Rear Adm. Wirth is a native of Grand Island, New York and a 1994 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering. He also holds a Master of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University and has completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI program.
His sea tours include division officer assignment on USS Atlanta (SSN 712), navigator/operations officer onboard USS West Virginia (SSBN 736)(G) and executive officer onboard USS Albany (SSN 753). He commanded USS Alaska (SSBN 732)(G) in Kings Bay, Georgia and was commodore of Submarine Squadron 20 in Kings Bay, Georgia.
His shore assignments include submarine watch officer for Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer for Commander Submarine Group 7; special assistant to the Director of Naval Reactors for Personnel and Policy; deputy commander for Submarine Squadron 20; executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Personnel; the submarine and nuclear community manager, Military Personnel Plans and Policy (N133) and division director of Submarine and Nuclear Propulsion Distribution, Navy Personnel Command (PERS-42).
His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, as well as other unit and campaign awards.
Recently, Dianne Mendenhall introduced Jill Davis as new Rotarian. Jill Pershing Davis is Vice President, Private Wealth Advisor at U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. As a Private Wealth Advisor, Jill is responsible for providing comprehensive wealth management strategies tailored to her clients’ specific needs. Jill takes the time to understand her clients’ unique needs and directs teams of specialists to provide services that help her clients work toward their goals. Jill began her career in the financial services industry in mid-80’s. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, she was a regional vice president at Ameritas Life Insurance.
Jill serves as the vice president for Friends of Lied Performing Arts and is co-chair of the 2023 (Viva Lied Vegas) and 2024 (New York New York) gala. She is membership chair of Women Investing in Nebraska and serves on Nebraska Bankers Association board of directors. Soon, she will be joining the Bryan Foundation board of trustees. She is also a member the Nebraska Women Leadership Network, where she mentors collegians, and the Lincoln Estate Planning Council. When she is not at work, she enjoys attending Husker events, spending time with her husband, Tim and their two grandsons (Archer & Aiden), gardening, traveling and visiting their Circle D Ranch near Valentine. If you recognize the Pershing name, her mother Eldene and Jill had the largest dance studio in Lincoln. During Jill’s dancing career, she was an Omaha Ballet Company soloist, studied and performed in England, NYC, LA, Houston, and Chicago. Jill is a former Miss Nebraska.
Jill Davis with her Rotary sponsor Diane Mendenhall, her husband Tim Davis, and President Jess Kinser
As a Business Banking Relationship Manager, Jack is responsible for working with businesses and understanding how U.S. Bank can assist in making businesses more efficient and thrive. Jack is invested in helping his clients grow and succeed by ironing out pain-points and achieving their goals.
Jack began his career at U.S. Bank when he graduated college in 2019 from the Wharton School. Jack has had many different roles within the bank being in Pre-Underwriting, Underwriting, and Commercial Real Estate portfolio management before working as a business banking relationship manager.
Jack is newly engaged to Anna. The two are to be married next June. When Jack is not working, he enjoys playing golf, watching sports, specifically football & auto racing, and enjoying time with friends and family.
Jack Maly with President Jess Kinser and John Zimmer
Recently, Tom Stelzer was introduced by Jill Davis as a new Rotarian. As a Mortgage Loan Officer at US Bank, Tom consults with clients and guides them through the home financing process for home purchases, refinances, and new construction loans. Tom pays close attention to the finer details of home lending and strives to make the mortgage process smooth and worry-free for all stakeholders.
Tom began his career in mortgage as an underwriter with Wells Fargo after graduating from the University of Iowa in 2011. A unique opportunity brought Tom to Lincoln in 2014 as a senior leader of an industrial painting company that specialized in the refurbishment of water towers. After several years of traveling the central U.S. and climbing to the top of countless water towers, Tom found his way back to financial services.
Tom Stelzer with his Rotary sponsor Jill Davis and President Jess Kinser
The ongoing Rotary 14 Board elections have been initiated, and you received the electronic ballot on August 18, 2023. Take a moment to review the candidates' brief biographies, which were emailed to you on the same date. Your opportunity to cast your vote for up to four out of the eight candidates will conclude at 6:00 PM this upcoming Friday, August 25, 2023. Pictured below are the esteemed Rotarians contending for positions on the Rotary 14 Board of Directors. The four candidates with the highest vote counts will secure victory and undertake their roles for the term spanning 2024 to 2026.
Top L to R: Jon Gayer, Landon Bartel, Christine Weeks, Lisa Froehlich
Bottom: L to R: Michael Eckelkamp, Michelle Zlomke, Sheila Odom, Scott Holechek
We are seeking weekly volunteers to facilitate our meetings, providing an excellent opportunity for engagement. By participating, you'll earn attendance credit and connect with fellow Rotarians. Meet our upcoming over-achiever Rotarians: Mike Manga, who recently transferred his membership from Zimbabwe, along with Jill Davis and Jack Maly of US Bank. Click here to serve and be part of the dynamic weekly meeting volunteers.
R. Gordon R. McInally is president of Rotary International. He was educated at the Royal High School in Edinburgh and at the University of Dundee, where he earned his graduate degree in dental surgery. He operated his own dental practice in Edinburgh until 2016. Gordon was chair of the East of Scotland branch of the British Paedodontic Society and has held various academic positions. He has also served as a presbytery elder, chair of the Queensferry parish congregational board, and commissioner to the general assembly of the Church of Scotland. Read President McInally's biography.
Watch the video below of President McInally's address to the Rotary International Assembly:
At the intersection of liberty and language, one of Ukraine’s leading writers contemplates his literary identity By Andrey Kurkov
As Ukraine struggles against the current Russian invasion, it may seem strange to spend time remembering the collapse of the USSR in 1991. And yet I find it useful to reflect on that event. New, unexpected thoughts appear that provoke a shift in my attitudes, allowing me to reassess the past from the point of view of today’s tragedy.
In 1991, the USSR was physically disintegrating, crumbling like an old, abandoned building. Now Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dream of restoring the USSR is crumbling, and nostalgia for the Soviet past is dying.
I have always believed that the most important thing in life is to have a choice. This is the essence of freedom. Choice gives the opportunity to better understand yourself, the purpose of life, and your own role in it. In Soviet society, I could not choose a role that would suit both me and the Soviet system.
In my student years, I was an anti-Soviet Soviet person, as were many of my peers. I disliked many things about the USSR. I often argued with my communist father about the wrongness of the Soviet regime. And yet, I did not believe that this regime could be changed, that it could be made “correct.”
My father did not like to argue, although he always defended the Soviet system, in his calm, lazy manner. His positive attitude toward it grew from his belief that the Soviet system had allowed him to realize his dream. Since childhood, he had wanted to become a military pilot and he became one. He rose to the rank of captain, spending several years in Germany with the Soviet occupying forces after World War II. He returned to the USSR, and had it not been for the Cuban missile crisis and Nikita Khrushchev’s unilateral disarmament policy, he would have risen to the rank of colonel. Having faced the threat of a third world war, Khrushchev wanted to demonstrate that the USSR was a peace-loving state. This meant that my father, along with tens of thousands of other military men, was sent into the reserve army and a peaceful life. I am still grateful to Khrushchev for this beautiful peacekeeping gesture. Without it, I would not be a Ukrainian today.
The Rotary Club of Lincoln is meeting in a hybrid format. Join us at the Talon Room or on Zoom using the following information:
To join the meeting virtually, use this link: https://bit.ly/3YosV2W
Meeting ID: 849 7976 2224
Password: 661910
ROBERT E. WIRTH
Recently, Dianne Mendenhall introduced Jill Davis as new Rotarian. Jill Pershing Davis is Vice President, Private Wealth Advisor at U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. As a Private Wealth Advisor, Jill is responsible for providing comprehensive wealth management strategies tailored to her clients’ specific needs. Jill takes the time to understand her clients’ unique needs and directs teams of specialists to provide services that help her clients work toward their goals. Jill began her career in the financial services industry in mid-80’s. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, she was a regional vice president at Ameritas Life Insurance. 
As a Business Banking Relationship Manager, Jack is responsible for working with businesses and understanding how U.S. Bank can assist in making businesses more efficient and thrive. Jack is invested in helping his clients grow and succeed by ironing out pain-points and achieving their goals.
Recently, Tom Stelzer was introduced by Jill Davis as a new Rotarian. As a Mortgage Loan Officer at US Bank, Tom consults with clients and guides them through the home financing process for home purchases, refinances, and new construction loans. Tom pays close attention to the finer details of home lending and strives to make the mortgage process smooth and worry-free for all stakeholders.
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