2024 District Conference Resources

 
 
2024 DISTRICT CONFERENCE RESOURCE PAGE
 
Thank you to our sponsors:
     
 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER BIOS
 
Laurie Zuckerman currently serves as the Communications Director for the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) and is slated to become ESRAG Vice Chair in 2025/26. Her teams strive to amplify Rotary’s environmental influence by promoting sustainability initiatives, disseminating valuable resources and best practices, and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility.
 
 
Kristin Wegner Guilfoyle spearheads sustainability solutions that integrate community-driven initiatives with technology to address environmental challenges both locally and globally, enhancing economic activity and income generation. With experience across public and private sectors internationally, she now advances clean energy projects at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Her professional path and commitment to sustainability have been profoundly shaped from Rotarians during her service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic, and in Colombia as both a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and later as a Rotary Global Grant Champion. https://magazine.rotary.org/rotary/august_2023/MobilePagedArtcle.action?articleId=1898589&app=false#articleId1898589
 
Salvador Rico is a member of the Rotary Club of South Ukiah, California, D5130.
And began River Clean Up Projects with his Rotary Club in 2009.  Since then, he has helped start River Clean Up Projects with the support of Rotary Clubs in many different countries. Currently, thanks to WASRAG’s River Clean Up Challenge, this project has crossed continents. Salvador served as a member of the Rotary delegate committee to the Cop-28 climate summit in Dubai in 2023 and is part of the team of advisors for the Community Action for Fresh Water initiative, an initiative between Rotary International and the UNEP of the United Nations.
 
 
BREAKOUT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
 
ECO-CYCLE RECYLCING
The Problem with Single-Use Plastics and Systemic Solutions Single-use plastics are flooding the environment, and we need to turn off the tap. In this discussion, take a dive deeper on what led to our current single-use plastic crisis, and how systemic, community, and individual-level action can create the solution.   https://ecocycle.org/get-involved/donate/high-five/
 
OPERATION POLLINATION
Rotarians worldwide are inspiring and equipping their communities to create pollinator habitats to help save and protect pollinators by signing a simple, non-binding Pollinator Resolution to show their concern for the state of pollinators. After signing a Resolution, these Districts/Clubs sign a simple Pollinator Pledge that is their call for action. Projects you do are based on your capacity and capability. No project is too big or too small. Districts/Clubs have planted pollinator gardens, developed pollinator signs, and distributed seeds to others.
 
SOIL HEALTH & REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE & RANCHING
Dr. Megan Machmuller is a research scientist in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University. Helen Silver Principal at Ground Up Consulting and co-director of the Integrated Rocky Mountain-region Innovation Center for Health Soils at CSU.
 
SOLAR PANELS FOR UKRAINE
A simple project with huge benefits:  Rotarians helping Ukrainians survive with renewable energy. Andrew I. Lenec / Sunflower Seeds Ukraine
 
 
ROTARY AT THE FOREFRONT: INNOVATING FOR COOLER, GREENER CITIES
Ed Pettitt is a Ph.D. student in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University and a Graduate Research Assistant at the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. He holds a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.P.H. from The University of Texas School of Public Health. Ed founded Friends of Columbia Tap, a trails and greenspace advocacy group. He has served as a technical advisor for various urban and health equity projects and is deeply involved in Houston's Third Ward community, focusing on environmental and climate justice. Ed is the Past President of the Rotary Club of Houston Skyline and serves as the Environment Chair for Rotary District 5890.
 
COLORADO’S WATER
Discussion on the Northern Water system and how it is using water sustainably. How Rotary can be a part of educating the public on the importance of water for the future. Dr. Dave Stewart has over 45 years of experience in the water quality and water/wastewater treatment industry. Dr. Stewart is a member of the Board of Directors for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District.
 
ROTARY CLUB PROJECT PANEL
Join us to learn what some clubs in District 5450 are doing to make our local environment more sustainable and, more importantly, how your club might enhance its efforts in this Rotary area of focus.  Members of various clubs will briefly share projects they have undertaken and thoughts on why those projects have been successful.  The rest of the session will be brainstorming and open discussion on any ideas that you bring to the session! Panel members: Summit County Rotary Club (Rob Phipps) Boulder Rotary Club (Merrill Glustrom) Centennial Rotary Club (Steve Kaverman) Highlands Ranch Rotary Club – Sunrise Satellite (Lee Mulberry)
 
JACK’S SOLAR GARDEN - MAKING THE MOST OF OUR LAND
Byron Kominek is the Executive Director of the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center and founder of Jack's Solar Garden. Byron is a former US diplomat having served with the US Agency for International Development in Zambia and Mozambique working on forestry and wildlife conservation. Through his work in Africa with USAID, the Peace Corps Volunteer and with Doctors Without Borders, Byron has a long-standing interest in natural resource management and governance. 
 
FIRE MITIGATION - ELIMINATE FUEL / ELIMINATE FIRE:  PROACTIVE WILDLAND FIRE MEASURES
Require the Entire Community The existential threat of wildland fire can be overcome if we use current science and research, challenge outdated methods, and encourage all members of the community to be proactive.  We are at the tipping point and effective wildland fire mitigation will require All Hands, All Lands with Increasing Pace and Scale.  This session will provide insight on how residents can have a positive impact on the wildland fire mitigation and more. Don Moore Since the inception of the NoFloCo Fire Mitigation Posse' in October of 2020, the organization has grown from 2 members to over 570.