We often hear the call for data-driven civic dialogue and evidence based decision-making, but too often people and organizations lack the research capacity to make this a reality. This Tucson Rotary presentation will showcase two community indicators tools that address the need for easy access to nonpartisan, unbiased information about the state and its communities. The Arizona Indicators and Southern Arizona Indicators Web sites empower users to assess the size and scope of community needs, identify assets, track trends, and measure progress towards shared community goals. This presentation will also highlight key findings from the Arizona Directions statewide report card, which examines Arizona’s strengths and weaknesses in 4 critical areas: job creation, education, health and infrastructure.

Andrea Whitsett, Project Manager, Arizona Indicators, Morrison Institute for Public Policy - ASU

Andrea Whitsett is a senior policy analyst and project manager at Morrison Institute for Public Policy, an applied research institute at Arizona State University. Whitsett manages the Arizona Indicators project, a comprehensive community indicator system that shows Arizona’s competitive position and trajectory. Under Whitsett’s leadership, the project has gained widespread recognition and was recently cited by both the U.S. Government Accountability Office (U.S. GAO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

As project manager, Whitsett works closely with university scholars, state agencies and community leaders to identify meaningful metrics, collect and analyze data and develop interactive content for the project’s dynamic Web site. She oversees the project budget, supervises staff and manages contracts with multiple entities.

During her tenure, Whitsett has guided the publication of more than 40 policy briefs including the Arizona Directions statewide report card. She frequently presents key research findings to business executives, nonprofit leaders, and academics.

In addition to her direct research and project management responsibilities, Whitsett is a member of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s DATOS Research Committee and The Arizona We Want Research Advisory Committee. She also belongs to the Arizona Cultural Data Project Taskforce, a project of Pew Charitable Trusts.

Whitsett is engaged in the community as a member of the Florence Crittenton board of directors where she currently serves as vice chair of the programs committee. She is also on the board of directors for the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence. She has served on grant review panels for the Arizona Community Foundation and worked as a volunteer for the Arthritis Foundation and the Purple Ribbon Council.   

Whitsett holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Yale University where she was awarded an Amy Rossborough Fellowship through the Yale Women’s Center. During her undergraduate years, Whitsett worked at the Yale Center for International and Area Studies and held an internship at Children’s Action Alliance. She also completed an internship at Family Place where she supervised and documented visits between children and their nonresidential parents. Whitsett holds a Master’s of Nonprofit Studies degree from Arizona State University.

J. Clinton Mabie, President/CEO, Community Foundation for Southern Arizona 

J. Clinton Mabie joined the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona as President and CEO in May of 2010. Mr. Mabie started his career in the nonprofit sector in 1992 after jobs in advertising and commercial real estate. During his nonprofit career, he served as Director of Development of The Golden Apple Foundation, founder of the Center of Teaching and Learning which teaches educators how to incorporate technology into the classroom, and was a high school teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. Most recently, Clint served as Director of Donor Services and Program Development at the Chicago Community Trust. During his tenure, donations increased from $15 million to $90 million annually and grants from donors increased from $1 million to over $45 million annually. Clint also planned and raised over $20 million for diverse communities and created the Trust’s poverty initiative, Return on Chicago.

Mr. Mabie received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, a Master of Management from J.L Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from National-Louis University.

Clint currently serves as a board member of the Tucson Values Teachers, Arizona Grantmakers Association, and as a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Nonprofit Executives of Tucson. He has served on nonprofit boards for over 20 years including, The Community Mental Health Council, National-Louis University and the Chicago District Golf Association’s Sunshine Through Golf Foundation.

It was a spooky day at Rotary today!  Everyone dressed up except JOHN WANG. What a party pooper!  Our head table was full of important critters and the room was loaded with gooly guests. If you missed it, you missed the best luncheon yet!   We had our usual invocation with a fabulous U S of A moment while Lee Greenwood sang "Proud to be an American". Once we all wiped our tears, our fearless vampire, I meant leader, JIM LUBINSKI gave a nice pitch on "What is Rotary".

MARY MARTIN introduced Dan Marries from KOLD-TV who introduced our Panel of Politicians and.... 

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

First question will go down in history because all panelist "agreed" (somewhat) that within the Metropolitan Government they need unity and Regionalism and basically it’s a good thing. Jonathan Rothschild, Mayor: Chuck Huckelberry, Pima County Administrator: Mike Varney, President Tucson Metro Chamber and Joe Snell, President TREO (last two panelists are not politicians; I just wanted to see if you are paying attention or even reading this).  Second, question, all agreed Education is essential to not only our kids but to growth in our labor force and jobs!! Prop 204. 

Third question revolved around bringing jobs to Tucson and if you don't know the answer to that one....I'm not telling you!  Fourth question brought the fangs out in the audience as the words "Rio Nuevo" were whispered. And if you don't know the answer to that one, well I'm not telling you either!!  Fifth and final question was a discussion about changing the attitudes of businesses on Tucson so they will invest in our community, i.e. growth, jobs and more necks to bite. I meant more blood for the blood bank!

JIM closed the meeting with a perfect toast from John Quincy Adams and all the little vampires scurried off to their caves.

Scott Vaughan, Assistant Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch, 18-yr. Rotarian, Past Rotary Club of Tucson President, 2009-2010,  prior Vice President & General Manager at KGUN TV9, and University of Arizona BA and MBA. Scott and Margy celebrate 47 years of marriage.

Scott, thank you for your sponsorship of Merrill Lynch in the RCoT Tucsotarian and on the RCoT Website.  I single clicked on the ML Bull and obtained some pretty impressive information on the Vaughan, Lewis, and Short Team.  The Client Commitment statement reinforced the trust that I personally have had with Merrill Lynch and their Financial Advisors over many years.  What would you want to say to other Rotarians in support of sponsorship?

Club Sponsorship is an honor and an opportunity to step up and do something extra for the club—to publicly stand for Rotary.  A small quarterly fee goes for club administration and helps to hold down dues.  You click on the Merrill Lynch Bull and you immediately arrive at my ML Homepage.  Come on in.  Why doesn’t every member in business want to be a sponsor?

Scott, please say a few words about being a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor.

I work as a team with my two Wealth Management partners assuring our clients that there will be no short term surprises that would cause a disruption in the service, the financial results or satisfaction they expect.  Every client knows every team member.  We are trained and experienced to address the financial needs of clients’ assets of $500,000 to $5 million.  I’m paid by the firm, but I work for my clients’ financial success whether planning for retirement or the grandkids’ college, risk reduction, business and mortgage lending.

Client relationships are built on trust and confidence by engaging with people over time, doing important work where my skills, attributes and values can be seen.  Many of my client relationships will be lifetime friendships.  Old and new clients will have my service and devotion for years to come. 

I understand that several years ago you were instrumental in starting up a Rotary club in Palm Springs.  You were also a member of the Catalina Rotary in Tucson.  With your experiences in Rotary, what would you say makes the Rotary Club of Tucson so special and so distinctive?

Maybe distinctive; maybe not.  In my year I met twelve times with the other Rotary club presidents of the Tucson area—all strong, committed and passionate leaders; all about service, like us; smaller projects ,yes.  Some even struggled to make ends meet.  Our own distinction is about two things: scale and heritage.  We aspire to and engage bigger and more global service opportunities.  Plus, our 91 years of accomplishment continue to resonate with business and community leaders.  On balance, I am more inclined to embrace and appreciate every Rotary Club rather than brag about my club’s “greatest” ness.

Well said, Scott!  I often see you “out and about” with Margy and your attractive 8 year old granddaughter, Gracie.  How do you juggle family, Merrill Lynch, and Rotary responsibilities?  Is there a sage bit of advice you can give young Rotarians in dealing with their priorities?

I look at Rotary and family two ways.  If you have family, what an opportunity to communicate and share your values!  I’m so fortunate to continue to share this extraordinary experience with family members.  These are my best years yet, partly because of Rotary and that very dynamic.  Margy’s support and feedback repeatedly helped me rise to the challenges.  “This was the year that Scott really learned how to give,” Margy often said referring to my year as Rotary President.  I’m sure she’s right.  For club members whose family is not here or is not nearby, guess what, brother?   We are it.  In the most joyous sense, I have seen around me and personally enjoyed family-like support and love among our own members.

How can we as Rotarians help to strengthen RCoT and continue to derive “value added” benefits?

Your Arizona auto license plate says SAVOR.  What is that all about?

SAVOR is a verb meaning “to enjoy something slowly and completely.”  I want my license plate to provide a command or suggestion to humanity around fulfillment in life -- a complete sentence in seven or fewer letters.  It’s also an Arizona Wildcat plate, so this year it honors the NCAA Baseball Champs. 

Do you have any secrets you would wish to share?

So many.  Here’s one:  August 2012, my first TATTOO.

Scott, I know you to have an excellent sense of humor.  I know you to enjoy the “photo moment” with your camera, so to speak.  I know you to be a faithful UA sports fan and supporter of UA’s academic and cultural influence.  Your community involvement on multiple Tucson boards is extensive.  We as Rotarians only hope that we can have the same appreciation, the same affection, and the same sense of duty for Tucson and our community.

Thank you, Scott, for the Sponsor Spotlight.

One of my better investments.  Thank you, Jan.  Hey, if man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?  And if a mime gets arrested, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?  Just wondering.

 What a great program and turn out we had last week.  I was told by one of the speakers before the event started that there was “quite a buzz” about this program in the community.  We had around 150 guests, many of whom experienced Rotary and our club for the first time.  I think we left a good first impression!  Now we have to follow through with those that attended to cultivate any prospective new members that may have been in the group.  Congratulations to all of the team that helped put this together and to those of you who brought guests to show off the best Rotary Club in the World!

For those of you who attended the district conference last weekend, I am sure you found it rewarding.  The speech on Friday from former RI president, Rick King was possibly the best speech of its kind I have ever heard.  Truly a gifted and motivational speaker.  And the music provided by vocal coral was also inspiring.  The breakout sessions had numerous good topics and the tailgate party Friday night was packed.  If you went to any or all, truly time well spent.

More good news, we have hired a new Executive Director and they will start in the office this Thursday.  We will introduce our new ED to the club at our meeting on 11/14 which, by the way, is at the Radisson hotel on Speedway just east of Wilmot.

This week our program will be “Arizona Indicators” and it will deal with the overall health of the State of Arizona as measured by a specific - yet broad set of indicators.  It looks like it will be another one you will not want miss.

Have a great week and see you Wednesday.

As announced at our October 24, 2012 meeting, PAT ZUMBUSCH has been named Chair of the 2014 Tucson Classics Car Show, to follow 2013 Chair CHUCK SAWYER!  Pat has been an integral part of the Car Show team since part way through the first car show in 2007 when he came on board to mentor and replace John Blumberg as Car Show Treasurer, and he has been key to forming our financial process for the Car Show ever since. 

Pat joined our club November 5, 2003 and is an involved and active member.  He served on our Board as our Club Treasurer from 2008 to 2011, continues to serve as our Car Show Treasurer, is on our Foundation Board, and serves on the Program, Work Projects, Invocation, and Scholarship committees.  Pat and wife Peggy are both originally from Minnesota, have been married for 33 years, and have two daughters and a son.

Pat’s career began as a CPA with Ernst and Young.  In 1989 they moved to Tucson where Pat served as President of Global Atmospherics until they were bought out by a Finland company. In 2008, after a year as CEO of the Community Food Bank, Pat found his passion in the financial services industry and in 2011 formed his own financial planning company, Wellspring Financial Services, which he is now expanding.

The November 14th, Rotary Club of Tucson meeting will be held at:

Radisson Suites

6555 E Speedway Blvd

Tucson, AZ  85710

Plated Salad ~~ Caesar Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Croutons with assorted dressings

Swiss Steak ~~ Slow Cooked and Braised Round Steak Smothered in Tomatoes and Onions, Wild and White Rice Pilaf, Fresh Seasonal Vegetables, Rolls and Butter, Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies served Family Style, Coffee, Decaf or Iced Tea

Vegetarian option if reserved in advance ~~ Pinenut & Spinach Stuffed Acorn Squash ~~ Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Pinenuts, Spinach, Green Onions, Breadcrumbs and Danish Blue Cheese, served with Vegetable Broth. 

Fresh Fruit Plate and Gluten Free meals are also available by advance reservation.