CLICK HERE or on the image to download the flyer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polly reviewed 

 

Mark Newell was introduced for the final time as a guest since he was soon to be inducted into the club.

 

Attending via Zoom were:  Pai Bethea, Bob Jensen, Jeanie Morgan and Shelly Romine.

 

 

 

 

 

Polly invited Mark Newell and his sponsor, Pam Cohen to the podium.  As they were arriving, she said she had received a call from Club President Jay Paulus that morning.  Jay was excited to know that Mark was being inducted, and went on to say he had plans to meet a world heavyweight boxing champion and  would get an autograph to bring back for Mark.  She went on to announce that Mark Robert Newell's application for membership had been processed in accordance with the Rotary Constitution and Mesa West Rotary Club Bylaws.  She said our principal mottos is Service Above Self.  Our club encourages and fosters this ideal.  She asked Pam to pin Mark, after which she presented him as the newest club member.  Those present responded with a standing ovation.

 

Pam was asked to tell a little about mark.  Pam described him as "a force of nature."  Pam had received an email from Mark in her capacity as a member of the District Membership Committee.  She introduced him to several clubs on this side of town.  She met Mark at a Starbucks to tell him more about Mesa West.  She said Mark is a talker and it's easy to tell right away that he is a big sports fan - especially boxing.

 

Mark thanked the club for allowing him to be a member.  He said he retired a few years ago from the Federal Government, and that he wants to dedicate the rest of his life to helping those who are less fortunate.  He confirmed that he is a sports fan.  He has followed boxing since the late 70's.  He wants to help the club generate money so we can accomplish as much as possible.  He has a passion for it.  In fact, he said that when he receives the autograph Jay is bringing back for him, he will auction it to make money for the club.  He repeated that he was happy to be part of our organization.  He was given his certificate of membership and posed with Polly and Pam for a photo op of the moment.

 

 

 

After announcing that the small pot was $25 and the large accumulating pot was up to $791, Chuck asked Deb Koeneman to draw the winning ticket.  The stub of the ticket happened to be held by her husband, Ed Koeneman.  After carefully shuffling and laying the cards out face-down on the table, the card Ed drew was the Ace of Clubs, making him the winner of the large pot and putting a wide smile on his face..

 

Next meeting, we will be back to a beginning pot and a full deck of cards including a joker.

 

 

 

 

Polly asked Ed to introduce Deb.  When she officially became a club member in 2022, she was not new to Mesa West Rotary Club.  She had attended and participated in many club events with Ed over the years.   Deb was the youngest in a family of eight.  Her sister was the oldest, and Deb was the youngest, with six brothers in-between.  It was a large family, and - like the Brady Bunch - a combined family.  Ed was concerned that the whole story about how they met might not get told.  He said they had three "first" meetings.  

 

CLICK HERE of on the image above to see the images Deb shared during her presentation.

 

Deb grew up near the small town of Capac, Michigan.  There was one main street with two stoplights back then.  Now, there is only one.  They lived on a 120-acre farm and had cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, barn cats, and hunting dogs.  

 

Deb was ready to go to college in Michigan until she learned the freshman dorm was two miles by foot from Engineering classes.  After an April snowstorm, she decided to get her college education at ASU.  That is where she met Ed.  She studied biomedical engineering.

 

After she graduated, she got a job in the FDA office in Roxville, Maryland where any medical device had to be reviewed to determine if it would be safe for the public.  She worked in the radiologic arm.  She was there close to three years before Ed convinced her to return to Arizona and marry him.  The family they started has gown to include two children, chickens, and a cockatiel.  She said it's been wonderful and she wouldn't change anything.

 

After returning to Arizona, Deb started her own consulting business, and later became a partner in NDA Partners, a Propharma company.  She helps companies make a variety of medical products, helping them with early regulatory strategy all the way through viable testing and eventual release to the market.  She helps them write up everything that goes to FDA.  As a former FDA staffer, she is proud she is pretty good at that.  Her skills fill a critical niche enabling drug and device firms to work closely together.

 

Service has been part of Deb's life as long as she can remember.  Her dad served in the Army.  He was a member of the American Legion, Masons, on his church board, and served as School Superintendent and school board member.  Her mother was active in the American Legion, church ladies group, a girl scout leader.  Deb was involved in her church youth group and girl scouts.

 

Deb said she loves Rotary.  She said the biggest impact has been what she as experienced attending international conventions.  She is absolutely amazed to find people from every country in the world who want to do good in the world.  She is fascinated by Rotary Action Groups, saying there is something for everyone, covering all the Areas of Focus of The Rotary Foundation including environmental, education and literacy and health and sanitation.

 

She also talked about Rotary Fellowships where like-minded people are organized to have fun together (like the beer-drinking fellowship).  She loves Mesa West, but one of the biggest draws - for her - has been the international conventions.

 

In their young family, Deb was involved with girl scouts and Ed was involved with Boy Scouts.  Don LaBarge dragged Ed to a Mesa West Rotary Club meeting and told him he was going to join, which he did in the fall of 2010.

 

 

 

Allan said he was happy to be at the meeting to hear Debbie's classification talk.  He said that he was once a girl scout.  His mom was a leader.  She would take him with the girl scouts when the went to Camp Curry.  He would help make the fire, help put smores together, etc.  He was their gofer.  In his own mind, he was a girl scout.

 

In The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona (TRVFA), Allan said that Jeanie Morgan is the CEO and he reports to her.  She is Chairman.  Allan is in a two-year term as President.  TRVFA is a two-district activity with four board members from 5500 and six from 5495.  In addition, there are Advisors from both districts.  

 

TRVFA raises and distributes money for vocational education grants - not college - but vocational.  Certified Nurse Assistants has been the most common recently.  Phlebotomy has been another common medical vocation funded.  In non-medical vocations, the most common in recent years has been CDL certifications for truck driving vocations.  

 

Students who apply need to be at or below 150% of the Arizona poverty level.  TRVFA has been around since 1993.  They have given out more than 4000 grants over the years.  Last fiscal year, they set an all-time record with 168 grants totaling $311,000.  Unfortunately, they came up $100,000 short of their annual fundraising goal.  Because cash is short, they have temporarily suspended acceptance of new grant applications until donations start flowing in the late part of the calendar year.  TRVFA is a Qualifying Charitable Organization in Arizona, meaning that donations may qualify for dollar for dollar credit to offset Arizona State Income Tax liability.  It is also a 501(c)(3) non-profit.  Donations which do not qualify for Arizona Tax Credit can be used as regular income tax deductions.

 

Allan asked Ray Smith to share information about the tax credit.  For the tax-year 2024, the allowable tax credit for those filing as individuals, married filing separately, or head of household will be $470.  For married couples filing jointly, it will be $938.  That amount can be donated to TRVFA to offset Arizona State Income Tax obligation for the 2024 tax year up until April 15, 2025.  Ray has had good luck getting some of his income tax clients - mostly non-Rotarians - to donate.  Ray helps them understand the mechanics of how to make the donation so they can save that money on the Arizona tax liability.  

 

Last year, Mesa West was the top giving club in District 5495.  The total that could be directly attributed to our members or the direct influence of our members was $32,511.  $10,000 of that amount was from our Mesa West Rotary Foundation.  A significant amount came from some of Ray's clients,   The number of our members participating as donors or referrers was 22.  

 

The form that is needed to file with your Arizona return is 321.  It is very simple to complete.

 

Pam Cohen said she would donate whether she got tax credit benefit or not.  She said if you hear the stories from applicants who are struggling to put food on the talbe for their kids, but still want to better themselves, it is heartwarming.

 

 

Polly closed the meeting saying she hoped members understand TRVFA, adding it's a "no brainer" because of the tax credit.  

 

She added that she had received a call from Jay Paulus.  On the 5th Thursday in August, we will not meet at the hotel.  We will meet at the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa. 

 

On the 5th Thursday in October, we will meet at Sloan Park. 

 

We are helping host a Blood Drive on August 27  (see a separate article in the Messenger).