2016 Float Riders and Outwalkers
The Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee Inc. presents “Working Together for Peace” as the theme of our January 1, 2016 float.
President, Rotary International
K. R. Ravindran, Rotary International President
Rotary Club of Colombo, Sri Lanka, District 3220
K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran is CEO and founder of Printcare PLC, a publicly listed printing, packaging, and digital media solutions company. It is arguably the world’s largest supplier of tea bag packaging, catering to nearly every major tea brand, with manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka and India. Printcare is the winner of national and international awards of excellence. Ravindran has been a featured speaker at several international print and packaging forums.
Ravindran also serves on the board of several other companies in Sri Lanka and India and charitable trusts, including the MJF (Dilmah) Charitable Foundation. He is the founding president of the Rotary-sponsored Sri Lanka Anti Narcotics Association, the largest such agency in Sri Lanka. During the country’s civil war, Ravindran was involved in the business community efforts to find peaceful solutions to the conflict and was a featured speaker at the United Nations-sponsored peace conference in New York for the Sri Lankan diaspora in 2002.
A third generation Rotarian and a member himself since the age of 21, Ravindran has served on the Rotary International Board of Directors and The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees and as RI treasurer.
As his country’s national PolioPlus chair, Ravindran headed a joint task force of the Sri Lankan government, UNICEF, and Rotary and worked closely with UNICEF to successfully negotiate a ceasefire with the northern militants during National Immunization Days. Aided by Rotary’s efforts, Sri Lanka reported its last case of polio in 1994.
He also chaired the Schools Reawakening project, in which Rotary District 3220 raised more than $12 million to rebuild over 20 tsunami-devastated schools to benefit 14,000 children. He continues to play a role in his club’s project to build a cancer prevention and early detection center in Sri Lanka. Once completed, it will be the only dedicated national facility to offer comprehensive screening and early detection services.
Ravindran is a recipient of The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service, Distinguished Service Award, and Service Award for a Polio-Free World.
He and Vanathy have been married since 1975, and they have two children and a recently born grandchild.
Vanathy Ravindran
Vanathy is a graduate from the University of Madras in India with an undergraduate degree in Economics. She subsequently embarked on a career in accounting services, specializing in tax. She also did a stint as the editor of the business section in a leading daily in Sri Lanka and currently serves as a Director of a privately held investment company.
Apart from her role as mother, and the supporting role as the wife of an active Rotarian and a business leader in Sri Lanka with its attendant responsibilities, she has also authored a book on the spiritual teachings of a Hindu sage — Sai Baba. The book is entitled Sai Baba – Philosophy and Teachings.
In her writings, she has also contributed to the News Media and the Electronic media with articles and appearances in Radio and TV, on Culture, Women’s Affairs and Hinduism.
Vanathy has served as President of her Inner Wheel Club and subsequently as Chair of her Inner Wheel District. She has held many responsible positions in religious, cultural and service organizations.
Vanathy has been married to Ravi since 1975 and the couple have two adult children. Their son, Krishna, is married to Neesha, and their daughter, Prashanthi, is married to Nicholas. Vanathy and Ravi welcomed their first grandchild in October 2014.
Rotary District 5180 – Greater Sacramento Area
Glenn Fong, DG
District Governor 2015-2016
Born and raised in Sacramento, California, Glenn attended local schools and college and grew up being the seventh child out of eight. Glenn was an early entrepreneur running the family grocery store but discovered real estate was his dream and now has been a real estate broker for 29 years.
Glenn has earned Outstanding Life Member with the Sacramento Association of Realtors Master’s Club, the Association’s highest achievement award. He has two office locations; one in Roseville, CA and the other in Fair Oaks, CA.
He’s also served 17 years as a member with the Active 20/30 Club of Sacramento and received their Man of the Year Award in 1999. He also served 5 years on the board at the Community Services Planning Council in Sacramento, California.
As a past president of the Rotary Club of Roseville, he helped pioneer the direction of his club on a five year plan that won Rotary International’s Changemaker Award in 2012 as the best large Rotary club in the world. Glenn is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and Paul Harris Society member. He has been on international service projects to El Rosario Mexico delivering an ambulance and to Sao Paulo Brazil delivering water filters to the Favelas. Glenn has served as District Membership Chair, District Assembly Chair, Assistant Governor and recently help launched Rotary District 5180’s Passport Club.
Glenn enjoys playing golf and softball on the district softball league. Glenn is happily married to his wife Elise for 21 years and the family lives in Roseville, CA. They have two daughters, Sarah and Katy, enjoy spending their time together as a family, traveling, including frequent trips to Disney parks.
Rotary District 5190 – Northern Nevada and Northeastern California
Gail “Virus” Ellingwood
District Governor 5190 2015-16
Gail and Dan joined the Rotary Club of Loyalton in 2004 and she admits that she has been a Rotary “junkie” ever since. Gail served as President of the club in 2007-2008 and served in several club positions. At the District level, she served as Visioning Committee Chair from 2010-2014, as Assistant Governor for Area 2 from 2010-2013, as District Trainer, and on the echnology Committee. Dan is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Smith Valley
Gail is thrilled to be a participant in Rotary International’s “Working Together for Peace” Float as District 5190 has been designated as a Peacebuilder District and has recently sponsored 2 Rotary Peace fellows.
Virus (Club Nickname) hails from Maine and graduated from the University of Chicago with a major in theatre/drama and a minor in French Literature. Gail spent the better part of 25 years consulting in Computer Security finishing her career with Capital One. Upon retiring to Loyalton, CA, the hometown of her husband, Dan, they opened and ran the Blue Moon Bakery for 2 years.
Gail and Dan have been married since 1986, have 2 children, 3 grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews whom they are blessed to call family. They are Paul Harris Fellows, members of the Bequest Society and the Paul Harris Society of the Rotary Foundation.
Rotary District 5320 – Orange County CA from Anaheim to Newport to San Clemente
Kevin Padilla
District Governor 2015-2016
Kevin became a Rotarian in 2003 when he joined the Rotary Club of Placentia, and he served as the Club President in 2009-2010 Rotary Year. At the district level, Kevin has served as an Assistant Governor for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012; Chair of the Angels’ End Polio Now Game in 2012; and member of the RI District 5320 Charitable Foundation Board in 2011-2014.
Kevin is a State Farm Insurance agent, and his office is located in Placentia. Kevin and his wife Lorraine have resided in Orange since 1991. They are both active with the Donate Life Run/Walk that takes place the last weekend in April to raise awareness and educate people about organ and tissue donation. DONATE LIFE also has a float in the Rose Parade!
Kevin enjoys woodworking and golf, and he and Lorraine enjoy spending time with their dogs, travelling, skiing, and wine tasting.
Rotary District 5240 – Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Kern Counties
Jim Bell, DG
District Governor, 2015-2016
Now a member of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield Twilight, Jim began his Rotary career as a member of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield Breakfast in 2004. Jim served as their 27th Club President in 2008-2009. That year, his major club project was to charter an evening club in Bakersfield. The Rotary Club of Bakersfield Twilight became a reality in May of 2009 when Jim, other Rotarians and new Rotarians joined as Charter Members. Jim became the club’s Charter Secretary. He has held key leadership positions in both Rotary clubs and both Foundations as well as many different District positions including receiving District Rotarian of the Year in 2011-2012.
Jim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications from Kent State University in Ohio, having also attended Ohio State University in Columbus where he became a life-long Buckeye. He is a Master PRLS Graduate, member of the Paul Harris Society, Bequest Society, and multiple Paul Harris Fellow.
A past member and President of the Kern County Broadcasters Association and Houston Tx Broadcasters Association, Jim is also Immediate Past Chair of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors and Vice-Chair of the Police Activities League, an organization that provides after-school programs to disadvantaged children.
Jim and his wife Donna reside in Bakersfield and share the hobbies of their ever-present dogs, reading, travel, and enjoying the many Rotarians that have enriched their lives and the many blessings of 40 years of marriage this August.
Scottie Ortiz
Scottie Ortiz is an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Santa Maria Breakfast, as well as the Rotary Club of Morro Bay. As the spouse of a District Governor she has had the opportunity to see Rotary beyond the Club and in many Countries. She has visited well over 150 Clubs in at least 7 different Countries. She participated with Rotarians in Nigeria for a National Immunization project to eradicate polio; and in Sri Lanka for initiating a project that supported pre-school education for teachers.
She currently serves SoCalNevada PETS on the registration committee.
In addition to her Rotary service she has volunteered for several years at the women’s Center of San Jaoquin County and for Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County. She continues to serve CASA as the chair for the North County Advisory Committee. She has spoken in support of CASA to over 72 Rotary Clubs in Rotary District 5240.
Rotary District 5280 – Los Angeles Basin, California
Cozette Vergari
Cozette Vergari is a member of the State Bar of California and is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Aside from litigation, she is trained in Mediation, Collaborative Family Law, and has received Court appointments as Minors Counsel. Cozette established her own law firm in 1996, subsequently overseeing well over 1000 client matters in the areas of Family Law and Trust and Estates with Vergari & Napolitano, PC, in Los Angeles.
Cozette joined the Rotary Club of Westchester (Los Angeles) in September 1995, and served on her club’s Board of Directors from 1996-2002 as Youth Service Director, International Service Director, Secretary, President-Elect and President. She has subsequently served on the Westchester Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees for 13 years.
In District 5280, Cozette has served as an Assistant Governor, Senior Assistant Governor, District Governor Nominee and Executive Aide to the current District Governor. She has chaired numerous district events and committees, including Walk and Roll (Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation), Parade of Presidents, Recognition Awards, District Breakfast and District Rotary Foundation Celebrations. Among several district committees, Cozette has served on the Peacemakers of 5280.
In Zone 25/26, Cozette served on the Zone Institute Planning Committee in 2013 and attended the Zone Institute SIG Program in 2012 and 2014. She has served on the PETS Committee for Zone 26 since 2014. Cozette served on the Home Organizing Committee for the 2008 International Convention in Los Angeles. She is a Paul Harris Society Member, Bequest Society Member, a Major Donor and has made 11 other individuals Paul Harris Fellows.
Cozette also serves on the Board of Directors for 1736 Family Crisis Center, Los Angeles Lawyers Magazine and Selective Service System.
Cozette is married to Rotarian Richard Moon, CPA and Investment Advisor, who has also served as Club President for the Rotary Club of Westchester and in several District 5280 leadership roles.
Rotary District 5300 – Southern California-Southern Nevada
Randy Pote
District Governor 2015-2016
Randy began his Rotary career in Colorado when he was inducted to the Englewood club in 1989 while working as a moving company executive. He moved to Las Vegas in 1990 to pursue an opportunity in the fundraising industry and form R&M Fundraising LLC. In Las Vegas, he became a member of the Rotary Club of Las Vegas. He relocated back to Denver, CO for family reasons and formed Centennial, CO to service schools and other non-profits.
In District 5300 he has served on several District Committees prior to his governorship. He also was President of the North Las Vegas Club, NV in 1993-94 and of the Centennial Club, CO. in 2009-2010. He also served as president of the Southern Nevada Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer chapter.
Randy relocated to Las Vegas, NV and the North Las Vegas Club and formed Fundraising by Randy. He was selected as the 2015-16 governor after several years of District and Rotary opportunities, which included being a Director of the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee.
As a member and Director of the RRPFC he met his fiancée Beth Anderson, multiple past-president of the Burbank Sunrise club. They just brought their Rotary romance full-circle after getting married in Hawaii during the Zone25/26 Rotary Institute.
He enjoys reading, golf and playing the tuba.
Rotary District 5330 – Inland Empire, Southern California
Rudy Westervelt, DG
District Governor 2015-2016
Rudy is a member of the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead Mountain Sunrise and is the current District Governor for Rotary District 5330, which covers the Inland Empire of Southern California.
Rudy’s passion is to create peace in the world through Rotary, which certainly fits with this year’s float theme of “Working Together for Peace”.
Rudy is the Convener for the Rotary World Peace Conference 2016, which was selected to represent Rotary International as the Presidential Conference on Peace and Conflict Resolution and Prevention. The conference is hosted by the six Southern California Rotary Districts and will be held on January 15-16, 2016 at the Ontario Convention Center, Ontario, California.
The conference is a Solutions Conference with over 100 experts with solutions to conflict in all sectors of society joining with over 3000 Rotarians and non-Rotarians. With 104 breakout sessions, 6 general sessions, a House of Friendship with 120 booths, a Peace Concert, and an Interact Conference for high school students, you will have a life changing experience and develop an action plan to create positive change in the world. Visit www.peaceconference 2016.org for more information and register today.
Rudy has also been the District 5330 Trainer, a President-Elect Training Seminar and Rotary Leadership Institute facilitator, a member of the District 5330 Visioning Team and an Assistant Rotary Coordinator in Zone 26 (Southern California).
Rotary District 5340 – San Diego, Imperial, and parts of Riverside Counties
Janice H Kurth, MD, PhD, DG
District Governor 2015-2016
Janice earned her B.A. in chemistry from Austin College, Ph.D. in human genetics from Stanford University, and M.D. from University of Arizona, with post-graduate training in internal medicine. Her professional career has included medical practice, academic and industrial biomedical research, product and software development, research management and pharmaceutical medicine. She is now retired to a busy life of service to her community, family and Rotary.
Janice is a member of the Rotary Club of Del Mar. She was a Group Study Exchange Team Leader to District 9200 (East Africa) in February, 2010 and has served District 5340 in many roles over the last 11 years and sponsored several Global Grants. She is very excited and honored to serve as District Governor in 2015-2016. Janice is a member of the Paul Harris Society, the Bequest Society and the Arch Klumph Society of The Rotary Foundation. Her other service activities include student mentoring and The San Diego Women’s Foundation.
In her free time, Janice enjoys running, weight lifting, traveling, reading, hiking, biking, and wine tasting. She has been married to her husband Matt for 28 years. They have two daughters, ages 24 and 26 years.
Rotary District 6540 – Northern Indiana, U.S.A.
Floyd Lancia
Floyd Lancia was invited to join Rotary while serving as Superintendent of Schools in Van Buren, Maine. While a member of the Van Buren Rotary Club he served in various positions including club president.
With a career change, and a move to Fort Wayne, Indiana, he was invited to join the Anthony Wayne Rotary Club. While a member, Floyd served on the board, committees and as president.
At the 6540 District level Floyd served as District Governor in 2009-10, where he aided in the transition from zone 28 to zone 30. In his continued district level service he served on numerous boards and committees.
At the Zone 30 level Floyd has served as Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Endowment Major Gift Advisor, governor trainer for two institutes and on two institute executive committees. Floyd is now serving as Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator.
At the International level Floyd attended six international conventions. He spearheaded Matching Grants for water projects in Mexico, eye surgical equipment in Nicaragua, nursing home equipment, childcare equipment, a bloodmobile, cleft palate surgical equipment in Brazil, school equipment in India, and library material in Kenya. His visits to Sierra Leone for water well dedications and the Polio National Immunization Day in India are two of the six international missions that were most moving.
Floyd and his wife Betty Lou have three grown children and six grand children and serve the community by supporting various non-profit organizations and share the passion of the work being done through The Rotary Foundation by being Arch Klumph and Bequest Society Members.
The Rotary Rose Parade Float is not an official Rotary International program.