Kristine Burke is a Charter member  and Past President of the Assistance League of Los Gatos-Saratoga. Her background in Electrical Engineering has made her an advocate of STEM programs for elementary students and in particular encouraging girls and minorities to embrace science and engineering. She is currently the Co-Chairman of the chapters STEAM Program, bringing hands-on science and technology lessons to  elementary students in several districts.

Nichole King is the Community Librarian at the Saratoga Library. She has been with the Santa Clara Library District since 2005, starting in Morgan Hill as a Teen Librarian for over a decade, followed by a Children's Supervising Librarian at the Campbell Library for about 5 years. During her free time she enjoys hikes around the area with her family which includes 2 sons and a very silly pug.

Bring a dish to share and something to drink social event. Red wine and water will be provided by hosts

A master magician, mentalist, and comic, Jay Alexander is one of the top corporate and society entertainers in the country.  Some of his notable appearances include the Today Show, TEDx Talks, MTV, Good Morning America, and special performances for Robin Williams, the Rolling Stones, and Apple founder Steve Wozniak. At the age of fourteen, Jay was honored to be the youngest recipient of the Society of American Magicians’ Gold Medal of Honor.  For over 25 years, Jay has pursued his passion of creating unique live entertainment by mystifying audiences young and old with miraculous effects of the mind and the hands.

On November 4, Saratoga Rotary will present Santa Clara Rotary Club member Harbir Kaur Bhatia who will talk about her experiences supporting people in the Ukraine.

From the start of the Ukraine war, she has been dedicated to the crisis and has been on regular aid missions with her organization Ik Onkar Bridges and Selectiva Charities, and Rotary. For 4 months, she has led weekly meetings to educate Rotarians and other Institutions about the realities on the ground, the needs assessment, and how to help get more financial support to the war torn regions.

She has met with multiple levels of Ukraine leadership, Rotarians, NGOs, and local citizens to gain a deeper understanding and to provide increased support. Harbir has been hosting Ukraine Rotarian for a month at her home and her family's homes. They have traveled throughout the country to raise awareness and seek support for winter when people will freeze to death.

She has met USAID, Rotary leaders, UA NGOs, American Congressmen, Senators, Mayors, and others to raise the alarm about the upcoming winter and to get more funding for Ukraine. Getting Ukrainian children and elders into proper spaces before winters is her biggest priority at this time. As Rotarians, it is our duty to help, especially to prevent hundreds of thousands of people freezing to death. Rotary is a global family.

About the speaker 

Harbir has served in multiple positions at the Rotary Club of Santa Clara. From the time she and her family migrated to the United States from North India, community service and community building across diverse backgrounds have been a central part of the family. The SIKH principles of 'Sarbatt da bhalla’ (betterment for all) and 'seva’ (selfless service), like the Rotary motto 'service-above-self', have been her guide throughout her life.

Harbir is a technologist, an entrepreneur and community organizer, which make her a civic entrepreneur at heart. She is known for collaborating and mobilizing people to find creative solutions for hate crimes and inclusion, economic empowerment, education, children, and care. Harbir has served on multiple local and national boards and charities. She is a strong proponent of the public and private sector working together to solve the community needs. Over the years, she has been honored and received multiple awards for her community leadership and service. During COVID she launched multiple initiatives to address the urgent issues of the time.

Jennifer Cullenbine - 

Co-founder of the Family Giving Tree, today Jennifer serves as Chief Executive Officer and is known by many long-term supporters and volunteers as the Queen Elf. Jennifer earned her Masters degree in Business Administration from San Jose State University, where the very idea for the Family Giving Tree was born. Jennifer is affiliated with many organizations, including the Entrepreneurs Organization, The Milpitas Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club of Milpitas where she recently served as President. 

Andrea Borch - 

Helping out with the 2007 Holiday Wish Drive showed Andrea and her family the important role Family Giving Tree plays in local communities. The Borch family has been part of the effort ever since, with Andrea volunteering as a Drive Leader for the backpack and holiday drives. Andrea also serves on the Board of Managers for the Southwest YMCA and the Board of Directors for Humane Society Silicon Valley. Other interests include reading, walking the family’s two dogs, and traveling. Andrea has a BS and MS in journalism from Northwestern University.

Captain Neil Valenzuela has over 20 years of law enforcement experience. He worked patrol and as a detective, investigating high-tech crimes, identity theft and burglary. As a Sergeant, Valenzuela worked as the Investigator for the County Counsel’s Office. On his promotion to Lieutenant, he was the head the Internal Affairs Unit for 4 years and Assistant Division Commander for West Valley Patrol. In 2022 he was promoted to Captain and assigned at Stanford University. 

Captain Valenzuela is a US Army veteran, with an Honorable Discharge, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social and Criminal Justice and an Associate in Arts in Administration of Justice.

Dr. Marshall is the Executive Director of Alive & Free and serves on the Executive and Strategic Directions Committees.  He is a social entrepreneur recognized for his pioneering work redefining youth violence as a disease and developing the successful Alive & Free prescription violence prevention methodology.  Before co-founding the organization in 1987, he was a math teacher and administrator with the San Francisco Unified School District.  

Dr. Joseph E. Marshall, Jr. is an author, lecturer, radio talk show host, and community activist. He is the founder of Alive & Free, an international violence prevention organization headquartered in San Francisco, the creator of the Alive & Free Movement and president of the Alive & Free Consortium-an organization dedicated to eliminating violence worldwide. Founded in 1987 as Omega Boys Club, Alive & Free has transformed the lives of thousands young people and produced 230 college graduates, all supported by the organization’s scholarship fund. Another 40 members are currently enrolled in college, and over 70 have gone on to earn graduate degrees.

Dr. Marshall is the author of the 1996 best-selling book, Street Soldier: One Man’s Struggle to Save a Generation, One Life at a Time and the subject of the PBS documentary Street Soldiers. His innovation has earned him the MacArthur Genius Award, the California Prize for Service and the Common Good, the Children’s Defense Fund Leadership Award, the Essence Award, and the Use Your Life Award from Oprah Winfrey. He is a trustee emeritus of the University of San Francisco, a contributing writer to the Huffington Post and past president of the San Francisco Police Commission.

Gina Cali has worked for the Santa Clara County Fire Department since 2002. She currently holds the position as Sr. Community Risk Specialist. Gina holds two Bachelor of Arts Degrees and two Masters of Arts degrees, one in Education and one in Teaching. Gina helps oversee the department's community education program, including the development and implementation of fire and injury prevention programs to children, adults, and seniors.  Gina and her staff also act as a referral source to assist residents in locating health & wellness community-based resources and services.

Meeting to discuss new members and to plan the February Mardi Gras TGIF

Bill W. Sanderson joined LGSUHSD as the new Superintendent, on July 5, 2022. 

He has worked in public education for three decades in Charleston, SC, and San Francisco , beginning as a middle school science teacher in Summerville, SC, and then as Assistant Principal and Principal in Charleston, SC.

In 2003, Bill moved to San Francisco where he worked as a high school Biology teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Executive Director.  He then served as Assistant Superintendent of San Francisco Unified for the past eight years and oversaw an increase in graduation rates for all students and implemented an Ethnic Studies program.

Growing up in rural Loris, SC, just after desegregation, Mr. Sanderson saw firsthand the isolation of underserved populations and the life-changing opportunities that education can offer. While neither of his parents graduated from high school, they instilled in him the core values of education and hard work.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Charleston Southern University, a Master's in Educational Leadership from The Citadel in 1994 and an Education Specialist degree from The Citadel in 2000.

Joe Simitian is the County Supervisor for the Fifth District of Santa Clara County. The district includes Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Cupertino, Stanford, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills, along with portions of San Jose. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. 

Joe's public service over the years includes serving as a member of the California State Senate, the California State Assembly, Mayor of Palo Alto, President of the Palo Alto School Board, and an earlier term on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. 

Joe brings to his work a wide-ranging perspective and background -- service at all levels of state and local government, hands-on experience in the private sector, as well as professional education and training particularly applicable to his work in public service. 

During his tenure on the Board, Joe has worked to protect vital services in Saratoga. He partnered with the City of Saratoga and the Hakone Foundation on much needed repairs at Hakone, including repairs to the Mon Roof, the Tea Ceremony building, and the koi ponds. 

He has championed expanded community access to the Montalvo Arts Center through free community events, scholarships, and new programs. He has led the County’s ongoing support for the West Valley Community Services mobile food pantry that stops in Saratoga, benefitting seniors, students, and families.

Joe has also supported the expansion of the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District’s Pre-Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience program, which serves a portion of Saratoga. And he pushed for the County’s support for ADA-related upgrades at the Los Gatos-Saratoga Adult Recreation Center to improve access to the center's continuing education, health services and nutrition referrals, counseling, and volunteer and socialization opportunities.

Christina Irving is the Client Services Director at Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving. She oversees the staff of the Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center who provide direct services to family caregivers, including assessment, counseling, education, and support. She has been with FCA for over 16 years, first as a Family Consultant and then as Clinical Supervisor. She received a Master’s degree in Social Work from San Jose State University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Lisa J. Blanchard – Executive Director and Founder: As founder, Lisa has been the guiding force and visionary of The Grateful Garment Project. Lisa’s unique combination of experience in nonprofit, customer service, law, and management produces the creative and conceptual leadership required to bring The Grateful Garment Project to the State of California and beyond. She has dedicated significant amounts of time to working with people not only professionally, but also in a volunteer capacity. Lisa holds an AS in Business, a BS in Human Services and a Masters in Nonprofit Administration. It is her vision that no victim of sexual assault ever experience further suffering due to lack of resources.