Greg Yoder expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as Red Badge committee chair under nine club presidents. He bragged that 235 people had joined his committee, a claim that could be attributed principally to the fact that the committee’s membership is mandatory.

President Shirley Lewis inducted the world’s newest Rotary members: Jennifer Riva-Kirk, VP Shareholder for Robert R. Redwitz & Co. (sponsor Linda Kane-Nuefeld); Jonathan Hicks, Associate for Hoge, Fenton, Jones and Appel (sponsor Sean Cottle); and  Janikke (Jani-kee) Klem, Director of Alumni Engagement for San Jose State University (sponsor Michael Van Every).

Josh Burroughs showed a moving video on the wheelchair distribution trip to Thailand.

President Shirley shined the spotlight on the Host Committee for their extraordinary service.

Skip Franich introduced Steve Ellenberg, a Rotarian since 2005, who delivered a “personal.” Steve was born in Paris in 1963 to longtime San Jose Rotarian Alexander Sandy' Ellenberg, one of San Jose’s first plastic surgeons, and his wife Maureen, who’s been an active in many community and political activities locally. Steve attended local schools Booksin, Markham and Willow Glen High School, graduating in 1981 and developing a passion for sports announcing at school games. After studying history at Cal, he attended Columbia Law School in New York, where he met his wife. He enjoys being a litigator and in 2008 established his own firm after working with Ruby & Schofield. He disclosed that he is sometimes known as “Elmo” to his friends.

Steve is active in Congregation Sinai and is finishing up a two-year term as president of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. He says he is motivated by the principle of tzedekah, which encompasses justice and charity.

The second “personal” was presented by Tom Bondi, also a San Jose native. Born at San Jose Hospital, he was raised in a strict, working class family with his brothers and sisters on N. 16th Street between Jackson and Taylor, where many cannery workers lived. His parents were first- and second-generation Sicilian Americans, so fuggedaboutit.

Tom picked prunes and cut ‘cots as a youngster, and rode horses in the east foothills. He also had a paper route. He has twice been attacked by blackbirds, and he once got in trouble in school for releasing watersnakes in class.
Known as “Tommy” in those days, he attended San Jose High School.

Today he is married to wife Larel (nee Corsiglia). They are raising one daughter. He works as a public accountant with the firm Berger and Lewis, specializing in stock options. Tom joined Rotary about four years ago.

President Shirley thanked Jack Wimberly and the Debunking Committee for greeting Rotarians. They no doubt will have a surprise for her coming up.

Submitted by:  Dan Pulcrano, Rotary Summary Committee
Photos provided by:  Paul Tumason, Photography Committee