Warrior Connection Graduation

                                    September 15, 2023

                                    Graduation starts at 4:00pm

                                    Start grilling at 5:30pm

                          Young County Warrior Ranch

                          1889 Turtle Hole Rd, Graham, TX 76450

We will provide burgers, fixings, baked beans, potato salad and drinks.

Patricia “Pat” Peters is the Governor for Rotary District 5790 for the 2023-24 year. Pat,
an Austin, Texas native, has lived in Denton since 1981. After receiving a scholarship
from the Rotary Club of Austin, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree from
Southwestern University. Pat also holds Master’s degrees in English Literature and
Library Science, both from the University of North Texas. She has had a 25-plus year
career in libraries, including stints at Lewisville and Decatur Public Libraries.

Pat is a member of the Rotary Club of Decatur, having served in many roles since
joining in 2013, including club president in 2015-16. At the District level, Pat has been a
RYLA counselor, District Literacy Coordinator, Assistant Governor, charter member of
the Visioning/Planning Team, District Secretary, and Lone Star PETS facilitator. Pat is a
Paul Harris Society member and a Rotary Leadership Institute facilitator.
Pat is married to Jeff, a musician and retired IT guy who is also a member of Decatur
Rotary. They have two adult children: Kerri, a high school theater teacher, and Chris, an
actuary. Long-time members of First United Methodist Church of Denton, Jeff and Pat
sing in the choir and Pat is the church librarian. She occasionally also does the
children’s sermon and tells stories for Vacation Bible School.

For the 2023-24 Rotary year, Pat’s priorities are:
 Peace initiatives—whether that is supporting Peace Fellow programs, sending
aid to areas in need around the globe, planting peace poles and peace gardens,
or simply learning to manage conflict in our individual lives;
 Mental health awareness—RI President Gordon McInally’s focus on supporting
mental health and taking the stigma out of talking about our mental health issues;
 Education and literacy—dictionary projects, book drives, technology literacy, and
so much more are at the heart of what we do as Rotarians; and
 Empowering girls and women—a continuation of Past RI President Shekhar
Mehta’s initiative, this continues to be a priority for Rotary International and for
our district.

Little by Little is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of the Taraumahara population in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The goal of the organization is to assist with food, clothing, beds, and other necessities for the children of the Taraumahara tribe.

The Taraumahara tribe is an indigenous group of people in Mexico who have little or no access to resources such as education or jobs and often rely on the land in order to survive.

Little by Little is founded by Kadie Hawley, who is passionate about this underserved population. She first found out about the Taraumaharas from one of her patients as an occupational therapist. When her patient passed away, she searched for a way to help the Taraumaharas in her patient’s honor, and the seed for Little by Little was planted.

In early 2023, Little by Little became an accredited 501c3 organization, and Kadie saw her dream come to life.

  Christ’s Haven for Children – Fall Festival

                                           Trunk or Treat for Membership

                                                   October 21, 2023

                                                 10:00am to 2:00pm

                                    *****PLEASE start collecting candy and bringing it to the meetings.                                                            

   We will need candy for at least 1,000 kiddos.

Please mark your calendar for our next blood drive. Carter Blood Care will be at Devivo Bros Eatery during and after our meeting to make it as easy as posssible. Be on the look out for an email with the link to sign up. They are always in need of blood and would be so grateful for our help!

KCAL tours 

Happy Thanksgiving. There will not be a Rotary morning meeting. 

Meeting at Frost Bank @ 5:15pm 

Please wear your Rotary Shirt 

• Location - Thompson Household - Starting Time 6:30 ish.
• Club will provide Main - Everyone Asked to BYOB and something to Share
• Gift Exchange will start at 8:00 p.m.
  • Every Participant will need to Bring a Gift - Value of $20 to $25 please.

Wreaths Across America – We will be collecting money to make one large purchase from GTRC

                                             Each wreath is $20. You can bring cash or send through Venmo.

                                                ***Please turn in money by October 30^th

                                              December 16, 2023 – We will volunteer with placing the wreath at

                                              Mount Gilead (Time TBD)

DR. TRACY JOHNSON HIRED AS KISD SUPERINTENDENT

At a Special Board Meeting on December 18, 2023, the Board voted unanimously to hire Dr. Johnson as Superintendent, following a state-mandated 21-day waiting period from the date that Trustees named her the Lone Finalist for the position. 

Dr. Johnson was previously KISD’s Chief Human Resources Officer, a role she has held since 2019, and has dedicated more than 22 years to public education. She is the first female superintendent in the 112-year history of Keller ISD.  

“Dr. Johnson is the best choice for Keller ISD because she is deeply rooted in our community,” said Dr. Charles Randklev, KISD Board of Trustees President. “She knows our students, educators, and parents, which means she understands how to support our kids and establish strong learning environments for them to succeed. She is committed to academic excellence; and, under her guidance, Keller ISD will remain intentionally exceptional and is poised for continued innovation and success.”

Dr. Johnson earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Woman’s University and her Master’s Degree and Doctorate from the University of North Texas. She started her educational career at Northwest ISD as an elementary school teacher. After serving as a third-grade teacher and a gifted and talented educator, Dr. Johnson began her administrative career in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and then joined Keller ISD as the Coordinator of Advanced Academics. She left to begin a Human Resource leadership role in Denton ISD in 2016, serving as the Executive Director of Human Resources, before returning to Keller ISD in 2019.

“I am humbled and honored to have been chosen,” Dr. Johnson said. “This is profoundly personal for me because I truly believe we have the best students, parents, employees, and community. I have had the privilege to witness the heart of the people of this district, and it is evident that our community is dedicated to the growth and care of students. Ensuring every student receives the best educational experience possible has served as my top priority and focus throughout my educational career. I am thankful for the Board of Trustees’ commitment to our students and for placing their trust in me to lead this district.”

Dr. Johnson’s husband, Harold Johnson, recently retired from Keller ISD after serving as a career and technical teacher at the Keller Center for Advanced Learning for five years and, most recently, as Bond Project Manager for KISD’s Facilities Department for four years. They have two daughters and one granddaughter.

source: Keller ISD website

Linked in Profile

TBD

Tarrant County

Bio: 

Commissioner Manny Ramirez is a native Texan and a life-long resident of Northwest Tarrant County. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Fabiola Ramirez. Together, they have three beautiful daughters, Sofia, Mia, and Penelope. Manny has earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Texas Christian University (TCU) and is also a proud Alumnus of Tarleton State University and W.E. Boswell High School.

Manny is an experienced executive, small business owner, and police officer. Manny has been commissioned with the Fort Worth Police Department for more than 15 years as a Police Officer, Detective, and Sergeant. Over that time, his assignments included patrol officer, robbery detective, hostage negotiator and investigator for the United States Department of Homeland Security National Gang Unit. Most recently, Manny served as president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, an elected position in which he represented more than 1,700 police officers on the local, state, and national level.