Potter Park Zoological Society Executive Director Amy L. Morris-Hall draws on 30 years of experience in strategic communications and an accreditation by the Public Relations Society of America in her work at Potter Park Zoo. She has been with the zoo, as a Society Board Member and later as the Director of External Affairs, since 2013. She is responsible for the Zoological Society operations including fund raising, planning, fiscal management, membership development, marketing, public relations and community relations. She previously worked as a reporter, editor and publisher at a northern Michigan newspaper, as chief of staff for a state lawmaker, and as a senior public relations account executive. She is a graduate of Michigan State University.
Amy lives in Leslie with her husband Bruce, daughter Brooke, two dogs, and 14 chickens.
Friendly reminder that March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month and March 21 is World Down Syndrome Awareness Day! Foster Coffee Co (115 S. Washington, Owosso) is donating 10% of all sales on March 21 to
The Arc of Mid-Michigan│Achieve With Us so if you’re looking for coffee in Owosso on the 21st, consider supporting this worthy effort!
The following proposed members have emailed their applications to the office. If anyone has a comment on these proposed members please forward it in writing within ten days to the Rotary office. Thank you,
Kate Snyder, CEO & Founder of Piper & Gold Public Relations, Sponsored by Chris Holman
Tiffany Brown, Director of Communications and Community Engagement with U.S. Attorney's Office Western District, Sponsored by Rebecca Bahar-Cook & Lisa Smith
Sunny Nadolsky, CEO of BridgeCare.ai, Sponsored by Chris Holman
A total of $45,000.00 was approved by the Rotary Club of Lansing Foundation Board for International Grants from the committee. Each week we will highlight one of the non-profits receiving our checks.
Om Gagangiri Maharaj Aashirwadit Trustwww.OMGMT.org
Many families in the Adivasi (tribal) area surrounding Nimboli, India face severe food insecurity, leading to malnutrition and chronic poverty. While food aid offers immediate relief, it does not address the root causes of hunger or promote sustainable solutions. By integrating food aid with an agricultural component, this project seeks to empower families to cultivate their own food resources, thereby reducing dependency on external aid over time. Objectives: 1)Provide immediate food relief to 25 impoverished families by supplying monthly food bags. 2) Promote long-term self-sufficiency by planting five fruit trees in each participating family’s yard. 3) Encourage environmental stewardship and responsibility by linking food aid to the proper care and maintenance of the fruit trees. Activities: 1) Monthly Food Distribution: Each family will receive a bag of essential food items, including rice, beans, oil, and flour, and other necessary items. 2)Fruit Tree Planting: Five fruit trees (e.g., mango, guava, or citrus) will be planted in each family’s yard, providing a sustainable source of food and income. 3)Training and Support: Families will receive training in tree care, watering techniques, and basic agricultural practices. 4)Monitoring: Regular visits to assess tree health and offer guidance. Expected Outcomes: 1) Immediate reduction in hunger among 25 families. 2) Long-term access to fresh fruit, enhancing nutrition and providing potential income through surplus sales. 3) Improved environmental awareness and greener communities through tree planting. OMGMT received a check for $4,500 in January, 2025.
President-elect Chris Swope brought the meeting to order with a ring of the Rotary bell and led all assembled in reciting the ever-impactful four-way test. Laurie Baumer offered a reflection which encouraged prayer for our leaders, and for our own wisdom and compassion. Those assembled united to sing My Country ‘Tis of Thee.
Lisa Smith circulated the giant microphone for introduction of visiting Rotarians and several guests. The health of the club is well, and bellies were full, having just enjoyed a baked potato bar, vegetarian chili, garden salad, bread, and assorted cookies. Side note, did you know that more than 2 billion pounds of potatoes are grown in Michigan each year, (our second-largest Michigan-produced commodity, only behind apples), generating $2.5 billion in GDP and supporting 21,700 jobs? In fact, one out of every four bags of potato chips made in the U.S. is filled with Michigan-grown potatoes, representing 70% of potatoes grown in our state. #FunFarmFacts. Learn more at mipotato.com.
Special music was introduced by Terry Terry. Craig Hendershot is an incredible songwriter who shared two original songs with us, singing and playing guitar. Club announcements included a reminder the local grants application process is open until March 21st; see the Rotogram or link on website for more info. Rotary Hero nominations are due Monday, March 17. DEI Committee meets today. The PR committee will meet March 21st at 10:30am before Rotary (see Lolo Robison with questions). Remember to be social; post/share about Rotary on Facebook or your other fave social media channels.
Julie Pingston, Chair of the Month & Day, introduced Honorary Member Mayor Andy Schor, to share “The Latest Developments in the City of Lansing”. The 52nd mayor of the city, Mayor Schor was elected in 2017 and continues to champion our city and the region. If you missed the State of the City address, it can be found on YouTube, along with Chris Holman’s video showcasing his sock collection.
Cranes in the air will be the theme this spring/summer with several projects launching, including a new city hall (replacing the current facility which is the pride & joy of the 1950s), to create a one-stop-shop for many needs. New affordable housing is going up and shelter beds are increasing. A new concert hall will draw national artists and be a great downtown attraction. CATA is creating a new service station to help direct people on where to go. A 3-story building on Grand will come down and a new 27-story building will go up. More than 570 new units of housing will be added across several projects. The old Walter French school is now an affordable mix of housing and an on-site day care; this is an excellent example of supportive housing. Improvements to the Saginaw corridor are coming, too. You will see barrels and equipment around construction areas; these are important signs of a city improving. The south-west side is getting a bank, housing and healthcare (Pleasant Grove and Holmes area). We’re proud to have many parks that are being used every day. Grewal Hall, Impression 5, the Lugnuts Stadium and more, are drawing people downtown.
Lansing is a safe city; every town has crime, but our crime is down in every metric. Prevention, intervention, and enforcement are key to continued impact in this area. 15 police officers have been added since Mayor Schor took office and they want to add more. They created a social worker unit in 2018, an important factor in community care.
Parking enforcement is important to downtown business owners. Time limits and pricing variation in meter zones encourage parking in garages for full day use and preserve spots of convenience for those who need quick in and out of downtown stores/locations. Quotable fact: we have a walking problem, not a parking problem. We all do it… circle 4 times for a spot when we could have parked a block away and had a heart-healthy walk. #10,000steps/day.
Mayor Schor is pushing for neighborhood road funding (not just state roads like 496 and 127). Call 3-1-1 (Lansing Connect) if you need a pothole filled; it’s repair/patch. Cold patch vs hot patch depends on weather and timing.
Snow removal summary: main roads are the focus while it is snowing. If over 3 inches, they also do a neighborhood plow. If under 3, they do not. Snowplow and potholes come from same line in the budget. Snow plowing follows the garbage truck routes; they try to get ahead of those. You can call 3-1-1 if you didn’t get plowed and they will check GPS on trucks. Michigander reminder: it’s winter…go slow, be patient, it will melt.
Citizens Academy and Citizens Police Academy are popular programs in the city.
Regionalism: we do a lot with other townships, cities. We have a combined recycling center with East Lansing. The mayor is always happy to bring people together but is careful to not overstep relationships with others.
3-1-1 system will get you the answer 92% of the time; this can replace any other city numbers that you have. They continue to work on connecting people to resources without bouncing them around.
It’s important to retain strong mayor system, elected from the people and responsible to the people.
Following a robust Q&A, the meeting was adjourned by President-elect Swope. Next week’s speaker is Amy Morris Hall, Executive Director at Potter Park Zoo on “What’s New at the Zoo”. Don’t miss it!
Julie Pingston, Chair of the Month & Day, introduced Honorary Member Mayor Andy Schor, to share “The Latest Developments in the City of Lansing”. The 52nd mayor of the city, Mayor Schor was elected in 2017 and continues to champion our city and the region. If you missed the State of the City address, it can be found on YouTube, along with Chris Holman’s video showcasing his sock collection.