UPCOMING SOCIALS & PROJECTS & EVENTS  

Upcoming District/International Events:

June 13 – 17, 2026 – Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan
May 7-9, 2027 – SAVE THE DATE! – Jeff’s District Conference & Lakeside Jam @ Konocti Harbor Resort (Click here for flyer)

Check back for new socials and events

Flyers:

   

More socials, projects, & events coming soon!

Rotaract Fund Raiser
If anyone would like to donate money to GRA (Global Rotaract Alumni Club) they can donate the money on the GOSC site and include a note that it is for GRA. This would help us tremendously to continue growing as a club and be able to conduct larger scale projects. Here is the donation link: Donate Now – Global Offsite Care

Rotary Club of Santa Rosa
Wednesday June 3, 2026

 

Opening The Meeting:

Wow!   What a crowd for today’s Public Safety Awards! President Julia greeted one and all, “We are united to serve our community and world…for the kids!”

Patty Kolin led us in the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Four/Five-Way Test.  After telling us her Reflection for the day, President Julia did not let her just go sit down.  President Julia announced that Patty was our Rotarian of the Month!  Duh! This truly was a no brainer! Patty has done a fabulous job getting sponsorships for our club.  We are over $42,000 at this moment!  That means a lot of good things as we end our Rotary year.

Visiting Rotarians:

Maggie Padovani from the Napa Club….but wait! She has been approved by the board to join our club effective July 1, 2026!

Visitors:

Ah….lot! Many friends and family of our honorees, plus public officials in our audience today.

Mark Manchester was a visitor looking for a club to join!

Sunshine:

All is good today!

50/50 Drawing:

No drawing today, much to Ted Wilmsen’s chagrin…

Birthdays for June:

Today we celebrated Rose Frances, Jeff Kolin, Ray Giampaoli, Doug Landin, and Carmen Sinigiani

Michael Moore and the Joke of the Week:

A reporter asked Roger on his 100th birthday, “How do you account for your longevity?”

Roger replied, “You might call me a health nut. I’ve never smoked. I’ve never drank alcohol. I was always in bed and sound asleep by 10:00pm. I’ve always walked at least two miles a day, rain or shine.”

The reporter said, “I had an uncle who followed that same routine, and he died when he was 60. Why didn’t it work for him?

Roger said, “He didn’t keep it up long enough.”

Craig Meltzner and the Public Safety Awards for 2026:

“Today, the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa continues one of its most meaningful traditions: our Public Safety Awards program, initiated by our late member Lee Abramson. For more than three decades, this Club has paused each year to recognize outstanding public safety professionals for their service to Santa Rosa and Sonoma County.

This year, we honor three exceptional public safety professionals selected by their departments: Firefighter Nathan Dilly of the Santa Rosa Fire Department; Officer Jonathan Crespan of the Santa Rosa Police Department; and Lieutenant Brent Kidder of the Sonoma County Sheriff Office.’

‘I’ll begin by celebrating how fortunate we are to live in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County – a place of extraordinary natural beauty, strong neighborhoods and communities, and a deep tradition of people showing up for one another. But the quality of life we enjoy also depends on the skill, judgment, and commitment of our public safety departments and the people who serve in them.”

‘That work is more complex than ever. Our communities are navigating budget pressures and difficult priorities involving crime and crime prevention, mental health, homelessness, drug addiction, immigration-related concerns, public trust and accountability, emergency response, and fire safety. These issues require steady, collaborative leadership and a deep commitment to the community’s best interests.”

‘Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self.” Rotary recognizes the value of vocation – the idea that our daily work can be a form of service to society. Today’s honorees embody that principle.”

Without getting ahead of the chief’s presentations, today’s honorees remind us of the breadth of public safety service: courage in moments when seconds matter, compassionate crisis response, professionalism in daily  service and leadership that strengthens public trust. By honoring them, we also honor the many public safety professionals who serve quietly and consistently every day, without public recognition.”

“Many of us have a personal memory of public safety service – a wildfire evacuation, a medical emergency, an accident, a call involving someone we love, or simply seeing first responders bring calm to a difficult moment.

Today is a chance to say, in a public way, that we noticed, we remember, and we are thankful.

We are grateful to the chiefs, command staff, families, colleagues, and friends who are with us today.”

“For over 30 years we have been recognizing our public service members with these awards. Former member, Lee Abramson, brought this idea to the club and it is clearly one of the best meetings of the year. In the beginning we gave awards only to the police officer and firefighter of the year.  A few years back we decided to honor someone in the Sheriff’s Department too. This year’s awards go to Nathan Dilly, Jon Crespan, and Brent Kidder.”

“Chief Westrope began his fire service career in San Luis Obispo County in 1994 and came to the Santa Rosa Fire Department in 2000. He has previously served as Firefighter/Paramedic, Captain, Training Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, and Fire Chief. He is active in countywide fire service leadership and emergency coordination, including REDCOM and the Sonoma County Fire Service Working Group.”

Firefighter Nathan Dilly is being recognized for his heroic actions on December 20, 2025, by Chief Scott Westrope. He and his crew arrived at a non-injury accident where a vehicle burst into flames. Nathan and Engineer Joe Perez charged a hose to suppress the fire while Captain Holt controlled the hose line. Nathan made a high-risk decision to run through the flames to rescue the driver, Ramona, from the burning vehicle. Nathan’s actions were selfless and heroic, saving Ramona’s life with only minor burns, only seconds before the fire would fully engulfed the car and would have killed her. Ramona was here today to honor Nathan.

On accepting his award, he expressed discomfort with individual recognition. He emphasized the entire team and their collective efforts.

“Chief Cregan has more than two decades of law enforcement experience and has served as Santa Rosa’s Chief of Police since 2022. He holds a master’s degree from the University of San Diego, is a graduate of Command College, and has been a leader in developing more effective models of community safety, including Santa Rosa’s inRESPONSE Mental Health Support Team.”

Officer John Crespan was introduced to us by Police Chief John Cregan. Chief Cregan emphasized his exemplary service and leadership within the police department. His roles include hostage negotiation, gang crimes, and community engagement. Three specific incidents showcased Officer Crespan’s quick thinking and life-saving actions. In February 2025, Officer Crespan responded to a stabbing at Elsie Allen High School, providing first aid and gathering crucial evidence.  In August 2025 Officer Crespan saved a suicidal teenager from a parking garage, using his negotiation skills to rescue her, In October 2025, the responded to a stabbing at the Cannery Apartments, providing emergency care to a critically injured person.

Officer Crespan expressed his gratitude to the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa, his wife, and children for support. He emphasized that his actions were part of a team effort.

 

Lieutenant Brent Kidder was introduced by Assistant Sheriff Jason Fowler (filling in for Sheriff Eddie Engram). He highlighted Lieutenant Kidder’s role in the professional standards unit. He praised Lieutenant Kidder’s integrity, humility, and leadership in handling internal affairs. His work ensures fairness, accountability, and public trust within the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

Lieutenant Kidder expressed his gratitude to the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa, his family and colleagues for their support. He acknowledged the team effort behind his achievements and the importance of collaboration in public safety. Lieutenant Kidder emphasized the value of integrity, humility, and “service above self” in his work. He dedicates his award to his team and the civilians who support them, highlighting the collective effort in public safety.

Craig ends the program,” We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the families, partners, and loved ones of the awardees. Public safety.”

“Service is not carried by the individual alone. Families share the missed dinners, the interrupted holidays, the worry, the long shifts, and the emotional weight that comes with this work. We are grateful to you as well. Thank you to Chief Westrope, Chief Cregan, Sheriff Engram, and to the many members of the Fire Department, Police Department, and Sheriff’s Office who joined us today. Your departments help make it possible for Santa Rosa and Sonoma County to be not only beautiful places to live, but safe, resilient, and caring communities.

Thank you also to the administrative staff and department representatives who helped organize today’s program: Kim Hawkins with the Santa Rosa Police Department, Sadie Bracy with the Fire Department; and Maria Galvan-Lopez with the County Sheriff’ Office. And thank you to our Rotary Club Board for continuing this important tradition.”

“As we close, I want to return to the idea that we are fortunate to live here – not because we have no challenges, but because we have people in every corner of public life who are committed to meeting those challenges with Professionalism, restraint, collaboration, and decency.

In budget-challenged times, that commitment matters even more. Communities are judged not only by the beauty of their surroundings, but by how they care for one another, how they respond to crisis, and how they uphold trust when decisions are difficult.

Rotary’s insight is that service does not begin only after work hours. Service can be expressed through the work itself – through excellence, preparation, fairness, compassion, courage, and responsibility.

That is Service Above Self. That is vocational service in its highest form. And that is why this Club is proud to honor today’s awardees.

Congratulations again to our honorees. We appreciate you, we thank you, and we are grateful for the example

you set for all of us.”

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