Events

Drew Kahn is a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Theater at SUNY Buffalo State where he teaches acting (President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching/SUNY) and has directed over 20 productions (Kennedy Center Award). In addition to his work in higher education, he has taught K-12 populations for over three decades. He is the Founding Director of the Anne Frank Project, a multi-layered social justice program at SUNY Buffalo State that utilizes the wisdom of Anne Frank as a springboard for the examination of oppression through the lenses of story and performance. He presents and teaches internationally on the use of story as a tool for conflict resolution, community building and identity exploration—most recently in Rwanda, Kenya, Switzerland, DR Congo, Turkey, Burma and Viet Nam (Toby Ticktin Back Award for Holocaust Education and the National Federation for Just Communities-Community Leader Award,). Currently, Professor Kahn’s work focuses on training teachers in Rwanda, Kenya and the U.S., providing tools to bring the power of Story to classrooms. His book, Story Building: A Practical Guide for Bringing the Power of Stories into the Classroom is used by teachers and organizations around the world. He has extensive acting experience in regional theatre and off-Broadway, feature film and multiple television credits. Professor Kahn was the host of WKBW-TV’s (ABC) AM Buffalo for six years, hosted the WNED (PBS) documentary Saving a Landmark: The Darwin Martin House (Telly Award) and has numerous local commercial and stage credits (ArtVoice Artie Award). He received his MFA from Southern Methodist University and his BA from San Diego State University. His favorite roles are husband to his wife Maria and dad to his children Sam and Nate.

https://www.annefrankproject.com/study-in-rwanda  This is a project that would align with Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Club

Buffalo State’s Anne Frank Project

AFP’s Annual Social Justice Festival:  PROPOSE!

AFP’s Work in Rwanda

Student Blogs From Recent Trip (June)

Dr. Stephen Vermette is a professor of geography in the Department of Geosciences at SUNY Buffalo State University where he has taught meteorology, climatology, and environmental courses and mentored students over the past 30 years.  He currently serves as a Research Associate of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences and as a Board Member of the Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Dr. Vermette graduated with his doctorate from McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) and was employed by the Illinois State Water Survey’s Atmospheric Chemistry Division where he worked on the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) which focused on the deposition of airborne pollutants to the Great lakes and co-created the Mercury Deposition Network (MDN). While in Buffalo, Dr. Vermette won several teaching awards and has been recognized for his work with National Geographic’s New York Geographic Alliance (NYGA) to ensure the geographic literacy of the next generation. One focus was the development of, and training of teachers to use, surface water quality kits. He has published numerous articles on local weather (providing local weather expertise for media outlets) and on environmental-related issues ranging from air pollution to surface water quality.

Dr. Vermette received a commendation from the National Geographic Society for his dedicated leadership rendered to the State of New York to ensure the geographic literacy of the next generation. The Wall Street Journal referred to Dr. Vermette as a “rare climatologist”, noting that he co-curated (with Tullis Johnson) a traveling art exhibition entitled “Charles E. Burchfield: Weather Event” which received an Award of Commendation from Museumwise. Dr. Vermette has an eclectic interest in all things related to weather and climate, especially as it relates to Western New York. He is currently hosting the Golden Snowball Trophy on behalf of the City of Buffalo.

Topic

Extreme Weather in a Warming World

How is it that a warming world leads to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including cold weather extremes? How is Western New York fairing in a warming world and what is this talk of Buffalo being a climate change refuge city?

Rotary Themes

The environment and economic and community development.

Marisa Riggi – Executive Director of the Western New York Land Conservancy. 

Marisa grew up in Williamsville, New York where she gained a love of nature through exploring the parks and preserves of WNY. She obtained a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and attended graduate school at the University of Vermont where she obtained a M.S. in Natural Resources. After graduating, Marisa spent over 5 years at the Northeast Wilderness Trust where she was responsible for protecting land in the Northern Forest region as Conservation Director. There she saw firsthand how larger, connected forests were infinitely more beneficial for plants and animals; she also saw how these connected forests create natural corridors that allowed plants and animals to migrate, increasing their chance for survival.

When she returned home in 2017 to join the Land Conservancy, she brought the same principles to our region’s forests that had proved so successful in New England. These principles have propelled the Land Conservancy’s work forward. In just seven years at the Land Conservancy, she has led major conservation projects and helped the organization conserve more than 2,000 acres of land. This includes such high-profile forests as the College Lodge Forest and Floating Fen near Fredonia, Mossy Point in Wales, the Janet Gallogly Allegany Wildlands in Cattaraugus County. At the core of these conservation projects is one overarching goal: to protect, connect, and restore our forests and wildlands.  Marisa Riggi was named the Land Conservancy’s Executive Director in August 2024, after serving as Acting Executive Director since June 2024, and Conservation Director before that.

BSRC Speakers’ We will spotlight our own members on their personal projects. Each will give and share a 2-minute elevator pitch on September 3^rd Meeting.

Together we learn and assist other Rotarians in their projects and nonprofits.

We are small but mighty 

1. Members Speaker series

Angela Hintz Senior Project Engineer/Project Manager - Wastewater and Energy

Greg Norton President @ Twisted Rope | Digital Prospecting | B2B Sales funnels

Open to the floor for others who can present a small piece on their careers.

BSRC Speakers’ We will spotlight our own members on their personal projects. Each will give and share a 2-minute elevator pitch on September 17th Meeting.

Together we learn and assist other Rotarians in their projects and nonprofits.

We are small but mighty 

1. Members Speaker series

Sarah Baird Solar Power is Changing Lives in Off-Grid Africa

Mara Huber Experiential Learning and Community Partnerships for Sustainable Development: A Foundational Model for Climate Action

Open to the floor for others who can present a small piece on their careers.

BSRC Speakers’ We will spotlight our own members on their personal projects. Each will give and share a 2-minute elevator pitch on September 17th Meeting.

Together we learn and assist other Rotarians in their projects and nonprofits.

We are small but mighty 

1. Members Speaker series

Sarah Baird Solar Power is Changing Lives in Off-Grid Africa

Mara Huber Experiential Learning and Community Partnerships for Sustainable Development: A Foundational Model for Climate Action

Open to the floor for others who can present a small piece on their careers.

Kofi Fynn-Aikins, PhD, President, Hope For Sisi’s Kids

Bringing Hope to Kids in a Rural Community in Ghana

Kofi Fynn-Aikins is the President of Hope for Sisi’s Kids (HOSIKIDS.org), an NGO that supports a rural community elementary school in Ghana. The mission of HOSIKIDS is to enrich the lives of uninsured and underprivileged school children by providing access to basic quality education and primary healthcare. Over the past five years HOSIKIDS has partnered with the University at Buffalo School of Management’s Global program on a humanitarian mission to Ghana. The partnership includes medical teams, students and faculty members and citizens of Erie County, NY, who provide medical services and supplies, educational supplies and tutorial services to the community.

Kofi Fynn-Aikins is a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Manager who was responsible for restoring and protecting fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats in the Lake Ontario and Lake Erie watersheds. He managed the Lower Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Complex, which included five offices in four states. He provided leadership, guidance, and coordination on scientific and technical matters, as well as on community outreach and education.

In retirement, Kofi has been very active pursuing activities he’s passionate about: mentoring, and humanitarian work. As a manager in the USFWS, Kofi was actively involved in training activities at the National Conservation Training Center in WV, on leadership, community outreach and engagement, and diversity. He founded the Fynn-Aikins and Associates, to continue using the knowledge and experiences gained from these training activities to support individuals and organizations pro bono. He’s a Mentor for the National Fish and Wildlife Friends Group, an organization that works with NGOs supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System, and provides leadership support to their Board of Directors. In addition, he’s a Mentor for the Men of Merit Mentoring Program at the Erie Community College, Buffalo NY, helping to foster excellence, distinction and integrity in students, while encouraging them to stay in college, advance academically, and serve their community as they become the men they aim to be.

He’s also a member of the Board of Directors of Amherst Meals on Wheels, which helps to provide the nutritional support needed for elderly and adults with disabilities living in the Town of Amherst, NY, to maintain their independence in their home environment. In 2020 Kofi started a tour business, Center of the World Tours, which leads tours to Ghana to raise funds for his humanitarian work. He’s also a member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo Sunrise.

Kofi has received several recognitions for his leadership in the Great Lakes region, including, Invest in People Award; Conserving America’s Fisheries Award; Milford "Pinky" Robinson Memorial Award; Promoting Our Natural Resources Award; and Diversity Award. He holds a PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Davis; MS in Biology from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse; and BS in Fishery Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Kofi is married and has a 30-year-old daughter. His hobbies include traveling, visiting natural areas and meeting people from diverse backgrounds. Kofi is also an avid tennis player, competing in the U.S. Tennis Association League in local, regional, and national tournaments. He also coached youth soccer for 26 years. Kofi enjoys music and dancing, and he plays the conga drum.

Please make sure that you vote, if you have, check on your family and friends to see if they need a ride to the polls. 

People can register to vote until October 26th and Early Voting starts October 26th for 10 days

Election day Polls are open from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Dave Alexander likes to balance his time between meaningful work, interesting projects and giving back. 

A proud member of the Rotary Club of Welland since 2008, District Governor Dave Alexander is keen to support clubs in deepening their experiences with their community partners and developing new relationships. Having a clearer understanding of the future of volunteering across our Best of Friends community is the theme of this year's District Conference on Saturday, October 26, 2024, and he hopes it will lead to more membership opportunities, new collaborations, interesting fundraisers, and each Rotarian sharing their Service Above Self experience. The Magic of Rotary is the international presidential theme this year and is an excellent rallying call for the kind of work that we do in making a difference in people's lives. 
 
Dave's main goal in leading the District in 2024/25 is to continue to implement our District Strategic Plan -- and he asks that each Rotarian consider their role in driving this forward with innovation, creativity, and belongingness as core aspects of their efforts. A consideration along the way is to incorporate Rotary's work in Peacebuilder Actions in projects, conversations, habits, and expectations. Dave and the whole District leadership team are thankful to those who have stepped up in a role to support the efforts of our clubs.
 
Dave's first experience with clubs working together in the District was with the International Service Committee. He enjoyed his work as an Assistant Governor, helped grow District 7090’s Healthy Communities project, and is still instructing with the Rotary Leadership Institute. He organized an in-conference panel session on environmental sustainability at the RI Convention in Toronto in 2018 where he found that the Rotary Action Groups (RAGs) were an awesome network to connect with like-minded Rotarians worldwide. He became involved with ESRAG and was part of a panel on Rotary Getting to Net Zero at the RI Convention in Singapore in May 2024. Dave encourages all Rotarians to enrich their member experience by finding their extended Rotary family via the RAG network or through their interests in Fellowships. Dave also looks forward to a strong 'booked early' 7090 contingent at the RI Convention in Calgary in June 2025. 
 
Dave likes the process of innovation, facilitating workshops, and problem-solving, especially where there is a need for change-making on how communities can be more sustainable, productive, and just. He has an interesting work background in economic development, government and politics, plus working with organizations and their boards. 
 
If a hobby is work that you would do for free then he would spend more time on writing, sculpture, futurism, and if the weeds in his yard could speak they would say he has an addiction to sailing. 
 
If you have an idea to implement, want to pitch in, or just want to chat, drop DGE Dave a line at econiagara@gmail.com or reach out via phone/text at 905-329-6026. You can also friend him on Facebook or via other social media.

As we end our last gathering of 2024, we will be together and join in fellowship with a special guest to share white elephant gifts with each other to kick off the holiday season. 

Rotary International and Dale Carnegie Training have a relationship in that Rotary participants receive Dale Carnegie training at a week-long leadership retreat called RYLA