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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.
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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 Speaker for June 17: Erin Salazar
Local Color: Empowering Santa Clara County's Working Artists
When artist and do-gooder Erin Salazar founded Local Color, a nonprofit artists’ organization dedicated to building equitable pathways for creatives to thrive, local artists had limited access to resources, fair pay, and space to create. Since 2015, through public art, affordable studios, and community partnerships, Local Color has helped reshape how artists live and work in Santa Clara County. Join Erin for a dynamic look at the organization’s impact to date, the challenges ahead, and what’s possible when artists are treated as essential to a city’s future.
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Erin Salazar is an artist, idea machine, muralist, seamstress, community organizer and a public art curator. She is also Founder and Executive Director of Local Color a woman-powered 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit building multifaceted opportunities for emerging and experienced artists that keep them employed, engaged, and active in our community. Erin has led many public art and advocacy projects including murals totaling 30,000 square feet of vertical space and opened a 20,000 square foot creative haven called Local Color in downtown San Jose.
Erin graduated from San José State University in 2010 with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine and Studio Arts. While at SJSU, she founded the university’s fine arts club, The Dirty Brushes, and served as the club’s president. In 2022 she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Master of Science degree in Nonprofit Leadership.
She has also been honored with numerous awards during her career including:
- 2015 K-880 Emerging City Champion Fellow
- 2016 Creative Community Fellow with National Arts Strategies
- 2016 Creative Community Fellow with National Arts Strategies
- 2017 KQED’s Bay Brilliant: Women to Watch.
- 2018 State Senator Jim Beall's "Woman of the Year" award for creative enterprise.
- 2019 Knight Foundation Inaugural Public Space Fellow
- 2019 City of San Jose Mayor's Commendation
- 2019 New Leaders Council Art in Action Award
- 2019 City of San Jose District 3 Champion
Lunch Order for June 17th Meeting
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Scott's Seafood will provide lunch ($30*) at Wednesday's meeting.The buffet lunch menu includes:
Starters: Mixed Green Salad (VGT)
Entrees: Chicken Taquitos, Grilled Trout, Mushroom Ravioli (VGT)
Sides: Sauteed Broccolini (VGT)
Important note: If you have a prepaid 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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Festival Style Lunch for Women at Lifted Spirits
On July 1, the Unhoused Impact Committee (UIC) will provide lunch for the women from 11:00am to 1:00pm. We invite you to participate by helping with setup and staying for the meal and tear-down. You can see the store and mingle with the women. It will be held at
Front Door Communities @ Trinity Cathedral
81 N. 2nd Street
San Jose, CA 95113 USA
We are expecting about 40 women and are planning to have an Independence Day holiday theme.
Activities include:
- Adult coloring stations
- Music
- Decorated tables to visit and eat at
- Lunch
Rose, White and Blue Parade
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Sarah Janigian will be hosting an after party with light refreshments. It will be easier to leave after the parade if you park in Sarah's neighborhood.
VIP Rotary Fireworks
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The Meeting Summary for June 10, 2026
On the screen for all to see as they entered the meeting, the “Coming Soon” marquee announced:
June 14: Flag Day Ride, 8am, Paul Moore Park
June 18: Happy Hour, 5pm, Strata
July 4: Rose, White and Blue Parade, 9:30am
July 4: VIP Rotary Fireworks and SJ Giants game
In keeping with his “Showtime” theme, President Matt welcomed Club members and guests to the 5,525th meeting of the San Jose Rotary Club and thanked the Photography Committee, chaired by Carl Cilker, for our Greeting Line today. This committee captures photos of all things San Jose Rotary, which you can view on Flickr.
President Matt recapped–with plenty of photos–recent Rotary gatherings: The Leigh Weimer’s Committee gathering at the home of Nanci Williams and Mike Bohrer and the Symphonic World Cup event, a SJ Symphony recap, with thanks to the Fun & Friendship Committee and event host, Robert Massey.
A picture’s worth $100–Hal Hendrickson was spotted in TWO recent photos NOT wearing his Rotary pin, so President Matt fined him appropriately.
Badger Ruben Solorio, sponsored by Ray Castaneda, and posed “either/or questions” for Ruben & our Club members to identify common interests & make new Rotary connections. Ruben serves as the CEO of CET (Center for Employment Training), and was introduced to our club by attending meetings with our beloved Father Peter Pabst.
Tim shared his hmmm… maybe not all that romantic… attempt to court his now-wife Sondra Gill (also an awesome member of our club). If I heard it correctly, their first date was going on a run? So many great photos to enhance Tim’s storytelling!
Tim knew he wanted to start a private practice after passing the grueling 18-hour bar exam–he wanted to be his own boss. Little did he know how Sondra would be and is to this day so integral in Tim’s growing practice. Offering kudos to Sondra for all her hard work and support, he also lovingly stated his awareness that “you don’t piss off Sondra.”
Tim commenced his Rotary journey with sponsor David Down, who has been a member of our club since 1952!
Tim’s daily routine includes rising at 5:15 and spending 10 minutes with scripture, running (to include marathons), participating in Masters Swim, and listening to a Catholic podcast on his drive to work.
We’re looking forward to your club presidency, Tim!
President Matt thanked Tim and adjourned the meeting, taking us out with ‘Your Man” by Josh Turner.
Respectfully submitted by Linda Gold, Meeting Summaries Committee
To see all pictures, click here thanks to Jeff and Cindy Faulkner, Photography Committee.
Video is available here.
New Member Rubén Solorio
Sponsored by Ray Castaneda
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Deacon Rubén Solorio is the President & CEO of CET, Center for Employment Training, and a permanent deacon in the Diocese of San Jose. He served as President of Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in San Jose for over six years and previously as Director for Individual Giving & Donor Stewardship for the YMCA of Silicon Valley. He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of San Jose in 2012 and is currently serving at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church. He was raised in East San Jose and attended our local Jesuit schools, Bellarmine College Preparatory and received his master’s from Santa Clara University. He is married to his beautiful wife, Lorena, for over 25 years and is the proud father of two amazing women, Isabel and Sara. Loves bocce, bowling, and board games. He loves the arts such as theater, film, comedy, dance, and music. Loves to eat great Italian food and delicious ice cream. All-time favorite…Tacos & Tequila!