Rochester Rotary
by Paul Guglielmo
Rochester Rotary is a diverse service organization for business and civic leaders looking to make a difference in our community. Since our inception more than 100 years ago, our club has boasted a “who’s who” of the Flower City – leaders from every sector of the community: business and industry, education, human service, government, and more. Today, our members’ volunteer spirit, generosity and commitment to community service remain vibrant. Through Rotary, Rochester’s leaders strive to achieve our mission of enriching the lives of Rochester’s youth, people with disabilities and of our world neighbors. In addition to community service, we meet weekly for luncheons featuring expert speakers on the important topics of the day and we hold networking and fun social events. Rochester Rotary and our more than 350 members are part of Rotary International, which is composed of more than 35,000 clubs with more than 1.2 million members worldwide.
Episodes
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6/3/25 - CJ Rapp (Karma Water, Jolt, etc)
CJ has been a part of the Rochester business community since 1986 when he launched Jolt Cola. Jolt became popular in more than 20 countries. Jolt inspired what became the energy drink category. Today CJ is the CEO of Karma Water. A health & wellness beverage that features a one-of-a-kind…
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5/6/25 - Bob Duffy (Chamber of Commerce CEO)
National Small Business Week is celebrated from May 4th to May 10th in honor of the massive impact of small businesses on our regional economy and business community. Learn more about the support that is offered for small businesses in Greater Rochester, NY, particularly now during another...
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4/29/25 - Rotary Spotlight w/ Gerald Archibald (Author)
Rochester Rotarian Gerald J. Archibald, Author of Underestimated, Mentally Ill, Yet Successful and CAR-Chitecture. In another installment of our "Rotary Spotlight" series Past President Donna Dedee sits down with Jerry for an interview-style luncheon.
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4/22/25 - Tom Bonadio (The Bonadio Group)
Thomas Bonadio is the General Partner of Impact Capital, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors at The Bonadio Group. He has devoted his efforts to serving commercial companies in the Rochester area and helping the firm grow from two people to its present size of over 1,100 employees. Tom...
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4/8/25 - Naomi Silver (Rochester Red Wings)
Naomi Silver, President, CEO & COO of the Rochester Red Wings. Naomi has been involved with the Red Wings her entire life. The Silver family’s involvement is in it’s 68th year, and Naomi has taken an active role for over three decades, working her way up the corporate ladder. Naomi talks about...
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4/1/25 - Magician Mike Dedee (+ Annual Meeting)
Mike is an award winning magician who was born and raised in Rochester, NY. Mike lived in California from 1988-2004. There he discovered the world of magic. Mike adheres to a simple philosophy for his events: magic is about creating a truly memorable and enjoyable performance that fools but does...
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3/18/25 - Full Meeting w/ Don Jeffries (Visit Rochester - Is Rochester Really A Tourism City?)
Don Jeffries, President and CEO of Visit Rochester, speaks about tourism in Rochester. As the official tourism promotion agency for Monroe County, Visit Rochester’s growth is closely connected to the overall growth and vitality of the Greater Rochester region.
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3/11/25 - Full Meeting w/ Tim Bohen (Author - St. Patrick's Day Program)
Tim Bohen, author of Emerald Thread: The Irish in Buffalo (2024) and Against the Grain: The History of Buffalo's First Ward (2012). Tim takes us on a fascinating journey through the deep and unexpected ties between the Buffalo and Rochester Irish! Discover how Irish laborers conquered the most...
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2/25/25 - Full Meeting w/ Dr. Heidi Macpherson (SUNY Brockport)
Dr. Heidi Macpherson, President of SUNY Brockport and Rochester Rotarian since 2015 is featured in our Rotary Spotlight series. Past President Donna Dedee moderates the interview-style luncheon.
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2/18/25 - Full Meeting w/ Gary Craig (Investigative Reporter From The D&C)
Gray Craig has been investigating crime in the Rochester area for decades, and lately, one country club story has shot to the top of the "click views" standings and that is his coverage of the lawsuit going on at Oak Hill Country Club.
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2/4/25 - Full Meeting 1 On 1 With Eddie Harris (Boss Sauce Founder)
In 1981 Eddie Harris opened Eddie’s Chicken Coop in Rochester, NY, after working as a Chef and Manager for another famous restaurant. While trying to make a unique sauce for his new restaurant, his loving mother suggested that he use the secret family recipe. It was an instant success, and they...
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1/28/25 - Full Meeting w/ Sal Maiorana (Bills Beat Reporter From The D&C)
Sal Maiorana, one of the longest-tenured sports writers in the history of the Gannett newspapers in Rochester. He first came to the Democrat and Chronicle in 1986 to cover golf, later added Syracuse University football to his duties, and since 1990, he has been the primary beat reporter/columnist...
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1/21/25 - Full Meeting w/ Ernie Clement (Toronto Blue Jays)
Ernie Clement, Brighton native who is now an MLB player for the Toronto Blue Jays, is our featured speaker with his story of how failure made his success popular.
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1/14/25 - Full Meeting w/ Louis Buono (McDonalds Owner Operator)
Next generation McDonald's Franchisee. Louis presents on their focus around their core values Serve, Inclusion, Integrity, Community, Familyand how they bring them to life in the restaurant.
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12/3/24 - Full Meeting w/ Celebrating Leaders w/ Norm Silverstein (WXXI President)
Rochester Rotarian since 1996, Norm Silverstein. Don Alhart interviews Norm touching on his recent retirement announcement as President and CEO of WXXI Public Media. Norm has led the organization since 1995. He has seen the organization grow from one television and two radio stations to a public...
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10/29/24 - Full Meeting w/ Jamie Druckman (University of Rochester Political Science Professor)
The rise of partisan animosity—the tendency of Democrats and Republicans to dislike and distrust one another—is one of the most notable developments of 21st-century American politics. Jamie will discuss how animus influences a wide range of political behaviors including issue positions…
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10/1/24 - Full Meeting w/ Congressional Forum (Joe Morelle & Gregg Sadwick)
Congressman Joe Morelle and his challenger, Gregg Sadwick, participate in a Rochester Rotary forum moderated by hall of fame broadcaster, Don Alhart.
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9/24/24 - Full Meeting w/ Special Guest Judge John Ninfo II (Deep Roots of Democracy) Feat. District Governor Dave Demers
Rochester Rotary's full Tuesday luncheon from 9/24/24 included an appearance by District 7120 Dave Demers (Spencerport Rotary) and a presentation by Judge John Ninfo II titled "The Deep Roots of Democracy"
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9/10/24 - Full Meeting w/ Guest Speakers Mark Ippalito & Todd Youngman (Comedy @ The Carlson)
Rochester Rotary's first meeting at its new home for Tuesday lunches, Comedy at The Carlson featuring guest speakers Mark Ippalito, Operations Manager of The Carlson, and Todd Youngman, stand-up comedian.
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8/27/24 - Tom Riggio (Building A Brand)
Tom has been a major equity shareholder, founding member, and/or senior leader with Vitamin Water, Bark Thins, Pirate's Booty, Momeez Choice, and several other businesses, most of which have gone on to be acquired by major food & beverage brands. Tom shares a few of those stories, including…
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8/13/24 - Buffalo Bills Panel (Scott Pitoniak, Thad Brown, & Tim Cook)
Award winning journalist Scott Pitoniak leads a panel of WROC-TV Sports Director Thad Brown and Rochester Rotary Prognosticator Tim Cook on the 2024 Buffalo Bills outlook.
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8/6/24 - Kitty Van Bortel (Van Bortel Subaru, Chevy, & Ford)
Kitty Van Bortel, President, Van Bortel Auto Group. As a trusted automotive dealership owner for nearly four decades, Kitty Van Bortel stays true to the values that drive her dealerships, keeping kindness, integrity, and the highest standards of service at every interaction with her automotive...
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7/30/34 - Alex Wilkes (CooperVision)
Alex Wilkes is the President of CVI Americas. Alex started with the company on June 14th, 2022, and is based out of the Victor, NY office. After seven years in management consulting at Deloitte and Accenture, Alex joined Luxottica in 2010 as Head of Strategy for LensCrafters. After leading the...
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7/23/24 - Genevieve Norris-Brown (Seabreeze)
The 6th generation owner of Seabreeze Amusement Park addresses Rochester Rotary, covering the history of the park, the rarity of being a 6th generation family business, and the difficulties/advantages of operating a seasonal business.
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7/16/24 - Giovanni LiDestri (LiDestri Foods)
Giovanni LiDestri, chairman of LiDestri Food & Drink, tells us about how he went from being a bottle washer at Ragu, to building one of the highest yielding sauce factories in the world.
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7/9/24 - President Pauly's First Meeting
President Pauly kicks off the 2024-2025 Rotary year on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at Oak Hill Country Club
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1/17/23 - Past President Bud Rusitzky (Founder of Serv-Rite Corporation)
Continuing our "Celebrating Leaders" series with Past President Bud Rusitzky. He sits down with Past President Don Alhart to share his story.
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12/6/22 - Adam Gogolski (VP of Marketing at Vuzix)
Adam Gogolski, VP of Marketing at Vuzix is leading the way in one of the most advanced technology industries in the world. In the past 25 years, Vuzix has evolved from a military display solutions company to the premier producer of optical waveguide technology and augmented reality smart glasses....
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11/29/22 - Ellie Rusling (CEO of MictoEra Power)
MicroEra Power envisions an on-site thermal energy storage system to decarbonize buildings, enhance the performance of heating and cooling systems, support grid resiliency and increased use of renewable energies.
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11/15/22 - Jim & Ray Isaac (Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning)
Hear the second installment of our "Made in Rochester Series" that was held at Oak Hill Country Club on Tuesday, November 15th. Jim and Ray Isaac sat down with Donna Dedee to share the ISAAC story as a family-owned, multi-generational business; Leadership lessons, and how the past and present…
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11/1/22 - Trey Socash (Vice President of Bears Playgrounds)
Bears Playgrounds designs, manufactures and installs nature-inspired, cedar log playgrounds across the US, Canada and beyond. Every playground is made custom to order, using whole round logs. With their playgrounds, they have created a balance between the innocent, natural adventure of playing in...
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10/25/22 - Clark King (Charter Member of the Association for Games and Puzzles)
Fairport resident Clark King, charter member of the Association for Games and Puzzles International and member of the Strong Museum of Play's National Toy Hall of Fame selection advisory committee, speaks on U.S. board games through the decades, spanning 150 years of American families at play. He...
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10/4/22 - Jon Spacher (Co-Owner of Fee Brothers)
In May 1976, Jon Spacher (pronounced: SPAY-ker) was brought home from the hospital to an apartment above the Fee Brothers’ factory. No one imagined that he would become the 5th generation steward of the family business 44 years later. A Penn State graduate, Jon leveraged his Insurance degree to…
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9/27/22 - Andre Godfrey (Rotary Past President, CEO of Entre, Founder of EScreenz)
This was the first installment of our "Celebrating Leaders" series. We took a deep dive on Andre Godfrey, Past President, and Rochester Rotarian since 2003. Andre Godfrey is President/CEO of Entre Computer Services Inc. and a fixture in the information technology industry since the early 1980s....
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9/20/22 - Buffalo Bills Media Panel (13WHAM's Jenna Cottrell & Author Scott Pitoniak)
Nationally honored journalist and best-selling author Scott Pitoniak and 13WHAM-ABC sports anchor Jenna Cottrell talk about the Buffalo Bills chances of winning the Super Bowl, as well as other Bills/NFL topics in this annual Rochester Rotary football luncheon. Their conversation is followed by a...
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9/13/22 - Succession Panel Luncheon
About half of privately-held businesses in the United States are owned by entrepreneurs over age 55. As those business owners look to retire over the next decade, 12 million businesses are expected to change hands. What can we learn from some of Rochester’s oldest family businesses about planning...
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8/30/22 - Dr. Jeffrey J. Bazarian (Tenured Emergency Medicine and Neurology professor at the University of Rochester)
Dr. Jeffrey J. Bazarian, tenured Emergency Medicine and Neurology professor at the University of Rochester. He discusses current concepts in concussion management including blood testing, brain scanning, hyperbaric oxygen, nutritional supplements, brain cooling, and return to play protocols.
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8/9/22 - Elizabeth Williamson (Geva Theatre Center’s New Artistic Director)
Elizabeth Williamson introduces herself and then speak a bit about her background. She also talks about Geva’s 50th Anniversary Season and her vision for the company’s future.
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8/2/22 - Dr. Shaun Nelms (Superintendent of East High School & University of Rochester Educational Partnership)
Dr. Shaun Nelms is Superintendent of the East High School and University of Rochester Educational Partnership. He discusses the ways in which, and particularly how, this partnership has positively impacted the scholars, parents, and staff of East High School.
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7/19/22 - John Urlaub (Founder/Owner of Rohrbach Brewing Company)
John launched our "Made in Rochester" series - a monthly recognition and awareness series showcasing a variety of businesses and their manufactured goods and services that reach far beyond our community. You will learn how each has contributed to American free enterprise, advances in innovation,...
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7/12/22 - President Kathleen Pringle's First Meeting
President Kathleen Pringle's first meeting outlines her goals for her year at the helm.
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6/28/22 - President Scott Rasmussen's Final Meeting
President Scott Rasmussen's Rotary year comes to an end with a celebration at Oak Hill!
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6/14/22 - Amal Elhelw (Multimedia Journalist for WROC-TV, a CBS affiliate TV station)
How the journey of a Muslim-American woman in broadcast media is only a small piece of a paradigm shift in how we approach telling local stories to represent a wider range of viewers.
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6/7/22 - Dr. Paul Rubery (Life in Motion: The new Ambulatory Orthopedics Center)
The Department of Orthopaedics has a rich tradition of excellence and innovation. Dr. Rubery will provide an update on the new Orthopaedics and Physical Performance Center at Market Place Mall; a comprehensive center unlike any other in the Northeast. Dr. Rubery is currently the Marjorie Strong...
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5/24/22 - Victor Saunders (Office of Mayor Malik Evans, Advisor on Violence Prevention Programs)
Compared with cities its size, Rochester ranks as the number one worst city in the United States for child poverty, with 48% of our city's children in poverty. We are first in the nation in the rate of extreme poverty, with 15% of the city's population living in deep poverty (2020 U.S. Census…
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5/10/22 - Jennifer Lake (CEO of Goodwill of The Finger Lakes)
Many people know Goodwill from donating or shopping in our local stores, but Goodwill does so much GOOD in the community… from teaching people with vision loss independent living skills to connecting our community members to valuable resources to employing people with disabilities to assisting...
About this show
Rochester Rotary is a diverse service organization for business and civic leaders looking to make a difference in our community.
Since our inception more than 100 years ago, our club has boasted a “who’s who” of the Flower City – leaders from every sector of the community: business and industry, education, human service, government, and more.
Today, our members’ volunteer spirit, generosity and commitment to community service remain vibrant. Through Rotary, Rochester’s leaders strive to achieve our mission of enriching the lives of Rochester’s youth, people with disabilities and of our world neighbors.
In addition to community service, we meet weekly for luncheons featuring expert speakers on the important topics of the day and we hold networking and fun social events.
Rochester Rotary and our more than 350 members are part of Rotary International, which is composed of more than 35,000 clubs with more than 1.2 million members worldwide.
Hosted by
Paul Guglielmo
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