Speakers on leadership, service, social issues, Rotary initiatives
This District Conference will add value for stalwart Rotary members and those new to Rotary
Speakers during meals will inform you on a variety of prominent topics in our society, most of which are also initiatives for Rotary International:
Rotary International Big West Zone Director Vicki Puliz
Connecting Today’s & Tomorrow’s Leaders thru Rotary: Don’t miss our Kick-Off Speaker as she addresses the importance of multi-generational diversity – learning from each other regardless of age – in the world’s largest non-political non-denominational service organization.
Vicki currently serves as a Rotary International Director for 2021-2023, one of 17 directors around the world. A proud member of the Rotary Club of Sparks, Nevada, Vicki served as Governor for District 5190 in 2013-2014, and as a Rotary Public Image Coordinator 2016-2019. Vicki graduated from the University of Utah with a Marketing degree and Master of Business Administration. She owned a commercial electrical contracting firm in northern Nevada.
Utah State University Professor Rob Davies
Defining Wicked in the Age of Humans
We live on a planet perplexed with ecological and social crises. We possess the resources and technological knowledge to navigate the issues but struggle to take meaningful action. There is a framework to understand and respond holistically, with leadership and courage.
Dr. Davies is a physicist whose work focuses on global change, human vibrancy, and the science of systems. He has served as a scientific liaison for NASA, a project scientist with Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory, an officer & meteorologist in the United States Air Force. He is a past Associate of the Utah Climate Center. He holds a joint appointment in the Dept of Physics, USU’s Ecology Center, and the Caine College of the Arts.
Retired Chief Justice Christine Durham
Making a Difference: Reflections on leaders as change agents and the role of “follower-ship” in the process.
Christine Durham retired from the Utah Supreme Court in 2017, after serving as a Justice for 35 years and as Chief Justice and Chair of the Utah Judicial Council for 10 of those years. She currently co-chairs the Utah State Bar Access to Justice Commission. She is past-president of the Conference of Chief Justices of the United States, past chair of the American Bar Association’s Council on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, the entity that accredits American law schools. She is past president of the National Association of Women Judges. Read more here.
Director of Migration & Refugee Services Aden Batar
Creating hope when home was lost: the Utah Refugee Resettlement Program: Catholic Community Services is a frontline organization for refugee resettlement, assisting hundreds of refugees each year settle in Utah. Afghan refugees are most recently arriving, and a partnership with Salt Lake Rotary – supported by 30 Utah Rotary clubs – has provided tremendous support for the complex effort of empowering clients to reach self-sufficiency.
Aden Batar is a former refugee from Somalia, resettled through CCS in 1994. He has worked in refugee services for more than 30 years. He serves on the Utah State Refugee Board of Advisors, is the President of the Utah Islamic Society, founder of Somali Community Services of Utah, holds a Law Degree from Somali National University and Master of Public Administration from University of Utah. He is an Immigration attorney by training.
SECOND OPTION