Events

Monica Christopher serves Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) as the foundation’s Senior Vice President, Chief Giving and Community Impact Officer. In this role, she oversees the teams responsible for grantmaking, cultivating and stewarding donor relationships, and the implementation of North Texas Giving Day, all toward CFT’s mission of creating a thriving community for all. 

Monica is passionate about community philanthropy, and during her tenure with CFT, she has served in a variety of roles including Chief Relationship Officer, where she worked with individuals, families, and companies to make their giving easy, effective, and enjoyable.  She also served as Senior Director of Strategic Philanthropy, where she served as a philanthropic advisor to CFT donors and fund holders on a variety of community needs and interest areas, and also led CFT’s grantmaking from the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation, which makes transformational investments in the areas of education, public safety, and medical research. 

Prior to joining CFT in 2008, Monica served as Senior Director of Community Services for The Dallas Morning News and WFAA-TV, where she oversaw more than 150 Dallas-based community sponsorships and programs, and managed the annual Dallas Morning News Charities campaign, which raises money to support direct services for the hungry and homeless. A native of Canton, Ohio, Monica earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University.

In her free time, she volunteers with several local nonprofit organizations and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, as President-Elect of the Junior League of Dallas Sustainers, and as a board member of Wingstop Charities.  She is a past president of the Women’s Auxiliary at Children’s Medical Center Dallas and the Leadership Dallas Alumni Association.

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP / BOARD SERVICE
In 2018, Monica was selected as one of the Dallas Business Journal's 30 Women in Business Awards honorees. Her community and board service include supporting the Leadership Dallas Alumni Association, the Women’s Auxiliary at Children’s Medical Center, the Junior League of Dallas and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association.

Top 1% Instructor in the country!

Master Salvador S Padilla is an energetic professional with extensive experience in mentoring, team-building, and client development. He has over 35 years of progressive martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, stick, knife and pistol experience.

In addition to paid individual and group training, he has delivered instruction to tens of thousands of people via community outreach initiatives to social organizations, schools, and churches.

Like many others drawn to martial arts, I experienced bullying as a child- most often for my buckteeth, long hair, and clothes, and was terrified of confrontation. I later joined a local martial arts academy expecting to learn self-defense, but i gained so much more: martial arts empowered me to communicate effectively through active listening and fundamentally and positively shaped my personality.

After months of research, I had a revelation: I was passionate about martial arts, fitness, and mentoring, so why not apply the solid business experience of a highly rewarding fifteen year career in retail management and start my own martial arts academy? In 2003 I took a leap of faith and founded Padilla Martial Arts Inc.

After enjoying seven successful years as the owner/head instructor I sold the franchise to one of my students. I spent the next year developing a solid, highly focused and effective curriculum that would best utilize the time and effort put forth by students and clients and yield maximum reward. I opened Combat Fitness USA in the summer of 2011, with a mission to empower individuals and small groups through realistic and progressive martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, stick, knife and pistol training.​

Prior to becoming the principal at George H. W. Bush Elementary, Mrs. Crowling was the assistant principal at Bush for one year. Her career with DISD began as a teacher at Billy Earl Dade Middle School where she taught math and Language Arts for 3 years.  She then taught math for three years at the Talented and Gifted Vanguard school at K.B. Polk Elementary.  For two years, Mrs. Crowling served as a Math Academic Facilitator working with math instructional coaches in the Conrad and W.T. White feeder patterns.

Mrs. Crowling is a graduate of the University of Illinois with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration.  She also earned a master’s degree in Urban School Leadership from Southern Methodist University.

At Bush Elementary, our staff is committed to creating a safe and rigorous learning environment where students learn the skills needed to be successful in life.  We are a Leader in Me campus where students and staff alike embrace the 7 Habits (#1 Be Proactive, #2 Begin with the End in Mind, #3 Put First Things First, #4 Think Win-Win, #5 Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood, #6 Synergize, and #7 Sharpen the Saw) to guide us on our journey towards excellence.

Lisa Rigby is the Executive Director at Woven Health Clinic, a 501C3 community clinic since January 2015.  Woven Health Clinic provides a medical home for low income, uninsured adults that live in Dallas and surrounding areas. She previously served as Senior Director, Development Operations for United Way of Dallas for four years. 

In addition to non-profits, she has 15 years, marketing and operations experience with technology companies. She has an Executive MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a BBA from the University of North Texas. She is an advisory member for Brookhaven Community College Front Office Medical Program and she currently serves as a member of UT Southwestern’s Center for Mood Disorders Network.  
Since 2015, she has increased Clinic funding from $650,000 to $2,500,000, launched an innovative integrated healthcare program focused on disease prevention, and expanded services from primary care only to include nutrition therapy and basic mental health care, with a strong emphasis on preventing diabetes and heart disease. 

She is passionate about reinventing health care payment and delivery models to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.  

Natalie Gonnella-Platts serves as the Director, Women's Advancement at the George W. Bush Institute.  In this role, Ms. Gonnella-Platts is responsible for research and programmatic efforts that support women and girls worldwide to lead in their communities and countries. This includes the work of the First Ladies Initiative, which aims to enable and support global First Ladies in effectively using their platforms to impact change. Additionally, she is the host of the Bush Institute’s award nominated podcast, Ladies, First; the co-author of a first-of-its kind analysis on global first ladies, A Role Without a Rulebook; and served as a project lead on the development of the Bush Institute’s 2018 and 2019 special exhibits. Her work has also been published or featured across a wide range of external outlets including the New York Times, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, The Dallas Morning News, Real Clear World, Politico, Bustle, Refinery 29, among others.

Ms. Gonnella-Platts studied Communications and International Studies (Peace and Conflict) at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia. She earned an MA in War, Violence and Security studies from the University of Sussex in Brighton, United Kingdom.  Prior to joining the Bush Institute, she held roles in New York City at American International Group (AIG), and in London at ConservativeHome USA, the Legatum Institute, and BBC Worldwide.  She served as a member of Akola Project’s Advisory Council; a co-founder of Each Inc., a non-profit that seeks to provide innovative technology tools to organizations that care for and protect orphans and vulnerable children; and as a project strategy advisor to Stop the Traffik’s Finance Against Trafficking initiative.

Ellen Templin was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and has made Dallas her home.  She graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio and had a career in banking.  She retired in 2019 to play tennis and travel.  She is a long time member of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, has sung in church choirs for over 50 years, is on the Alumni Board of HPHS and has been involved with fighting human trafficking through Project Moses.  And a side note, her grandfather was President of Dallas Rotary Club.

Orlando Campos has the distinction of serving as the Town of Addison’s first Economic Development Director.  He works closely with the City Manager’s Office and Town Council to execute the Town’s Strategic Economic Development Plan for corporate recruitment, business retention & expansion, entrepreneurial development, tourism development, and community redevelopment. 

Orlando has been in the economic development field for the last 26 years.  The Dallas Business Journal has listed his economic development office as one of the top 12 in the Dallas-Fort Worth Region based on the number of deals closed and investment made in the community.   D CEO Magazine recognizes him as one of the most influential business leaders in the DFW Metroplex.  He is a member of the Texas Economic Development Council and the International Economic Development Council and sits on the North Central Texas Council of Government’s Economic Development District Board.  Orlando joined Addison in 2011 and has helped attract and expand various corporate headquarters and regional offices to the community and has worked on various redevelopment projects. 

Prior to coming to Addison, Orlando worked for the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Brownsville Economic Development Council, and Valley International Airport in Harlingen.  A native of Brownsville, Texas, Orlando is the youngest of 12 and is a graduate of Columbia University with a degree in Urban Studies and History.

Tracy has been the CEO of Metrocrest Services since 2013. Prior to joining the organization, he served as a Metrocrest board member for six years including serving as Board Chair. 

Prior to joining Metrocrest Services, Tracy served as the president of the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce for two years. During his tenure he led the resurgence of the chamber as it became a key contributor to the area’s economic growth. Prior to joining the staff as president he served on the chamber board for six years including serving as Board Chair.

Prior to joining the chamber Tracy ran Mapsco, Inc., 1994-2010, the map company that began in Dallas in 1952. Mapsco grew from a DFW-only map provider to mapping many states and becoming the dominant map provider for Texas and Colorado. During his tenure Mapsco made multiple acquisitions to grow Mapsco’s product base. Mapsco won the Metrocrest Chamber’s 2009 Business of the Year Award. 

Tracy has served as a board member and chairman for the Texas Retailers Association. He also served on the board of the International Map Trade Association. In 2014, the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce honored Tracy with the 2013 Metrocrest Citizen of the Year Award and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity honored Tracy as a Golden Legend for his work in the community. In 2015, on behalf of Metrocrest Services, Tracy accepted the Governor’s Small Business of the Year Award for the Non-Profit category. In 2019 he was awarded the Texas PTA Honorary Life Membership. He currently serves on the North Texas Food Bank Perot Family Campus Board, the Advisory Board for AVID at CFBISD, on the Advisory Board for the University of North Texas Non-Profit Leadership Studies Program, on the board for the Non Profit CEO Council, and on the board for the United States Handball Association. In 2021 he accepted the D CEO Non-Profit Award on behalf of Metrocrest Services which recognized the Best Large Non-Profit in the Dallas area. The Carrollton Masonic Lodge awarded Tracy the Community Builders Award, their highest honor for a non-Mason.

He is a graduate of Newman Smith High School and the University of North Texas. He lives in Carrollton with his wife and children.

World Polio Day is observed on October 24 every year to raise awareness for polio vaccination and eradication of polio. The World Polio Day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.

Volodymyr (Vol) Berezhniy, Ukrainian Entrepreneur, 43 yo, 3 kids, traveled and luckily stuck in the US since January 2022 with his family (3 kids, 11,11,14 and wife, Yana). 

Focus and interests: Currently building a new venture in EdTech/Gaming: www.OpenBlock.space with his 11yo sons, twins (co-founders and him /father is a CEO); Also, Vol is working on a Ukrainian non-profit, www.R3UA.org: Rescue, Reunite, Rebuild Ukraine. 

Hobbies: ice-swimming (polar bear), squash, and starting golf (just a few games). Vol is also a mentor to a few startups within TechStars, and the DEC Network.

Bill Dendy LOVES Rotary. He joined Rotary in 2000 with the Rotary Club of Dallas. Bill served as District Governor in 2016-17. During that time, North Texas Rotary led our Rotary zone in membership growth.  Additionally, the North Texas District was recognized as top district for public image in the paired zones.  Furthermore, our District’s Rotary Foundation giving grew with overall Foundation contributions increasing by over a million dollars. Bill attributes these successes to a strong supportive team that was necessary as he was also a full-time entrepreneur and active father for his two minor children during his governor year.

“Rotary should be uplifting and FUN,” says Bill, and his team hosted several fun and memorable events.  Beginning with his governor’s installation presided over by RI President John Germ, our District saw hundreds in attendance at every major event, including the Foundation Celebration and the District Conference Cruise.

While fun and fellowship are important, Bill reminds us that, “service is the real focus.” Most district events included an element of service, and individual Rotarians and clubs that excelled in service were recognized. Even the district conference was billed as a “Service Cruise,” with five different service projects in Cozumel and Jamaica, spearheaded by clubs already familiar with the needs of those communities.

Bill’s attitude of rolling up his sleeves and getting the job done benefited the district in several key areas. Bill found a charitable partner and traveled to Africa to fulfill a ten-year district goal of providing education for girls in Malawi. The scholarship project with Orant Charities continues today. Additionally, he led groups to Cuba to provide humanitarian aid and produced complimentary PR videos for dozens of clubs to highlight their many service accomplishments.  

Bill continues to serve our Rotary Community.  He is our 3-year District Representative for Rotary International’s Council on Legislation and our District Foundation Chairperson. Bill is a Foundation Major Donor and a member of the Paul Harris Society, White Hat Society, and Bequest Society.  He was District Rotarian of the Year in 2012, and in 2020, Bill received Rotary International’s highest honor, the Service Above Self Award (only 150 worldwide per year).

Professionally, Bill is an Attorney, CPA and Certified Financial Planner. For fun, Bill enjoys travel and SCUBA. He is a member of American Mensa and is an instrument rated, multi-engine private pilot. His wife, Lisa, is an attorney and committed Rotarian.

More details to follow via email

David Jones has been in the fire service for nearly 29 years (25 in Addison). He successfully worked through the ranks and now serves as the Fire Chief for the Town of Addison. Chief Jones leads and oversees the 59-member department that responds out of two fire stations. They also protect a large busy general aviation airport surrounded by a highly urban area.

Prior to coming to Addison, Chief Jones served as Firefighter/Paramedic for the City of Frisco Fire Department. David received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Resource Management from Texas State University and a Master of Science in Fire Safety. He is certified by the Texas Department of State Health Services as a Licensed Paramedic and holds several upper level certifications with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.  He served for 4 years as a tactical medic with SRT/SWAT.  He is credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer and Chief Training Officer by the Center of Public Safety Excellence.  In addition, David is a graduate of the Texas Fire Chiefs Academy and is recognized as a Fire Service Chief Executive Officer through Texas A&M’s Mays Business School.  He is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program through the National Fire Academy.  He graduated from a Certified Public Manger program through Texas State University.  David is a Task Force Member with Sons of the Flag, an organization assisting burn survivors and physicians. 

David is a native Texan and grew up in Plano. He and his wife Kelly have been married for almost 30 years and have three grown children.

Hello, my name is Deena Israel. I graduated college at Eastern Kentucky University with a Therapeutic Recreation Degree in Science. I landed my first job with the town of Addison, my first and only interview.  I have had the joy of working here for the Town of Addison for 23 years. I have had many different roles at the Addison Athletic Club. I first Started as the Children’s Coordinator and oversaw all children’s programs for 7 years, then moved over to Senior Coordinator and programmed for all the town seniors for 9 years, then moved to Recreation Supervisor for 5 years, and now have been promoted to Program Recreation Manager with senior programs for the past year. Its been a crazy and fun journey but I would not have changed a thing. I love creating community for the Town of Addison.  It gives pure joy to bring community together.

Ken is a certified planner with 10 years of experience leading municipal planning programs in the North Texas region. He has served as the Director of Development Services for the Town of Addison for the last two years. Past positions include Development Project Facilitation Manager for the City of Denton, leading the comprehensive planning team for the City of Plano, and serving as the town planner for the Town of Fairview. Prior to pursuing a career in local government, Ken served on active duty as a Commissioned Army Officer. Ken is a graduate of the Army Ranger School and Basic Airborne Course, and he served as an infantry platoon leader during a fifteen-month deployment to Iraq. Ken earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Michigan Technological University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas. Originally from Michigan, Ken permanently settled in Texas after being stationed at Fort Hood.

Spiritual gifts: Administration | Prophecy | Giving
StrengthsFinder: Individualization | Strategic | Achiever | Maximizer | Belief

Growing up in the Navy, Kristi’s relationship building started at a young age. Moving every couple of years, she was tasked with learning new places, building friendships, and relying on her strong values. Throughout her life, relationships became the core of who she is – developing a passion for helping people regardless of their life circumstances. Her nonprofit career expands almost 15 years and has led her to organizations focused on marginalized populations, youth, and social justice issues - many pointing to the intersectional issues within child sex trafficking. Through her experiences, and by recognizing that there are so many pressing needs in our own backyards, Kristi finds the most joy in connecting people to the causes they care about – asking them to volunteer, lead, give, or serve to make their world a better place - and dropping love bombs on them when they do!

Celebrate Valentine's Day with your

Addison Midday Rotary Friends

Tuesday, February 14^th

11:30am

Jakes Burgers Addison

14920 Midway Road

Please reply by February 12^th if you plan to attend

suzie_oliver@tx.rr.com

Mike Vincent is a Captain with the Addison Police Department, where he has served for over 18 years.  During his career, Capt. Vincent has served in Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Deployment, SWAT, and is a Firearms Instructor.  Capt. Vincent is a proud Aggie, graduating from Texas A&M University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing; he later completed his master’s degree in Justice Administration with the University of Texas at Dallas.  Capt. Vincent currently commands the Support Division, where he oversees training, hiring, and a myriad of other administrative tasks.