Founded 1909 Weekly News and Highlights October 4, 2024
President Jon's Four Cs: CONVENING, CONNECTING, COOPERATING, and COMMUNICATING!
Next Evening Member Event
Wednesday, October 9
6:00 PM
Frolik Bar at Motif Hotel
Member Happy Hour
Plan to join us this coming Wednesday for a no host social happy hour with your fellow Rotary Club of Seattle members! Enjoy taking the time to get to know new and established Rotarians in a relaxed setting!
Update and Apologies for AV and Zoom Issues This Week
We are aware of the AV and Zoom issues from this week's meeting and are working internally to ensure that they are do not happen in the future. While some of the issues with audio were out of our control, we do see the need for more member involvement in our pre-meeting checks and check-ins to ensure that things move smoothly in the future.
Due audio configuration issues on the WAC AV end that couldn't be corrected in meeting, we unfortunately do not have a publishable recording of this week's meeting. We apologize profusely.
When someone thinks of the quintessential Downtown Seattle experience, they’ll likely envision the fish throwing at Pike Place Market, a steaming cup of coffee from the original Starbucks, and a shopping spree at Nordstrom’s. With 350 stores worldwide, $14 billion in sales, and over 54,000 employees, Nordstrom’s is not only one of the world’s largest retailers but a prominent fixture in the Downtown Seattle landscape. Rotarians heard from Nordstrom, Inc’s Chief Executive Officer Erik Nordstrom as he shared his experience in working at the company, the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Downtown Seattle, and his love for the Seattle area.
Mr. Nordstrom started his career at the company in 1976 having started in the stock room of the flagship store in Downtown Seattle and eventually worked his way up to CEO in 2020. During this career Mr. Nordstrom held various positions at the company including salesman, regional store manager, and President of Nordstrom.com. While in his current capacity as CEO, Mr. Nordstrom has also been engaged with state and local business leaders advocating for the rejuvenation of the area following the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.
“You know, the pandemic upended so many things of our daily lives, and it did it for our businesses as well, and one of those ways was a difference between urban locations and suburban locations,” Mr. Nordstrom said. The Pandemic spurred people to stop commuting to their Downtown jobs, move from denser urban environments to the suburbs, and stifled Downtown business as safer-inside mandates prevented in-person commerce and led to a rise in ecommerce. While these changes allowed people to endure the Pandemic, it was a massive detriment to the many industries that rely on the Downtown environment. “As people work from home, areas that rely on that traffic [Downtown] were certainly hurt by that,” Mr. Nordstrom said of the change in residential and commuter behavior during the Pandemic. “Tourism took a big hit, and in many urban areas, residential areas, also took a big blow as people move further out and find more space and places they could work from home,” Mr. Nordstrom added.
In Mr. Nordstrom’s opinion, there are five Nordstrom store locations that would qualify as true downtowns: New York City, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Portland, and Seattle. These five stores faced significant challenges during the Pandemic from increases in organized retail theft, loss of local office workers in these spaces, and rise of ecommerce. Despite these challenges though many of these locations have begun to see a return to pre-Pandemic sales. However, the Seattle store stands out as the one that has been the toughest hit by the Pandemic. Some of these issues relate to the slow Return-to-Office requirements on the West Coast versus the East Coast. “I am not unbiased. I love Seattle,” Mr. Nordstrom said. For its size, geographic area, and overall economy it is very rare to have a downtown area quite like Seattle’s. “Seattle’s economy is uniquely diversified and has both breadth and depth to it,” Mr. Nordstrom said.
Join the Community Benefit Business Network (CBBN) to Promote Your Business, Support Our Club & Foundation
Chris Nakea of our very own Rotary District 5030 presented on the CBBN at our September Zoom only meeting. This innovative new "business directory with a Rotary twist" allows you to put your business, products, and services in front of the wider Rotary community beyond our club. What sets the CBBN apart is its transaction-capable nature, allowing businesses to offer their products and services through the network and, if they so choose, to contribute a portion of their sales to Rotary-supported causes and club foundations.
If you want to find out more or join the CBBN, you can find more information by CLICKING HERE for an overview of CBBN and by contacting Chris Nakea by CLICKING HERE.
Become a UW Business Mentor - Deadline is TODAY!
It’s that time of year again, and we’d like to officially invite you to join us as an advisor for our 2024-2025 Business Management Consulting Program. For those who are new, your mentorship to both our students and business clients is invaluable. Please use the links below to find more information about the program, including the program flyer, timeline, and a list of this year’s clients.
Please review these documents and let us know if you have any questions. If you’d like to participate, please CLICK HERE to complete our new online registration form by October 4, 2024.
Interested in Club Leadership? Club Nominations Process Starting
The Govenance Committee is curently meeting and considering nominations of officers and board members for the 2024-2025 Rotary year. They hope to complete this work in early October. The committee invites members interested in being considered for a position to please email John Kilpatrick by CLICKING HERE. The committee also welcomes your suggestions for members you recommend for leadership.
The most compelling recommendations in the Future Vision Task Force report fall under the category of Governance. Putting the right governance structure in place is the first step in moving an organization forward. Among other recommendations, the report calls for streamlining the Club Board, updating the officer structure, and being intentional about redefining the relationship between the Club Board (RCOS) and the Service Foundation Board (SRSF). The work to improve the relationship between the two entities and bring them into closer alignment is underway.
As recommended, this year’s Nominating Committee has trustees from both the RCOS and SRSF boards. In addition, at its September meeting, the RCOS Board approved the appointment of SRSF Trustee Jaime Mendez, (our Club’s Sargent of Arms), to serve as a trustee on the RCOS Board. This cross-board representation is critical to our Club’s future. Both entities will move out of their silos as they learn more about each other’s operations, and how their actions will impact our Club. Both entities will benefit from greater transparency, improved communication, and shared synergies. Congratulations to Jaime for his appointment to the RCOS Board, and thanks to our Future Vision Governance Team for moving us towards a more effective future that we will all benefit from!
Hunger Strike Needs YOU!
October 1 is the official launch of this year's Hunger Strike™, which will benefit our close club partner, Harvest Against Hunger, and No Kid Hungry! Hunger Strike™ is a fundraising campaign created to empower local Rotarians to help feed children and families in the United States. Rotarians across the country are encouraged to participate and each Rotary Club can elect to sign up to host a Hunger Strike fundraiser in their community.
We are in the process of assembling our bowling team for this year; please reach out to Jan Levy or Jenn Gladish if you are interested in participating! We need bowlers AND club fundraising support for our team!
The Seattle Rotary Service Foundation Annual Campaign kicks off on November 1st. However, you don’t need to wait to make your donation to the SRSF and the same is true for The Rotary Foundation. By CLICKING HERE you can sign up today!
SAVE THE DATE: There will be a very special event on January 30, 2025 hosted by the SRSF from 5:30-7:00 pm. More details to follow.
Sincerely,
The SRSF Board of Trustees!
Rotary Youth Exchange Summer Travel Program-Applications Due at End of October!
If you or a loved one has a student aged 15-18, they have an opportunity to be part of Rotary's Youth Exchange Summer Travel Program.
Spend 3-4 weeks overseas with a family that has a son or daughter the same age who will also spend 3-4 weeks in the US with your family. Exchange typically occurs between mid-June to end of August. Foreign language skills are encouraged, but not required.
We are saddened by the passing of club member Joel Paget on September 27 following recovery complications from a recent cardiac arrest. Joel joined the club in 1997 and was an active member until his passing.
His employer, Ryan Swanson Law, has posted a moving tribute to Joel on its website. You can read their remarks by CLICKING HERE.
Wednesday, October 9
6:00 PM
Frolik Bar in the Motif Hotel
October Evening Member Event - No Host Happy Hour
Please CLICK HERE to submit your RSVP for October's casual and social happy hour mixer.
Saturday, October 12
5:00 PM
2125 1st Ave.
PNW Rotary Ending Sex Trafficking Three Year Anniversary!
Come celebrate with the club we helped launch as they mark their three year anniversary! The evening will feature keynote Rotary speakers involved in direct service to trafficking survivors. More event information is available in the club calendar website listing; to register to attend, please CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, November 13
Frye Art Museum
Future Vision Club Assembly and Social
Please keep an eye on Our Mayberry for the official event listing, coming soon.
We love to see our Rotary members promoting good works in our community and abroad! If you have a project or fundraiser that you are excited about and would like to promote to your fellow club members, please check in with our Club Director, Mary Goldie, before distributing information or invitations through our email roster. We value the privacy of our members’ contact information and can let you know the appropriate ways to reach out to folks in our club. Thank you!!
These are club membership (not total years of Rotary membership) anniversaries only
1 Year
Cody McNeal
2 Years
Andrea Anderson
4 Years
Tabitha Claus
Stephen Morse
Mihoko Tanaka
5 Years
Dow Constantine
8 Years
John Hojaboom
10 Years
Lorna Tumwebaze
Carla Fowler
11 Years
Eric Christensen
Paul Tsai
12 Years
Carese Busby
14 Years
Sheree Wen
22 Years
April Mobley
23 Years
Daniel Weiner
25 Years
Jim Moore
26 Years
Vicky Oxley
27 Years
Cynthia Chirot
29 Years
Tom Mesaros
30 Years
Bob Johnson
31 Years
Neil Larson
Kathy Williams
32 Years
Karl Ege
35 Years
Roger Chaffin
Lou Lundquist
Nancy Osborne
36 Years
Jeff Pyatt
37 Years
Ron Bayley
42 Years
Steve Prince
53 Years
John Durbin
Get Involved
Meet fellow Rotarians and get involved in service. See below for a list of committees. Email the committee chair by clicking on their name. Or, contact Mary Goldie for more information.
4. Invite your connections to a weekly meeting, and let mary@seattlerotary.org know so they may be introduced.
If you don't already have a LinkedIn profile, CLICK HERE to learn how to get started.
SEATTLE 4 ROTARY AUDIO VISUAL SPONSORS
Video of Seattle 4 Rotary Programs are available online thanks to the generous support of our Seattle Rotary Audio Visual Sponsors.
In addition to supporting our club, becoming a Seattle 4 Rotary Audio Visual Sponsor brings many benefits. To learn more, click here, or contact Mary for more details at mary@seattlerotary.org.
Do You Have Any Musical Instruments to Donate to Students in Need?
Music4Life is a non-profit and project of Rotary District 5030 that distributes musical instruments to public school students in need.
We welcome any gently used musical instruments you wish to donate. They can be delivered directly to these local music stores that are now open: American Music in Phinney Ridge and Kennelly Keys Music in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Everett.
Please accompany your instrument with the PDF donation form, linked below.
Our Rotary Cares team is ready to listen and to support you. One of the wonderful things about our club is that you have many friends --you just need to reach out to tap into our amazing network of caring people. Please contact our Rotary Cares Committee Chair to let us know how we can help.
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