A beautiful day in Northern Michigan as we picnicked amid the trees of NMC. Sunny, warm and a light breeze under the tent as President John Racine brought us to order. Here are the shortened administrative order for the day:
There was a moment of silence to remember long time Rotarian Ted Bagley on his passing.
Christopher Cox led the invocation.
Marsha Minervini led the singing acknowledging the beauty of where we were Tuesday with the Woody Guthrie “This Land is Your Land.”
Ken Weaver introduced our visiting Rotarians and guests.
Autumn Soltysiak introduced NMC students of the week: Alexandra Briggs and Emily Martin, both well accomplished as they pursue their college careers.
Mike Meindertsma reminded all of the Golf Outing on Monday, August 14th. You can sign up for Golf ($60 for the round for non TCG&CC members) or Pickleball ($10 for non TCG&CC members) that day, with social playtime at the 19th Hole after the earlier playtime.
Cindy Ruzak is in need of volunteers for the Discovery Center at Harbor Day in Elk Rapids.
President John also asked us to act up, as there hasn’t been a smart pill awarded in some time. Apparently, we are a very well-behaved club!
The 50/50 was not held Tuesday.
Thanks went out to the NMC Foundation staff and Resource Development staff and those who made us feel welcome and well fed at our mini BBQ! Bravo and Brava!
Ken Weaver. Chair of the NMC Board of Trustees welcomed us to the campus and introduced the program and our speaker Tim Nelson, President of NMC and Rotarian. Weaver and Nelson both acknowledged the investments Rotary and Rotary Charities have made over these many years of partnership from NMC’s earliest days from the annual NMC BBQ through Water Studies, the Dennos Museum and much more. Maybe one of the most important among these is the investment in the University Center, which brought baccalaureate degrees to local students through NMC and is model sought after by many schools across the nation. We are strong partners and invested in the success of NMC as a leader among Community Colleges across the nation.
Nelson has been President of NMC since 2001. In his sixteen years as president, along with faculty and staff, they have built many global partnerships around the world notably with China, Brazil, Costa Rica, Great Britain and others. Nelson and his wife Nancy Johnson personally established and committed monies to the Global Opportunities Fund to increase international opportunities for NMC students. This global reach of NMC is the backbones of the college’s commitment to their students and the community at large, a point Nelson made often as he spoke. He and the college have a strong commitment to the communities, which they serve.
Nelson spoke of the recent initiatives that are part of facility and student expansion. NMC reaches some 50,000 “learners” annually far more than the On-Campus student approaching 5,000. NMC continues to advance its interest in baccalaureate, master and Ph.D. degree options.
There are five strategic directives that drive NMC going forward
Prepare students/learners to be successful in a global economy and society
To establish National and International competencies as related to our regional economies and resources
Deliver learning through a networked workforce
Be a portal for lifelong learning
New credentials utilizing new and as yet undetermined technologies, allowing new methods and means of learning
Nelson credits NMC’s belief in innovation as a defining aspect of the NMC culture. They model three phases:
Discovery
Incubation
Acceleration
NMC needs monies for this to succeed and the Foundation gives out what Nelson terms as “Discovery Grants” to nurture new and innovative ideas from faculty, staff and students to initiate their ideas and determine if there is enough to want to incubate the idea. The monies to pursue this level come from a strategic fund administered through the President’s office there is a venture capital fund earmarked for a project to move into the acceleration phase.
Notable facilities expansion are the new North Hall residence of suites affording communal aspects with privacy for students. The expansion of Dennos Museum is currently the most visible of facility changes, adding nearly 15,000 square feet surrounding the extant museum exhibition halls with two new permanent galleries, a new sculpture gallery and enlarged Inuit gallery among other spaces.
Enhancements to West Hall are to follow adding 30,000 square feet to include a technologically advanced, 24/7 innovation center that can house small and large projects for anyone in the Traverse community. The second part of the new addition will house a new library. This is expected to begin in 2018.
NMC is in the top tier of Community Colleges in the country offering advanced degree programs, in veteran services, short-term study abroad programs, drone training, culinary, endowment per student and monetary awards and a world-class museum. NMC is the only institution in the world providing certification for the Association of Diving Contractors International for remote vehicle underwater training.
As Nelson asserts, “innovation remains vital in the DNA here.” Rotary is an integral part of that. We have a lot to be proud of when it comes to educational opportunities and the faculty and staff that maintain NMC as our lauded and sought Community College.
A memorial service for Ted Bagley (who died July 28) will be held on Sat. Aug. 12 at 11:00 a.m., at The First Congregational Church, with visitation beginning one hour prior.
Traverse City, MI – Community partners and the general public are invited to meet new Rotary staff. Join us on Thursday, August 10th, from 4 - 6 pm in the first floor conference room of the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce for a casual, social gathering with the full Rotary team. Drinks and light snacks will be provided.
In July, Rotary Charities and Rotary Camps & Services announced decisions by their boards to retool staffing to address the changing landscape for their organizations. Rotary Charities has added Leah Bagdon-McCallum as their newly created Director of Community Capacity and Evan Gray as the newly created Director of Organizational Capacity. Rotary Camps & Services has added John Noonan as the Program Director and Nick Killian as the Greilick Director.
ABOUT OUR NEW STAFF
Leah Bagdon-McCallum, formerly with Senator Gary Peters office, has a background in community building and fund development. Leah grew up in the area and has strong ties here. Her position will focus on our work in communities.
Evan Gray moved to our region several years ago from Idaho, where he was an administrator for a year-round co-ed boarding school. His background is in consulting, experiential education, organizational development and servant leadership. Evan’s position will focus on organizational and network capacity through grants and NorthSky, Rotary Charities’ capacity building program.
John Noonan has served as a project manager for the Discovery Center and Pier over the past year. He will assume a full-time position and oversee all the Rotary Camps properties.
Nick Killian, formerly a Camping Director for the Boy Scouts of America, will assume the newly created position of Director for the former Camp Greilick, now Greilick Outdoor Recreation & Education Center.
ABOUT ROTARY CHARITIES
Since its inception in the mid-70s, Rotary Charities has distributed more than $56 million in the form of 1,250 grants to organizations and non-profits in Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Kalkaska and Antrim counties. The public foundation was formed following the 1976 discovery of oil and natural gas reserves on property owned by the Traverse City Rotary Club/Rotary Camps & Services. Its purpose over the years has been to distribute interest income generated from the oil and gas royalties to organizations throughout the five-county region of northwest Michigan. More information is available at www.traversecityrotary.org/charities/.
ABOUT ROTARY CAMPS & SERVICES
Created in 1955, Rotary Camps & Services is a separate 501(c)(1) nonprofit, which owns 1,800 acres in Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. Their mission is to steward strategic land and water resources, and be collaborative innovators who respond to community opportunities.
You can be supporting your community and country while enjoying time with friends. Please consider participating in Traverse City’s first 9/11 Remembrance 5K Run/Walk by running, walking or volunteering for this inaugural community event! All Rotary Members will receive 20% off with this code: ROTARY2017
DATE: Sunday, September 10th
START TIME: 8:46 am EDT END TIME: 11:00am EDT PRICE/REGISTRATION: $25.00 Race Fee + $2.50 SignUp Fee (Sign up right away, as the price increases to $30.00 after August 11, 2017, at 7:00 pm EDT)
The 9/11 run is to honor those who lost their lives in the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks, as well as our Local First Responders and Veterans. Proceeds will go to the September 11thFamilies' Association Fund in New York, NY, http://911families.org/ as well as the Grand Traverse Area First Responder Coalition, a non-profit set up to help our local first responders (police, fire, EMS, Emergency Management, 911 Dispatchers.) This fund allows for education opportunities, scholarships, recognition, emergency financial support, etc., for those who risk their lives for us every single day.
We welcome all Runners, Walkers, and Wheelchairs! If you would like to be pushed in a wheelchair or volunteer to push, please visit our volunteer page.
The race will start at 8:46 am, the same time the World Trade Center’s Northern Tower was hit. We will gather before the race for a brief ceremony to remember and honor those who lost their lives that day, and show support to our Local First Responders who risk their lives every day to keep us safe- and then show our spirit with an amazing run through our beautiful downtown!
Want to run on the best course in Traverse City? You will get to run downtown, through historical neighborhoods and on Front Street!
The race starts right in town in historic F&M Park, then continues West along Washington St to the Court House, where you will be cheered on by some of Traverse City's finest, the TCPD, and other volunteers. You will continue West on 6th Street and make your way to Maple and Front at Fire Station #1 where you will be offered a cold drink from the team at Michigan Blood. From there, you will continue back to Cass Rd, where you'll make a left, go under Grandview Parkway, and continue East on the Lakefront Path, making your way back to F&M Park for music, refreshments, and prizes. (Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the race this year.)
gley (who died July 28) will be held on Sat. Aug. 12 at 11:00 a.m., at The First Congregational Church, with visitation beginning one hour prior.
