Events

Brenda Kilburn is a native Austinite.  Graduated from John H Reagan High School.

Jennifer Long has been the Executive Director of Casa Marianella for 26 years. Casa provides shelter and support services to people who have come to the Texas border fleeing persecution. Casa Marianella consists of 12 houses with a capacity of 150 people a night. In 2024 530 people from 43 countries were resettled by Casa. 

Our speakers today are Emily Ledesma and Gerardo Martinez from El Buen Samaritano, one of the corporate members in our Club. They will be sharing with us about the 8-week summer program “Intergen”….a program in which older adults and middle school students come together. Many of our Rotary members may be wonderful candidates to be mentors in this program.

Emily Ledesma holds a BS degree in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Texas and currently serves as the Associate Director of Education at El Buen Samaritano. Emily calls Austin home for the last 15 years but is originally from Cartagena Columbia and was raised in Houston.

Gerardo Martinez is a first-generation college graduate and a seasoned social worker and program coordinator with 9 years of experience in  human development & social welfare. Gerardo is a native of San Antonio and holds an Associate degree of Social work from San Antonio College and a Bachelor of Social Work from Texas State University.

Dr. Schroeder’s passion is to read, hear, and tell stories about the land and the people that lived on it both past and present. As a researcher, he bases the stories that he tells on the archaeological record, historical texts, and visual and vocal narratives. In addition to being a board member of the Gault School of Archaeological Research, he is an archaeologist for the U.S. Air Force and an affiliated researcher with the University of Texas at Austin. He has authored hundreds of archaeological reports, several articles in edited volumes, and has recently published in the Bulletin of the Texas Archeological Society. He will be speaking about the past, present, and future of the Gault Site, one of the oldest sites of human occupation in the western hemisphere. 

We will have members of the Rotary Club of Matamoras Sur discussing the Mexican Red Cross's Equipment Donation Program.

Members will begin the day with volunteering at El Buen Samaritano Food Bank. Join us for lunch as we catch up on life and events.

President Rebekah will share with us her experiences as a first time Rotary International Convention attendee this summer. 

We are looking forward to hearing about this.

Monica Simmons began her career with a B.A. in Communications, gaining diverse experience at UPS, as a licensed insurance agent, and at the University of Missouri School of Nursing’s Department of Research, where she managed graduate students and supported NIH grant preparation. Inspired to pursue a more direct role in patient care, she returned to school to become a Registered Nurse, later earning a Certification in Pediatric Nursing and a master's degree in Leadership in Health Care Organizations. Over the past 20 years, Monica has built a robust healthcare career in hospital settings such as Boston Children’s Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital, where she developed deep pediatric clinical expertise and leadership skills.

District Governor Todd Smith is a member of the Rotary Club of Georgetown, TX.  DG Todd was introduced to Rotary in 2007 when he was invited to join the Rotary Club of Austin (later serving as its President). He “became a passionate Rotarian” during a 2014 trip to India where he administered Polio drops to underprivileged children.  Following a move to Coastal California in 2015, DG Todd joined and later served as President of the Rotary Club of Montecito, CA, subsequently becoming an Assistant Governor in District 5240. Professionally, after having worked as a freelance Producer in the motion picture industry, DG Todd works – in his “Rotary Spare Time” -- as a residential real estate broker and mobile notary. He lives in Georgetown, has two grown and married sons, one grandchild and last-but-not-least two adorable, adopted pups, Buster and Pumpkin. 

Scott Rainey was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He attended the University of Oklahoma and is a proud Sooner!  Scott is married to Martha Bowles, who he met in church in Clear Lake, TX.  Scott trades petrochemicals and fuel products as his day job.

Scott is a member of the Rotary Club of Austin and was previously a member of the Space Center club in Houston.  He served as Rotary District 5890 Governor for the year 2020-21.  Scott is a Major Donor and member of the White Hat Society.

Will holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University majoring in Forestry.

He began working with Davey Tree in 2018 and has held the positions of intern, plant health care technician and currently holds the position of Sales and Service Coordinator. Prior to Davey William worked for Fuels Reduction Operation in the New Mexican Rocky Mountains with the Philmont Conservation Department. He Inventoried trees as a member of the Collaborative Forest Restoration Project for the US Forest Service in the Kit Carson National Forest.

He is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.

Outside of work William enjoys backpacking, climbing, Aggie Football, and spending time with his wife and family. He met his wife in class at A&M and was married in 2020. They have son named Elby, another on the way and a dog named Magnolia.

Welcome Will!