Events

          The theme of the Presentation is

                 "Keeping our Oceans Clean"

"It's the responsibility of everyone to keep our planet clean, no matter where you live or what country you're from".

"If we don't take care of the planet now, there will be more floods, droughts, hurricanes, cyclones & viruses and eventually all species including humans will become extinct".

John spent 17 years as Editor & Publisher of What's Happening Calendars for California  

He was also Volunteer & Team Leader of the Adopt A Highway Program, SF Bay Area for 12 years and Creator and Volunteer Director for

the  "War Against Trash, " Guerra Contra La Basura, for 4 years.

Have you ever felt unsure how to help someone struggling with their mental health? This talk equips you with essential skills to offer support, navigate crisis situations, and connect people with professional help. Mental Health First Aid is just like CPR for mental wellbeing – empowering you to make a difference in the lives of those around you.

Laura DeCook founded LDC Wellbeing, a mental health education and awareness organization in 2020. She spent two decades working in the entertainment and technology industries, including a decade at Google in the US and Singapore.

Kandy Hirsch has been a Licensed Professional Counselor for the past 24 years and a business owner for the past 40. She has run peer advisory groups of women business owners in Tucson, Arizona for 12 years. Kandy teaches Emotional Intelligence and has been certifying learners in Mental Health First Aid since the start of the pandemic.

About the Marin CASA Program

Our goal is to see every child thrive in a safe, permanent and supportive home.

As sworn officers of the court, our volunteer advocates are responsible for making recommendations for the safety, permanence and well-being of every Marin CASA child. By building a consistent and supportive relationship with each child, Marin CASA makes a difference one child at a time.

When a child has an advocate, s/he is more likely to get needed services — and a permanent, stable home.

Sherene Chen spent over 10 years in finance, working in wealth management services at such companies as Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase. Then in 2016, she became the Executive Director and eventually CEO for Bloom Marin and led them through being acquired by the YWCA, Golden Gate Silicon Valley, in April, 2022. She is currently the Executive Director for Marin CASA

Retired Marine Colonel Brendan Kearney will present "Ukraine: Where Have We Been; Where We Are; and Where Are We Going?" He will focus on the historical context of the current conflict, with particular emphasis on the dramatic change of events from the overwhelming success of the 2014 Russian invasion to the military disaster encountered by Russia subsequent to the 2022 invasion.

After introducing Wonderfest, the nonprofit Bay Area Beacon of Science, this short talk will present the heart of Einstein’s (and Galileo’s!) theory of relativity. We’ll begin with this “loaded" question: How fast are YOU moving right now?

Tucker Hiatt is Founding Director of 27-year-old Wonderfest. He earned BA and MS degrees in physics at the University of California. He has taught physics for 33 years, earned the AMGEN Award for Science Teaching Excellence, and worked at the Berkeley SETI Research Center.

See also www.wonderfest.org .

Marilyn Nemzer, a Rotarian for 32 years, is Emeritus CEO and current Board Member for the Book Exchange of Marin, which provides educational resources to kids, their teachers, parents and schools and to other non-profits that serve children. She served as teacher and counselor for 15 years and ran a private tutoring and teacher placement service. She has been active in renewable energy and environmental issues. She earned funding from the US Dept of Energy and the California Energy Commission and created and published public information about geothermal energy. She also co-authored Energy for Keeps, an award-winning book about renewable energy. She has won the Jefferson Award for Public Service and has been recognized as one of the top 25 volunteers in the S.F. Bay Area. 

Her talk topic: Shipping Books to a Faraway Land - What Can Go Wrong?

Maureen will discuss the partnerships and pathways that will lead to more affordable homeownership opportunities in Marin.

Maureen is the Chief Executive Officer of Habitat Greater San Francisco, serving Marin, San Mateo, and San Francisco Counties. Over the last 8 years, she has overseen incredible pipeline growth and increased mission impact across the organization as they build, preserve, finance and advocate for affordable homeownership.  An inspiring and strategic leader with a highly successful track record leading in both the non-profit and social impact private sector, Maureen has served in executive leadership roles for 3+ decades at leading organizations. She was the Founder, President, and CEO of the Youth Leadership Institute and for over 2 decades worked with hundreds of communities, foundations, and organizations throughout the U.S. and internationally on effective and transformative youth leadership, philanthropy, civic engagement, and policy initiatives.

The speakers are owners of private schools in Uganda that are affiliated with the Melissa Prandi Children's Foundation.

Enriching Lives Through Music provides youth with an immersive music education and resources that inspire and empower them to pursue their dreams. Jane Kramer, ELM Executive Director, will update us on the significant growth of ELM programs, even during Covid.

Jane has played music since the age of 7, mastering the oboe and the English horn. She also has a Ph.D. in Urban Policy and Planning from U.C. Berkeley and has consulted for public sector and nonprofit organizations with a focus on vulnerable adolescents. She is the Founder of Enriching Lives Through Music and, in 2016, received the 2016 Marin County Humanitarian Award. In 2018 she was honored to enter the Marin Women's Hall of Fame. Jane will discuss the ever-growing programs of ELM and their impact on the children who participate.

Kristin Amlie will share tips and strategies for improving the ergonomics of your home office to help you work more comfortably, safely, and efficiently.

Kristin is the Principal for Best Life Ergonomics, an ergonomics and inclusive design consultancy that provides tailored solutions for living, working, and aging. With a background in ergonomics, physical therapy, Universal Design, and aging in place, she is passionate about creating environments that meet the needs of people of all ages and abilities at work, home, and in the community. She is also the Principal Ergonomist and Program Manager for the Ergonomics & Human Factors Program at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Kristin serves on the Marin County Commission on Aging, where she represents the needs of older adults and people with disabilities.

Davis will talk about experiences he has had in a multi-faceted career. After serving as a paratroop sergeant (first with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, and later with the 12th Special Forces Group of the Army Reserve), he spent 13 years as a smokejumper, then became a volunteer paramedic with overseas medical teams in Liberia (Ebola team), Mosul, Iraq, during the battle there, and more recently, Ukraine. More recently he has become a landscape artist and will display some of his work.