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CONNECT
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INSPIRE
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FIGHT HUNGER
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EMPOWER
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MENTOR
Attend a meeting
Join us on a Wednesday convenient to you and experience the fun and friendship of the Rotary Club of San Jose!
Contact our Executive Director, Leslee Hamilton for more details and to RSVP at (408) 297-6101.
Join us
Fill out an application and join community leaders. Become a member of the Rotary Club of San Jose.
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“Service Above Self”
Rotary is a service organization of business and community leaders united worldwide. Rotarians are making a positive impact in our local and global communities.
The Rotary Club of San Jose
Benefiting the community and our world through action, integrity, service, and fellowship.
The Rotary Club of San Jose is the largest, most active and well-known service organization in the community. We are a leadership organization working together to make a difference. Our members include local business, nonprofit, professional and civic leaders. We form lasting friendships through our shared Rotary experiences including weekly meetings with interesting speakers, committee meetings and projects, social events and group service projects within our community and internationally.
Diversity & Inclusion
Having a diverse and inclusive Rotary Club means we value and welcome individuals of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, and races to our Club. We invite younger people, women, and minorities who support Rotary’s values, ideals, and mission to join our members in service to our community, and we strive to give all members equal opportunities to serve as leaders within our Club.
Service is the life blood of our Club, and it all happens through our Committees
The Event for June 18: Debunking
Join us for our annual farewell to our club's outgoing president, as we have some light-hearted fun at President Heather's expense. As usual, the Debunking committee is working hard to provide a perfect send-off. You won't want to miss it.
Lunch Order for June 18 Meeting
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Scott's Seafood will provide lunch ($30*) at Wednesday's meeting. The buffet lunch menu includes:
Starters: Pear and Strawberry Salad (VGT)
Entrees: Blackened Snapper, Chicken Picatta, Eggplant Parmesan (VGT),
Sides: Sauteed Seasonal Vegetables (VGT) Garlic Mashed Potatoes(VGT)
Please order your lunch by June 16th at 12noon. Plan ahead and order early! Late orders will be charged an extra $5.
Important note: If you have a 10-pack, you still need to register, so we have enough food.
*Rotary is underwriting the Service Charge and Sales Tax. Your lunch reservation is non-refundable once the order is placed on Monday at noon.
Downtown Happy Hour
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2026 Ski Trips
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Link for more information to sign up for the Chamonix trip
https://forms.gle/YBnP2BF8d7auj68a6
Link for more information to sign up for the Vale trip
https://forms.gle/8x8DSezseSM7U3aV8
Meet our New Members
New members were introduced at the June 11th meeting. Click here to read their fun facts and get to know them better.
New Member Catherine Pendleton
Sponsor: Johnny Khamis
Catherine is the co-founder of Ani & Cat, a marketing and business development firm built on celebrating the spirit of San José. As a mother-daughter company, Ani & Cat is rooted in a shared love for the city and a passion for helping communities thrive. Catherine brings over a decade of experience in strategic communications, with a background that includes copywriting, script writing, message development, and community engagement. Before launching Ani & Cat, she worked for Fortune 500 companies negotiating contracts and developing partnerships. Catherine has had the privilege of supporting projects for organizations like the City of San José, the City of Fremont, the County of San Mateo, the School of Visual Philosophy, and the Rose, White & Blue Parade, creating marketing strategies, press materials, and community outreach campaigns that reflect the unique character of each client she serves. She is also an attorney and graduated from Lincoln Law School. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two dogs.
New Member Milan Balinton
Sponsor: Jeanne Serpa
My name is Milan Balinton, as a Bay Area native, born in Oakland, raised in San Francisco, and having been nurtured in San Jose for the last 25 years. I earned a Master of Public Administration from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor of Arts from San Jose State University. I serve the community by helping to develop youth, embrace elders, and create community for all.
In my 15th year serving as the Executive Director of the African American Community Service Agency (AACSA). An organization dedicated to providing quality educational, cultural, social, and recreational programs, services, and activities in order to perpetuate and strengthen cultural identity, culture, values, traditions, knowledge, and family life. When I became the Executive Director of AACSA in 2011, the agency had two employees and barely a budget. Since then, the agency has grown to a 15-employee operation serving over 25,000.
Currently, I can be found in the 12th largest city in America, asking the important questions about education, policy, the future of the city, and how it can affect the rest of the world positively. Every day, I continue to demonstrate my commitment to building an equitable and thriving community, with the potential for continued leadership in not only the nonprofit sector, but throughout the region.
The Meeting Summary for June 11, 2025
Following the always enjoyable slide show highlighting our club’s recent activity, President Heather welcomed Club members and guests to the 5,486th meeting of the San Jose Rotary Club, and thanked Jeff Pohle (“Piano Man”) and the Greeting Line participants from our Club’s Debunking Committee.
In continued recognition of President Heather’s goal of bringing 100 new members during her tenure, seven new Red Badgers were introduced by their sponsor(s), and shared either a fun or unique fact about themselves. Background slides shared a bit more about each Red Badger, including a fun or unique fact about each, personal “theme song,” favorite dessert and/or hints to each one’s Ideal Vacation or Places to Visit. The table below lists all Red Badgers who were introduced today, along with their respective sponsor(s).
| Sponsor(s) | New Member |
| Heather Lerner | Madison Nguyen |
| Sarju Naran | George Casey |
| Rod Diridon & Kimberly Mulcahy | Michael Mulcahy |
| Rod Diridon | Ramses Madou |
| Rod Diridon | Ben Leech |
| Larry Stone | Erin O’Neill |
| Janikke Klem | Julie Anderson |
Jill Duerig, our District Area 6 Governor, proudly informed us of our Club’s recipients of two prestigious awards:
- DeAnna Pursai: Training and Education Award
- President Heather Lerner: Cliff Dochterman Scouting Rotarian Award
Next, President Heather introduced and took a group photo with our newest “Blue Badgers,” having completed their year-long “Red Badger” investment in our Club & Service Above Self:
- Gloria Duffy
- Jim Hori
- Will Nevis
- Lam Nguyen
- Irene Skupniewicz-Smith
- Jorge Taborga
- Dianna Zamora Marroquin
President Heather thanked Matt for today’s program, honored him with a contribution to PAC SJ (Preservation Action Council of San Jose), and her traditional gift of walnuts.
- Next week, 6/18, is Heather’s last meeting as our Club President, and enjoy (endure?) the presentation presented by the Debunking Committee
- 6/18—Downtown Happy Hour at Eos & Nyx 5-6:30 (note NOT Thursday 6/19 in observation of Juneteenth)
- 6/25 RI Convention—NO MEETING!
To see all pictures, click here thanks to Hal Hendrickson, Photography Committee.
Video is available here, thanks to John Duhring.