Events

The Children’s Justice Center in St. George / Washington County, since February 1997, provides advocacy services to children who have experienced abuse in all its forms.  Initially it was anticipated CJC’s staff and professional team would serve 100-150 children per year.  But as time went by that number increased to an average of 300 children annually.  The move from a tiny house in the middle of town to a larger facility where this important non-profit organization has continued to evolve – thanks to the generosity of the community and a vigorous grant application process – opened in April 2018. With this additional space, CJC added a specialized child forensic interviewer and a full-time victim advocate, both in 2016. The facility also includes an on-site medical room with medical staff provided by Primary Children’s Medical Center “Safe and Healthy Families” and comprehensive mental health therapy.

Please plan to park in the north parking lot ... and enter through the northwest door!

St.  George Rotary will have lunch and the opportunity to tour the facility and to hear from CJC’s Executive Director Kristy Pike so bring friends, family or co-workers for this important program on Monday, July 7 at noon at the facility located at 463 E. 500 South.

The mission of St. George City’s Park Planning Department is “to enhance the quality of life by providing safe, well-maintained parks, public places and trails; preserving open space and historic resources; caring for people; strengthening the bonds of community; and creating opportunities for renewal, growth, and enrichment.”

The rapid growth in this community has fueled a tremendous demand for parks, trails, and the landscaping of facilities and rights-of-way. The Park Planning Division provides long-range planning and implementation of new parks, trails, other open-space recreational facilities, and major upgrades to existing parks and trails. Park Planning updates the City's Parks and Trails Master Plan and prepares long-term capital budgets. Since its creation in 2004, the Park Planning Division has since designed and built multiple parks, trails, and sports complexes.

The speaker for SGR’s meeting at the Best Western Abbey Inn on Monday, July 14 will be Landscape Architect Mark Goble.  This interesting program will be another great opportunity to bring a neighbor, friend or co-worker so “who is your ONE?”

You've signed up for "service above self" on one of several of SGR's newly formed committees but what do you do now?  On Monday, July 21 you are invited to bring your questions ... and your exciting ideas for growing membership, "bigger, better, bolder" service and special projects, socials, developing youth leaders, foundaton giving, and our all important fundraising efforts.  This meeting will not only be a chance to "unite for good" with other members, it will be the beginning of more good things happening in RY2025-26.

Local resident Jared Larsen commented, "What a great service to the community. Thank you, Linda and St. George Rotary Club!"

It's election time again - no surprise there - so this is our opportunity to "say Rotary" to those in our community while they enjoy a cookie and the opportunity to meet, greet and ask questions of those running for two positions on the SG City Council and for SG City Mayor.

This is your chance to meet and greet the four mayoral candidates: incumbent Michelle Randall, Jimmie Hughes, Brannon Rezo and Aros Mackey.  Those running to fill two seats on the St. George City Council are: Nathan Caplin, Greg Aldred, Jami Leavitt, Shane Losee, Bryan Thiriot and incumbents Natalie Larsen and Michelle Tanner.  

Please tell your neighbors, friends and co-workers.

See you at Pine View High School beginnning at 6:30 p.m.

So, last week, committee roundtables gave you the opportunity to get answers to your Rotary questions, but you also had the chance to "unite for good" to share ideas to strengthen St. George Rotary for another year ... and into the future. 

Any or all of SGR's board members and committee chairs are asked to share 3-5 minutes each relating to goals for RY2025-26 (handouts are not mandatory but encouraged).  This includes Collin Davis (Treasurer), Dave Prisbrey (Foundation Chair),  Dave Prisbrey (Foundation Chair), Dale Desmond and Bryan Thiriot (Foundation Vice Chairs), Linda Sappington (PI / Socials), Ray Absher (Membership), Reed Noble (Service),  James Jackson (Special Projects), and Ryan Davis (Youth Programs).

You will get lots of good information ... with time for Q&A as we go along.

Egor Shulman, Chairman of District 5420's Foundation Committee will join us on Monday, August 4 to inform SGR members - and answer questons - about Endowment SHARE (with a goal to raise $10,000,000) and which is going to benefit every Utah Rotary club ... including SGR!  You won't want to miss this exciting program!

For more than five weeks, we followed the news, watched the sky and prayed for the containment of the Forsyth fire which began on Pine Valley Mountain on the triple-digit, dry summer afternoon of June 19 and was finally declared contained on July 29!  On Monday, August 18, Pine Valley Fire Chief Robert Hardy - assisted in this battle against the elements by firefighters from Washington County and neighboring states - will share his first hand experience at the Best Western Abbey Inn.  Bring a friend, neighbor or co-worker for what is certain to be an interesting program.

Join SGR on Monday, August 25 (another Monday out of the Best Western Abbey Inn) at the Atwood Innovation Plaza. This addition to Utah Tech boasts numerous resources and personnel a student or community member may need to either launch or grow their business.

Located in the old East Elementary School, entrepreneurship has breathed new life into a building rich in history and memories. With significant renovations and modifications, this facility lends itself to housing entrepreneurship activity, including: education, training, manufacturing, events and even housing startup companies themselves. The Atwood Innovation Plaza is successful because of the key stakeholders who play a critical role in building and sustaining the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. These groups include: the Business Resource Center (BRC) and Co-working hub, the Innovation Guidance and Solutions Center, the Makerspace, ACE Academy, the Jarem Hallows Business Incubator, Lovesac Startup Lounge and the Miller Innovation Hub.

Come for lunch and the program, including a tour of this innovative campus with Cheryle Caplinger, Director and Wyatt Anderson, Targeted Outreach and Business Resource Center Manager leading the way. 

City officials recently appointed St. George’s first assistant city manager to aid the current manager in day-to-day operations of the growing city and all the complexities which come with it.

Suzanne Leonelli Wilhelm, former director of the non-profit Root for Kids organization, has stepped into a new position in life as Utah Rotary District Governor where she is guiding the efforts of 45 Utah Rotary clubs – including 4 in Washington County - to “Unite for Good” in RY2025-26.

A member of Utah Rotary – more specifically St. George Sunrise Rotary – she is the 5^th woman to serve as District Governor in the Beehive State and the 3^rd from Washington County since the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in 1985, women could not be barred from membership based solely on gender. 

DG Suzanne will be our speaker on Monday, September 15 when she will share her vision and goals for her year in District 5420's "top spot."  This energetic and fun-loving ambassador for "uniting for good" will make you smile. If you don't know her, you'll enjoy getting acquainted.  If you do know her, you know you're in for a treat so bring along your interested friends, neighbors and co-workers for her high energy presentation at the Best Western Abbey Inn.

Join District Governor Suzanne Leonelli Wilhelm for this year’s District 5420 Conference, scheduled on September 18-20 at the Hilton Garden Inn adjacent to the Dixie Convention Center. This exciting and informative event will feature outstanding speakers – including motivational speaker Roger Crawford -  Rotary training, presentation of Club Awards by Past District Governor Todd Boyer and numerous opportunities for fellowship and fun beginning Thursday morning and ending on Saturday afternoon.

Our $99 “early bird” pricing is available only through August 8!!!    Register NOW for District Conference.

We look forward to having you with us at what is certain to be a wonderful event!

 

The Doctors' Volunteer Clinic - with newly-named Ben Ontiveros as Executive Director - is a nonprofit, non-government healthcare organization which provides access to affordable healthcare services for the uninsured, underinsured and low-income in Southern Utah by activing as a safey net of services, including primary and specialty medicare care, mental health services and dental care, through donations and grants.

This is certain to be an important program so invite a friend, neighbor or co-worker to attend.

Shane Smeed, the newly appointed President of Utah Tech University is enthusiastic for this change in his life which is also a moment of historic change within the community and across Utah’s higher education system. Perhaps none of the state’s degree-granting public institutions has experienced the level of growth in recent years as UT.

The school which went from Dixie State College to Dixie State University and in 2022 to Utah Tech University, also changed mascots: Rebels to Red Storm to Trailblazers.

UT’s enrollment has grown every year since 2013, increasing by almost 60% to over 13,000 students today. Of the school’s 304 academic programs, 60% have been developed within the past seven years.

One reason UT is a popular higher ed destination for many Utahns — 82% are in-state students — is affordability.

But the school’s 19th president believes UT’s opportunities extend beyond affordability and program growth.

Smeed is anxious to reconnect with members of the UT community who may have separated themselves from the school which he says is, "an asset for the state ... for the community and Washington County. I see my role as president as every bit ‘externally facing’ as internal — so it’s a great opportunity.”

Jerry Jaeger is the Washington County Attorney. Before becoming the County Attorney in 2025, Jerry served as a prosecutor for 23 years and has prosecuted at nearly every level including Justice Court cases, General Crimes cases, and – most recently – Special Victim’s Unit cases, which he continues to personally handle. Having also worked as a deputy sheriff and an FBI agent, Jerry has proven his commitment to keeping the community safe. Jerry has received the Honorary Sheriff’s Award, St. George Police Department’s Chief’s Award, and the Washington City Service Award.

As the Washington County Attorney, Jerry balances compassion for victims, the totality of evidence, and being tough on crime in the office’s constant pursuit of justice. Jerry’s love of Washington County began as a student at Dixie College and grew when he and his wife, Stephanie, returned to her hometown of St. George in 1999. They’ve raised their four children in this beautiful community, and he is dedicated to maintaining its safety and security.

Scott Taylor is the Water Services Director for the City of St. George. He oversees all aspects of the culinary water, pressurized irrigation, wastewater collections and wastewater treatment systems in the City. Prior to joining the City in 2003, he was a project engineer at a local engineering firm, overseeing various pipeline and pump station projects in Southern Utah. He has a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Utah State University, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Utah.  

He will provide an update on our current water situation, including current and future water infrastructure.

Jordan Rushton is Dixie Tech's 3rd president.  Before assuming the role, Jordan Rushton spent eight years as the vice president of instruction at Dixie Tech, overseeing the instructors, courses and curriculum across 25 accredited programs. He joined the Dixie Tech team in 2015 as the director of operations. Prior to his life in Southern Utah, he served as the director of public relations and outreach for the then Utah College of Applied Technology system.

Rushton holds an undergraduate degree from Utah Valley University and a master’s degree in public administration with a higher education emphasis from Southern Utah University. He has a post-graduate certification in management from Harvard University and is currently completing his doctorate in education at Baylor University.

For more years than he cares to count, Reed Noble has ordered and received more than 1400 paperback dictionaries to be distributed to 3rd graders in nearly two dozen elementary schools in the Washington County School District.  On Monday, October 27, Rotarians will gather at Reed's office at 35 S. 400 West, #200 to prepare this year's book order for delivery. 

Come one, come all ... for comradery, "service above self" and lunch!!! 

Katharine S. Walter, PhD, studies the impacts of environmental change on infectious disease, with a particular focus on Valley Fever and tuberculosis. Alongside her research, she writes about ecology and health for The Nation, Nautilus, and elsewhere. She is an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Utah where she leads the Evo-Epi Laboratory.

Do you know there are 9000+ federal employees in Washington County ... many who did not receive a paycheck in October due to the government shutdown?  As a result, many will be seeking help for the first time ever from such organizations as the Utah Food Bank and the Salvation Army.  

Monday, November 10 is part of a 4-day Veterans Day weekend so many of our members will be taking time off.  We debated cancelling our meeting on that day but the Salvation Army ... which is already seeing an increase in those furloughed federal employees seeking help at this difficult time.

Please won't you join us for lunch and a work project or two at 11:30 at the offices of the Salvation Army located at 568 W. Telegraph in Washington City (across from the Washington WalMart). 

There is much to be done and your help can provide a huge benefit to those in crisis in our community.

PS:  If you cannot be with us on Monday, November 10, please consider purchasing the new Dixie Direct Savings Guides.  The cost again this year is $40 - of which half will be doubled on Giving Tuesday for a direct donation to the Utah Food Bank.  Of course, Rotarians - generous with time and money - can do both!!!! 

Homeschooling is the education of children at home in their own family environment rather than in a traditional public or private school, with parents or guardians taking the primary responsibility for the child's learning.  This approach allows families to create a customized education plan, with varying methods ranging from structured curriculums to more flexible, life-based learning. 

Hanna Lay and Christina Stead are two local moms with a passion for homeschooling their children and helping families. Together they are putting their love towards developing the Desert Blossom Homeschool Resource Center.

They will provide information about how homeschooling here in southern Utah has grown in the past few years; what homeschooling looks like in our area; what needs are in the local homeschool community and how they are working to meet those needs.  Part of their mission is to be a touchpoint for the larger commuity in reference to homeschooling.  

For more information before their presentation, see www.dbhomeschool.com.

Join St. George Rotary Club in welcoming Terance White, Principal and Director of NWL Architects' St. George office, (and a longtime member of SGR) for an insightful presentation on the innovative use of tilt-up construction for K-12 schools. With over 30 years of architectural experience, Terance is a leading expert in Tilt-Up design and has overseen the successful completion of numerous facilities in our community.

Tilt-up construction is a method where concert wall panels are cast horizontally on a building's floor slabe, then tilted up into a vertical positio using a crane to form the building's walls. This process creates large concrete structures quickly and efficiently, often used for buildings like warehouses, schools, and commercial facilities. 

This presentation will explain the "what" and "why" of Tilt-Up construction, exploring how this method delivers safe, durable, and cost-effective school buildings on an accelerated timeline. Terance will showcase several of NWL Architects’ completed school projects in Southern Utah, providing a firsthand look at Tilt-Up in action and its positive impact on our local educational landscape.

Our bylaws say we gotta do it ... but it's going to be fun, we promise!  

We'll be electing officers, too so we need your vote for that, too!

You probably won't want to bring along a friend, neighbor, in-law or co-worker, but YOU need to be there.

SGR will not be meeting again after our Christmas party on December 15 until Monday, January 5.

We hope the holiday season is filled with family, friends and fun!

See you in the New Year.