Events

Misty Jones serves as the Director of the San Diego Public Library, where she oversees the Central Library and 35 branch locations. In her previous role as Deputy Director for the Central Division, she managed the complex move, grand opening, and day-to-day operations of the Central Library at Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common.

A graduate of the Master of Library and Information Science program at the University of South Carolina, Misty began her career at the Greenville County Library in South Carolina. She then spent nine years at the Charleston County Library, where she founded and chaired Libraries Out Loud, a grassroots advocacy initiative dedicated to restoring library funding through public engagement and legislative outreach.

Upon relocating to San Diego, Misty immediately joined the California Library Association’s Legislative and Advocacy Committee and went on to serve as CLA President in 2016. She currently contributes her expertise to the Public Library Association’s Committee for Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships and sits on the boards of Calix and the USC Center for Library Leadership and Management.

Misty believes that libraries are the great equalizer, always inclusive and never exclusive, and thrives on their capacity to evolve with community needs. She is passionate about shifting public perception of libraries as essential components of both educational and economic ecosystems, and she remains committed to making the San Diego Public Library a dynamic hub for opportunity, discovery, and inspiration.

Elizabeth will talk about the various works of Episcopal Community Services, but her emphasis will be on Head Start and the implication of federal funding

Elizabeth Fitzsimons is the Chief Executive Officer of Episcopal Community Services (ECS), a San Diego nonprofit providing early childhood education, homelessness services, and mental health and substance use disorder treatment. A seasoned nonprofit and community leader, she previously served as Vice President of Leadership & Engagement at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, where she led LEAD San Diego and launched programs advancing women in leadership and addressing equity gaps.

Her career includes senior communications roles at Rady Children’s Hospital and the County of San Diego, as well as work as a journalist at The San Diego Union-Tribune. Fitzsimons holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s from American University. She serves on the City of San Diego’s Board of Library Commissioners and other civic boards, and lives in Del Cerro with her husband, daughter, and twin sons.

Gil Cabrera has been a leading attorney in San Diego for more than two decades, specializing in business and employment litigation as well as serving as outside counsel to regional businesses through his firm, The Cabrera Firm. He began his career with Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP before joining Cooley Godward, where he focused on securities and complex business litigation. Recognized among San Diego’s top attorneys by the San Diego Daily Transcript, San Diego Business Journal, and Super Lawyers since 2012, Cabrera brings extensive legal and governance expertise to his role.

Deeply committed to public service, Cabrera has served on numerous boards, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation (local and national), the San Diego Convention Center (Chair, 2017–2018), the San Diego LGBT Community Center, Alliance for Hope International, and Sharp Healthcare (Immediate Past Chair). His public service began in the late 1990s co-chairing the San Diego Police Department’s Use of Force Task Force, and he later chaired the San Diego Ethics Commission, leading a major overhaul of the city’s lobbying laws.

Appointed by the Mayor of San Diego to a term ending in 2027, Cabrera continues to shape the city’s future while living in San Diego with his wife, Krista, and their two daughters.

Each district governor crafts, a message for his or her year and delivers it to each of the clubs in the district. It's always interesting to see what our new district leadership has in mind for the coming Rotary year.

Dr. Erica Ollmann Saphire, who has spoken to us before,  is a structural biologist and immunologist who serves as President and CEO of the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Renowned for pioneering work on the molecular structures of deadly viruses—including Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, and measles—she has revealed how viral proteins function, adapt, and can be targeted by therapeutics. Her career spans groundbreaking discoveries such as the first complete structure of human IgG, the Ebola virus glycoprotein, and the architecture of viral replication factories inside cells. A champion of global scientific collaboration, she directs major international consortia to accelerate treatments for viral hemorrhagic fevers and COVID-19, and leads innovative programs to counter herpesviruses. Her leadership blends high-impact research with a commitment to uniting scientists worldwide against emerging infectious threats

Dr. Miguel Reina-Campos is an Assistant Professor at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, where he leads the Laboratory of Tissue Immune Networks. A biochemist from Barcelona with expertise in cancer cell biology and immunology, his research centers on tissue-resident CD8⁺ T cells: specialized immune sentinels embedded in organs such as the liver and colon. By uncovering how these “professional survivalists” adapt to different tissue environments, his lab aims to harness their strategies to strengthen cancer immunotherapies and potentially address autoimmune diseases. Using advanced tools like spatial transcriptomics and CRISPR, Dr. Reina-Campos seeks to reveal the hidden lives of immune cells and collaborate across disciplines to accelerate life-saving treatments.

Vice Admiral Robert Thomas retired from the U.S. Navy in January 2017 after 38 years of Naval Service. He then accepted an appointment as a Senior Research Fellow with the University of California’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC). He is also a full time faculty member at UC San Diego’s Graduate School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS). Vice Admiral Thomas’ last operational tour was in command of the U.S. 7th Fleet from July 2013 to September 2015. His final assignment before retiring was Director Navy Staff in the Pentagon. Vice Admiral Thomas graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from the National War College in Washington, DC.

Come hear what Charles has to tell us. Maybe he will tell us about his key role in the rescue of Jessica Lynch from Saddam Hospital in 2003.

 CHARLES HARTFORD WORK

• 2022 - now  Private Wealth Advisor, Senior Vice President, Hartford Group at Rockefeller Capital Management @ Rockefeller & Co., Inc.
• 2009 - 2022 Wealth Management Advisor, Senior Vice President @ Merrill Lynch
• 2012 - 2016 Sales Manager @ Merrill Lynch

 CHARLES HARTFORD EDUCATION

Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce  Master's Degree 1998 - 2000

University of Kentucky  Master's Degree1997 - 1999

United States Military Academy at West Point Bachelor's Degree 1985 - 1989

As the Area C Superintendent, Mitzi Merino, overseas the K – 12 schools in La Jolla, University City, Mission Valley, and Point Loma.

Mitzi Merino graduated from San Diego Unified, which is the same public school system she has helped lead as an area superintendent for the past 15 years. She began her career as a teacher before serving as an elementary school principal for 10 years. She is equity driven and focused on designing professional learning for school leaders, developing systems and structures for monitoring student learning, supporting principals through job embedded coaching and feedback, and putting support for student learning at the heart of her work.

Diego Project Heart Beat is the City of San Diego's Public Access Defibrillation/CPR Program managed by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Project Heart Beat has one main goal: to save lives through early defibrillation. San Diego Project Heart Beat's objective is to make Automated External Defibrillators (AED) as accessible as fire extinguishers throughout our community.

Partners in San Diego Project Heart Beat are San Diego Fire Fighters Local 145, the County of San Diego, the American Heart Association and AED Brands, LLC.

AED Advocate Karen McElliott has lived in San Diego since April of 1972. She attended Colorado State University and has served on and chaired various organizations and task forces within her community focusing on health, education, and land use issues. Karen McElliott was appointed to the Division of Medical Quality in 1992 by Governor Pete Wilson, Karen served as President of the Division of Medical Quality from 1993 to 1995. She served as Secretary, Vice President, and President of the Medical Board of California from 1996-2000. She is a former public member of the California Board of Podiatric Medicine where she served as President in 1991

About Dr. Trey Ideker

Professor Jack A Gilbert earned his Ph.D. from Unilever and Nottingham University, UK in 2002, and received his postdoctoral training at Queens University, Canada. From 2005-2010 he was a senior scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK; and from 2010-2018 he was Group Leader for Microbial Ecology at Argonne National Laboratory, a Professor of Surgery, and Director of The Microbiome Center at University of Chicago. In 2019 he moved to University of California San Diego, where he is a Professor in Pediatrics and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Associate Vice Chancellor for Marine Science, and Director of both the Microbiome and Metagenomics Center and the Microbiome Core Facility. Dr. Gilbert uses molecular analysis to test fundamental hypotheses in microbial ecology.

He cofounded the Earth Microbiome Project and American Gut Project. He has authored more than 450 peer reviewed publications and book chapters on microbial ecology. He is the founding Editor in Chief of mSystems journal. In 2014 he was recognized on Crain’s Business Chicago’s 40 Under 40 List, and in 2015 he was listed as one of the 50 most influential scientists by Business Insider, and in the Brilliant Ten by Popular Scientist. In 2016 he won the Altemeier Prize from the Surgical Infection Society, and the WH Pierce Prize from the Society for Applied Microbiology for research excellence. In 2017 he co-authored “Dirt is Good”, a popular science guide to the microbiome and children’s health. In 2018, he founded BiomeSense Inc to produce automated microbiome sensors. In 2021 Dr Gilbert became the UCSD PI for the National institutes of Health’s $175M Nutrition for Precision Medicine program. In 2023 he became President of Applied Microbiology International, and won the 2023 IFF Microbiome Science Prize.

An opportunity to  socialize with your fellow members and their  + ones; perhaps enjoy an adult beverage!

As President and CEO, Betsy Brennan leads the Downtown San Diego Partnership, a member-based organization whose mission is to promote an economically prosperous and culturally vibrant urban center. The Partnership proudly serves more than 400 member businesses, representing thousands of residents, employees, and Downtown property owners. Ms. Brennan and her staff are also responsible for administering the Clean & Safe Program, a $9-million property and business improvement district of the City of San Diego, which offers enhanced maintenance and safety services throughout 275 blocks in the heart of Downtown San Diego.

Ms. Brennan obtained her Juris Doctor, with a specialization in land use, at the University of San Diego (2003). During her time in law school, she participated in the University of San Diego’s Land Use Clinic and interned for a Commissioner of the Board of the Port of San Diego. After law school, Ms. Brennan served as Chief of Staff for the City of San Diego’s first-ever City Council President, Scott Peters, and was integral in the transition to a strong-mayor form of government, as well as in the establishment of the roles and policies for the San Diego City Council (2002-2008).

Ms. Brennan has a proven track record of leading civic engagement, grassroots community involvement, external relations, economic development, and innovative programs for institutions such as the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina (Vice President of Development, 2016-2018), Tahoe Forest Health System in Lake Tahoe (Executive Director, Foundation, 2015-2016), Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Chief of Staff to the President, 2011- 2015), and San Diego State University (Chief of Staff to the President, 2008-2011).

Ms. Brennan holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Politics and Spanish from the University of Richmond in Virginia (1998). She is a proud graduate of several regional and statewide leadership programs – including LEAD San Diego (Impact Class of 2006 and Influence Class of 2018) and Leadership CA (2011) – and has served on several local nonprofit boards of directors, including her current positions on the boards of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, University of San Diego School of Law Board of Visitors, and the Columbia Community Foundation.

Ms. Brennan is also a member of Lambda Alpha International, a highly honorary and selective group of professionals who have distinguished themselves in various disciplines that relate to the use and re-use of land. Ms. Brennan has received several noteworthy acknowledgements of her community commitment, including San Diego Business Journal’s “500 Most Influential Business Leaders” (2019), San Diego Magazine’s “50 People to Watch” (2008), San Diego Metropolitan Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” (2010), and San Luis Obispo Tribune’s “Top 20 Under 40” (2013). She especially appreciated receiving SDSU’s Associated Students Presidential Leadership Award for her collaborative style and dedication to working alongside students to better serve SDSU and for her excellence in service to the greater San Diego community (2011).

Ms. Brennan, her husband, Eli, and children are grateful to enjoy living in and discovering San Diego.

Fary Moini has been a member of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club since 1999.  She is a dual citizen of Iran and the USA, with some family members residing in Iran. Accordingly, she visits Iran from time to time to stay in touch with her family.  In the spring of 2023, Fary made such a visit, but it resulted in a surprising turn of events. Club member Steve Brown became aware of the situation upon Fary’s scheduled return. 

Steve and Fary will share their respective stories about what transpired including what was involved with Fary’s return to the US, later than planned. Many people and countries were involved.

Professionally, Fary Moini received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Tehran and worked as the Director of Nursing, at the Iranian Medical Center in Dubai UAE, managing over 350 nurses and technicians across two hospitals, and overseeing clinical operations staffing training and quality of care standards   

She has a long history of International Service with Rotary, serving as a Rotary Foundation Volunteer 

 November 2002 to Present. Jalabad Afghanistan, Rotary Completed 26 humanitarian missions to Afghanistan.

Supporting education, women’s health, and community development initiatives.
Facilitated life-saving medical care by sending children with congenital heart disease to India and Israel for surgery.
Provided full-time care for one child during a three-month stay in Israel.

Diplomatic and Medical Coordination
Arranged and assisted a meeting between Afghan Ambassador H.E. Tahir Qadiry and the Chairman of Sanjeevani Pediatric Cardiac Center in India for further training of Afghan specialists (July 28, 2018).

Steve Brown was a partner in the law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps from1972 until his retirement several years ago. A Rotarian since 1986, he has served the Rotary Foundation as trustee 2010-14 and vice chair in 2012-13. He has served as member of various committees at Rotary headquarters. Since 2002, he has been working as a volunteer on projects in Afghanistan through the current time. 

Darren Kew (Ph.D. in International Relations, Tufts

University, 2002) is Dean of the Joan B. Kroc

School of Peace Studies, at the University of San Diegop, where he is also a

professor. He studies the relationship between

conflict resolution methods – particularly interfaith

and inter-ethnic peacebuilding – and democratic

development in Africa, Northern Ireland, and the

United States. Much of his work focuses on the role

of civil society groups in this development. He has

also been a consultant on peace and democracy

initiatives to the United Nations, USAID, US

Institute of Peace, the US State Department, and to

a number of NGOs, including the Carter Center. He

monitored the last seven Nigerian elections and the

2007 elections in Sierra Leone, and in 2023-24 cofacilitated

a working group of religious leaders

focusing on religion and peacebuilding in Belfast,

Northern Ireland. Professor Kew was asked by the

British and American governments to join an

influential international commission requested by

the Nigerian government in 2010, which contributed

to a major overhaul of its election system. He is

author of numerous works on Nigerian politics and

conflict resolution, including the book Civil Society,

Conflict Resolution, and Democracy in Nigeria

(Syracuse UP, 2016), and his articles have

appeared in International Negotiation, the Journal

of Democracy, and Current History, among others.