Speaker Date Topic
Kaj Pedersen of Rotary District 5030 Mar 18, 2024 6:40 PM
A conversation with the 2023-24 Rotary District Governor
A conversation with the 2023-24 Rotary District Governor
Raahina Ali of Lake Washington High School Apr 01, 2024 6:30 PM
Rotary Student of the Month
Rotary Student of the Month
Raahina Ali describes herself as a student who is passionate about computer science, math, and service. Her high priority goals are to pursue a degree in computer science from a prestigious university, create innovative solutions for real-world problems using cutting-edge technologies, and inspire more girls to join the STEM field by being a role model and mentor. Some of her major accomplishments are volunteering for Math Agency, a program where she helps elementary students learn math; participating in hackathons and competitions related to computer science. Raahina’s most important community involvement is being associated with the Rotary Club of Kirkland, where she learned from and contributes to the Rotary values of service, leadership, and fellowship.
Lora Unger of Performing Arts Center Eastside Apr 01, 2024 6:40 PM
News about the Performing Arts Center Eastside
News about the Performing Arts Center Eastside
Lora Unger is the executive director of the Performing Arts Center Eastside, or PACE.
Anne Hess of Kirkland Downtown Association Apr 08, 2024 6:40 PM
News and Local Outlook from the Kirkland Downtown Association
News and Local Outlook from the Kirkland Downtown Association
Kirkland Downtown Association executive director Anne Hess will provide Rotarians with the latest updates on local programs and activities supported by the KDA to maintain Kirkland's status as a vibrant, growing, and delightful place to live, work, and enjoy. Established over two decades ago to support Kirkland businesses, particularly the smaller ones, by attracting visitors to downtown Kirkland, the KDA organizes numerous free community events, helps beautify our community, and supports our merchants. KDA events include the Kirkland Wednesday Market, Summer Concert Series, Kids Concert Series, the Waterfront Car Show, Pumpkins in the Park, and Winterfest all designed to draw both tourists and residents into the heart of Kirkland to explore shops, dine at various restaurants and enjoy the picturesque waterfront.

Anne Hess is the editor of Greet Kirkland and BeLocal Kirkland. She has spent most of her life in Washington raising her family. She resides in downtown Kirkland, where she often enjoys strolls to the scenic waterfront parks with her dog Marley, spending time with her two adorable granddaughters, meeting friends at local coffee shops, and attending the Kirkland Performance Center concerts and events. Anne views volunteering as a cornerstone of her life in Kirkland, crediting it with fostering lifelong friendships through her commitment to the community.

Jeff Lockhart of Kirkland Performance Center Apr 15, 2024 6:40 PM
What's happening at the Kirkland Performance Center
What's happening at the Kirkland Performance Center
Jeff Lockhart will provide Rotarians an update on the successes and plans of the Kirkland Performance Center, which has enjoyed a wonderful resurgence since the wane of the pandemic.  He will speak to KPC’s online streaming production enterprise, KPC Studios, and the significant programs KPC is offering the greater Kirkland community.
 
Jeff serves as the executive director of Kirkland Performance Center and KPC Studios.  Jeff is a recognized leader skilled in performing arts and non-profit organization advancement strategies, as well as the music industry business and education.  He has positioned the performance center as the leading venue for live music and the performing arts throughout the Eastside region of Seattle.  Prior to leading the Kirkland Performance Center, Jeff founded and chaired Creatio (music industry business and recording arts program) at Northwest University in Kirkland.  Jeff also founded and currently leads the music performance/artist management/event production collective Live Vinyl Productions.  A professional drummer, he performs and records in several Seattle area bands including Crème Tangerine, Long Live Rock, Good Day Sunshine, and Laurel Canyon Legacy.
Rachel Chu of Lake Washington High School May 06, 2024 6:30 PM
Rotary Student of the Month
Rotary Student of the Month
Rachel Chu describes herself as empathetic, driven, and open-minded. She has already accomplished major benchmarks in her high school career, some of which include being HOSA's secretary and the Symphony Club's conductor, playing in Honors Orchestra, earning the Presidential Service Award in FASCA, and improving Lake Washington High School's environment through clubs such as Green Team and Multicultural Club. Rachel’s most important community involvement is in FASCA, where she’s served in countless events for cultural awareness and education, such as parades, festivals, performances, diplomatic gatherings, summer camps, and overseas programs. Ultimately, Rachel hopes to grow even more in the coming years of high school and grow her community at the same time.
Dr. Wen Chen of Caltech May 06, 2024 6:40 PM
Human rights movement in China
Human rights movement in China
Since 2012, Dr. Wen Chen has given​ hundreds of presentations to community organizations about Chinese culture, history, and human rights. In this presntation, she'll tell the story of Chinese authorities arresting millions of citizens for their spiritual beliefs or political views. These prisoners of conscience have been tortured, forced into slave labor, and killed for their organs. While it takes several years in the U.S. to wait for matching organs, most Chinese hospitals promise to find donors within weeks. The Chinese police, legal, and military system collaborated to perform the state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting. Rotarians will also learn about the Chinese Communist Party’s infiltration into the U.S., the human rights movement in China, an innovation that allows people to bypass China's Internet blockade, and the trend of quitting the Chinese Communist Party.
 
Dr. Chen was born in China at the end of the Great Cultural Revolution. Being victims of the horrific atrocity that killed two million intellectuals and destroyed traditional Chinese culture, Wen's parents had mixed feelings about her education. Despite their discouragement, Wen eventually won a national prize at a science competition when she was 16. She was accepted into a top university for undergraduate study. In 1994, Wen came to the U.S. for graduate school and ​received a doctorate in Biology at the California Institute of Technology in 2000.

Dr. Chen has been working for Caltech since 2000 as a biologist and information scientist on genomics and biological research. Part of her everyday work is to speak at scientific conferences and seminars in universities like U.C. San Diego and Harvard Medical School. She is an active member of the Amnesty International Chapter at Pasadena, a board member for Caltech Women in Biology and Biological Engineering, and a special event host for the Caltech Alumni Association. She lives in Pasadena with her husband and two daughters.
Nan Su of SOH International Chinese Radio Network May 13, 2024 6:40 PM
Wisdom and humanity from ancient Chinese culture
Wisdom and humanity from ancient Chinese culture
With millions of people infected, COVID-19 has brought the world’s attention to Chinese regime’s cover up of the pandemic information. China’s ethical standards and moral values once again have become a hot issue. Traditional Chinse culture has lasted for more than 5,000 years. No civilization without ethical standards and moral values can endure such a long history. But what are those values from China’s tradition, and where are they now? For Americans to understand and to face the challenges brought to the free world by the current Chinese regime, the discussion about the traditional Chinese culture is more important than ever before.

Born and raised in China, Mr. Nan Su came to the U.S. in 1989. Mr. Su has been serving as a news commentator for SOH International Chinese Radio Network and NTD International TV network since 2003, and has made many speeches at public events in the past decade on China-related topics.

In addition to his media work, Mr. Su has also been an activist for China’s human rights. He was one of the coordinators of Human Rights Torch Relay in 2008 prior to Beijing Olympics Game. The Relay spanned from July 2007 to July 2008, with stops at more than 140 cities around the world in order to raise international awareness of China’s human rights situation. Mr. Su has been married for more than 30 years, and currently lives with his wife and two daughters in San Jose, California.

Outstanding Educator Awards May 20, 2024 6:40 PM
Honoring middle school educators for outstanding service
Honoring middle school educators for outstanding service
The Rotary Club of Kirkland very much appreciates the work local educators are doing to offer quality instructional and support programs during the most challenging of times.  Despite the challenges presented to our community today, we continue to recognize outstanding educators within our region.  While it’s likely there are several examples of “outstanding Service Above Self” among the staff at each school in our community, each year one or more schools nominate one educator who best represents characteristics drawn from the “Object of Rotary”:
 
  • Capitalizing on his or her relationships as an opportunity for service;
  • Exhibiting high ethical standards in the conduct of his or her professional activities, the recognition of the worthiness of all occupations contributing to quality education, and the dignifying of each educator’s contribution as an opportunity to serve society;
  • Demonstrating the ideal of service in his or her personal, professional, and community life;
  • Contributing to the advancement of understanding and goodwill through an attitude of fellowship among professional allied in the ideal of service.
The Rotary Club of Kirkland is pleased to honor staff of the Lake Washington School District in the Kirkland area who best represent these high ideals.  
Memorial Day (No Meeting) May 27, 2024
Scholarship Night Jun 03, 2024 6:40 PM
Rotary Club of Kirkland Scholarship Presentations
Rotary Club of Kirkland Scholarship Presentations