Club Photo Album
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Speakers
Brian Pederson
Feb 24, 2020
Blue Ribbon Pelham Waters
Caleb Carlson
Mar 02, 2020
Icky's
Dr. Jesse Ulrich
Mar 09, 2020
Fort Dodge Community Schools
Charles Clayton
Mar 16, 2020
Athletics for Education & Success
Jen Cole
Mar 23, 2020
FD Schools STEM & MakerSpaces
TBD
Mar 30, 2020
Dodger Academy
Kris Patrick
Apr 06, 2020
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
Monique Hammond
May 18, 2020
Hearing Loss: The Silent Epidemic
Rep. Ann Meyer
Jun 01, 2020
Legislative Session Accomplishments
View entire list...
Club Executives & Directors
President
Elizabeth Stanek
President Elect
Janet Secor
President Nominee
Cameron Nelson
Immediate Past President
Joseph Tofilon
Secretary
Stephen Hoesel
Co-Treasurer
John Nielsen
Co-Treasurer
Kraig Barber
Membership
Dave Beekman
Foundation Chair
Rhonda Fitchett
Board Member to 2022
Dee Murman
Board Member to 2021
Elizabeth Stanek
Youth Protection Officer
Elizabeth Stanek
Board Member to 2020
Dave Beekman
Board Member to 2021
Cameron Nelson
Board Member to 2022
Eric Knox
Board Member to 2020
Jesse Ulrich
Links
 
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Home Page Stories
Picture of Rotarians in the "Messenger"
The latest issue of the Fort Dodge Business Connections published by the "Messenger" contains identified pictures of three Rotarians.  David Fierke, City Manager, and David Flattery, Councilman, are pictured in a spotlight on city government.  Randy Kuhlman provided the monthly update for the Fort Dodge Community Foundation/United Way.  Randy's article was on the role of the Foundation in Advancing Community Development.
Leah Glasgow and UnityPoint Health Fort Dodge
Leah Glasgow, CEO of UnityPoint Health - Fort Dodge, spoke about the changes made and priorities set for the hospital.  A Clarinda, Iowa native, Glasgow has worked in rural hospital settings since the age of 16.  In her recent past, Ms. Glasgow had been the CEO of Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City and then served as COO for UnityPoint in Sioux City.  Glasgow became the CEO of UnityPoint - Fort Dodge, taking over the management of an organization with a 6.8 million dollar deficit in January 2019.  Under her direction, the organization has been involved with many rural health demonstration projects, implemented LEAN practices, various cost-saving and optimization measures.  Through these efforts, the organization ended their fiscal year with a positive $6.5 million.  Glasgow reported that the surplus funds will be put back into the organization to improve the following:
  • Increasing the wages of entry level staff
    • Implementing a minimum wage of $13/hr, with a goal of increasing it to $15/hr within two years.
  • Recruitment of physicians and mid-level providers; AND
    • In 2019, 18 providers were added (9 physicians & 9 mid-level providers).  2020 recruitment will have a similar yield.
  • Address aging infrastructure.
    • Facilities are currently being assessed. 
 
Ms. Glasgow also reported:
  • The TeleHospitalist Program, in which hospitalized patients can be seen remotely, through advanced technology, by a board certified physician began on November 6th and has served 267 patients.
  • UnityPoint has opened up its hallways, called the Walking Path, to those who want to walk indoors for exercise.  This is an alternative location for walking for those that have been "mall-walking" at the Crossroads Mall, especially as it is deconstructed.
  • The hospital will remain as a 49 "acute bed" hospital, which qualifies them for federal funding as a Rural Health Organization.
  • Employee engagement has increased.
  • Overall patient experience has improved. 
Rotarian in the "Messenger"
Congratulations to Rotarians Cameron Nelson who assisted in coordinating a major diversity in Fort Dodge last week and to Rotarian Michael Devine who served as a MC for part of the event.
 
 
 
David Beekman and Cargill
Cargill is a very important industry not only to the Fort Dodge area but is also a very significant corporate partner to the community.  Dave Beekman explained Cargill as one of the two silent giants of private ownership companies in the U.S.  The other being Koch Industries.  Its corporate headquarters is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but has 170,000 world wide employees in 60 countries, with 85,000 being in the U.S.  The range of products is vast and deal primarily with food products, or items that lead to food production.  A recent deviation is Cargill produces a corn starch additive to cardboard that makes it very strong for a special customer - Amazon. 
 
The Fort Dodge plant grinds 150,000 bushels of corn per day with a very good potential for expansion.  CJ is the only "co-location industry" at the moment, but others may follow in the future as the Cargill site plan is fully implemented.  The Fort Dodge Plant employees 165 with an additional 100 employed by area contractors to Cargill.  In any given week approximately 88 tanker cars of ethanol leave the plant and 100 rail cars of high quality animal feed is shipped.  The animal feed currently goes to feed lots in Texas. 
 
In an answer to a question Dave stated that the amount of corn available in the Fort Dodge area can sustain all current users (Poet, Cargill, and Valaro) plus doubling of the Cargill facility.  This area of the United States is the greatest corn producing zone in the world.  Finally, Cargill was praised as being one of the best corporate partners any community could hope to have.  Dave stated that is a philosophy that is key to the business plan of Cargill.
Picture of Rotarian in The Messenger
Rotarian Ulrich appeared in the Monday edition of the "Messenger" announcing that a partnership between the Fort Dodge Community Schools and the Fprt Dodge Community Schools Foundation will begin a fundraiser to secure $110,000 to fund two years of the "Leader in Me" leadership program.  The program will work with students to implement Franklin Covey's 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."  This leadership program is highly regarded in schools throughout the U.S.
Rotary International Approves Grant for Community Health Centers
The Fort Dodge Rotary Club participated in an application to Rotary International for a $194,306 grant to support dental and general health initiatives for underserved children and adults in Eastern Iowa.  The Fort Dodge club placed approximately $5,000 to the pool of funding which will return to Fort Dodge Community Health Center in an approximate amount of $20,000.  The funds will be used to purchase mobile equipment carts for eye care and dental health to assist in the Center's services.  Other funds came from Brazil (District 4590), India (District s 3011 and 3132), 9 Rotary Clubs in Iowa and Minnesota (Cedar Rapids, Marion-East, Dubuque, Cedar Falls, Fort Dodge, Cedar Valley, Waterloo, Bellevue, and Edina MN., and District 5970 of Iowa and 5950 in Minnesota.  This grant was an unprecedented act of collaboration that hopefully can be used again in the future.
Easy Way to Contribute to the Rotary Foundation
Posted by Stephen Hoesel on Oct 20, 2019
Your Rotary Club provides an easy way for you to contribute to the Rotary Foundation, the major financial arm of Rotary that does Polio Plus and Foundation Grants.   The program permits you to ask the Treasurer to add an amount each quarter to your quarterly dues statement as a contribution to the R.I. Foundation.  The Treasurer then collects these amounts and writes a joint check to the Foundation for all funds contributed by members.  If you are interested please complete the following form and provide to Treasurer John Nielsen.
 
 
 
Monthly Program Chairs
Posted by David Fierke on Oct 01, 2019
The following are tentatively identified as the key person each month that will schedule club meetings for that month.  Please contact the appropriate person to ask for a program to be scheduled.
 
July - Cameron Nelson
August - Cheryl O'Hern
September - Rhonda Fitchett
October - Cameron Nelson
November - Amy Bruno
December - David Fierke
January -
February - Kraig Barber
March - Elizabeth Stanek ???
April - Michael Devine
May - Teresa Naughton
June - David Fierke
 
Invocation Leader for February 24th is Joseph Tofilon
Posted by Teresa Naughton on Feb 16, 2020
The following have volunteered to provide the weekly invocation as our meetings start.  If you are unable to make your assigned schedule please contact a substitute that will then check-in with the President prior to the meeting.
 
February 17 - Kraig Barber
February 24 - Joseph Tofilon
March 2 - ?
March 9 - ?
March 16 - Amy Bruno
March 23 - Randy Kuhlman
April 6 - Dave Beekman
April 13 - ?
April 20 - ?
April 27 - ?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Minutes and Financial Reports
Posted by Stephen Hoesel on Feb 08, 2020
Minutes and/or Financial Reports for the 2019-2020 Rotary Year have been posted to the members only section of the Website and are available for viewing by accessing the Members Only Section. 
The latest addition were posted by Monday Afternoon (1/20/20):
  • Minutes for the January 20th  Board of Directors meeting
  • Financial Statements for Month Ending January 31 2020.
Club's Application for Funds for Various Projects
Posted by Stephen Hoesel on Oct 20, 2019
Rotary is a service organization comprised of community leaders of various professions dedicated to humanitarian causes locally and throughout the world.  The club budgets funds annually for a variety of local causes that may be made available for requests made throughout the year for which the Board of Directors may want to support.  To make application for funds, complete the application online by clicking HERE.
 
Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Club Grant Guidelines
 
Mission: Rotary is a service organization comprised of community leaders of various professions dedicated to humanitarian causes locally and throughout the world. Simply put, Rotary is an organization that is out to do "good" in the world. 
 
Vision: It is incumbent upon the Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Club and its Board of Directors to be good stewards of available resources.  The club budgets dollars annually.  The budget may fund identified programs.  The club also has a small “Special Fund” available for requests made throughout the year for unbudgeted causes, which the club and Board may want to support. 
 
Eligibility for the Special Fund:  Grants must have the support of one or more members of the Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Club. Funds are granted in support of humanitarian causes.  Causes may relate to youth, poverty prevention/intervention, community betterment, health care, human services, and more.  There are many, many good causes.  There are also limited dollars.  Grant awards will not exceed the dollars available in the special fund.   Preference may be given to one-time projects or to programs that are deemed to have sustainability.  For example, grants may be given to a building projects to provide some seed money to start an educational program that the schools will fund in the long term.  Collaboration with other funding sources is encouraged.
 
Process: A Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Grant Application must be completed for consideration utilizing the on-line application form.   
  • Once received, the Club President will present the Grant Application to the Board at the next regular Board meeting.  The President will also communicate the balance of the Special Fund.
  • The Board will consider the Grant Application and vote on the request, deciding one of three outcomes:
    • The request will be fully funded
    • The request will be partially funded
    • The request will not be funded.
  • The Club President will communicate the decision with the grant requestor. 
  • If dollars are to be awarded, the Grant Application, with approval note, will be given to the Club Treasurer to pay and the treasurer will cut a check.