Three outstanding Rotary meetings this month

Kim Moyers

Kim Moyers

Norm Noble

On Tuesday, June 2, Representative J.D. Mesnard, Arizona District 17 (Sun Lakes, Gilbert, and Chandler) will speak to the club. Prior to serving in the House, J.D. spent eight years working at the Arizona Senate where he was a policy advisor on issues ranging from education, transportation and retirement, to family services and government administration. His talk will provide added understanding on the current legislative session.

J.D. is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition. He also holds two masters degrees, one in Business and the other in Public Administration — exemplifying his interest in both the public and private sectors — and had the honor of being named The Outstanding Student of his MBA program.

On Tuesday, June 9, Kim Moyers, Chandler’s new Downtown Redevelopment Manager, will speak to the club. In this capacity, she helps recruit and grow businesses and guides development of downtown Chandler. We have all witnessed the changes in the downtown Chandler corridor, so her presentation will give added insight to the anticipated future of the city.

Moyers has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana University and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute. She also has a certificate in business district management from Rutgers University.

On Tuesday, June 30, Rotarian Fred Martin, Jr. will discuss his new book, Lincoln’s Path to Reelection in 1864: Our Greatest Victory. Martin’s book allows the reader to grasp the importance of that election 150 plus years ago.

Martin, a visiting scholar at the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, retired in 1993 as Senior Vice President and Director of Government Relations for Bank of America. He then began 20 years of research on Lincoln in the Library of Congress, the National Archives and researched in city and state historical societies, archives and libraries nationwide. Lincoln had no speechwriters and no press secretary. Self-taught with only rudimentary formal education, Lincoln’s words and his logic sprang from moral and ethical convictions. His words and the words of his opponents and allies are the superstructure of Martin’s book. Learn anew how Lincoln forged a pathway to victory as he faced down the slave power aristocracy that had ruled the nation for 60 years. He first drew the line to prevent the spread of slavery, and he emancipated the slaves. Just as he had educated himself, he led the populace step by step with his writing and his speeches through the challenges facing the nation.

This is certain to be a highlight for all Abraham Lincoln buffs.

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes meets for breakfast every Tuesday morning at 6:30 a.m. in the Oakwood Country Club Ballroom. The meetings start at 7:00 a.m. and end promptly at 8:00 a.m. Cost of breakfast is $12. To make reservations for any meeting, contact Rotarian Don Prestin at 480-802-0439.