Meeting Opening: President Randy called the meeting to order. David Dix played our patriotic song. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Ralph Kletzien provided the Invocation.
Guests: David Sommers’ guest was Philip Lanier, Director of Marketing for DS Architecture and Shawn Gordon’s guest was Andrew Popp, attorney with Weisenburger Law in Ravenna.
Announcements:
President Randy unfortunately announced Dr. Waugh passed away recently from complications due to Covid-19.
Carol Crimi announced the deadline for any requests for donations from the Kent Rotary Foundation are due by January 31, 2021. Please look for the revised request form or contact Carol for additional information.
Induction: The Club inducted its newest member Mark Pennell. Mark grew up in the Columbus area. He has been in radio all around the state. He came to WKSU in 1996 and has since retired. In his spare time he enjoys jazz, cars, and history. His wife’s name is Amy, and they have three children Wes, James, and McKenzie. Welcome Mark to the Kent Rotary Club.
100th Anniversary Moment: Jim Myers gave us another fascinating glimpse into our past from the Depression Era noting important accomplishments of members during the depression. In 1935 President Green engaged Rotarians in many different organizations. Also, they did a large outreach to the children of the community.
Speaker: Amanda Senns introduced Dr. Ellie Yanchar
Dr. Ellie Yanchar was born and raised in Kent. She graduated from Kent Roosevelt in 1999. She took a roundabout journey to get to medicine, which was sparked by working for the American Red Cross during Hurricane Katrina, and she did not start medical school until she was 29 years old. She is now dual boarded in family medicine and psychiatry. She did her most of her medical training on the west coast, with medical school in Oregon, and residency in San Diego, where her training was focused primarily on working with homeless and underserved populations, and those suffering from addiction. After residency she moved to NYC to complete a fellowship at Columbia University, where she was working at a shelter for men with mental illness in the Bronx.
When COVID hit in NYC last year, she volunteered for deployment at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, where she spent the spring covering the COVID ER, and hospital wards. She has since taken a new position with Montefiore working as both a psychiatrist and family medicine physician with the Bronx Health Collective, a clinic system serving patients in family shelters, domestic violence shelters, housing projects, and asylum-seeking individuals and families. In addition, she is an assistant director for the NYC Homeless Healthcare fellowship, which started in July 2020. She lives in Harlem, NY with her dog Otis, and her parents still live in Kent.
The responder was Kathy Myers.
Respectfully submitted, Michael Lewis
