Events

Jana is a Medicare benefits advisor at Ramos Ratliff Insurance Agency.  She started her career in healthcare insurance in 2007, initially working for CareSource, before starting her own business in 2016.  Her main objective was to be able to meet one-on-one with seniors and educate them about their options when it comes to Medicare plans. Her agency, Ramos Ratliff Insurance Agency, is affiliated with TLC Insurance Group, a nationwide Medicare Broker. Ten agents work with her, and they all have a passion to help seniors when it comes to health insurance information.

Jana was born and raised in Brazil but has been living here since 2004. She has a 16-year-old son who is a Junior at Fairmont HS.  She serves as a volunteer and board member on the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Jana is the author of "The Pink of It" which details her journey beating breast cancer.

When the Civil War broke out, President Abraham Lincoln’s leading political antagonist in the North was none other than the congressman from Dayton. In an utterly unique event, he was thrown out of the country because of his views. He was then nominated for governor by the Democratic Party. That led to a unique and historic 1863 election that riveted the attention of Ohioans and of Lincoln. This presentation by Martin Gottlieb is based upon his book Lincoln’s Northern Nemisis: The War Opposition and Exile of Ohio’s Clement Vallandigham.

Kamran (Kettering Rotary Club member) and Saira James will detail their journey from Pakistan to the United States.  They will discuss their lives in Pakistan where both were very successful.  Kamran was an international banker, and Saira, trained as a nurse, was the lead flight attendant for a Pakistani airline.  They will discuss what led them to leave Pakistan for the US, their transition to life in America, and their views of America.

This is an opportunity to learn more about our members and their facinating and interesting backgrounds.

Dr. Cassie Barlow is the president of the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE).  She will discuss SOCHE's mission and how they work with employers to help grow the next generation workforce for our region.  Dr. Barlow formerly was the 88th Air Base Wing and Installation Commander, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), OH.  Recently the Presidents Club of Dayton awarded her the 72nd Citizen's Legion of Honor.

Sheriff Streck is a native of Montgomery County. He graduated from Brookville High School and attended Sinclair Community College. He obtained his degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University. In December 2014, he graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy.  Sheriff Steck is currently the director of the Montgomery County Drug-Free Coalition.  The coalition provideds realistic options for the individuals involved in the growing opioid epidemic.

Dona Pierce is the Executive Director of Oasis House in Dayton, Ohio.  Their mission is to provide hope and support to women survivors of sexual exploitation/human trafficing by promoting healing, empowerment, and restoration through Christ’s unconditional love, teaching practical life skills, and advocating in a transformational process.  Dona is a retired Deputy Chief Probation Officer.  Her background has provided a nice balance of compassion and accountability which helps her guide the women into a healthier lifestyle based on self-sufficiency.

Shriners Children’s Ohio provides care for children with acute burns, craniofacial conditions, and those who need plastic/reconstructive surgery, regardless of the families’ ability to pay or insurance status.  John Bull helped with the construction of the new facility in Dayton and is actively involved in fundraising for Shriners Children’s Ohio.  In addition John actively raises money for the Bull Family Diabetes Center at Miami Valley Hospital. 

Doug Buchy is a retired Naval officer.  He currently works for KBR, Inc, a large 38,000-person multi-national corporation and provide defense contracting support to the USAF.  Doug has a distinguished record of Rotary sercice that began in 1994 and has culminated with his selection as district governor.  One of his most rewarding positions was serving at All-Ohio PETS, first as a Facilitator and for a 5-year stint as the Facilitator Trainer. For Doug, PETS was always a source of “Rotary renewal” and was a pleasure seeing over 260 new PEs every year.

Neal Gittleman is he Artistic Director and the Principal Conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. 

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Neal Gittleman graduated from Yale University in 1975. He continued his musical studies with the eminent teachers Nadia Boulanger and Annette Dieudonné in Paris, Hugh Ross at the Manhattan School of Music and Charles Bruck at both the Pierre Monteux Domaine School and the Hartt School of Music, where he was the recipient of the Karl Böhm Fellowship. In 1984, he was the Second Prize Winner of Geneva’s Ernest Ansermet International Conducting Competition, and, two years later, he was awarded Third Prize at the Leopold Stokowski Conducting Competition in New York City. In 1989, he was selected for the American Conductors Program at the American Symphony Orchestra League’s annual conference in San Francisco. In May 2014, he was awarded a 2014 Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio.

Since he came to the Philharmonic in the Fall of 1995 Neal has been deeply involved in and connected to the Greater Dayton community.  For nearly three decades, he has worked tirelessly to make the idea of community service central to the mission of the Orchestra, especially through programs that serve students in Southwest Ohio’s public, private, and home schools.  In 2014 the State of Ohio recognized Neal’s devotion to the community by awarding him the 2014 Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio for Community Development and Participation. 

Janet Smith is a marketing professional for Ohio’s 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage.  Janet collaborates with employers throughout Ohio and serves as a resource for Ohio’s 529 Plan.  She actively advocates the features and benefits of the tax-advantaged 529 program, helping employers roll out Ohio’s 529 Plan information in the workplace.  This plan is the simple, flexible way to save for whatever school comes after high school.

Janet earned her MS in marketing and communication from Franklin University, and a BSC in communication from Ohio University-Zanesville. 

Quarterly update on the progress of Kettering Rotary Club and deeper dive into relevant club topic 

Matt Greeson will review some of the highlights of 2023 and what to expect in Kettering in 2024.

Samantha Panson has spent her entire professional career in various non-profits throughout the Miami Valley. In a career spanning over $1.5m in fundraising, she is excited to begin working with the Kettering Backpack Program to ensure all children in Kettering who are hungry receive access to nutritious food.

Stacey Benson-Taylor will discuss the rise in property deed fraud in Montgomery County and what homeowners can do to be more proactive in protecting their homes.

Mindy McCarty-Stewart is the Kettering Superintendent of Schools.

Zambia is a country on the western border of Malawi, where 20 LifePumps were successfully installed earlier this year.  District 6670 is again partnering with District 6690 in this endeavor to provide six (6) more communities with a hand-cranked life Pump and life Pump link.

Ron Hollenbeck has been a member of Centerville Rotary for eleven years, including his year as club President during the 2016-2017 Rotary year.  He is in his fifth year as an Assistant Governor for District 6670.  Ron is in his second year as District International Services Chair.  He is a Paul Harris Society member and a Major Donor. 

Please join us as Rob Young, the historian of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, takes us on a virtual tour of threat aircraft at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  Rob is an aircraft expert.  His presentations will cover aircraft from WW1 to the present day.  Rob has been one of our best received speakers in in past presentations.

Beta Technologies, is a Burlington, Vermont-based aerospace manufacturer developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and electric conventional take-off and landing (eCTOL) aircraft for the cargo, medical passenger, and military aviation industries. 

Brian Bates, BSN, RN, CEN, EMT-P, EMS-I, is the CareFlight outreach manager.