2022 Float Riders and Outwalkers

Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta is the 4th Indian to be nominated to be the President of Rotary International. He graduated from St. Xavier College Calcutta. He did Master in Commerce from Calcutta University and then the Chartered Accountancy, Cost Accountancy and Company Secretary-ship. He heads the Skyline Group engaged in real estate development in different parts of India. He is a member of many professional, social, cultural and charitable organizations. He is a Trustee of Operation Eyesight Universal India a Canada based organization, Shelter Box UK. He joined Rotary in 1985. He is a member of Rotary Calcutta Mahanagar and was District Governor in 1999-2000. He was the director on the board of Rotary International for the years 2011-13. He has held many positions at the international level. Prominent amongst them are he was chairman of Strategic Planning Committee of Rotary International. He was chair of the Joint Committee on Partnership of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation. He was the chairman of Rotary India Literacy Mission and chairman of Rotary Foundation India. He was chairman of Rotary India Centennial Celebration. He has helped Rotary add 2 countries to its fold Bhutan and Maldives. Keenly dedicated to service Shekhar has led some major service initiatives in India. Some of them are constructing 500 homes for Tsunami survivors at Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Starting the Shelter Kit program which has served about 20 disasters in India distributing more than 10000 shelter kits helping about 50000 disaster victims. Healing Little Hearts: having got done more than 2000 heart surgeries for children all over India. He has conceived, designed and scaled up the Rotary India Literacy Mission by starting initiative like conceiving and starting the TEACH program. The program today has a reach in the entire country of India. More than 3000 Rotary Clubs participate in this program making it one of the largest program of Literacy and Education by Rotary in the world. He has initiated construction of 7000 plus toilets in rural West Bengal benefiting 35000 villagers. He has been instrumental in setting up 15 eye hospitals all over India. He is recipient of all the highest awards of Rotary International. Service Above Self Award, the Meritorious Service Award and the Distinguished Service Award. Shekhar is married to Rashi. Rashi is a stage actor and has performed in many places across India. She is a Past President of Inner Wheel.

They have 2 children son Chiraag married to Geeta settled in Delhi and daughter Chandni pursuing PhD in Delhi. They have one grandson Veer. During his year as President of Rotary International Shekhar asks Rotarians to Grow More and Do More. His mission for the year is a leap in membership to a never before 1.3 million. He wants Rotarians to focus on Empowering Girls – be it in Education, Health, Skilling or WASH. He urges all Rotarians to Serve to Change Lives. His own guiding mantra is Service is the rent that we pay for the space we occupy on this earth. Ladies and gentlemen Rotary International President for the year 2021-22 Shekhar Mehta

Chris Gubler has been involved with Rotary for over 25 years. He is a member of the Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary Club known in Rotary “as the little club that can”. Chris has served as club president five times and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. Chris says, “Rotary International affords the opportunity to help a broad spectrum of worthy causes, both locally and globally.” “It is a privilege to be a part of such a humanitarian organization.”

Growing up in Altadena, Chris is no stranger to the Rose Parade. The Gubler family donated orchids to the Cal Poly Rose Float in the 70’s and 80’s. Chris is the third-generation orchid grower and is currently the President of Gubler Orchids Inc. He is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and with minors in Botany and Marketing. Chris is married to Debbie who he met at Rotary. Together they have two daughters. Jessica and Kelsey. Kelsey also a Rotarian, represents the fourth-generation orchid grower and was a member of the Rose Float committee at Cal Poly Pomona.

The Gubler family partners with the Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary to host the Morongo Basin Orchid festival held in the first week of October for the past 25 years, with all proceeds benefiting charities throughout the high desert communities. Chris and his team of Rotary volunteers developed a format that was inclusive to all charitable organizations to participate and benefit from the Annual Orchid Festival. A model that is now being used by other organizations. The Festival has grown considerably over the years, now generating over $28,000.00 per year for Desert charities. Funds are equitably distributed through the Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary Club.

Guity has been a proponent of community service throughout her life. She has been a member of Rancho Park Rotary Club since January 1991. She has served as the President and numerous other positions in her club. She has served as Assistant Governor, District Disaster Relief Chair, Interact Advisor, Humanitarian Trip Co-Chair, District 5280 Charitable Foundation Board Director, and chartered a new club in district 5280.

Guity’s professional experience spans to thirty-eight years in banking, investments, and structured finance. She is the founder and President of Hutton Capital. She was Senior Managing Director and co-founder of Spring Street Capital. Prior to that she worked for major money center banks in various senior management roles. She graduated from University of California at Berkeley in Business Administration.

Guity has been an advocate for women causes; served as a mentor in Women Unlimited, a mentoring program for women managers. She was an investor with an angel organization focused in women owned businesses. She co-chaired the first American Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” in Beverly Hills. She has also served on various not-for-profit boards.

A member of Calabasas Rotary Club since 2007, Bette Hall has held various positions, both within her Club and District 5280. Positions held include Club Avenues of Service and Events Chair, Board member, Club President, Assistant Governor, District Trainer for several years, and three years as the Senior Assistant Governor, Youth Services for District 5280. She has also chaired both the 2019 District Club Assembly and District Conference.

Bette has been very involved in developing and providing training for the Youth Protection Program and if asked to select an area she is most passionate about in Rotary, the answer has to be our Youth Programs. In 2017 Bette was one of two members who received the Rotarian of the Year award for District 5280, the other being none other than our District Governor Melody St. John. Her greatest honor has been serving as District 5280 Governor for the year 2020-21, a year like no other in Rotary.

Originally from London, England, Bette is a long-time resident of the West San Fernando Valley, and retired a few years ago from a long and varied career in Human Resources after holding positions such as Director and Vice President of Human Resources for large, multi-state/International companies, prior to running her own HR consulting company.
What Bette enjoys most about retirement is having more time to volunteer with Rotary and an extra bonus – spending more time with her family, and especially the grandchildren. She feels very fortunate to have them all living within easy driving distance, and being able to go to their activities, including baseball games, to cheer them on, and yes she has been known to be very loud, especially when they hit a home run!

Danielle Lallement began her career as a trauma intensive care unit nurse in Reno, Nevada. She relocated to the San Francisco area and is currently employed as a Unit Director at University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, managing both a surgical oncology and a respiratory isolation intensive care unit.

In 2007, she joined the Rotary Club of Sparks in Sparks, Nevada. She relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, and in 2013 she became a founding member and Charter President of the San Francisco Evening Rotary Club. Her club gave her a focus that included the engagement of young professionals into the organization, and she saw the need for the organization to innovate and become more relevant in today’s world. In 2014, she was selected to participate in the Rotary Young Professionals Summit in Chicago, and in 2015, she organized and held the West Coast Young Professionals Summit in Berkeley, CA. That same year, she was also selected by RI president, K.R. Ravi Ravindran to serve as the young professional advisor on the Rotary International Membership Committee.

In 2016, she created and chaired the Rotary Connecting for Good Tour, the largest goodwill tour on the West Coast of the United States, involving 6 states and 14 cities. Once the tour was completed, she helped create and charter the Castro Rotary Club in San Francisco.

She recently served on the Zone Advisory Committee for Zones 25/26 in 2017-2019 and was selected to serve as District Governor for District 5150 in 2021-2022.
In March of 2020, as the COVID pandemic reached the San Francisco Community, Danielle and her team reopened the adult intensive care unit at the UCSF Mount Zion Campus to accommodate our COVID + patients. She now manages both the COVID+ ICU at the UCSF Mount Zion Campus and the Surgical Oncology ICU at the UCSF Mission Bay Campus.

Elizabeth “Betsy” McDonough Barry joined the Rotary Club of Upland in 2005.  She served as club president, 2015-2016.  She also served District Membership Chair.
Betsy’s husband, Roy is a member Upland Rotary.  Roy served as president for 2019-2020.

Betsy served on the Upland City Council (1991-1998) and became Mayor Pro Tem (1996-1998). She was President of the Western San Bernardino County Bar Association (2002).

Betsy and Roy and their daughter, Maggie live in Yorba Linda, California. Roy is active in the Knights of Columbus at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church.  Betsy is a lector at the parish. Betsy serves as Treasurer for Maggie’s Girl Scout Troop.  She is a member of the Kappa Delta Alumnae Chapters for Orange County and San Bernardino County.

Born in San Bernardino, California, she graduated from Upland High School; earned a bachelors degree in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; and a juris doctor from Western State University, College of Law.

Betsy and Roy are attorneys at Barry and Barry, in Upland, specializing in probate, real property, business and litigation.

Betsy’s best Rotary moments include “Shopping at Target” where 100 under-privileged local children are given $100.00 to buy Christmas presents; and reading and distributing books to Title I school children in grades K through third grade.  During Betsy’s year as President, 35 traffic signs were installed near every school in Upland to warn drivers to “Drive Carefully, Protect Our Children.”   Betsy is passionate about sharing Rotary so that others may know the wonderful works Rotarians do locally, nationally and worldwide.

Born in Seoul, Korea, Jung-Yoon Sul (soon after to be Jaimee) arrived in the United States at 12 years of age, settling in Glendale, California. In High School, she had an evening job at a local florist shop which led to her lifelong involvement in that industry. After 22 years of owning her own florist business, she retired last year.

She joined the Rotary Club of Inglewood in 2004, serving as their President for the 2008-2009 year. While with District 5280, she served in many capacities, including District Conference Chair, Senior Assistant Governor for Youth Services and as Executive Aide to the District Governor. Jaimee has also been involved with Far West PETS and three Big West Zone Institutes.

Her involvement with Rotary has provided opportunities to travel to the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Colombia and many other countries as part of a humanitarian trips to foster the well-being of those in need

Currently she is a member of the Palm Desert Rotary Club in District 5330, serving as the Youth Services Chair, living in La Quinta, California with her husband, Doug.  And now, her lifelong passion with flowers and her service with Rotary has come together to allow her to be part of the granddaddy of all parades.

Marija Valdez has been a member of the Rialto Rotary Club since 2013 and currently serves as secretary of the Odouro Village Rotary Educational Project. One of the missions of the Odouro Village Project is to provide educational opportunities and scholarships to the students of this Ugandan Village. Marija has been involved in education for twenty- five years as a teacher in the Corona Norco Unified School District. Education is very important facet in her life and she is proud to represent Teachers and Rotarians alike in this Tournament of Roses Parade.

No stranger to the Pasadena area, Dave started his professional career while living in Arcadia and later in South Pasadena. He has fond memories of seeing the Rose Parade in person during those years.

His wife Olivia, a retired preschool teacher, and he are proud parents of three children and grandparents of two. Dave earned his Bachelor of Science degree (chemistry) from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont and his Master of Science degree (financial planning) from the College for Financial Planning.

Dave became a charter member of the Rotary Club of Goleta Noontime in 1987. He served that club as president twice and is currently its secretary. He has served District 5240 as district trainer, assistant governor, and Interact chair. He is currently the Rotary Foundation Grants Chair. He is a TRF major donor and D5240 has honored him twice with the Rotarian of the Year award. Dave and Olivia have home-hosted six different Rotary Youth Exchange students for long-term exchanges. Each of these experiences were unforgettable and life-changing for all concerned!

Active in his role as Ambassador for West Coast Financial, a fee-only financial planning firm headquartered in Santa Barbara with offices in major metropolitan areas in California, Dave has enjoyed helping his clients reach their life goals for more than 35 years.

Dave is also a member of the board for the Los Padres Council of Boy Scouts of America. He is an active backpacker and long-distance runner who completed his second marathon race last month.

Along with other members of his Rotary club, Dave has helped decorate more than a half dozen Rotary Rose Parade floats in prior years. He is very much looking forward to serving with the best: those who are Rotary’s ambassadors to the world, presenting the Rotary float at the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day 2022!

Dan Goodrich Rotary Career started in 2011 when he was elected president, then again elected in 2012 as a member of the Hemet Sunset Rotary Club in District 5330.

Dan then served as the District Rotary Foundation Chair for the years 2014-17. Dan has held many positions within the District but has now been honored by being selected as the District Governor and will serve as Governor in the 2021-2022 years for District 5330.

Dan was born in Sarnia Ontario Canada and was naturalized as a citizen in 1982. He grew up in Michigan where is childhood was full of sports. Dan received a scholarship in baseball from Central Michigan University and graduated with bachelor’s degree in Managerial Information Systems with a Minor in Accounting and Finance.

Dan is currently a Property Manager of a 55+ community (1474 homes) over 45 Million in Assets. Dan holds designations of Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM) from the State of California. Dan also holds a Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation from Community Association Institute at the National Level.

His favorite sports are Baseball and he enjoys Golf when he can. He and his wife Ruth have been married for (14) years and have three dogs Charlie and Daisy and recently a new puppy Boscoe (9 week old golden lab).

Dan has been recognized by the City of Hemet, Riverside County and Various Community Organizations for his Volunteer work in the City of Hemet and Riverside County.

Dan is a Paul Harris Society Member, Major Donor, Benefactor, Bequest Society Member.

Laura Dubbe, is Superintendent of the McCabe Union Elementary School District in Imperial County, CA. Prior to serving as Superintendent, Mrs. Dubbe has served in various educator roles including Teacher, Resource Teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal. She is a lifelong resident of Imperial Valley, and this is her 30th year in education.

Upon completing a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Leadership with an Emphasis in Special Education, Mrs. Dubbe spent 4 years as a Resource Teacher for the National Science Foundation program. In this capacity Mrs. Dubbe was instrumental in establishing an inquiry-based, hands-on science implementation for approximately 22,500 K-8 students and 1,100 teachers throughout 14 districts. Mrs. Dubbe participated in Leadership Academies at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, and Tufts University in Boston. She has led presentations at state and national conferences. In her current role as Superintendent, Mrs. Dubbe continues to cultivate leadership in others through her commitment to academic success for all students. Her ability to manage people, data, and processes has promoted growth for both students and adults. Mrs. Dubbe values continuing her professional development though her membership in the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).

Bret McKeand is a member of the Peoria North Rotary Club and the current District 5495 Governor for 2021-22.

District 5495, one of two Rotary districts serving Arizona, includes the Phoenix metropolitan area and all areas north up to the Nevada border. The district presently has 67 clubs and 2,092 members.

Originally from Illinois, Bret relocated to Arizona in 1981.He has spent his entire career with Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA, retiring in 2018 as president of the company’s Arizona operations.

He joined Rotary in 2007 and his experiences over the years include serving as president of the Peoria North Rotary Club, Assistant Governor in District 5495 and chair of the district’s Public Image Committee.

He has participated in the district’s Caborca (Mexico) Polio Immunization Trip, traveled to Mexico as part of a district Micro-Lending excursion and served as an adult counselor at RYLA.

He is the author of “Images of America: Sun City,” a book published in 2010 in cooperation with the Sun Cities Area Historical Society. Bret and Michelle live in Peoria, Ariz., and have two grown children.

Kathy (Kat) Beringer is a member of the Northwest Rotary Supper Club, in District 6440 (the Home District). Kat’s a second generation Rotarian, who’s served in many positions in her club and District. She’s a face and body painter, as well as business owner and instructor in the Chicagoland area. She’s also the Competition Director for FABAIC, an annual competition with world renowned artists, for the last several years. Kat had a dream… a bucket list item… to decorate a float in the Rose Parade.That dream was in motion when another opportunity arose… to be a walker in the parade. The rest they say, is history.