Events

April 30, 1975, marked a significant turning point in Vietnamese history. With the fall of Saigon and the unification of North and South Vietnam under Communist rule, countless South Vietnamese who opposed the new regime sought freedom beyond their homeland. The journey to America was often perilous, beginning with dramatic helicopter evacuations, perilous boat escapes, and years of hardship in re-education camps before eventual resettlement.  Despite these challenges, Vietnamese refugees arrived in the United States with resilience, determination, and a desire to rebuild their lives.  Fifty years later, the Vietnamese American community has not only survived but thrived, becoming an integral part of American society. From politics and the military to arts, entertainment, and finance, Vietnamese Americans have made remarkable contributions to the country that welcomed them.

Ann will discuss:

1. The timeline of the Journey to America.
2. Contribution to American Society: politics and government, military service, Business and Finance, Art and Entertainment. 

As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese Americans in the U.S., we reflect on the journey from hardship to triumph. The resilience, hard work, and contributions of this community have enriched America in countless ways. Looking ahead, the next generations will continue to shape the American Dream while preserving their cultural heritage.

Ann has a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT- Illinois Tech and 14 years of corporate engineering experience at Motorola. Her second career is in real estate.  She spent her first three years in residential real estate but found her passion in commercial real estate lease, sale and investment to help Asian American communities. Ann is the owner of Trandai Realty in Chicago, a commercial brokerage firm. With over 20 years of experience in real estate, she represents clients that are opening franchise restaurants, and nail salons and investing in strip shopping centers, hotels, and multifamily housing buildings, in 15 states. She is happily married to her husband of 33 years, and has three grown children.  In addition to her career in real estate, Ann is the Secretary of the Vietnamese National Association Real Estate Professional (VNARP), on the  Illinois Tech Alumni Board of Directors and is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) – National Board of Directors.

Host: Ann Trandai

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Carol Summerfield is the executive director of the History Center of Lake Forest Lake Bluff. Her background is in museum design and audience engagement. The History Center is a small midwestern institution with a staff of five. The museum produces two large special exhibitions each year that provide our audience with original narratives that help connect visitors with aspects of American history that are illuminated through local stories.

Host:  Thea Colwell

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Summary:  I am a Polio Survivor having contracted the disease during the early 50’s epidemic. I was blessed to have survived having had a tracheotomy, spending time in an Iron Lung and having to learn how to walk again. This is my experience and although I joined Rotary in the mid 1970’s, I was never been more proud than when Rotary launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1985. My focus will be not only my journey but that of Rotary in this battle against this insidious disease.
 
Bio: 25 Years in Broadcast Management, 20 Years in Senior Care Administration, Alzheimer’s Care Specialist, Master Trainer of Alzheimer’s Care, 40 years of service in Rotary. Member of three clubs in two States. Past President of The Mystc Connecticut Club, Three time President of the Westerly Rhode Island Club, Three time Paul Harris Fellow. Member of my District Polio Plus Committee, Polio Survivor….U.S. Navy / Viet Nam Veteran serving on the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) from October 1967 to March 1971. 

Host:  Peter Elmer

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Sue and Ann will talk about growing native habitat  and obtainiing a National Wildlife Federation Certification for Lake Bluff.

Host:  Peter Elmer filling in for Paul Lemieux

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Host: Brad Andersen

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Chair Hart represents District 13, which includes Lake Bluff and Knollwood, as well as portions of Great Lakes, Gurnee, North Chicago and Waukegan. She was elected to the board in 2012. 

Sandy was elected by her peers to serve as Lake County Board Chair in December 2018. Her main priorities are good governance; environmental protection; economic development; mental health services, and criminal justice. 

Sandy has a B.A. from Indiana University’s School of Business and an MBA from DePaul University. She is married, has three children, and has lived in Lake Bluff with her family since 2000.

Host: Gail Anderson

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Steve will present the results of the recent membership survey and discuss next steps.

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Cindy Collier, LFHS Interact Club Sponsor, will have the co-presidents of the Interact Club and the two students who went to RYLA speak.  Following their presentation other students sponsored by the LF-LB Rotary Club that attended RYLA will talk about their experiences.

Hosts: Phil Ehrhardt and Carol Buss

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

From HospitalityNet.org:

Consistently lauded as a top hotel in the Midwest, Deer Path Inn proudly introduces James Barnett as the new general manager and innkeeper. Celebrating its 95th anniversary this year, Deer Path Inn is a point of pride for residents of Chicago's North Shore, and a haven for guests traveling from around the world. Barnett will lead the 57-room boutique property known for its traditional English innkeeping and highly personalized service.

Born in Australia, Barnett began his hospitality career at the picturesque ski resort, Thredbo, in New South Wales. He then became the general manager of the Soho House property, Electric House, in London, overseeing private member clubs, its on-site restaurant, and an immersive cinema experience. After his time in the UK, he moved to the Windy City in 2014 to take the reins at Soho House Chicago, further amplifying its legacy with his leadership across its multifaceted outlets. Barnett went on to become the Global Task Force General Manager for Soho House, ensuring brand brilliance from the beaches of Malibu to the bustling streets of Berlin and Amsterdam. Most recently, he served as the VP of Hospitality at Bonhomme Hospitality, overseeing a diverse portfolio of seven locations, boasting 11 distinct concepts.

In his new role, Barnett will blend his hotel management background with his F+B expertise to evolve the hotel's acclaimed food and beverage program, which includes the distinguished English Room and White Hart Pub, the stand-out cocktail service in The Bar, and the refined Afternoon Tea service. He will work with the team to ideate and present elevated programming that appeals to all visitors, both local and far-flung.

Host: Tina Ballis

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Since opening in 1923, The Cradle, based in Evanston, IL  has helped place more than 16,000 children into forever families. Their holistic approach to lifelong support is unlike any other adoption and child welfare agency in the nation. Their team of social workers, counselors, and outreach staff offer trustworthy, ethical, and lifelong support to tens of thousands of people touched by adoption, including birth parents, adopted persons, and adoptive parents. As The Cradle enters its second century of service, they are channeling their values and expertise to reach more families, including those not touched by adoption. This work starts this year in Lake County.

Jason Friedman has worked in service to children and families for nearly 20 years. His experience includes leading fundraising efforts for The SEED Foundation in Washington, DC and a large, Chicago-based human service agency, One Hope United. Prior to joining The Cradle as President and CEO, Jason served as the Executive Director of iMentor Chicago. Before moving into the nonprofit sector, Jason was a national award-winning broadcast journalist. He graduated from Emory University with a double major in journalism and political science.

Jason and his family first got to know The Cradle as prospective adoptive parents themselves. In 2019, they met their son Miles through The Cradle. Jason lives in Evanston with his wife Brandis, news anchor of WTTW’s Chicago Tonight; Miles; his big brother Blake; and their dog Roux.

Host: John Barth

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Host: Thea Colwell

Elaine Madansky will provide an update on Elawa Farms.

Elaine joined Elawa Farm Foundation as the Farm Manager in 2018. She and her team have been building and expanding the Farm program at Elawa each year. She has been enjoying the opportunities to grow the gardens to meet the needs of the surrounding community. Previously, she worked at Prairie Wind Family Farm in Grayslake and got her start as an intern at The Talking Farm in Skokie.

Elaine’s path to farming has been a lengthy one. She minored in Horticulture at the University of Illinois, however, ultimately pursued a career in marketing research. After 27 years in that field, she traded corporate America for the “field” of farming.  Elaine has a MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and an AAS in Sustainable Agriculture and Greenhouse Production from the College of Lake County. 

Host: Art Chantler

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Stephanie Caparelli is Assistant Professor of Politics and Chair of Legal Studies at Lake Forest College.  Her program will be: “Law stories: Teaching the First Amendment with seminal actors in free speech and free exercise jurisprudence."

Teaching First Amendment law in today’s political climate presents its challenges - especially as culture wars rage on around what constitutes hate speech, offensive language, the bounds of propriety in public discourse, and to what extent religious beliefs and practice are granted exemption from compliance with public policy mandates. Professor Caparelli brings to her classes the advocates and litigants in some of the most important First Amendment cases to narrate the stories and legal strategies surrounding cases to which they have argued and lent their names. She discusses how allowing her students the opportunity to engage with the voices of these cases makes it easier for her students to process and understand both sides of the challenging legal arguments in cases that have forever changed our First Amendment landscape. 

Professor Caparelli is a lawyer and former public defender who teaches courses in American public law at Lake Forest College. Her teaching interests include trial advocacy, First and Fourth Amendment jurisprudence, wrongful convictions, and reproductive justice. She is a graduate of Lake Forest College and the Chicago-Kent College of Law. 

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Host: Thea Colwell

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

The mission of the Community Fund of Lake Forest is to draw upon our generous population to assist with the current and emerging needs of our community to ensure a high quality of life for all residents.

Host: Randy Daniel

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Moha Bouacha is the Co-President of the Winnetka Rotary Club and the International Host for the Global Grant that he will discuss.  Moha is from the town of Timoulilt, the location of the Grant.  Until recently he was the General Manager for Northwestern's Kellogg Business School complex.

The Women's Cooperative Project aims to empower women and girls in rural Morocco by establishing a Women's Cooperative in the village of Timoulilt, Morocco.  This initiative will help women and girls from 400 households learn valuable skills in sewing, knitting, embroidery, and clothes making.  It will also help women gain valuable skills in various aspects of business. The ultimate goal after a training period is to help them create an income and employment-generating cooperative that will help them support their families and improve the socio-economic status of the entire community.  The cooperative will also offer training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and cooperative management to ensure long-term sustainability.

Host: Mark Dewart

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Dr. Matthew L. Montgomery, Superintendent of Lake Forest Community High School District 115 and Lake Forest Elementary School District 67, Dr. Erin Lenart, Assistant Superintendent for District 115 and the Principal of Lake Forest High School, Jenn Hermes, COO, and Dan Mortenson, Director of Facilities, will be presenting the status of the LFHS construction project which will be in full swing in late June.  They will also provide an overview of how the referendum funds are being spent.

Host: Phil Ehrhardt

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Host: John Looby

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Speakers this morning witll be Ali O'Brien - Vice President of Community & Workforce Partnerships and Leigh Ann Jacobson - Executive Director of the CLC Foundation.

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Host: Jim Gregory

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Tom Marchisello is the Soup Kitchen Coordinator for St. Mary's Parish.

Host: John Hancir

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

From the Orphans of the Storm website:  At Orphans of the Storm, we take responsibility for each and every dog and cat who reaches our doors, compassionately sheltering them with the highest standard of care. Guided by our commitment to promote adoption, and humane treatment, reduce pet overpopulation and to keep people and pets together, we aim to create a more compassionate community.

Orphans of the Storm is conveniently nestled between the North Shore communities of Deerfield and Buffalo Grove on nine acres, just 1.5 miles off I-94. The buildings include three dog wings with outdoor access, cat housing, office space, and a small clinic. Outdoor facilities include numerous kennel runs, dog meet-and-greet spaces, the Jim Farmer Memorial Dog Enrichment Park, and a seven acre wooded nature trail. It is a beacon of hope for homeless cats and dogs in Northeastern Illinois and beyond and has found loving homes for over 150,000 dogs and cats.

Judy Kotsiopoulos is a Lake Forest resident and the Community Engagement Coordinator for Orphans of the Storm Animal Shelter. Judy has volunteered with Orphans of the Storm for over 20 years and last year took a part time position with them to engage with the community.  She holds off site adoption events, visit corporations and small businesses and joins various group meetings like today with Rotary, to spread the good news of the animal shelter. She also organizes fundraising events, like an upcoming golf outing in September.

Host: Julie Halperin

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Host: David Hone

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week

Lake County Haven’s mission is to empower homeless women and their children to achieve permanent, independent living. They fulfill this goal by offering their residents traditional shelter and housing combined with a comprehensive array of supportive services. These services are designed to help each resident identify and overcome the root causes of her homelessness. It is Lake County Haven's vision that no one who enters their program will ever be homeless again. 

Kalie Schultz is the Development Coordinator at Lake County Haven. Kalie grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota and has lived in Seattle, Washington and Montpellier, France. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Kalie pursued a career in events; planning weddings and large parties and then moved on to the corporate event sphere. Kalie knew she had a different calling which led her to the non-profit realm and ultimately, Lake County Haven. Kalie lives in Lake Zurich with her husband and two sons. She enjoys biking, gardening, healthy cooking, and traveling.

Host: Michael Hubbard

• Breakfast and socializing
• Welcome: Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary's principles, reflections/blessing, announcements
• Sharing of joys with 'Happy Dollars' which help fund club activities
• Focus on a Member's career or life story
• Speaker on a topic of the week