March 1, 2009

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

STRATFORD: - Meets Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. at Forsyth Country Club
March 05: "Everything You Wanted to Know About the North Carolina Zoo, and Don't Be Afraid to Ask", Lane D. Ragsdale Travel Industry Manager of the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro
March 12: Margaret Mertz, Executive Director of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, More than Beauty, More than Passion: The Arts Industry and Our Economy
March 19: Kevin Baker with the Piedmont Triad International Airport-“What’s New at PTI”

WINSTON-SALEM ROTARY: - Meets Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. at Benton Convention Center
March 3: Jerry Haas, WFU Golf Coach
March 10: Souphab Daoheang, Downtown Thai Restaurant,
“Living the American Dream”
March 17: Bill Dean, Piedmont Triad Research Park,
“Next Generation Research Parks”
March 24: John Medlin,
“A Perspective on the Economy and Financial System,”
March 31: Classification Talks by Peggy Valentine, Sandlin Douglas and Robert Egleston

REYNOLDA ROTARY: - Meets Fridays at 12:30 p.m. Assembly Room of the LJV Coliseum
March 6: Rotary Scholar for 2009 – Nora Brickhouse
March 13: Jeff Holdridge will talk about Irish Poets in America.MEETING WILL BE HELD AT FINNIGAN’S WAKE, 620 N. TRADE STREET AT 12:30.
March 20: Dale Folwell, State Representative, will speak on “Issues Facing the NC General Assembly”
March 27: Classification Talks

CLEMMONS: - Meets Wednesdays at 7:00 a.m. at the Village Inn – Clemmons
March 4: The Rotary Foundation
March 11: Wendy Barnhardt
March 18: Club Assembly
March 25: David Burr

WESTERN FORSYTH: - Meets Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. at Big Shotz Tavern in ClemmonsMarch 3: Amy Wood "Our State Magazine" - Favorite things people like about North Carolina
March 10: Terri Pratt, What's new at the Winston-Salem Arts Council
March 31: 6:00 PM Winston Cup Museum in downtown Winston-Salem. A tour and history of the Winston Cup and light appetizers

DATES TO REMEMBER:

March 19-21 – PETS
April 23-26 – District Conference at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort
May 28 – Spring Social

CONGRATULATIONS:

THE BOARD MET FEB. 26, 2009 to approve a new member. Please check your emailed or mailed bulletin for details.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, NEWS & INFORMATION………………

Propose a NEW Member:

Get all the information you need by going to the following link:
www.stratfordrotary.org/members/index.html

Sergeant-at-Arms for March is Alan Ruley.

Invocation Schedule:
Mar. 05 - Buford Edwards
Mar. 12 - Ken Wernick
Mar. 19- Susan Carson
Mar. 26- Perry Clark

PROGRAMS

February 19, 2009

Two Classification Talks:
Mindy Bloom spoke first. She has been a member since December 2007 and hails from Portsmouth VA. Mindy received her degree from USC in Journalism and Advertising Management. While at USC she was Sorority Woman of the Year.

Mindy worked for Circuit City as a Media Buyer (commercials), WXII and at WTWB as the National Sales Manager. After 26 years, four of which were in Atlanta, she decided to leave the media end of the business and focus on sales for not for profit. She is currently Director of Development for the Ronald McDonald House. Mindy also serves on the Theatre Board, Board of Governors for Temple Emanuel, and is President of the local chapter of Hadassah. Hadassah sponsors two hospitals in Jerusalem where everyone is able to get medical treatment regardless of their ethnic heritage. The research end of the hospitals partner with the NIH in finding treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Diabetes and many other diseases. It was there that the BRCA1&2 genes were identified. Pediatric care is another of their specialties.

Mindy’s daughter, Austin, who loves to sing, was the impetus for their moving to Winston-Salem. If fact they did everything in reverse of what most people do who decide to move to a new city. Mindy enrolled her daughter in school first, and then they bought a house and then found jobs. Husband Art is President of and owns The Bloom Agency, an advertising and marketing company with offices in Winston-Salem and Greensboro.

Steve Gallo was our next Rotarian to speak. Steve has been our Sergeant-at-Arms for February and has been a member since December 2008. He attended East Carolina and decided as a sophomore to get serious about his studies and transferred to NC State (go red!) to finish his Psychology Degree.

Steve went to Ireland on a work visa to help students studying in other countries. He made many good friends there and enjoyed the experience living abroad.

While at his favorite deli stateside, he met the president of a money management firm and asked him for a job. At first he was doing everything and anything that was needed in the office. After getting licensed he worked there for 2 years and then started working for his father here in Winston-Salem in financial planning for business. He’s on the Board for Horizon and keeps them on firm financial footing.

Steve and his wife Melanie welcomed a new member into their family on November 25, 2008, son, Henry Charles, whose smiles light up his daddy’s heart!

February 26, 2009

Brian D. Casey, President and CEO of the High Point Market Authority spoke to us about the International Home Furnishings Market and industry trends. Brian has been in the trade show and meetings business for over 27 years. He serves on the board of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, Board member for the International Association of Exhibitors and Events and is a graduate of DePaul University with a B.A. in Commerce.

This April 25th – 30th will be the 100th Anniversary of the market. You are invited to attend, just contact the office. There will be over 11 million sq. ft. of exhibit space encompassing the entire downtown. The economic impact is 1.2 Billion dollars with 8.2 million in the local area due to all the background people needed to get and keep it together, everyone from construction to catering. Quality is back on top now and there has been a 45% drop in exports from China.

The markets in Cologne and Las Vegas have seen a significant drop in attendance. There are 97 shows throughout the year. The High Point market continues to draw the largest crowd. The city of High Point itself is thought of as a global home furnishing market-NOT a city.

The High Point Furniture Market is the Disneyland of the furniture industry. It attracts 170,000 people from around the world. Last market there were 8000 new buyers in attendance. There has been more interest from designers lately because of the shift in the way that consumers are shopping. Touch and feel is a big part of the home furnishings buying experience. International attendance has doubled. Business is good!