Our next meeting will be Friday (11/1) at Newcastle Place 12600 N Port Washington Rd, Mequon, WI 53092.
Our program will feature Jeff Whittle MD, MPH from the Medical College of Wisconsin who will speak on the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research program. (Scroll down for bio)
We will also be inducting two new members this Friday; Cori Guerin and Kurt Zellmann. Both will be Corporate Members. Cori is with Concordia with Steve Taylor as her sponsor and Kurt is with the City of Mequon with Connie Pukaite as his sponsor.
The greeter will provide either the thought, a Rotary minute, share a family moment or a cultural tradition ... anything they would like to start off the day positive.
Upcoming "It's your Rotary moment" assignees:
Lynn Streeter (11/1)
Jennifer Sutherland (11/8)
Lee Szymborski (11/15)
Steve Taylor (11/22)
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. 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 and still maintain my therapist license today.
What is your formal education? I received my undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis and my graduate degree in Administrative Leadership and Adult Education from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.
Tell us about your family? Scot and I celebrated our 31tst wedding anniversary this year. 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 Maine and my brother’s family live in New York. I am part of a large extended Italian family and when we are together we all talk at the same time!
How do you spend your time outside of work? I have been an active community volunteer since I was 14. It has been both an evolving and continuous part of my life. I recently accepted an invitation, from the Mayor of Mequon, to serve on the Future of the Fire Department Committee. Other interests include travel, gardening and cooking. In March Scot and I will head to French Polynesia to go snorkeling.
Most important lesson you have learned? Be thoughtful and be intentional.
Editor's Note: Jeff Wenzler has spoken to our club on several occasions.
By Madison Goldbeck - News Graphic
MEQUON — Just two weeks ago, Jeff Wenzler of Mequon was on a mission trip in Kingston, Jamaica, when he was stabbed in the kidney with a knife during a robbery. But Wednesday, he was sitting in a Mequon dog park relishing forgiveness, his faith in humanity unshaken.
“If people can survive in a landfill area with smiles on their face, joy in their heart with faith and hard work, then I can handle a scar,” Wenzler said.
Wenzler runs the local nonprofit Pivotal Directions, which focuses on humanitarian projects, specifically in Kingston. Wenzler has connected hundreds of volunteers over the years to a landfill area in Riverton to perform construction of homes, educational projects and mentoring, among other things.
On Oct. 7, Wenzler was nearly killed trying to stop one of his volunteers from being robbed. The woman was carrying a clutch that contained her passport, money and phone. Two young Jamaican men approached them.
“I heard the struggle in her voice, I jumped in – and I think anyone would,” Wenzler said. “I didn’t know they had knives. I had tunnel vision, but I was focused on retrieving her purse.”
Wenzler chased the men as they ran away with the purse. After cornering one of the men, the other man stabbed him twice, once in the kidney. Wenzler said he wasn’t even aware he was stabbed due to adrenaline. He continued to chase the men, until he felt his side and found his hands covered in blood. He collapsed and the men got away.
A good Samaritan rushed to Wenzler’s side and ripped off his own shirt and belt to help stop the bleeding. Another Samaritan pulled up in his car and rushed Wenzler to the hospital.
Several Sunrise Rotarians actively participated in a live auction at Friday's meeting. Six area restaurants donated gift cards and merchandise to support our END POLIO NOW campaign. Dan Oconnor served as auctioneer and got lively bidding going. The original value of the 6 cards was $175 and, due to some great bidding competition, Sunrise Rotary raised $320 in about 5 minutes!
Sunrise Rotarians are encouraged to visit the following restaurants and extend our thanks to them:
Chancery Pub and Reataurant
Crave Bar and Food
Ferrantes'
First Watch
Highland House
Range Line Inn
Don't forget to pick up your glass jar that Brian Kendzor has prepared for you to drop in your spare change over the next year. This will become part of our END POLIO NOW fund raising for 2020.
John Cabaniss is making the most of his LOA by making new Rotary friendships. He’s become a regular visiting Rotarian at more than one club in Madrid. He and family are off to Munich for the weekend, who knows if he’ll meet more Rotarians, or come across more Rotary sponsored projects on his travels.
From Nuns to Pastors, I Have Worked With Both, The 42 Year Journey with Concordia In Between
Rennicke began his role as vice president of the Concordia University Wisconsin Foundation on Monday, May 22. He officially ended his positions as vice president and general manager of the Lakeshore Chinooks and vice president of marketing for Kapco, Inc. on May 12, but has said he will be available to the collegiate summer baseball team in an advisory capacity.
In his new role, Rennicke will focus on advancing Concordia’s athletic teams with an eye towards raising funds for future new facilities. More immediately, he will work with the rest of the advancement department on the campaign for Concordia’s new academic building, the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center.
Concordia announced last fall its plans to erect the new building, which will house its Batterman School of Business and serve as the central space on campus from which free market principles will be developed and advanced. The building will also serve as a space for cross-disciplinary student collaboration and will be a resource to the community.
“Dean’s integrity, vast experience and alignment with the mission of Concordia made him a perfect fit for this new position,” said Rev. Dr. Roy Peterson, vice president of advancement. “I’m confident his reputation in the community will help raise the profile of the university and allow us to continue to move Concordia forward.”
A Milwaukee native who was raised in Mequon, Rennicke has had the opportunity to visit the Mequon campus countless times and has been a friend of the university for decades, said Peterson. With Kapco Park located on the campus grounds, his work with the Lakeshore Chinooks kept him especially connected in recent years. Two of his children also graduated from Concordia in 2016 and 2017.
“It’s the right time,” said Rennicke. “I wanted to be able to use my skillset to impact the most people in a positive way, and now is the time for Concordia to be that place. The vision of the leadership and the mission of the university align well with my values.
“I wanted to leave Kapco on a high note,” Rennicke continued. “I’m grateful for my time there and remain a supporter and friend of Jim (Kacmarcik, Kapco president), Kapco and the Chinooks.”
Rennicke had served six years as VP of Marketing for Kapco and VP/GM for the Chinooks. He began his professional career as a minor league pitcher and coach after he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers during his junior year at UW-Madison. Seven years later, after multiple arm surgeries, he returned to Milwaukee and joined the Milwaukee Brewers front office, where he spent 15 seasons in various capacities, including vice president of corporate and ticket sales. Before stepping into his role with Kapco, he joined the Journal Broadcast Group’s radio networks selling the Packers and Brewers Radio Broadcasts.
He and his wife, Margaret, live in Grafton and attend First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedarburg. The two have three children: Ben, Elizabeth and Abby.
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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 and still maintain my therapist license today.
