Events

Born in Ghana in 1962, Kwame Dawes spent most of his childhood in Jamaica. As a poet, he is profoundly influenced by the rhythms and textures of the country, citing in a recent interview his “spiritual, intellectual, and emotional engagement with reggae music.” His book Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius (2007) remains the most authoritative study of the lyrics of Bob Marley.

The author of numerous books and poetry collections, his awards include an Emmy and Webby for LiveHopeLove, an interactive website based on the Kwame Dawes Pulitzer Prize Center project HOPE: Living and Loving with AIDS in Jamaica. Dawes’s other honors and award include the a Pushcart Prize and a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship. 

Kwame Dawes serves as the poet laureate of Jamaica as well as the director of the African Poetry Book Fund. He is  the Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner and Professor of English at the University of Nebraska. He is The cofounder of the Calabash International Literary Festival and a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.

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For the past year and a half Tom has served as the Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic Site Manager. Before accepting his most recent assignment, he served six years as the Administrative Officer for the Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System’s Imaging Department where he was responsible for reorganization and modernization efforts, among other duties.

Prior to onboarding with the Veterans Health Administration, he completed an administrative residency at Children’s Hospital in Omaha as part of his master’s in health care administration from Xavier University of Cincinnati.

Through the years, Tom has gained valuable experience traveling the world as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and flying routes throughout the Alaskan Bush as a commercial pilot.

He is also a Veteran, having served more than 12 years in the military. While in the military, Tom served as an enlisted Special Tactics Combat Controller and as an Intelligence and Special Warfare Officer. Official duties included Chief of Technical Activities, and Asset Validation Cell Manager while assigned to a Joint Special Operations Task Force in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is credited with two tours in Iraq, two tours in Afghanistan, and various other Task Force assignments around the globe.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lori Seibel has served as President and CEO of the Community Health Endowment of Lincoln since its inception in 1998. Prior to joining CHE, Lori was the city’s Public Health Epidemiologist and an Advisor to two Lincoln Mayors.

Under Lori’s leadership, the Community Health Endowment has reinvested more than $40 million into our community to achieve CHE’s vision of making Lincoln the healthiest community in the nation. She has led efforts to convene the community around important health issues such as health equity, access to and integration of mental health and medical services, adverse childhood experiences, and access to healthy food.

Lori graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Master’s Degree in Preventive
Medicine.

Join Us for an Inspiring Presentation by Jeff Ahl

We’re thrilled to invite you to an upcoming presentation by Jeffrey Ahl, founder and principal of his innovative architectural firm. The firm’s name and mission evolved from a fascinating case study Jeff undertook, where he went undercover to experience firsthand how architectural design impacts the quality of life in senior care environments.

Through his journey, Jeff discovered that the greatest contributors to quality of life weren’t just the physical spaces but also the culture and relationships within them. His findings have deeply influenced how his firm approaches design to foster meaningful connections and vibrant communities.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Jeff’s unique story and learn how he’s applying these principles to transform architectural services. We encourage all Rotary members to join and be inspired by his vision!

Happy Holidays! 

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Happy New Year! 

 Join Us for an Inspiring Talk on HomeFIT! 

Rotarians, are you planning for the future or helping loved ones do the same? Learn practical tips to make your forever home a haven for aging in place. From clever adaptations to simple upgrades, this session is packed with insights to help you stay safe, comfortable, and independent.

Don't miss this opportunity to turn your home into a place where you can thrive for years to come.

#HomeFIT #ForeverHome #Rotary #AgingInPlace 

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Join Us for an Inspiring Presentation on Service Dogs

Discover the incredible ways service dogs are saving lives and making a difference! Learn more about DomestiPups, their mission, and the essential role these specially trained dogs play in supporting those in need. We'll answer important questions like, "Who needs a service dog?" and explore the life-changing impact they have.

Important Reminder: Please do NOT pet any service dogs attending the Rotary 14 presentation — they are hard at work and focused on their duties.

We look forward to sharing this eye-opening experience with you!

Joshua Berry is a world-class facilitator of change. As an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and director of Econic, Joshua has spent the last two decades evolving the what, who, and why of Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed startups.

Along with his team, Joshua has sparked change in organizations like US Bank, John Deere, Procter & Gamble, Nelnet, Ameritas, Omaha Public Power District, Farm Credit Services of America, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, among others.

For employees and leaders looking to grow themselves and their organizations, Joshua speaks on overcoming limiting beliefs, adaptive leadership, and the innovation systems and mindsets that create engines for growth. Learn more at econic.co and joshuaberry.com.

Twenty years ago Jim began his ministry at First-Plymouth. In partnership with a talented staff, and an incredible congregation of energized souls, the church grew from 2900 members to 4200 members. But more importantly, First-Plymouth grew in service to the poor and witness to the Gospel. Our church now stands as a testimony to the power of an inclusive, open-minded, intellectually curious spirit combined with a love of Jesus. 

Jim was born in Des Moines, Iowa, started heading west for undergraduate study at the University of Colorado, Boulder and graduate study in Berkeley. He received his Doctorate of Ministry from Andover Newton Seminary and was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1990.

In 1993, after serving churches in Berkeley and Corona Del Mar, California, he became the Sr. Minister of the West Concord Union Church, in Massachusetts. In 1999 he became the Sr. Minister at the Congregational Church of San Mateo, California. Finally, he made it to Lincoln.

He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Pacific School of Religion; a Trustee of Doane University and multiple seminaries; as founding president of the Peninsula Clergy Network which links 400 clergy with other area civic leaders; and as a board member of many non-profits. He has also been guest lecturer at Tufts University, UNL, Andover Newton Theological School, Doane University and many other colleges. He loves golf but loves Becca more.

The Lincoln Rotary Club 14 Foundation was founded in 1997 as part of a long-range strategy to build an endowment to serve as the financial vehicle for all of Lincoln Rotary Club 14’s charitable service on a local level and around the world. During the past 25 years, your Club 14 Foundation has awarded over $2 million in grants, scholarships, and awards. 

Through your generous donations, Lincoln Rotary Club 14 is able to fund important club projects like the Dictionary Project, Rotary Youth Exchange, Little Free Pantries, Read Aloud at Everett, and many others. In addition, each year, we award our annual “Service Above Self” scholarship of $2,500 per year for four years to outstanding students in our community.

We are honored by Rotarians’ generosity, as well as the contributions of many friends of Rotary to build our Club’s Foundation for more than 25 years. Support is shown through various pledge campaigns such as our current 5|25 campaign to reach $5 million in assets by 2025, through our Rise.Shine.Give. fundraiser every February, and miscellaneous other annual giving throughout the year. 

This week the Rotary #14 Foundation President, Mike Wortman, will update the club on the work of our foundation and how you can support the work of our club to provide "service above self" throughout our community and the world.

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Dr. Larkin Powell is Director for the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The School has 85 faculty with expertise in climate, water/soils, and biodiversity in working landscapes. As professor of conservation biology and animal ecology in the School, Larkin taught undergraduate and graduate courses on wildlife management and research, and his research program focused on landscape dynamics, animal
demography and movements, and decisions made by private landowners in the Great Plains and throughout the world. 

Dr. Powell holds a PhD in Ecology from the University of Georgia. On sabbatical as a Fulbright Scholar in 2009, he moved with his family to Namibia, where he taught for a year at the Polytechnic University of Namibia. He and his wife, Kelly, now lead study trips for UNL students to Namibia to explore models of conservation.

• Click here for stories on how Rotarians are providing clean water and sanitation to those in need. https://rotaryserviceblog.org/tag/world-water-day/
• Click here to learn about and join the WASH Rotary Action Group, focused on clean water and sanitation projects. https://wash-rag.org/
• Click here to donate. Be sure to sign into your MyRotary.org account before completing your donation. Choose "Areas of Focus", "Water, Sanitation & Hygiene" to direct you donation for water projects. https://my.rotary.org/en/donate

Gina Ligon is the founder and director of NCITE - the largest counterterrorism research consortium in the U.S. She is an internationally known industrial and organizational psychologist with proven terrorism expertise in both the academic and policy spheres. 

Ligon has served on Office of the Director of National Intelligence panels for the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. She regularly briefs the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, National Media Exploitation Center, and other federal agencies on terrorism.

She serves on the advisory board of CREST, the U.K.-based Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats. Ligon has published more than 80 peer-reviewed publications related to violent extremist organizations, leadership, and collaboration, and has had federal funding for her research since 2008.

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