Tom Kerfoot joined Children’s Nebraskain January of 2016 asa Director of Development for Philanthropy. Tom attended Bellevue University for Marketing Management and has thirteen years of experience in healthcare fundraising, working previously for the CHI Health Foundation.Tom has a long record of successfully working with private donors, foundations and corporate sponsors to secure funding for projects and programs. He has extensive experience in event planning and management, and collaborated with a team to develop the planned giving program at CHI Health Foundation.
Tom completed the Certificate in Fundraising Management through the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is currently the Vice President –Marketing & Sponsorships for the Charitable Gift Planners of Nebraska and is a member of the Omaha Estate Planning Council. Tom earned the designation of Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy in 2016 through a year-long program with The American College of Financial Services and the Omaha Community Foundation.
Tom has served in leadership roles for a number ofareaorganizations, and is Past-President for theSuburban Rotary Club of Omaha and Past-Chairman of the Suburban Rotary Board of Trustees. Tom served on the Board of Directors for the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce and was the Chairman of the Board in 2019. Tom has served on the Board of Directors for the La Vista Community Foundation for the past twenty years, serving as Chairman of the Board twice and is currently the Board Secretary.
Tom has received numerous awards and recognition for his volunteer work in the community. He was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year in 2007, 2013 and 2014 for the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce. He received the highest honor of Chamber Excellence Award in 2016 for the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce. He was honored as the Volunteer of the Year in 2009 for the La Vista Chamber of Commerce. He was recognized as the Friend of La Vista in 2011 for his work with the foundation and volunteer work in the community.
Josh Eggley is a Senior Account Executive at Ascend Technology Group. Josh has spent more than two decades helping community banks and credit unions across the Midwest strengthen their technology and security. Now he helps local businesses and nonprofits navigate IT so they can focus on their clients.
Josh grew up in Kansas City & Des Moines and earned a Business Degree from the University of Northern Iowa. He loves sports. spending time outdoors and recently started collecting vinyl albums. Most importantly, he is the proud dad of two sons, and most weekends you’ll find him in the stands at his youngest son’s baseball games.
This year's conference theme, Fusion 5650,brought together different people, ideas, and experiences to create something stronger than any one piece alone. More than 20 Suburban Rotarians joined fellow Rotarians from across District 5650 for a weekend filled with:
Inspiration
Friendship
Learning
Service
Celebration
The weekend’s highlights included John Ockenfels' Flight to End Polio presentation, the Women in Rotary panel, sessions on membership and club growth, Rotary programs and leadership opportunities, networking events, and the Fusion 5650 Awards Dinner.
Another highlight was “Behind the Scenes of an Indie Movie,” a fun presentation by producer and Academy Award nominee David Levy. He offered a behind-the-scenes look at the new coming-of-age film “Going for Two,” set against the backdrop of the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ 1983 season and the 1984 Orange Bowl.
*The conference also recognized Suburban Rotarians Angela Chaney and Jennifer Jirak-Brungardt, who received a District Governor’s Citation for their outstanding work with Rotary Means Business.
*In addition, the Suburban Rotary Club received a certificate of appreciation for its financial support of End Polio Now.
That commitment to ending polio carried into action as all Rotarians at the conference walked one mile in support of the world’s largest polio walk. Beginning at 10:00 a.m., the walk brought together Rotary International districts across region 36 (Zones 25B and 29), including hundreds of clubs spanning multiple states and Canada, from the Canadian border down to Texas.
We are collecting these items for kids at our meetings in October. Financial donations are also acceptable. Please be generous. Here is a link if you want to donate online.
To get to know Yearlings better, Howard Epstein asked them who was their favorite team in the World Series or their favorite baseball team. Answers were varied.
Adil Moussa welcomed new member Amya Frazier to the club.
Ashley Olson shared information on Willa Cather, the premiere novelist from Nebraska. Born in Virginia, Cather moved to Red Cloud Nebraska when she was nine and that experience helped her write stories of everyday life. The author received numerous honors including a Pulitzer Price, having books in the Library of Congress, a stamp and even a coin at the U.S. Mint. The Willa Cather National Center attracts people from 40 states and 12 countries. It includes educational programs, a tour of her home, museums, and much more.
The book selection for November discussion is "Under and Alone" by William Queen, a New York Times Bestseller of the true story of the undercover agent who infiltrated America's most violent outlaw motorcycle gang.
We will be meeting again on Tuesday, November 10, at Bonefish Grill in Regency at 5:30 p.m.
October is going to be a special month in District 5650, and I hope one of the highlights will be seeing many of you at Fusion 5650, our District Conference, October 23-24 in Ashland!
Our District Conference is more than an event on the calendar. It’s a chance to reconnect with Rotary friends, meet new ones, share ideas, celebrate what our clubs are accomplishing, and return home energized about what comes next. After spending the past several months visiting clubs throughout our District, I can tell you there is a lot worth celebrating!
As I write this, I’ve completed all but one of my official club visits. What an experience it has been! I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible things happening throughout our District, to hear your stories, meet your members, and learn more about the communities you serve.
And one message has come through loud and clear: Rotary creates impact when we see a need and decide to do something about it.
That fits perfectly with October’s Rotary focus on Economic and Community Development. Across our District, Rotarians are strengthening communities in ways large and small. Sometimes that means a major project. Sometimes it means supporting a local organization, creating opportunities for young people, helping a neighbor, or simply bringing the right people together to solve a problem.
October also brings us one of Rotary’s greatest examples of sustained impact: our commitment to ending polio. World Polio Day is October 24, right in the middle of our District Conference. It’s a wonderful opportunity to remember what Rotarians can accomplish when we commit ourselves to a goal and keep going.
Throughout my club visits, I’ve talked a lot about the difference between change and impact. Change is what we do. Impact is what happens because we did it.
As I near the end of my club visits, I’m even more convinced that District 5650 is filled with Rotarians who are making an impact every single day.
So this October, let’s celebrate that impact. Let’s celebrate our communities, renew our commitment to ending polio, and bring all of that Rotary energy together at Fusion 5650.
Consider visiting another Rotary club for a make-up! Rotary.org has a club finder for locations around the world. Please see the District website at rotarydistrict5650.org for details on local clubs. Visit one of the following Metro-Area Clubs!
Monday: Omaha Millard Rotary, 12:00 pm, German American Society, 3717 South 120th St.
Tuesday: Omaha Morning 7:00 am, First Watch Aksarben, 1222 S. 71st, Ste. B, Omaha. NE 68106
Tuesday: Omaha Night, 5:30 p.m. at La Voltaire, 569 N. 155th Plaza (first and third Tuesdays) Omaha, NE http://www.omaharotarynight.org/
Wednesday: Omaha Downtown, 12:00 pm, Field Club of Omaha, 3615 Woolworth Ave., Omaha, NE 68105
Wednesday: Council Bluffs Centennial: 7:00 am, Hy-Vee Community Room 1745 Madison Avenue
Thursday: Western Douglas County, 12:00 PM Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation 20272 Veterans Drive, Elkhorn, NE 68022
Thursday: Council Bluffs, 12:00 pm, Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, 1001 South 6th Street
Friday: Omaha West, 12:00 pm, Charlie's on the Lake, 4151 S 144th St., Omaha, NE 68137
Email Deb for make-up/attendance credit to omahasuburbanrotary@gmail.com.
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