Program: “The Role of National Laboratories in the Innovation Ecosystem,” Melanie Roberts, April 27, 2023


ABSTRACT: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) oversees seventeen national laboratories, including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Washington.  Launched as part of a wave of federal investment in science around World War II, the DOE National Laboratories are now a cornerstone of the United States’ innovation ecosystem. Join us to learn how the Labs advance the frontiers of scientific discovery and technology development to address critical challenges in science, sustainable energy, and national security.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a different kind of national lab. PNNL advances the frontiers of knowledge, taking on some of the world’s greatest science and technology challenges. Distinctive strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology, and data science are central to PNNL’s scientific discovery mission. Their research lays a foundation for innovations that advance sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage and enhance national security through nuclear materials and threat analyses. PNNL collaborates with academia in fundamental research and with industry to transition technologies to market.

Our speaker on April 27, 2023, is Melanie Roberts, Ph.D. Melanie is a science and innovation policy practitioner focused on increasing the benefits of science for society. Since 2018, she has been the director of state and regional affairs at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She has also worked in the U.S. Senate, the National Science Foundation, the University of Colorado, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and private consulting to develop policies, partnerships, and programs that build bridges between research and application and enable scientists and engineers to collaborate across boundaries.

Melanie has served on numerous advisory committees, including the Committee on Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century at the National Academy of Sciences. She is an honorary fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow. She completed a Ph.D. in in neuroscience from the University of Washington and a postdoctoral fellowship in science and innovation policy at the University of Colorado Boulder.

ROTARY: Festival of Learning

The entire month of May is dedicated to Rotary learning! The Festival of Training is open to all Rotarians, with some classes targeted to specific Rotary roles. Learn about club flexibility, how your club can use social media, how our district is taking on malaria, and how we are helping bees. If you are new to Rotary there is a session for you, and if you are taking on a specific club role there is a session to assist you.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, at either 5:00pm or 6:30pm via Zoom. All sessions are 45-60 minutes.

Click on the session title for more information and to register: FOL 2023 Full Schedule.pdf

We hope we can Awaken you to the Extraordinary Opportunity of Rotary as we help Create Hope in the World!

Wendi Fischer – District Trainer

Rotary Litter Pick with We Heart Seattle Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to Noon

Location:  Exact location is TBA and will be announced on Facebook a few days prior.   We Heart Seattle is constantly scanning the city for where a volunteer crew is needed most.   We’d all like more advance notice for our personal planning purposes, but please be patient with the process.  There is a fair amount of pre-work that goes into making a site ready for us volunteers. We Heart Seattle is a non-profit that comes alongside homeless encampments to clear trash.  This is a harm reduction strategy for the people living there and also a beautification strategy for our city.  Along the way, We Heart Seattle offers people living outdoors referral services to housing and drug rehabilitation services.   Rest assured that if the homeless encampment we are working near is inhabited, We Heart Seattle will get permission from the residents before we clean.  It’s not uncommon for the residents to come out and clean with us.  Wear sturdy hiking boots and layers for the weather. And if you have one, wear your “Rotarian at Work” T-shirt or Rotary Hat.  They show up great in photos!  We Heart Seattle will supply gloves, PPE, picking tools, garbage bags and other cleaning supplies.  This service project is appropriate for volunteers aged 13 years and older. To learn more about We Heart Seattle go to:  www.weheartseattle.org To buy yourself a Rotarian at Work T-shirt or Rotary Hat go to:  www.bestclubsupplies.com RSVP’s are being collected on Facebook:  https://fb.me/e/13b6VzGuA

Register Early for the Rotary District 5030 Conference 2023, October 13-15, 2023 and Save $75!

Awaken to the Extraordinary Opportunity of Rotary - Conference Header

Rotary District 5030 has launched our registration for the district conference, which will be held in beautiful Victoria, BC at the award-winning Empress Hotel on October 13-15, 2023.  We are also offering an inflation busting discount of $75 for every registration before 1st July. 

We have lined up an exciting agenda of speakers who will focus on leadership, the fight against disease at scale for polio and malaria, the value of Rotary in our vocational pursuits and building peace through cross-cultural learning. We are looking forward to Awaken to the Extraordinary Opportunity of Rotary with all our Rotarians across the district.

We have secured the Empress Hotel, which is a National Historic Site with an alluring blend of classic and contemporary, vintage and cutting-edge: Where Modern meets Iconic. A place where you can enjoy High Tea in style.  During your free time, explore the Royal BC Museum, Miniature World, The Butchart Gardens, The Victoria Bug Zoo, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Tour the beautiful city by carriage or on a ferryboat where you can do some whale watching.

Learn more by visiting our conference website. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Kaj Pedersen
District Governor Elect
Rotary District 5030

Awaken to the Extraordinary Opportunity of Rotary - Empress Hotel

Program: Sarah Cave, Kaitlin Maguire, and Victoria Wenick, “Dealing With Aging Parents: The Long-Term Care Landscape,” April 13, 2023


Sarah Cave

Sarah Cave joined Always Best Care after 15 years in healthcare administration and eight years in higher education administration and consulting. She began her career at ECG Management Consultants and Providence St. Joseph Health, and later served in executive strategy and business development roles at the system, local, and regional levels with PeaceHealth, an integrated delivery system of hospitals, medical groups, and ancillary services in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.

In 2014, Sarah became the Chief Operating Officer of the University of Washington School of Public Health, where she was responsible for human resources administration, facilities/space management, and other operations. She later joined the faculty of the UW Master of Health Administration Program and launched Sarah Cave Consulting, working closely with healthcare executives and physician leaders in the Pacific Northwest on strategic planning, business development, collaborative ventures, and governance. Since 2019, Sarah has been the Program Director of the MHA Program, the Senior Director of the Health Management and Informatics Programs, and continued her role as Associate Teaching Professor. Sarah is a member of the University Sunrise Rotary Club.

Kaitlin Maguire

Kaitlin Maguire serves as the Operations Manager for Always Best Care Seattle. Among her responsibilities are office management, caregiver recruitment, and scheduling. She enjoys helping connect individuals and families with loving and experienced caregivers. Kaitlin began her career in healthcare as a Certified Nursing Assistant, working with seniors in assisted living. Since then, she has worked in various roles for an orthopedic practice and received her Master of Health Administration from the University of Washington.

Kaitlin Maguire aspires to leverage her experience to create a caring, professional, and high-quality environment for clients and caregivers. Kaitlin enjoys hiking, being outdoors, gardening, and spending time with her fiancé and two Boston Terriers.

Victoria Wenick

Victoria Wenick is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and the Director of Philanthropy for Covenant Living at the Shores, which is a nonprofit Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) on Mercer Island. She oversees raising funds for the Benevolent Care Fund which helps community members who have been good financial stewards, yet have outlived their resources and can no longer afford the services or care they need. Victoria has served as a University Sunrise Rotary Club member since February of 2022.

Big Taste: Lost Ring

I have in my custody a ring which was found after The Big Taste event in the hangar. If it is yours, please contact me with a description of the ring so that I can return it.

Contact me at Lincolnferris@outlook.com.

Lincoln Ferris, President, University Sunrise Rotary Club

THE BIG TASTE: Thank You!!

University Sunrise Rotary Logo - JPEG

Thank you for your support of the 2023 The Big Taste. We hope you had a great evening with us and will plan on returning next year.  Please expect a “save the date” announcement for next year’s Big Taste in the near future.

More than 600 people attended this year’s event held at the historic Sandpoint Naval Air Station “Hangar 30” in Seattle’s Magnuson Park, and we as a community raised over $44,000 to benefit Outdoors for All, who provides adaptive and therapeutic recreation for children and adults with disabilities,  We Heart Seattle, an action-based, boots-on-the-ground movement that organizes trash cleanups in our public spaces and offers resources to those in need and the University Sunrise Rotary Foundation, which creates positive, lasting change locally and globally through service, investments in the community, and building close relationships.

To see photos from this year’s event provided by Garrett Padera, visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USRotary/photos

Thank you to all our corporate sponsors:

Thank you to all the amazing tasting vendors:

  • Bacovino
  • Bauman’s Cider
  • Beauchamp Imports
  • Bellingham Cider
  • Cedar River Cellars
  • Dahlman Cellars
  • Drum Roll Wine
  • Elevation Cellars
  • Empyrical Orchard & Cidery
  • Fremont Brewing
  • Georgetown Brewing
  • Greenwood Cider
  • Guardian Cellars
  • James Bay Distillers
  • Julian Margot
  • Magnuson Brewing
  • Market Vineyards
  • Naches Heights Vineyard
  • Northwest Spirits
  • Nota Bene Cellars
  • Patterson Cellars
  • Republic of Cider
  • RR Poet
  • Sky River Mead
  • Smoky Rose Cellars
  • Structure Cellars
  • Sunken Cellars
  • T2 Cellar
  • Temple Distilling
  • Wohlfert Craft Distilling
  • Zzaphoria Spirits

Non- Alcoholic Tastes From:

  • All the Bitter Zero Alcohol Bitters
  • Alpenglow Cocktail Co. Mixers
  • Amass Riverine Zero Alcohol Spirits
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Blurred Vines – Spark & Sharp Zero Alcohol Wine
  • Casamara Sparkling Botanical Waters
  • Cheeseland Cheeses
  • Grüvi Zero Alcohol Beer & Wine
  • Joyous Zero Alcohol Wines
  • Lolo Hops Zero Alcohol Beer
  • Noughty Zero AlcoholWines
  • Pathfinder Zero Alcohol Spirits
  • Roots Divino Zero Alcohol Vermouth
  • Spinnaker Chocolate
  • The Mighty Truffle
  • Tost Sparkling Refresher
  • Wilderton Zero Alcohol Spirits

We hope you enjoyed the free Photobooth sponsored by Fremont Dock, live music from the Ranken File, and delicious food from Off the Rez and Yummy Box.

We look forward to seeing you again next year.

With sincere gratitude,

-Victoria Wenick

University Sunrise Rotary Event Co-Chair

Big Taste Logo 2023

Program: Rick Steves, “European Travel Skills,” March 30, 2023

Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. But above all else, Rick considers himself a teacher. He taught his first travel class at his college campus in the mid-1970s — and now, more than 40 years later, he still measures his success not by dollars earned, but by trips impacted.

Rick is the founder and owner of Rick Steves’ Europe, a travel business with a tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Each year, the company contributes to a portfolio of climate-smart nonprofits, essentially paying a self-imposed carbon tax. He also works closely with several advocacy groups and has been instrumental in the legalization of marijuana in states across the US.

Rick spends about four months a year in Europe, researching guidebooks, fine-tuning his tour program, filming his TV show, and making new discoveries for travelers. To recharge, he plays piano, relaxes at his family cabin in the Cascade mountains, and spends time with his son Andy and daughter Jackie. He lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.

Program: David Lemieux, Audiovisual Archivist and Legacy Manager, “The Grateful Dead,” March 23, 2023


David Lemieux will talk about his work with the Grateful Dead, where he has been archiving their music and producing music releases drawn from their thousands of live concerts for almost 25 years. As their Legacy manager, David will speak about licensing the Grateful Dead’s brand, balancing the fine line between promoting and protecting their legacy.

David Lemieux has been the Grateful Dead’s official audiovisual archivist since 1999, and their Legacy Manager since 2010. Over the past 24 years, Lemieux has produced scores of Grateful Dead CD and DVD releases, many of which have been certified Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum by the RIAA®, as well as several Grammy® nominated boxed sets.

Lemieux was the Supervising Music Producer on the Martin Scorsese-produced career-spanning documentary on the Grateful Dead, Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story Of The Grateful Dead. In 2012, the Grateful Dead re-named their primary archival release series “Dave’s Picks,” as a testament to his expertise. Since 2007, he has hosted a daily show on the Sirius XM Grateful Dead Channel, “Today In Grateful Dead History.”

Lemieux holds a BA in History from Carleton University, a BFA in Film Studies from Concordia University, and an MA in Film Archiving from the University of East Anglia. He currently lives in British Columbia, Canada.

Program: Paul Weibel, “Trailing Cattle on the Old Fetterman Road,” March 2, 2023

The University Sunrise Rotary Club will present our member, Paul Weibel as our speaker this Thursday morning. For thirty years, Paul has been living a part of the Old West, driving cattle in Wyoming.

Our Zoom line will open at 7:00 a.m. for informal discussion. The formal meeting runs from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Join us. No registration is required.

Click here to join the meeting Thursday morning. Join us!


Paul Weibel is a retired IRS International Tax Agent and has been a member of Rotary since 1996. He spent the summers of 1965, 1966 and 1967 working on his cousin’s ranch in Wyoming and has been returning to do whatever is needed regularly since the mid-1990’s.

Each Spring, over a period of about eleven days, ranch hands and guests gather and move about a thousand head of Red Angus cattle from Douglas to Medicine Bow and then in the Fall back to Douglas, a distance of about 70 miles. 

This presentation discusses those drives.