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ANNIVERSARIES
Rotary Onlinehttps://sandyspringsrotary.org
ROTARY CLUB OF |
President | Will MacArthur |
President-Elect | Fred Ferrand |
Secretary | Mike Stacy |
Treasurer | John Neill |
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Sandy Springs, I welcome you to visit our club and experience the Rotary Club of Sandy Springs' hospitality and energy. We meet on Monday for lunch at 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Hilton Perimeter Suites, 6120 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. You can reserve a spot by going to our website at www.sandyspringsrotary.org. Join your fellow professionals, and community and business leaders, and learn how Rotary can fit in your future. Experience Rotary Making A Difference!
Former Georgia Attorney General and current President of Kennesaw State University, Sam Olens, will speak to the Rotary Club of Sandy Springs on August 14, 2017. From the KSU website:
"Sam Olens became Kennesaw State University’s fourth president on Nov. 1, 2016.
Olens was elected Georgia’s 53rd attorney general in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. In his role, Olens worked with the governor and legislature to strengthen the penalties for sex trafficking and protect the victims. He also guided a comprehensive revision of Georgia’s sunshine laws and led the effort to stem the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. Additionally, in cooperation with the Georgia Food Bank Association and Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, Olens established the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, which has collected the equivalent of over 5 million pounds of food for Georgia’s youth.
Prior to being elected attorney general, Olens was chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, serving from August 2002 through March 2010. He previously served as a county commissioner from 1999 through June 2002. He also served as chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission from December 2004 through 2009, and as vice-chair of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water District from 2005 through March 2010.
Olens is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for leadership and service. In 2016, Georgia Trend magazine named him the Georgian of the Year, and he has been listed among the publication’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” for 12 consecutive years. In 2015, Olens received the Charles L. Weltner Freedom of Information Award, and in 2013, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Emory University School of Law. Additionally, in 2011, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce honored Olens for his dedication to community and philanthropic service by naming its annual community service award the “Sam Olens Business Community Service Award.”
He recently served as vice president of the National Association of Attorneys General, having previously served as chair of the 13-state Southern Region both in 2013 and 2015. Olens is a registered mediator/arbitrator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution and has been admitted to practice law in Georgia and the District of Columbia.
Olens received his juris doctorate from Emory University School of Law, and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from American University in international politics.
He and his wife Lisa have two children, Lauren and Jonathan."
Georgia means farmer in Greek and it makes good sense, according to Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black who spoke to the Rotary Club of Sandy Springs on August 7, 2017. Commissioner Black gave the official Ag Report:
- Agriculture is the number 1 industry in Georgia worth $74 billion, $15 billion at the farm level and the rest value added;
- Georgia's top crops are peanuts, poultry, pecans and blueberries;
- Georgia is among the top three states for peach farming;
- Half of Georgia's pecans are exported to China;
- Dairy is growing in Georgia;
- The "Georgia Grown" brand is putting the spotlight on the quality of Georgia-produced foods and agriculture;
- Georgia's beef industry in growing;
School nutrition is another area that Georgia Grown is reaching into so that more Georgia Grown food is offered to schoolchildren. "A child that is hungry won't perform well", Black told the Rotary Club of Sandy Springs. Look to see more Georgia Grown logos on products in our supermarkets, including Kroger dairy.
Commissioner Black then brought out a length of string with bottle caps attached at regular intervals. He explained that this was agricultural technology in some countries, where seed are placed at the bottle caps and this action is repeated the length of the field. Black stressed that technology must improve worldwide as the population increases. Part of that process is educating people about farming. "The general public has a great appreciation for farming, more than for Congress, but we don't understand farming", said Black.
L-R Jim Squire, Commissioner Gary Black, Billy Lovett, Steve Soteres.
Family of Rotary Event to be held at the Home of Nate & Susan Kongthum, on August 28th, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in place of the regular Monday luncheon Meeting. $20 per person includes food and wine, along with a Sommelier. RSVP to Nate Kongthum 404-655-7685 or nkongthum@gmail.com
Louis Galli, the incoming RYE student from France made his first visit to the Rotary Club of Sandy Springs. He will spend the year studying at Riverwood H.S. and spread his time among three families, the first being the Flanagan Family. Alex Flanagan is the District's outgoing RYE student who is shortly headed for Japan for a year's study. Picture l-r Louis Galli, Alex Flanagan, and President Will MacArthur.
Heed Advance Notice: Wear those Rotary pins to lunch. Starting September 1, 2017, members who don't wear their Rotary pins to lunch will be politely asked to purchase a $5 pin at Check Point Charlie, a/k/a the sign-in desk. Obviously from the picture below, there are correct ways to wear your pin.
August 14, 2017
GREETER A: Bob Levinson
GREETER B: Chara Shikh
INVOCATION: Fran Farias
If you are unable to serve as a greeter or give the invocation, please be responsible for finding a replacement.
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