Events

Brandon Sube
Ventura County Fire Department

Held after regular meeting with Board of Directors

Amy Towner, also known as “The Go 2 Gal,” is Chief Executive Officer of Health Care Foundation for Ventura County.

 

Learn more about Amy here: https://hcfvc.org/_team/towner/

 

 

Mardi Gras Kick Off Meeting w/ John Z!

Evening meeting from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.

Our very own Jackie Sanchez will present on navigating the Rotary Ventura South Website, Rotary International Website and our Social Media page.

Held after regular meeting with Board of Directors

Facing Challenges with Optimism & Humor

Carol Leish is a local journalist, who writes for the ‘Ventura Breeze,’ which she has been writing for since 2013. She writes on issues mainly related to mental health and to seniors. She also writes for other publications. She recently wrote, ‘The Joy of Living Optimally,’ for the 2024 ‘LiveWell,’ by the Ventura Human Service Agency and the Ventura Area Agency on Aging. She has been doing Motivational Speaking for many years. She has an M.A. in Education/Counseling from CSU San Bernardino.

Held after regular meeting with Board of Directors

Only 4 spaces left for this Rotary Ventura South member holiday brunch social!  District Governor Sherry Sim will be our guest of honor.

Sat, Dec 14th (10:30 am - 2:30 pm)

For more details speak with Co-President Josh C.

RSVP by Dec 9th

 

Vanessa Bechtel

President & CEO

Ventura County Community Foundation | VCCF Nonprofit Center

Vanessa Bechtel, AIFA, CSPG, serves as President and CEO of the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF). Over the last five years, because of the support of thousands of generous donors, the foundation has been able to grant over $111 million in service to our community, advancing a wide range of causes, including access to education, health care, housing, the environment, animal welfare, arts and music, disaster relief and response, and so much more!

Prior to her work with VCCF, Bechtel served as executive director of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation. She co-founded Monarch Wealth Strategies in 2008 and was honored as Business Woman of the Year by the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce in 2010. Bechtel was recognized as Nonprofit Leader of the Year by the Ventura County Leadership Academy in 2019 and Humanitarian of the Year by the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation with her spouse, Jim. In December 2020, Bechtel was named Woman of the Year for 2020 by both the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce and the 19th Senatorial District and 37th Assembly District.

Bechtel graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Law and Society. In 2016, she received her master’s degree from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. She also received her master’s certificate from the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Onati, Spain in 2002.

In her spare time, Bechtel enjoys hiking, practicing the piano and violin, and is an avid reader.

Chris Romero has worked in non-profit for over 20 years and has been in meal packaging for over eight years, partnering with Rotary clubs and groups all over the West Coast. A three-time AmeriCorps alum, he’s managed volunteer programs and non-profit events for a variety of great organizations including KaBOOM!, the YMCA and the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. Chris has a passion for introducing students to volunteerism and bringing communities together around critical needs projects. Through different meal packaging programs, he has helped groups package and donate over 12 million meals to domestic and international feeding organizations.

 

THE MISSION OF THE OUTREACH PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE SAFE WATER, FOOD, MEDICAL CARE AND EDUCATION TO CHILDREN AND THOSE IN NEED, AT HOME AND ABROAD.

 

The Outreach Program is a nonprofit that organizes meal packaging service projects and we’ve partnered with clubs throughout Southern California Rotary Districts to help support their local feeding organizations.

 

Meetng at noon - Oxnard Courtyard Marriott

 

Speakers: Tracy Long (Visitor Services Director) and Joe Cahill (Exec Director)

Ventura Botanical Gardens

 

 

 

Held after regular meeting with Board of Directors

Matt LaVere was elected to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in March 2020 and formally took office as the District 1 Supervisor in December 2020.

Prior to taking office as County Supervisor, Matt served on the Ventura City Council from 2016-2020, and was Ventura’s Mayor from 2018-2020. During his time on the Ventura City Council, Matt’s key priorities were economic development, affordable housing, environmental initiatives, homeless services and supporting our first responders.

Matt is a 2nd generation Ventura County native. He grew up in Ventura and Ojai, attending Loma Vista Elementary School, Mira Monte Elementary School, Matilija Junior High School and Villanova Preparatory School. Following graduation from Villanova, Matt attended Pepperdine University where he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors and distinction in 2000. Matt earned his law degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law.

Professionally, Matt has worked as a lawyer in private practice since 2006. He has also held positions in the White House, as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill, and worked a six month position with the United States Attorney’s Office Organized Crime Strike Force in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Matt has also served on the Board of Directors for Project Understanding, the Downtown Ventura Rotary Club, and continues to serve as an Executive Board Member of the Ventura College Foundation, which supports the thousands of students attending Ventura College through scholarships, free textbooks and other assistance.

Matt lives in Ventura with his wife Alicia and his two daughters Lucia and Lorenza.

Rotary Meeting at Sterling Hills

Speaker: John Z Mardi Gras Planning!

5:30 pm - 7 pm.

RYLA to come and give a slideshow presentation on their experience. 

Held after regular meeting with Board of Directors & Sherry Sim

More details to come!

Speaker: Monica White (President & Chief Executive Officer)

 

Monica White joined Food Share of Ventura County as President and CEO in 2017 after having previously served on the Food Share board. Since taking on the role, Monica led Food Share out of a period of financial challenges while responding to some of Ventura County’s most critical hunger relief needs during the Thomas Fire and the COVID-19 pandemic. Entering its 46th year as Ventura County’s food bank, Food Share served over 260,000 individuals last year through a network of 190 community partners. In 2023, Food Share distributed the equivalent of over 15 million meals in Ventura County. Monica comes to Food Share after working at the Ventura County Star as Director of Consumer Sales and Marketing. Her prior experience includes positions with the Walt Disney Company, ABC Television and Whamo! She recently served as the Board Chair of the California Association of Food Banks and is now a member of the Board of Trustees for Community Memorial Healthcare. Monica has been named in the Top 50 Women in Business by the Pacific Coast Business Times for the past 4 years.

Visit from District Governor Sherry Sim!

Held after regular meeting with Board of Directors

Speaker: Korinne Bell (Ventura CountyAgriculture Commissioner)

 

During Bell’s nearly two decades with the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, she’s climbed the ranks from Agricultural Inspector Biologist to Chief Deputy Agricultural Commissioner. During her tenure, she has worked in and overseen programs that include Pesticide Use Enforcement, Pest Exclusion, Certified Farmers’ Markets, Organics, Standardization, the Pierce’s Disease Control Program, Agricultural Disaster Assessment, and the publication of the annual Ventura County Crop & Livestock Report. Bell currently manages a portfolio of 30 diverse programs and leads a team of over 70 dedicated employees. Her responsibilities encompass personnel management, management of compliance with safety protocols as the agency’s safety officer, as well as serving as public information officer for the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. Additionally, Bell continues to oversee environmental analysis for land use projects involving agriculture and her related role as staff for the Ventura County Agricultural Advisory Committee. She played a key role in the merger of the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office with the Ventura County Weights & Measures Division in 2022.

Bell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a Master of Education degree from Azusa Pacific University.