The Meeting was called to order by President Tara Lawson at 12:10 p.m.
Attendees sang “Happy Birthday” led by Rtn. Aaron Schaffer
Introductions:
Visiting Rotarians: Heather Cordon-Croskrey (Daybreak CR) & Michelle Beisker (CR Downtown rotary)
Visitors: Enzo Nagao, guest of Rtn. Heather Croskrey and Preston McIntyre, guest of Rtn. Sean McIntyre.
Rotary-related Announcements:
President Tara Lawson thanked Rtn. Brent Carstensen who attended the Rotary District Grants Seminar and recently finished our grant to help support our Library Project at the new Towncrest Neighborhood Center.
She also highlighted the Kilimanjaro Library Project – Jocoa Kerschen is a WAS alumni who reached out to her late last year about trying to start a library in Tanzania, where he has been a Peace Corps volunteer for over 18 months, teaching science to students.
- Our club has connected with Books for Africa, which has found a matching donor, and the Regina Foundation provided $1,000 seed money to open the fundraising link
- Jocoa’s ultimate hope is that this will get students reading, test scores will increase, and the local school district will eventually invest in libraries
- https://www.booksforafrica.org/donate/donate-project/tanzania/-kilimanjaro-library-project.html
Rtn. Patty McCarty, spoke on behalf of the Rotary Common Future Committee. She noted that Rotary is for everyone and club members are invited to join the Pride Parade coming up on Saturday, June 21. Please join us if you are interested.
Rtn. Linda Farkus, announced that RYLA has invited Rotarians to join them for a day. Let Aaron or Linda know if you are interested and you can carpool.
PROGRAM:
Rtn. Shannon Ramsay, Founder and Trustee of Trees Forever, provided an update on the Rotary Tree Committee's recent planting activities. She noted that the committee will be applying for a Rotary grant to fund future planting initiatives. Shannon then introduced the day’s guest speakers from Trees Forever: CEO Michelle Beisker and Director of Development Heather Croskrey presenting, “Planting a Better Tomorrow”
Michelle Beisker – CEO, Trees Forever
Michelle shared her professional background, beginning in the corporate sector before transitioning into nonprofit work with Waypoint Services and later with the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation. A year ago, she took on the role of CEO at Trees Forever, an opportunity she was excited to embrace. Michelle is also the President-Elect of Downtown Rotary in Cedar Rapids.
Trees Forever was founded in 1989 and now operates across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The organization:
- Assists over 200 communities and landowners with tree planning and implementation
- Engages in more than 7,000 volunteer encounters annually
- Awards over $650,000 in grants, along with technical support
Key Focus Areas:
- Tree planting and care
- Education on conservation and sustainability
- Building resilient, diverse, and native tree canopies
- Supporting communities in natural disaster recovery
Heather Cordon-Croskrey – Director of Development
Heather emphasized the educational mission of Trees Forever, highlighting the many benefits trees provide, including: cleaner air, wildlife habitats, shade and cooling, natural beauty and aesthetic value, energy savings, fresh food sources, healthier communities, rainwater capture and management
Heather emphasized the educational mission of Trees Forever, highlighting the many benefits trees provide, including: cleaner air, wildlife habitats, shade and cooling, natural beauty and aesthetic value, energy savings, fresh food sources, healthier communities, rainwater capture and management
She also referenced Spot-the-Hot as a valuable tool for visualizing the impact of urban tree canopies on heat in city areas.
Funding Breakdown: 1/3 from government sources, 1/3 from corporate partners and 1/3 from individual donors.
Enzo Nagao – Development and Volunteer Coordinator
Enzo spoke about Trees Forever's volunteer programs, particularly the TreeKeeper training classes, which educate participants to become local tree advocates. To date, over 200 individuals have completed TreeKeeper training.
Enzo spoke about Trees Forever's volunteer programs, particularly the TreeKeeper training classes, which educate participants to become local tree advocates. To date, over 200 individuals have completed TreeKeeper training.
Other programming includes Stewards of the Beautiful Land, which teaches best practices in land stewardship. Enzo highlighted volunteering as a meaningful way to contribute to community forestry while enjoying time outdoors. Corporate volunteer groups are also encouraged to participate through team-building and community engagement initiatives.
The meeting ended with The Four Way Test.
NEXT WEEK: At next week’s meeting, June 12, 2025, we will hear from Dani Carter, Program Director, Junior Achievement with her program, ‘Inspire and Empower Youth with Junior Achievement.’
Program: Rtn. Margaret Reese; Attendance: Rtn. Nancy Droll
Please forward any newsworthy items and/or photos to Janice Baldes to include in the weekly slide decks emailed to members prior to each meeting and shown just before Rotary meetings at the Club. You can send information to: Rtn. Janice Baldes janicebaldes@gmail.com
For questions related to Club administration, please contact us at secretary@iowacitynoonrotary.org.