When: We meet Friday mornings from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM.
Where: We meet at the Mequon Public Market, 6300 W Mequon Rd, Mequon, WI 53092; (Entrance in rear.)
June 16th the M-T Sunrise Rotary Club does not meet, owing to last evening's Changing of the Guard celebration.
At our meetings the greeter will provide either the thought, a Rotary minute, share a family moment or a cultural tradition ... anything with which they would like to start off the day positive.
Upcoming "It's your Rotary moment" assignees:
Lynn Streeter (6/23)
Lee Szymborski (6/30)
Steve Taylor (7/7)
Jo Ann Vetter (7/14)
Brittany Vulich (7/21)
Note: If you are unable to act as "It's your Rotary moment" assignee when scheduled please arrange for your replacement.
Where were you born and raised? I was born in New York City. I was raised in Mount Kisco, New York; a village of approximately 12,000 people located an hour north of the city. My father was an oral surgeon and my mother a pediatric nurse. Both were active volunteers in our community. What did you want to be when you grew up? I grew up with a strong connection to the medical community. My first volunteer role was in our local community hospital. I made the decision to become an Occupational Therapist when I was in high school. I believe that to serve in health care is both a calling and a privilege. I have been fortunate to have served the community of southeast Wisconsin for over 40 years. What is your formal education? I received my undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. I interned in adolescent and adult mental health as well as pediatric rehabilitation. It was my mental health internship that brought me to Wisconsin. My graduate degree is in Administrative Leadership and Adult Education from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. I was granted an honorary Nursing Degree by the Columbia College of Nursing. Tell us about your family? Scot and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary this September. His mother, sister and brother-in-law all live here in Mequon. I am the oldest of three children. My sister’s family live in New Hampshire and my brother’s family live in New York. How do you spend your time now that you are retired? Scot and I both love to travel, visiting over 30 countries, and have been fortunate in the many adventures that we have experienced. Scot is a beekeeper, as many of you know, and has engaged me in his hobby! That in conjunction with my love of gardening has brought us to a shared interest in pollinator and nature activities. I love to cook and have subscribed to a community-based organic farm in Plymouth for a number of years. I have been an active community volunteer since I was 14. It has been both an evolving and continuous part of my life. In retirement my volunteer activities have brought me closer to our community. I am honored to be a member of the Boards of Directors for the Mequon Thiensville Community Foundation and the Southern Ozaukee Fire and Emergency Services Department.
Last week, our Finnish exchange student Otso was feted with a cake and Green Bay Packer "merch" as he prepares to fly home next week. This week the club helped him celebrate his graduation, and Sunday he will become 18 years old. After having spent his Rotary Youth Exchange Student year in America with John Cabaniss, Dick Kinney, and Bill Wandsnider and their families, Otso will leave for Finland next week. Following his embrace of crutches for a couple of weeks due to a sports injury, he abandoned them this week and will return home "whole." Our club was duly impressed with his previous PowerPoint presentation of Finland, his home and family, and sponsoring Rotary club, which sent a banner for exchange with one of ours.
President pro tempore and President-elect Dan O'Connor receives Otso's sponsoring club banner from Finland..following Otso receiving Packer "merch" and a celebratory birthday cake with eighteen candles,
last week's presentation was one on the growing interest in, and power of, what is dubbed, "Artificial Intelligence." Jim DeLillo, one of our newest members, and a consummate professional in several scientific areas, gave the club an introductory understanding of artificial intelligence, what it can and cannot do, and examples of his experience with it. The time was too short to permit more than teasing our interest, but questions that could not be answered then would willingly be addressed by Jim.
Two of our M-T Sunrise Rotarians, Connie Pukaite and Judine Phillips helped Team Valkyrie (organized by Carol Wessels) helped last Saturday as they tended to the Zion Evangelical Cemetery in Sussex, Wisconsin. This cemetery is now owned by Redeemer UCC and is the final resting place of Carol’s parents, Russell and Velma Wessels.
Volunteers trimmed trees, spread and raked topsoil, planted grass and cleaned headstones.
The event was part of "The Longest Day", an awareness program of the Alzheimer’s Association to bring attention to the long hours spent by caregivers. Russell was the caregiver for his wife, Velma, who had Alzheimer’s.
While Bridge the Divide is on hiatus, Ozaukee County Equity Roundtable (OCER) is continuing to expand the Beloved Community by fostering an equitable and inclusive Ozaukee County. OCER's up-coming event will celebrate Juneteenth Day by welcoming award-winning author and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, Dr. Ruha Benjamin, the author of "Viral Justice."
Please join in this live event on Saturday, June 17th from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. in the community room of Community United Methodist Church, located at W68N563 Evergreen Blvd. in Cedarburg. Following Dr. Benjamin's talk, there will be a Question and Answer session with refreshments provided. Register at the link below.
There will be a showing of the powerful documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So” as part of Unitarian Church North’s celebration of LGBTQ+ pride. The film will be shown at UCN at 6:30 pm on Friday, June 23 in the Sanctuary.
According to www.imdb.com [imdb.com], the film is “An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.” It will be followed by a panel discussion led by Rev. Tony Larsen (Unitarian Universalist Minister for over 48 years) and Julie Konik (Unitarian Universalist Seminarian). Refreshments will be provided. Admission is free, and donations for the HRC (www.hrc.org) will be accepted. Please register with this Eventbrite Link. Thanks!
President Erik Ankerberg’s professional resume includes nearly 15 years of experience in leadership positions at Lutheran higher education institutions. Within this time, Dr. Ankerberg has led academic operations for three separate universities: as provost for Concordia University Chicago and Concordia University Texas, and as assistant provost at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He also served as interim president for Concordia University Chicago in summer 2019.
Prior to his tenure as a provost, he was a department chair and held faculty positions at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He also taught at Concordia University Ann Arbor and Concordia University Wisconsin early in his career.
He holds a Ph.D. and Master of Arts in British Renaissance Literature from Marquette University and earned his bachelor’s degree from Concordia University Chicago. His research interests include aesthetics and the intersection of early modern literature and theology. He is currently pursuing pastoral ordination within the LCMS.
Dr. Ankerberg and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for 27 years. Jennifer is a literacy educator in the River Forest public schools. They have two sons: Peter, who is completing graduate work in architecture at the University of Michigan, and David, who is studying psychology at Valparaiso University.
