Reflections

Reflections by Lee Teeter is an open signed edition depicting the Vietnam Veterans Wall being visited by a former soldier of that war.  Reflected in the wall are the gentleman’s memories of his fellow soldiers who were lost in the war, and whose names are on the wall.  It is a sad image yet inspirational in that after the war and the trauma he experienced, he moved on with his life, becoming a business man, lawyer, doctor, teacher, etc. but still remembered his friends.  They would want him to move on and have a successful life… after all, that is one of the reasons for which they fought and died.  Every US soldier fights for our freedom and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Dell Spry Retired FBI Agent

Retired agent Dell Spry served in the FBI for twenty years. During his career, he primarily worked counterintelligence, counterespionage, and counterterrorism investigations. While assigned to FBIHQ, Dell was a member of the National Security Council Counterterrorism Working Group. He was liaison to the CIA Counterintelligence Center, Counterespionage Group and was the lead investigator for the FBI in the Aldrich Ames case. Dell was involved in the two-year-long investigation where he, as the FBI case agent, along with a team of FBI and CIA personnel, was successful in identifying Ames as a KGB mole. Ames, who was directly responsible for the execution of several Soviet and Russian assets and operatives, was charged and convicted of espionage in 1994 and is serving a life sentence. Dell received the FBI Director’s Award for Excellence in a Counterintelligence Investigation and the CIA Director’s Meritorious Service Award for his efforts. Prior to retirement, Dell supervised a Counterintelligence squad in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, as a consultant, Dell teaches an advanced course of instruction to novice and experienced FBI personnel on human intelligence (HUMINT) collection, intelligence tradecraft, and counterintelligence matters.

State of the City

Lance Jones City Manager City of Dublin
Lance Jones was appointed City Manager in 2015. Prior to serving as City Manager, Lance served as Municipal Court prosecutor and then as the City Attorney for Dublin. As City Manager, Lance advises the Mayor and City Council no their decisions and oversees the day - to - day operations of the City.

St. Patricks Joint Civic Luncheon

Joint Civic Luncheon Guest Speaker Mark Cathy

Mark Cathy serves on the Operator Support Team at Chick - fil - A, Inc.
As one of Chick - fil - A founder S. Truett Cathy’s grandchildren, Mark is part of the third generation of the Cathy family to take leadership roles at the quick service restaurant chain. He is the eldest son of Donald "Bubba" Cathy, Executive Vice President of Chick - fil - A, Inc. and President of Dwarf House, Inc.
Prior to joining the Chick - fil - A home office staff in 2009, Mark was a Chick - fil - A restaurant Operator in California for two years. His first role at home office was as a Business Consultant, advising Operators on ways to grow their business and help them solve chal- lenges unique to their restaurant.
Mark graduated from the University of Georgia in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He then received his Executive MBA for Entrepreneurial Management from Pepperdine University in 2010.

Centenarians Secrets To Success

Dr. Steve Franklin is an educator, researcher, author, and business executive. He also is a Centenarian Wannabe on a mission to "capture their Wisdom" (and wit) and share it with the Younger Generation.
While Associate Dean and tenured professor at the Goizueta School of Business of Emory University, he co-authored two textbooks adopted in hundreds of colleges/universities, and over 50 scholarly and practitioner articles on management and entrepreneurship. Three times he was ranked the number one teacher as evaluated by students. His research has been reported by major newspapers throughout the country including The Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune and many more. He has appeared on Fox and Friends, Fox Business News, WXIA 11 Alive Atlanta, Fox 5 Orlando, Huffington Post Morning Rush, and numerous other radio and television programs broadcasting the Gannett Broadcasting Series "Million Dollar Dreams" that was viewed by millions of viewers across America.
He serves on the Board of Regents for Oxford University's Harris Manchester College in the UK and is Chairman of the Governing Board for The American University in Dubai. As founder of Global Access Learning, he has lectured to business executives in the U.S., UK, Europe, Middle East, and South Africa for companies including IBM, Coca-Cola, Federal Express, AT&T, Chick-fil-A, Kodak, General Electric, the Young President's Organization, the World President's Organization, and numerous other profit and non-profit organizations.
His recently published book by Wiley, Celebrate 100: Centenarian Secrets to Success in Business and Life, was recently highlighted on several television and radio programs and climbed to Amazon's #6 Business Book, #9 Biography & History Book, #12 Personal Finance Book.
His personal goal is living to 120 "healthy, wealthy, and wise," and he is passionate about capturing and sharing this priceless Wisdom and advice from America's Most Senior Citizens.

Debra Lowe Senior Major Gifts Officer, Zone 34 The Rotary Foundation

Debra joined The Rotary Foundation in 2009 as the first Major Gifts Officer on staff who lives within their assigned zone. She covers Zone 34 consisting of 14 Rotary Districts (3 in Georgia, 8 in Florida and 3 in the Caribbean). The focus of her position is to enable Rotarians and non - Rotarians to fulfill their philanthropic goals of supporting The Rotary Foundation with a single gift or commitment of $10,000 or greater to the Annual Fund, Areas of Focus, Endowment Fund, PolioPlus or Rotary Peace Centers.
In addition to being a staff member with the Rotary Foundation, Debra has been an active Rotarian in District 6980 for nearly 15 years. She served as President of the Rotary Club of Kissimmee Bay in 2005 - 2006; District Grants Subcommittee Chair from 2007 - 2009 is now a member of the Rotary Club of Lake Nona Lunch.
In 2015, 2016 and 2017 Debra joined General Secretary John Hewko, colleagues and Rotarians from around the world to participate in Miles to End Polio in conjunction with the 106 mile El Tour de Tucson bicycle ride.
Through the support of Rotarians and the 2:1 match from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation the team raised more than $30 Million these past three years towards our goal of a Polio - free world. She continues training in anticipation of the 2018 Miles to End Polio Ride.

Preston Johnson Speech Contest

The annual Preston Johnson Speech Contest, conducted in Rotary District 6920, was founded in 1997 by Dublin Rotary’s own Preston Johnson. High school contestants from across the district participate in the local club contest, and the winners progress to the Zone contest level and then District level.
Preston Johnson served as the Dublin Rotary Club president in 1975 - 1975 and the Rotary District Governor 1979 - 190. He founded the speech contest out of a desire to encourage the young people of our community to grow in the area of public speaking and scholarships. Preston was a member of Toastmasters International, an educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. He believed the fundamentals of the Toastmasters to be essential for effective and professional public speaking and is why the Toastmasters guidelines for public speaking are the heart of the judging process for the annual contest.
Pictured (l-r)Winner Briah Bailey,1st runnerup Sydney Stephens, 2nd runnerup Hailey Bouck, 3rd runnerup Silentah Stanley

Father Jim Ball - Priest and Movie Director

Fr. Jim Ball was a musician, photographer and filmmaker for twenty years before coming to conversion in 1992. Having been led to the Lord by a Pentecostal gospel singer, and having grown up with a Catholic father and a Missouri Synod Lutheran mother, he quickly began to explore the different branches of the Christian faith. Finding God in so many different churches, he began attending church at the Assemblies of God on Sunday mornings, Mass at the Grotto of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland on Sunday evenings, and then returning home to watch Ben Haden and Charles Stanley preach on TV. 
Having such a rich and varied experience, he developed a heart for the unity of the church, and was grieved over the contentions between the different denominations. He also wondered where he would fit as there seemed to be no one church that was Charismatic, Evangelical and Catholic all in one. He attended St. Michael’s Seminary and in 1998, he was ordained a priest and sent out to plant Holy Apostles CEC in Westminster, Maryland.  Father Jim continued to make films for churches and Christian schools for the next few years. In 2007, he co-wrote and directed "The Sins of the Fathers", which was based on experiences he encountered while working in the generational healing ministry. The film was completed in 2008 and won numerous awards at both secular and Christian film festivals.
Along with his good friend and collaborator Richard Cutting, he wrote the feature film Order of Rights which tackles the abortion debate head on.  The film chronicles the journey of a high school athlete whose pregnant girlfriend has decided, against his will, to terminate her pregnancy. As a media storm brews around them, he fights for his rights as a father and his unborn child’s right to live. 
Fr. Jim  lives in Westminster, Maryland, has been married to his wife Barbara for fifteen years and has a teenaged daughter, Emily.  He remains active in music, film, photography, writing, and enjoys sports – especially football, and most especially the Ravens.

State of the Base

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp has served as Secretary of State since 2010. The Secretary of State is responsible for the administration of secure, accessible, and fair elections; registration of corporations; regulation of charities and securities; and oversight of professional license holders.
Secretary Kemp has implemented many e - government solutions while in office. He has also worked to communicate more efficiently with Georgia ’ s businesses, promote voter registration, cut bureaucratic red tape, reduce costs on Georgia taxpayers, and deter corporate identity theft.
As Georgia ’ s top elections official, Secretary Kemp works to ensure all eligible citizens have access to the polls. He has also been instrumental in moving Georgia to the forefront in the presidential nomination process. Working with his colleagues in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, Kemp led the movement to hold a regional presidential preference primary on March 1, 2016. This date, now dubbed the “ SEC Primary, ” was the largest regional primary since 1992 to bring the road to the White House through America ’ s new heartland – the South.
Secretary Kemp was elected to the Georgia Senate in 2002 and served until 2006. During that time, he served as chair of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and vice - chair of the Higher Education Com- mittee. During his professional career, Secretary Kemp has founded and developed many small businesses. He remains an active small business owner today with com- panies involved in agribusiness, financial services, and real estate management and investment.

Occupational Award for Leadership (GOAL) Program

Goal Student Jamie White (l) Early Childhood Care & Education GOAL winner and the Rick Perkins Award Instructor of the Year Lee Radney(r) Electronics & Mechatronics.
GOAL is a statewide program within the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) that honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. White, along with two other semi-finalists were nominated by OFTC instructors and competed in a series of interviews and evaluations by a selection committee made up of representatives from local businesses and industries; they were judged on qualities like academic achievement, personal character, leadership ability and enthusiasm for technical education.
As the college winner White will compete in regional judging against winners from other TCSG and Board of Regents colleges in February and will represent OFTC at the state-level in April when one student will be named the statewide 2018 Goal winner in Atlanta.

Breakfast with the Dublin-Laurens Chamber of Commerce

Rotary rings for Salvation Army

Georgia Ports Authority

Griffith V. Lynch is the Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority, an 1,100- person strong state port authority that owns and operates strategic gateways serving the U.S. Southeast.
As Executive Director, Lynch oversees all port activity involving the deepwater ports of Savannah and Brunswick, as well as inland terminal operations. Directing one of Georgia’s largest economic engines, he administers a $380 million annual budget. Before becoming executive director, Lynch served as GPA chief operating officer for five years. As COO of the single largest container terminal in North America and second busiest U.S. auto port, he was responsible for sustaining the profitable growth and development of all operations, and maintaining world-class operating standards.   A proven leader in the maritime industry, Lynch brings 29 years of experience in the design and implementation of major port expansions, the effective execution of sustainable profit and productivity models and identifying winning sales and marketing strategies.

Dictionary Project

The Dublin Rotary club receives a big thank you from local elementary schools for distributing dictionaries to all 3rd grade students in city and county schools. The Dictionary project has been on going for the last three years.