PROGRAM: In June 2007, Governor Edward Rendell nominated Joel Ario to serve as Pennsylvania’s Insurance Commissioner, describing Ario as “a highly qualified and seasoned administrator with a strong and proven record of fighting to protect the rights and needs of consumers.”

Prior to his Pennsylvania service, Ario was the chief insurance regulator for the state of Oregon (2000-2007) and worked in the public interest movement for 15 years.  His tenure in Oregon was marked by collaboration with companies, agents and consumers to see that appropriate consumer safeguards are in place, while also preserving the flexibility insurers need to thrive in the fast-changing insurance marketplace.  Within the insurance industry, Ario has won high marks for carefully balancing regulatory concerns with the needs of consumers and is widely respected as being a fair and open-minded regulator.

Ario serves on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Executive Committee and is Chair of the Climate Change Task Force and Vice Chair of the Health Insurance (B) Committee.  Prior NAIC assignments include Chair of the Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee (2006-2008) and Chair of the Market Regulation Committee (2001-2004).  Commissioner Ario also has served as an NAIC officer—Secretary-Treasurer (2003-2004) and Vice President (2004-2005).

Additionally, he serves on the Consumer Participation Board of Trustees, as well as the Board of Directors for the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), a collaborative enterprise between the NAIC and the regulated community to modernize agent licensing systems.  He was that organization’s President and Board Chair from 2002 to 2004.

Ario approaches issues from a consumer perspective.  His top priorities in Pennsylvania are health care reform, including affordability and universal coverage, and the needs of older Pennsylvanians—particularly as they relate to long-term care and suitable annuity products.

A 1981 graduate of Harvard Law School, Ario also holds degrees from Harvard Divinity School and Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.  He is married and has three sons.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS / MEETING LOCATIONS:                                        
June 22         Joel Ario, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner
Hilton

June 29         Changing of the Guard: Goodbye to President Barry – Welcome President Carolyn
Hilton

July 6             NO MEETING

July 13           Club Assembly/Strategic Plan Report
Hilton

For complete programming go to our website: hbgrotary.org and click on calendar.
For meeting cancellations due to inclement weather.... Tune to ABC27-TV
or check your e-mail or call the Rotary office at 234-1208.

NEWS AND NOTES:  
• New Rosters will be available at the July 13th Rotary Meeting.  See Linda to get yours!  Additional Rosters are available at $3.  You can also go to our website, register as a member, and see the membership online.

• Looking for Doubles Team tennis players.  The District Doubles Tennis Tournament will be held on September 17th at Allenberry from 2:30-5:30 PM with dinner to follow.  Cost to players will be approximately $40 (which includes court time and dinner).  Please contact Linda if you are interested.

•  Host Families Sought for 2-week Student Exchange Program in September
HACC is in its fourth year of hosting International Business students from Minerva Business College in Randers , Denmark . Students will be accompanied by their faculty and will spend two weeks on campus studying, touring area businesses and landmarks, and meeting with business, industry and government representatives. The College is seeking host families for the nineteen students, who range in ages 16 through 21, and all are fluent in English.

Students will arrive on Campus on Wednesday, September 9th, and depart on Tuesday, September 22nd. While weekday transportation of the students to and from the College by the host family is preferred, it should not be a deterrent to hosting a student, as the Minerva faculty will have a van to assist with transportation needs. The students start most of their days at HACC at 9:00 AM, and are free to leave between 3:30 and 5:00 PM;  they are available during the evenings and weekends to participate in activities with you, and your friends and family.

We hope you will consider hosting a student for this short period of time. It is an excellent way for you and your family to become acquainted with Denmark, Scandinavian culture, and build a friendship with a Danish student. Please contact Dean Linda LeFevre with any questions either at 717-780-2366 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you wish to consider hosting a student, Linda will send you a link to view their profiles.

David Morrison, Group Study Exchange Co-Chair

• Rotary Schoolarships Awarded to Four outstanding Harrisburg Scholars
On Monday June 8th the Harrisburg Rotary at our regular Luncheon meeting, the Rotary Scholarship Committee members greeted two of our 2009 recipients and their parents for lunch.  Three of the four scholarship winners had been YCDT members and recognition was given to Karen Snider, Una Martone and Jeannette Archer-Simons for their help and encouragement of these students.

Just a little history of the monies that make this process possible. I have chaired this committee for the past four years and have become painfully aware of the escalating costs of higher education and have thought for awhile that an award of $1,000 does not do more than buy some of the students books.  In February I petitioned the Board to possibly increase the level of giving and was very pleased that they have found it in their hearts and budget to increase the four scholarship awards to $2,000 for each recipient.  The money comes from two sources, namely, $2,000 from our Annual Pancake Breakfast and secondly from the Harrisburg Rotary Foundation to which each Club Member has the opportunity to contribute.  Thank you to each and every one of you who digs deep during these tight economic times - you are making a difference in these children's lives and in the future of their families.

Nicole Harris, a graduate of Sci Tech High School was accompanied by her Father Eugene Harris.  Nicole plans on Attending Temple University and majoring in Medicine.  Her long -range plans are to become a pediatrician. While a student in Harrisburg she was a YCDT member, Rotary Student of the quarter, member of the National Honor Society and worked as a volunteer at the Big Brother/Big Sister program as well as volunteered at one of the local shelters, the Food Bank and tutored and mentored kids at her school.

Thais Raja Ridgeway, a graduate of Mishop McDevitt High School was accompanied by her mother Deborah Brady.  Thais was also a member of YCDT as a youth advisor.  A member of the National Honor Society, the National Society of High School Scholars, Future Business Leaders of America and will be attending the National Convention in Anaheim California using a scholarship from the Ollie Rosenberg Scholarship Fund which is administered by Janice Black and the Foundation for Enhancing Communities. Thais plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh to study clinical psychology, her father who could not join us on Monday, is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and has had a great influence on her choice of a future avocation.

Our two other recipients sent their regrets and thank you notes.

Ieshia Goodwin, a recent graduate of Career Technology Academy located in the William Penn Campus of Harrisburg High School.  Ieshia works fulltime and has done so to help support her younger siblings and help her mother at home.  She works in a daycare facility and loves children. Her future plans are to attend Shippensburg University in the fall and major in English Education.

Raven Black, a recent Graduate of John Harris High School was also a YCDT leader, vice president of her National Honor Society, volunteered with the March of Dimes, helped with autistic children at the Area Special Olympics and served on the arrangements committee for the local Kwanza Holiday Celebrations.

We can be proud of our support of these successful students who are going to make a difference in their own lives, their families and the communities that they will live in.

Further thanks go out to Kent Frese who along with the assistance of Bridget Whitley, yanked us into the 21st Century by putting the Scholarship Application process online.  The process was much easier once the committee and I got the hang of it.  Three of us were traveling and this made our lives and the several hours that it took to review and choose recipients so very much easier.  We saved Linda time copying and several reams of paper.  We usually receive from 20 to 40 applications from four different schools and it takes anywhere from five to twelve hours to process them.

Finally a great big thanks go out to my dedicated committee members who really rose to the occasion this year.

Joan Prescott, and Patrick Amice stood in for me at the Awards Ceremonies both at the Harrisburg School District and Bishop McDevitt.  Thanks also go out to Jeannette Archer-Simons, Tom Conners, Sam Levine, Dave Reed and Bill Spahr for all their help, advice and suggestions for the process.

Respectfully Submitted,
Peggy Grove, Rotary Scholarship Committee chair

ATTENDANCE:
LAST ROTARY MEETING:  6/15/09      62 %                      
Rotarians  79     Active Specials    10          Guests  12       Visiting Rotarians 0   = 99

Minutes by Maria Persico:  No minutes submitted.