Speakers
Upcoming Speakers
Ernie Goss
Mar 24, 2023 12:00 PM
Economic Outlook
Brad Pittack
Mar 31, 2023 12:00 PM
Cyber Threats and Ransom Responses
No Meeting
Apr 07, 2023 12:00 PM
Past Speakers
Ankush Kumar Bahl
Mar 17, 2023 12:00 PM
Omaha Symphony
Upcoming Events
Officers
Club President
Club President-elect
Immediate Past Club President
Club Executive Secretary/Director
Club Secretary
Club Treasurer
Club Foundation Chair - TRF
Club Membership Chair
Club Polio Chair
Club Program Chair
Club Public Image
Club Service Projects
Club Foundation Chair - Club Foundation
 
Club Information
Welcome to Omaha West Rotary! 
Omaha West

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Fridays at 12:00 PM
Biaggi's
13655 California St.
Omaha, NE 68154
United States of America
Home Page Stories
Professor Erin Goss
Creighton University
"National Debt: Will it Kill the Patient?" 
 
 

 
 
Chair of the Day: TBA
Cashier: Bonnie Gill 
Invocator: Elizabeth Hallgren
Greeter: Tony Veland
Sgt. at Arms: Stephanie Olson 
 
 
 
Last week Lindsey Vande Hoef introduced us to new member Svetlana Huftles.  Svetlana Hutfles is a recent Omaha transplant.  She served as the Executive Director years at the Kansas Association of Community Foundations (KACF) for 13 years  and has dedicated 24 years of her career to community philanthropy nationally and internationally.
 
She holds Bachelor's Degree from the International Academy of Business and Banking in Russia, post-graduate studies at Miami University, USA, and Master's Degree from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. 
 
Svetlana, a native of Togliatti, Russia, was actively involved in developing community foundations worldwide. She helped establish the very first community foundation in Russia.
 
Svetlana was a Chevening Award scholar, a participant of the Community Foundation Fellowship of US German Marshall Fund, Charles Steward Mott and the King Baudouin Foundations, and an alumna of the Young Leadership Fellows for Public Service Program of USAID. S
 
Nationally, Svetlana’s recent work is mostly known for the Online Express Training for community foundations, and the Annual National Conference for Growing Community Foundations.  Her work was featured in the 2018 September publication of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Welcome, Svetlana!
 
 
 
 
 
Last week Gary Bren introduced us to new member Chad Allen.  Chad is Rotary transplant from the Cedar Valley Chapter in Cedar Falls, IA where he was treasurer and president-elect.

He began his role as Managing Director at Film Streams on December 1, 2022. He is happy to say that he lives in the greatest Omaha neighborhood, Dundee.  He is a colorblind, tea-addicted fourth generation ceramist, muralist, curator, photog, painter, haphazard humorist and Frank Lloyd Wright aficionado. 
 
With a creative writing and studio art degree from the University of Northern Iowa, he segued into hospital administration - as one does. After nearly a decade in academic medical center leadership roles, he shifted to non-profit arts organizations. It is through the arts and service groups, like Rotary, that he has dedicated time to strengthening arts ecosystems and connecting creative communities.  
 
Welcome, Chad! 

 

Last week Gary Bren introduced us to new member Bob Gerseny.  Bob grew up in Cleveland and went to schools in Ohio.  He started his career in banking as a tax lawyer and went on to manage trust departments.  A job opportunity took him and his family, Patrice, and daughters Laura and Helen, to New Hampshire where they lived for 18 years. 
 
Laura’s husband, John Fraser, grew up in Omaha so they decided to settle there. In 2019 Bob and Patrice moved to Omaha to be close to Laura and the grandchildren.  However, just then, Bob picked up a consulting project in Milwaukee.  That job finished this past summer so he’s just now starting to settle into Omaha and quasi retirement.  He’s looking forward to being active in the Club.  Welcome, Bob!
 
Last week we had a fantastic guest day featuring our Bloody Mary Fest supporting the fabulous work the Ronald McDonald House does in Omaha. We also heard Gary Bren's Rotary Why story.   What's your Rotary Why?  Who can you share that with. Membership is the lifeblood of our club and impact in the community. Think about who you can ask to visit Omaha West Rotary.
 
Our guests on Friday
Join us for a monthly Happy Hour to mingle in an informal setting.  All metro-area Rotarians and guests are invited!   Our next Happy Hour is March 9th from 4:30 to 7 at the Green Onion (11414 Davenport St)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Donate lightly used shoes to the  Soles 4 Souls shoe drive in the month of March.  More information is available at https://Soles4Souls.org about the organization. Please consider going through your closet and finding some shoes that you are no longer using that you would be willing to donate. A member of the Ecology committee will collect them each week. We are partnering with Suburban Rotary, which is the lead organization, and will package and send the shoes to the appropriate place. They will also take donations, but our main intent is to recycle the shoes.  Thank you for your consideration of this request. Charles Shapiro, chair, Ecology Committee.
 
 
Thank you to our March Meeting Sponsor!
Patricia Cantu and Next Step Fitness 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional and community leaders.  Members of Rotary clubs provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.  There are more than 34,000 Rotary clubs located in more than  212 countries and geographical areas.  Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, Rotary's main objective is service - in the community, in the workplace and throughout the world.

Keep engaged and entertained while attending Rotary Club meetings from around the Metro/District online or in-person. 
 
Monday:  Millard at Noon -  at the German American Society 
                 Bellevue Papillion Rotary Club meets at DJ’s Dugout in Bellevue on Mondays at noon.  
 
 
Tuesday: 
Omaha Morning Rotary and Northwest Rotary are holding joint meetings at a new location - the First Responders Foundation, 10605 Burt Circle, Omaha, NE 68114.
 
Update on Weekly Rotary Meeting:
As a result of the recent Club Assembly, Omaha Morning and Omaha Northwest will continue to merge meetings and will be alternating the meeting time on a monthly basis as follows:

February 2023 - Morning
March 2023 - Lunch
April 2023 - Morning
May 2023 - Lunch
June 2023 - Morning
 
Unless requested by the speaker, Omaha Morning will continue the meeting in hybrid format. This means Morning meetings will be available both in person and in zoom.
 
Wednesday: Omaha Downtown at Noon at the Field Club
                       Council Bluffs Centennial 7am at HyVee on Madison upstairs 
 
Thursday:  Omaha Suburban at noon:  in person, German American Society  also hybrid 
                    Council Bluffs at noon- Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center
 
In Lincoln:
  • Lincoln #14 Rotary Club - Tuesdays Noon - Embassy Suites 1040 P Street
  • Lincoln Giving Spirits Evening Rotary Club - Every-other Tuesday 6:00 PM) - JCMF Children's Charities 8445 Executive Woods Dr Ste B Lincoln
  • Lincoln East Rotary Club - Wednesdays at 11:45 AM - The Garage 
  • Lincoln South Rotary Club - Fridays noon - The Venue Private Dining Rooms - 4111 Pioneer Woods Dr
 
 
 
Please pay your Rotary dues by June 1st. Everyone should have gotten an emailed invoice.  If you need a copy of the invoice, please contact Jennifer.  CLICK HERE to pay online.