutan.

Michelle Suarez is a life-long educator who has served young children for her entire career. She taught preschool age children, kindergarten, first grade and sixth grades over 15 years in three school districts.  She joined Lincoln Public Schools in 1984 and served in three different schools. She was a school principal for the next 19 years at Calvert and Everett Elementary Schools.  Michelle specializes in parent engagement and community partnership to support strong schools. Michelle earned her bachelor degree in elementary education and her master degree in educational administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.