HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK Larry Means      APR 7 Harry Banzhoff  APR 8 John McHenry   APR 8 Norma Swain    APR 8 Barry Goodling  APR 9 James Smeltzer APR 9 Joan Prescott     APR 10

HAPPY APRIL ANNIVERSARIES Greg Sutliff   45 years Doug Wisehaupt 11 years Henry Rhoads  39 years         Jeb Stuart 11 years Steve Schultz 38 years         Christopher Markley 10 years Howard Ammons 33 years   Dolores Liptak 8 years Paul Mahoney 31 years        Kendall Hanna 6 years Hal Hurqitz 28 years            Mike Love  6 years Neil Hendershot 24 years       Jacqueline Bedard 4 years Jack Snavely 23 years           Rich Moultrie 4 years Charles Clevenger 20 years  Sean Dolan 4 years Tom Johnston 14 years       Dave Epple 1 year Marie Lick 11 years Andy Hetrick 1 year

PROGRAM: HOPE International (HOPE) is a global, faith-based, non-profit organization focused on poverty alleviation through microenterprise development. HOPE’s vision is to enable sustainable economic development that results in significant and lasting change, temporal and eternal, in the lives of many people living in poverty. Peter Greer is President of HOPE International, a global non-profit organization focused on alleviating both physical and spiritual poverty through microenterprise development in some of the most challenging places around the world, including Afghanistan, DR Congo, Sri Lanka, and Haiti.  Under Peter’s leadership, HOPE has expanded its network from 2 to 13 countries and now serves 190,000 active clients.

Peter was formerly employed by World Relief, serving as a microfinance advisor in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He later managed Rwanda’s URWEGO Community Banking, which was recognized as the “best microfinance institution in Rwanda” by the United Nations.  Peter also worked with CARE Zimbabwe and implemented fraud protection measures in cooperation with Harvard University’s Carr Center of Human Rights.  

Peter received his undergraduate education in International Business from Messiah College and completed a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School, with a concentration in Political and Economic Development.  In addition to Peter’s nearly 10 years of experience in microfinance, he has been a featured panelist at Harvard’s International Development Conference, has completed executive education at Harvard Business School, and has served as a lecturer at Southern New Hampshire University’s School of Community Economic Development, working with practitioners from 30 different countries.

Peter resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with his wife, Laurel, and two children.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS / MEETING LOCATIONS:   

Apr 7                                      Peter Greer, Hope International

Hilton                                     “The Power of Barefoot Banking” 

Apr 14                                    Mayor Stephen Reed

Hilton

Apr 21                                    Debra Bowman, Executive Director Central PA Conservancy

Hilton                                    “Land protection efforts in Cumberland , Dauphin and Perry Counties”

Apr 28                                    Robert Wurzbach, Verizon Pennsylvania Inc.

Hilton                                     Director State Government Relations

“My Life as a Lobbyist: Upfront and Behind the Scenes!”

For complete programming go to our website: hbgrotary.org and click on calendar.

NEWS AND NOTES:  

• Condolences to Dolores Liptak and her family on the passing of her father-in-law.

• DISTRICT CONFERENCE: Thursday, May 8- golf, May 9-May 10.  Early Registration before 3/16.  Register: Forms are on the information table or Go to our website www.hbgrotary.org and then to the District.

•  Please make sure you have paid your $100 Harrisburg Rotary Foundation.

•  "Rotary at Work Day" on Tuesday, April 22, in conjunction with Earth Day. Please join us that day in a clean-up project along the Riverfront and Greenway in Harrisburg, assisting the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy.  You will receive an attendance make-up!   For further information contact:  Ecology Co-Chair Jack Detweiler – 214-9241.

•  SUPPORT OUR TROOPS PROJECT

Donate $10 cash or check payable to the Harrisburg Rotary Foundation, in support of our 2007-08 goal to raise another $2,000 to assist the non-profit “Wounded Warrior Project” minister to the personal needs of our severely wounded troops who face long-term rehab in military hospitals. Your contribution is 100% tax deductible.

For meeting cancellations due to inclement weather.... Tune to ABC27-TV
or check your e-mail or call the Rotary office at 234-1208.

ATTENDANCE:

LAST ROTARY MEETING: 3/31/08       56%
Rotarians   86  Active Specials12      Guests   13 Visiting Rotarians  2   =  113

Minutes by Jacqueline Bedard: 

The meeting started with President Carrie calling a packed room to order for Hbg. Rotary’s annual meeting. Caryn Carr lead us in singing America the Beautiful and Joan Prescott provided our invocation.

Garry Brinton provided the Rotary Minute and inspired us by his experiences at the Rotary International Conference where it was clear that we all share one common faith on this crowded planet. That common faith for Rotary enabled the polio eradication and clean water projects to succeed.

Patrick Amice provided a mini-classification talk. Patrick is the client executive for insurance brokerage for RCMD, although I think that he qualifies to be the fast-talker on the Fed-Ex commercials. Patrick noted that the Maryland arm of his company is well-known for organizing the Baltimore Regatta to raise money for charity.

Garry also called the election of the following officers and board members:

Barry Ramper II, President

Carolyn Dumaresq, President-elect

John Judson, Vice President

Carrie W. Thomas, Imm. Past President

Garry Brinton, Secretary

William Boles, Treasurer

Deborah Abel, Sergeant-at-Arms

Term expires in 2009  Al Baker,  Patricia Hindermyer,  Richard Stewart,  Karen Snider

Term expires in 2010  Caryn Carr,  Dolores Liptak,   Andrew Rebuck,  Robert Saline

The focus of this meeting was on the continuing commercial development in Harrisburg. Representatives of two of this community’s leaders in that development spoke to us about their companies’ most current project – the Aloft Hotel. Mayur Patel is the General Counsel to the Hersha Group of Companies. David Butcher is the Vice-President of Project Management for WCI Partners, LP. After determining that the Harrisburg market can fully support a third hotel, WCI Partners, together with Hersha combined with their vision to adopt the exclusive Aloft brand of Starwood Hotels and erect a 138 room hotel on the corner of State and Second Street. This will be a contemporary boutique hotel with rates that will be competitive with the Hilton. They plan to break ground later this year and complete construction to begin operations at the beginning of 2010. Good luck to WCI and Hersha.