Don Manzullo served as the U. S. representative for Illinois' 16th District from 1993 to 2013. From 2001 to 2007 he served as Chairman of the Committee on Small Business, and from January 2011 to January 2013 he served as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommitteeon Asia and the Pacific
Don was born in Rockford and attended Auburn High School, graduating in 1962.He earned a bachelor's degree from American University in Washington D. C. in 1967 and a J. D. degree from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee in 1970.Manzullo practiced as an attorney in Oregon Illinois before entering politics.
Don ran for the 16th District in 1992 and won the Republican primary and the general election with 56% of the vote. He was re-elected every two years until 2012 when he lost in a newly reconfigured 16th District. On January 4, 2013, after his congressional term had ended, Manzullo became the president and CEO of the Korea Economic Institute, a Washington think tank.
Don is married to Freda and is the father of Neil, Noel and Katie. He lives in Egan, a small rural community near Rockford.
Don will discuss his book "Do Nice Guys Run for Congress". There will also be an opportunity to purchase the book after the meeting.
Elise Cadigan will act as Rotary host and Jim Coffey will introduce our presenter.
Paul Von Driska was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana with an MS in Mechanical Engineering. Paul and his wife Beth live in Roscoe, IL and have one son, Michael, who is a junior at Columbia University in NYC. For those of you that like Illinois history, Beth’s Mom’s family founded Lisle, IL in 1831 and Joy Morton bought the wood lots of many of the local farmers to create the Morton Arboretum. Paul has worked for thirty years at Bergstrom, Inc. which is headquartered in Rockford IL. and started in downtown Rockford 73 years ago. Bergstrom Inc. is the leading global designer and manufacturer of cab climate systems for heavy duty commercial trucks, off-highway machines and specialty vehicles. Bergstrom has operations in Rockford and Joliet, IL and in the UK, Spain, and China and a Joint Venture (JV) and Design Center in India. Paul has worked in various areas of the company including Engineering, Project Management, and Business Leadership including Managing Director of Bergstrom UK for 5 years, helping create the operations in India and leading the acquisition of the operation in Spain. He is currently VP, Government Affairs and Legal, and is responsible for reviewing, negotiating and drafting of various contracts; 1/14/2022 Supply Chain Challenges 1/27/22 Program 2/3 support in mergers and acquisitions and overseeing and managing patents, trademarks and litigation matters. Prior to working for Bergstrom, he worked at Whirlpool’s Research and Engineering Center in Benton Harbor, MI and for Valeo Climate Control in Auburn Hills, MI. In the past decade Paul has been an active community volunteer and promoter of the Rockford region. He served on the board of Montessori Private Academy and helped build their new school. He was a co-lead of Transform Rockford’s Leadership and Youth Team, an advisory Board member of the YMCA’s Youth Development Team and a math tutor at Kennedy Middle School. In addition to being the Rotary Academy liaison for Kennedy Middle School he currently serves as a CASA.
As the title suggests, Paul will discuss ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint. This will be an informative and interesting program and one you will want to bring a guest or prospective member to join us in person at Memorial Hall or via zoom. As of press time, the program committee was still looking for an appropriate Rotary host.
Thank-you to everyone who attended last Thursday’s events our Speaker, Congressman Darin LaHood and our happy hour at Prairie Street later that day.
We will need reservations for the February 23rd Ice Hogs game by February 15th . I will resend the flyer out early in the week. Let’s pack the Sky Deck - feel free to bring guests.
THANK-YOU to everyone who helped at the Northern Ill Food Bank on Friday. We served just over 332 families that day on our shift from 1-3pm.
We will be starting our District Service Project-Food Drive in February. The goal is 20Lbs. of food/member for a food bank. Watch for the announcement on Thursday.
From R - L, President Pete, new member Pam Timmons. Mary Maxted, Pam's Sponsor, new member Mark Brynteson, and Linda Niemiec, Mark's sponsor.
New Member Mark Brynteson
Mark Brynteson is a highly accomplished attorney and entrepreneur limiting his practice in personal injury and transnational law (Estate Planning, Real Estate and Probate). In 1980, he earned his Bachelor's Degree, followed by Graduate Science Degrees in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, culminating in a Juris Doctorate in 1989. Since completing law school, Mark co-founded his own law firm, where he has been actively practicing for over 35 years. In addition to his legal career, Mark has been happily married to Cindy for 40 years, and together, they have four children and six grandchildren.
Mark extends his experience to Not-for-Profit Organizations, having served as the Chief Operating Officer and acting Chief Financial Officer for two large multi-million dollar NFPs for 8 years. These organizations managed diverse assets, including radio stations, HUD 202 retirement centers, and a k-12 school. Mark implemented effective risk management programs, fostering a secure environment for customers, and reducing annual insurance premiums by $25,000.
Mark is dedicated to maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise and has a passion for family travel, particularly to the Caribbean for scuba diving adventures. Additionally, he enjoys fostering his inner child by sharing his slot car hobby with his grandkids.
President Pete and Becky delivered the clothing for the clothing drive we had before Christmas to Antia Fricks at Constance Lane Elementary School last Wednesday. They really appreciated the clothing.
Thanks to all who contributed to the clothing drive.
Each week we will be publishing a message from the Rotary International Foundation. This week's message is:
HOW THE ROTARY FOUNDATION AFFECTED ONE PERSON
“The Rotary Peace Fellowship program came at a point in my life where I wanted to validate my work. Some of the skills I took back from the fellowship include better communication in the nonviolent space. I feel supported by this community and can reach out to any peace fellow in the world.”
Starting with our September 7th meeting, we will be having lunches at our noon meetings. We will be starting with a package from Beef-A-Roo. It will consist of a Wrap, salad, chips, cookie, and a soda or water. There will bea variety of meats in the wraps. This is a work in progress and things may change. Lunches will start on September 7, 2023 and will be available at 11:45 AM the day of the meeting.
PLEASE. If you plan to bring a guest, PLEASE let us know 3 days in advance so we can make arrangements for food. It will be your responsibility to cover the cost at $12.50 per meal.
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