2014 Riders and Outwalkers

The Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee Inc. presents “Engage Rotary, Change Lives” as the theme of our January 1, 2014 float.

The 2014 Tournament of Roses Theme is “Dreams Come True.” Rotary International President Ron Burton and all Rotarians have the same dream – the eradication of Polio. By engaging this dream, Rotarians will not only change the lives of those in the three countries where Polio still exists, but change the world from one where Polio continues to a Polio Free World.

“Engage Rotary, Change Lives” relates to Rotary’s top philanthropic goal to eradicate Polio worldwide. When Rotarians are engaged in this large of a task, our dream of our Polio free world will change lives worldwide for the better. When our volunteers across the globe experience the smiles of healthy children and adults walking on their healthy limbs, we know that our dream is becoming a reality. The float’s delightful and engaging train, which is this close to crossing the bridge, reflects the hopes and optimism of Rotarians worldwide and Rotary’s “This Close” public awareness campaign to end Polio.

Rotary Club volunteers will be “Float Participants” on our 2014 float – some will be riding the whimsical candy train and several more will be walking alongside the float.

Rotary International President

Ron D. Burton, Rotary International President and Jetta
Rotary District 5770

Ron D. Burton retired as president of the University of Oklahoma Foundation Inc. in 2007. He is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, the Oklahoma Bar Association, and the Cleveland County Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the ABA Section of Taxation Exempt Organizations Committee, and the ABA Section of Real Property, Probate, and Trust Committee on Charitable Organizations. He was vice president of the Last Frontier Council of the Boy Scouts of America and received the Silver Beaver Award. He also received the Norman United Way and Junior League Volunteer of the Year Civic Award.

A Rotarian since 1979, Burton has served RI as director, president’s aide, RI president’s representative, committee and task force member, Rotary information counselor, zone trainer, International Assembly group discussion leader and moderator, Council on Legislation representative, and district governor. He also chaired the 2011 New Orleans Convention Committee. As director, he served as chair of the Executive, Administration, and Audit Committees.

His extensive service to The Rotary Foundation includes vice chair and member of the Foundation Trustees, vice chair of the Future Vision Committee, and member of the International PolioPlus Committee and PolioPlus Speakers Bureau. Other service includes national adviser for the Permanent Fund Initiative, member of Permanent Fund Leadership Team, and consultant to the Development Committee. In addition, he has served as a regional Rotary Foundation coordinator and moderator of the regional Rotary Foundation coordinator training program.

Burton has received the RI Service Above Self Award and the Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service, Distinguished Service Award, and International Service Award for a Polio-Free World. He and his wife, Jetta, are Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors, Major Donors, and members of the Paul Harris, Bequest, and Arch C. Klumph Societies.

Representing Pioneers of Polio Eradication – Drs. Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin.

Deborah Sabin, B.S.N., F.N.P.

Deborah Sabin, B.S.N., F.N.P., is the oldest daughter of Sylvia Tregillus Sabin and Albert Sabin, M.D. developer of the Oral Polio Vaccine. She was born and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. A graduate of Duke University School of Nursing and the University of Washington Family Nurse Practitioner program, she is now retired.

During Debbe’s 35 years in practice she primarily focused on outpatient adult chronic disease management including diabetes, asthma/allergy and chronic pain. She also provided episodic and chronic illness management for residents of the Oregon State Hospital. Debbe has been a Clinical Nursing Instructor at Yakima Valley Community College and she was an Adjunct Faculty member for the University of Washington MEDEX Physician Assistant Training Program at the Yakima campus. She frequently spoke to both provider and patients groups regarding disease management and patient empowerment. She has been a member of many professional organizations including Sigma Theta Tau, the Nursing Honor Society.

Debbe Sabin currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Though unable to work in recent years due to health issues of her own, she enjoys keeping her skills sharp helping friends and family navigate the health care system and coaching people to become good self-advocates. She looks forward to further collaboration with Peter Salk to achieve the dreams of their fathers to see the complete eradication of polio.

Peter L. Salk, MD

Peter L. Salk, MD. is the oldest son of Jonas Salk who, together with his team at the University of Pittsburgh, developed the first successful polio vaccine, which was introduced in 1955.

Peter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University in 1965 and Alpha Omega Alpha from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1969. After two years of house staff training in internal medicine at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, he worked from 1972-1984 in his father’s laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, conducting research on treatment approaches to cancer and autoimmune disease and on strategies for vaccine production.

Following some time spent on research related to improving agricultural productivity, he worked again with his father from 1991-1995 on a project to develop an inactivated vaccine for HIV infection, and subsequently worked on the introduction of AIDS treatment programs in Africa and Asia. He has also devoted attention to novel approaches to enhancing the prospects for world peace.

Peter is now President of the Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation, where he is participating in the effort to complete the eradication of polio and is engaged in organizing and making available the extensive collections of his father’s papers and historical materials, educating the public regarding his father’s life and work in preparation for the centenary of his father’s birth in 2014, and extending and applying his father’s vision to help address humanity’s ongoing challenges and opportunities.

Rotary District 5190 – Northern Nevada and Northeastern California

Vicki Puliz

Vicki Puliz is a native Nevadan, graduate of the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Master of Business Administration, and is retired from the electrical contracting business.

Vicki is currently the District Governor for Rotary District 5190, which includes 58 Rotary clubs and 2,500 Rotarians. She joined Sparks Rotary in 1992 as the first female member of the club, served as club president in 2004-2005, and New Generations Service Chair for District 5190 from 2009-2012. She has been heavily involved in youth programs for Rotary, including Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Rotary Youth Exchange, and part of a team which developed leadership and ethics training for 8th grade students.

Vicki and her husband Tim participated in a National Immunization Day for polio eradication in northern India in 2009 and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards in Benin, Africa in 2011.

Vicki and Tim are Major Donors to the Rotary Foundation.

Rotary District 5240 – Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Kern Counties

Luz Maria Ortiz-Smith

Luz Maria Ortiz-Smith, previously from México, graduated from Ohio State University and worked as a counselor for 10 years. Her second career is in insurance where she is CFO of Smith & Ortiz, Inc. an insurance corporation she co-owns with her husband E. Russell Smith.

Luz Maria served as the second President of the all female Rotary Club of Celaya Nat-Tha-Hi in Celaya, Mexico. After moving to California in 1994, she has been a member of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise. She has traveled annually to Celaya, México with doctors, nurses and Rotarians to bring sight to those affected by cataracts in her home town. Luz Maria traveled to India to participate in two National Immunization Campaigns and wheelchair distribution. Luz Maria has visited Nicaragua three times to plan for a project to bring potable water to two villages.

Luz Maria is currently District 5240 Rotary Foundation Chair and her past participation has included District Governor during 2009-2010, District Future Vision Coordinator, Assistant Governor, Group Representative, District Community Service Chair, Permanent Fund, Group Study Exchange Leader, Group Study Exchange Chair, Council on Legislation Representative in 2013 and she assists with district assembly trainings. She also served as Rotary Coordinator Assistant for Zone 26. In addition, is a board member of GoCare a NGO whose mission is to empower dreams through education.

Rotary District 5280 – Los Angeles Basin, California

Beth Anderson

Beth Anderson is a graduate of USC School of Business and Food Marketing Management. She later left the grocery industry to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams. Retired now, her home remains a film location.

In recent years, Beth has worked diligently to promote Rotary through the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee. Today her passion is promoting the Rotarian exclusive site to promote Rotarian businesses and contacts – RotariansConnectD5300.com.

Beth first joined Burbank Sunrise Rotary in 1989, after having hosted Rotary youth exchange students. Her remained active in youth exchange and adult exchange (Group Study Exchange). To date, she has home hosted more than 20 students and more than 30 adults from around the world. Beth has held multiple positions within Rotary and helped develop a youth exchange program while serving as Youth Exchange Chair for her District. Beth represented her district on its first Friendship Exchange with District 2620 to Yamanchi, Japan in the spring of 2012.

Beth is the proud mother of two outstanding adult sons and nearly four grandchildren. “Parenthood has been my finest achievement,” she says.

Shirley J. Giltzow Ed.D.

Shirley J. Giltzow Ed.D. retired as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the Lawndale Elementary School District in Southern California after an extensive career in education, which included serving as a teacher, principal, and director. She received her Bachelor and Masters degrees from California State University Long Beach, and a Doctoral Degree in Education from Brigham Young University in Utah. She has instructed graduate level courses as a professor at Brigham Young University, Loyola Marymount University and California State University Northridge.

She joined the Lawndale Rotary Club in 1994. While serving as Club President in 1999-2000, the Lawndale Rotary Club became the first club recorded in the Rotary world as having 100% of its members Rotary Benefactors. She has also served as District Assistant Governor for Community Service, and District chairs for Literacy, Foundation Celebration and Polio Plus. She was named District Rotarian of the year in 2004. She is also a Paul Harris Fellow, founding member of the Bequest Society and a Major Donor.

While the District Polio Plus Chair from 2009-2013, she raised awareness and funds for Polio Plus through the sales of Good-bye Polio roses, and organized other funding raising events, including Rotary District attendance at Los Angeles Dodgers games in multiple years. With strong support from Rotary International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, she has submitted a request to have an End Polio Now postage stamp issued by the United States Postal Service. She has also arranged for the Carson, California based Goodyear Blimp to display a lighted sign that is shown multiple times each time the blimp takes to the air, which states Goodyear salutes Rotary International End Polio Now.

Rotary District 5300 – Southern California-Southern Nevada

Bert D. Hansen

Bert D. Hansen holds a degree from University of Nevada and now operates and manages a facility at Hoover Dam called The High Scaler Café. Because Bert is visually impaired, this facility is part of the Nevada Business Enterprise Program for the Blind. This program is the only one of its type in the United States that operates without receiving tax revenues from the State or Federal Government. It even pays the salaries of Nevada State Employees responsible for its management.

Bert became a Rotarian in 1975 and is currently a member of the Boulder City Sunrise Rotary Club. He has served as President of both Rotary Clubs in the city and was Charter President of the Sunrise Club. He has achieved Rotary Foundation Major Donor Level 3 and has been a Member of the Paul Harris Society since 2010. His contributions to the Sunrise Rotary Foundation have helped with improvement to Hope Streams Academy in Kenya, Africa and in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Outside of Rotary, Bert has been president of the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce. In 2010, the Chamber of Commerce created an annual award in his name. He has also made significant contributions that allowed the creation of The Sofia Jannok Foundation Arvas in Sweden, a Sami Foundation that promotes the rights of the Sami and other indigenous peoples around the world.

Hassan Kheradmandan

Hassan Kheradmandan, previously from Iran, graduated from USC in 1980 and has worked in real estate as a broker, investor, and developer for over 30 years and is currently with Dove Properties.

He has been involved in Rotary for a number of years and is a member of the Pasadena Rotary Club. He has served as club international project chair, participated in the Rotary Youth Leadership Camp and has been involved in many Rotary district programs such as home building in Mexico, and Chair of Pasadena Rotary Open World Program. Hassan has been a member of the Peace committee for the District 5300 Peace Conference. He has also participated in many international projects including projects in Cambodia, India and Mexico. He is involved in fundraising for Rotary international and participated in fundraising with District 5300 to eradicate polio around the world. Hassan currently serves as Rotary District 5300 International Project chair for 2012-2015.

Hassan has also been involved in many other nonprofit organizations and currently serves on the boards of Volunteer of America Los Angeles chapter, San Gabriel Valley American Red Cross and the University Club of Pasadena.

Daniel Thomas

Daniel Thomas works at Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks where he has been employed for the past 16 years. He has been a Rotarian since 2002 in District 5300 and is currently President of the Rotary Club of Pomona. He has served on several committees including as the District 5300 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Chair for 2009. He is currently a board member of the Rotary Ethics Initiative. He is also a member of the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee where he serves as the Volunteer Coordinator and is the committee’s incoming chairman. Daniel lives in Chino Hills with his wife Robin and daughter Dominique.

Rotary District 5320 – Orange County, Southern Los Angeles County

John H. Brainerd

John H. Brainerd is a fourth generation Californian and holds his BS from UCLA, a law degree from USC and a LLM from NYU.

His professional career included 10 years with Coopers and Lybrand where he became Partner in Charge of Taxes for Coopers’ Newport Beach office. John left Coopers in 1986 to become a Senior Vice President of Zenith Insurance. A few years later he established his own law practice in Newport Beach.

John joined the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club in 1980 served as Governor of Rotary District 5320 in 2007-2008 and President of the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club during 1999-2000, a year when the club won many awards, including Best Club. John and his wife Pat are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation, Paul Harris Society members and Rotary Foundation Benefactors. John is a past Chair of the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee.

For many years John has been involved with the sister club relationships of the Newport-Irvine Club, doing projects in Ensenada with the Ensenada Riviera Club and projects with the Sae Hanyang Club in Seoul, Korea. He and other delegates from the Newport-Irvine Club visited Sae Hanyang to celebrate that club’s 20th Anniversary and 20 years of working together.

John and Pat traveled to Myanmar where their visits to orphanages inspired them to work with a fellow Rotarian, J.T. Warring, to develop water gathering systems for these orphanages. Currently, there are 36 systems in place, with more due to be completed by the end of this Rotary year.

Rotary District 5340 – San Diego, Imperial, and parts of Riverside Counties

Dave Breeding

Dave Breeding’s professional career spanned 32 years with Eli Lilly and Company and its various subsidiaries. He retired in 1998 as the Chief Information Officer of Guidant Corporation, a major manufacturer of medical devices. Dave grew up in the Midwest and graduated with a degree in engineering from the University of Illinois. He also has a master’s degree from Purdue University. He served as a Navy Officer aboard ship during the Vietnam War. He and his wife, Marilee, are members of the Rotary Club of Fallbrook.

It was a “Good bye Polio, Thanks Rotary” bumper sticker and Rotary’s pledge to eradicate polio that brought Dave into Rotary in 1999 – his mother was a polio survivor. He took great pleasure in administering polio vaccine to children in India during a Polio National Immunization Day. He served as Governor for Rotary District 5340 in 2010-2011. His District Conference that year raised over $60,000 for PolioPlus. He is serving currently as the District 5340 Rotary Foundation Committee Chair.

Dave and Marilee travelled to South Africa on two occasions to establish relationships with Rotarians there and work together on relief projects for AIDS orphans in the Zulu tribe. Ten matching grants and many great friendships resulted from those trips.

Rotary District 5690 – Kansas and Oklahoma

Sue Pearce

Sue Pearce is Director of Administration and CFO for Piping & Equipment Co. Inc. where she has worked since 1975. A heavy industrial contractor, working in the chemical, petrochemical and power industries throughout the Midwest, Sue is responsible for the administrative and financial side of the business.

She has been a member of the Rotary Club of East Wichita since 1992. Her activities have included a Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas mentor, a Reality Fair volunteer, 25th club anniversary committee member, committee member for East Rotary Foundation fundraiser, and she has held the offices of Program Chair, International Chair, Secretary and president in 1997-1998, and has been Rotarian of the Year three times. She was the first woman to hold the position of President in a Wichita area Rotary Club. She was Assistant Governor for one year in 1999-2000 and again in 2010-2011. Sue is currently District Governor for District 5690.

Her other activities have included holding many volunteer leadership positions with the American Red Cross Midway-Kansas Chapter, where she developed and was chair of the Ride For The Red event for six years, served as a board member since 1995, Board Chair in 2001, and Chair of the Building Committee in 2004. She has been a member of PEO chapter EM for 35 years and a member of the Wichita Jazz Festival for 30 years. She also volunteers at the Sedgwick County Zoo, where she served as a board member since 1994, as Zoobilee Chair for six years, Grim Reaper at Night of the Living Zoo for 15 years, and was the originator of the Summer Concert Series and has served as chair of that event for 14 years.

Sue loves to garden and travel worldwide, and has experienced four African Safaris.

Rotary District 5930 – South Texas

Anita Garrett-Roe

Anita Garrett-Roe currently holds the annual title of Number One Mary Kay Cosmetics National Sales Director in the World. As an Independent Elite Executive National Sales Director, she has built a sales force that spans the USA, Canada, UK, EU, Mexico, Philippines and Brazil. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, she is a former kindergarten teacher.

She is the daughter of World War II spy, Jasper Thomas Mallory, who was an Intelligence Officer in The Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency. She is a member of the Office of Strategic Services Society.

As a child growing up during the polio outbreak in the 1950s, she has vivid memories of watching her mother crying while scrubbing down the house with bleach and hot soapy water. Children in the neighborhood had come down with polio. The Rotary commitment to eradicate polio is near and dear to Anita’s heart.

A member of the Corpus Christi Downtown Rotary Club, Anita has served as Foundation Chair and has attended numerous Rotary International Conventions. In addition to supporting the Rotary Foundation as a Paul Harris Fellow, she supports the Rotary Honduras Clean Water Project. Anita belongs to three Rotary Fellowship Groups: Rotarians International Fellowship of Authors and Writers, International Travel Host Fellowship, and International Skiing Fellowship of Rotarians.

The Weatherford, Texas Independent School District this year honored her as Distinguished Alumni. She also is a member of Executive Women International, a Women in Careers YWCA Honoree, Past President of the Nueces County Medical Society Alliance, and Past President of Corpus Christi Executives Association.

Rotary Districts 6000 and 5330 – Iowa, Western Illinois, Northern Missouri, Riverside and Imperial Counties

Cris Meier

Cris Meier is a second generation Rotarian. She currently is pursuing her PhD in the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa and is also completing her MPH. She holds a BA in Psychology from UC Irvine and a MSW from University of Iowa. She also works as a behavioral therapist with children and their families.

In 2007, Cris set out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), which runs from Mexico to Canada, in order to bring awareness to polio eradication efforts by Rotary and raise funds for PolioPlus. The 2,650 mile hike took roughly six months to complete. During this time Cris spoke at many Rotary Clubs and raised more than $70,000 dollars for PolioPlus. Prior to hiking the Pacific Crest Trail Cris traveled with her parents, Vicky and Steve Wallace, and other Rotarians to Nigeria for an Immunization Plus Day.

Cris is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Iowa City Downtown and has served as the service chair for the past two years. She continues to be passionate about polio eradication efforts. Cris and her husband Josh hope to be able to pursue future hiking endeavors to help Rotary efforts with a focus on maternal and child health and nutrition.

The Rotary Rose Parade Float is not an official Rotary International program.