​                                                                                                                                             

Welcome to Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach! 

We meet on Wednesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. (breakfast available at 6:30 a.m.) at the Riverhouse - 305 Acacia Road.

Chartered in 1989, Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach is made up of members of our community who volunteer throughout Vero Beach, Indian River County, the state of Florida and internationally under the motto 'Service Above Self.'

Some of our areas of focus indclude improving our environment, combating hunger, impacting the health and welfare needs of a variety of popultaions, providing education and job training, promoting peace, eradicating polio and so much more!  

We are small business owners, corporate executives, non-profit leaders, government officials, as well as retired executives and professionals who meet weekly to share camaraderie, hear from speakers on important topics, and plan meaningful projects to benefit others.

Contact Us Now to Learn More.

                          

April 23rd:           Michelle Wagner - IRC Centennial 

April 30th:           Club Assembly

May 7th:              Gabrielle McHenry - Harbor Branch

May 14th:            Guatemala Trip Update  

May 21st:             TBA

May 28th::           Guardian Ad Litem

 

 

      

                   

 

            

       

     

A small but mighty group of our Rotarians spent the afternoon beautifying A1A picking up litter.

 

     

                                      

                                     

The second annual Treasure Coast Craft Spirits Festival sponsored by Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach was very successful.    The weather was perfect for the event which was attended by a large crowd from the community as well as willing volunteers from our Club.  

RotaKids, under the leadership of Sunrise Rotarian Wendy Orthober, have recently been involved in a number of community projects. Rotakids helps develop the strength, knowledge, skills, enthusiasm,  and determination to keep finding ways to change the world locally and globally into a more peaceful place.  

 

    

     VeroBEachKind event at the Environmental Learing Center

 

                                      

                   HALO No Kill Shelter Chase Your Tail 5K race  

 

                                    

       

      St. Patrick's Day Party for the residents of St. Francis Manor

 

     

    

   

Sunrise Rotarian Gail DeRoy and the Indian River Charter High School Interact Club did a great job with their cleanup at the Hallstrom House.  

       

         

     

The 2025 Craft Brew and Wingfest is in the books.  Everyone appeared to have a great time.  It was one of the most successful years to date.  We extend our gratitude to all sponsors, volunteers, beer distributors, homebrewers, and feed vendors.  And we thank YOU for coming out to support our biggest fund raiser of the year.  It allows us to contine doing good in the world by taking action to create lasting change across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves!    

  

  

  

Our Homestay guests for 2025 were from: Sweden, Australia, Netherlands, Hungary, England, & Scotland.  

 

 

   

Rotakids recently helped out at the HALO No Kill Rescue fundraising event

     

Thank you to Jim Parks for installing our newest Little Free Library.  Our Club sponsors and maintains these in numerous places throughout town.  

    

                                  

DrownZero Life Saving Stations, a project of Sunrise Roatry, have been installed at the beaches and boat ramps.  Sponsorship opportunities still available.  

     

     

                                

Sunshine Rotarians and Our Savior Lutheran Church members worked together on a “Vertical Oyster Garden Project.” A wonderful environmental effort to help restore our lagoon.

                  

                

                 

                              

Many people in our area were impacted by Hurricane Milton and the tornados.  A "Call to Action" went out and Sunrise Rotarians answered the call.  Truly Service Above Self.

    

                                      

    

Sunrise Rotarians and the Interact Club worked at the International Coastal Cleanup Day.  Bags and bags of trash were removed from the lagoon and shoreline at Riverside Park leaving it much cleaner than it was found.  Volunteers throughout Indian River County removed 36,362 pieces of individual debris (just over 2,665 pounds) that would have made it to the lagoon.  Working locally - impacting globally.  

   

 

      

                                              

Several of our Rotarians braved the heat and spent their morning cleaning up Jones Pier Conservation Area.  

     

   

   

Rotarians Wendy Orthober, Pam O'Donnell, Chris Steinkrauss, and Nancy Nitardy are shown reading to elementary school students.  Our club does this twice a week in several local schools to stress the importance of books.

 

♦♦♦APRIL♦♦♦

21

Community Service Meeting

26

Rotary Leadership Institue

28

Membership Committee Meeting

29

Environmental Committee Meeting

♦♦♦MAY♦♦♦

1

Rotary Means Business - Baci 

2

Mental Health Matters Symposium - Emerson Center

7

Literacy Committee Meeting

10

Mother's Day Brunch - St. Francis Manor 

12

International Committee Meeting 

14

Health and Wellness Committee Meeting

19

Community Service Committee Meeting

21

Foundation Board Meeting

26

Membership Committee Meeting

27

Environmental Committee Meeting

                           

                                    

 

LEE HAEFELE 

Lee Haefele and his wife, Sherry (also a Rotarian), are snowbirds splitting their time between Spencer, New York and Vero Beach.  He owns a cable TV and Internet provider in Spencer, which is near Itaca. He is a Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow.  Additionally, he is a board member of two nonprofits, Inspire S/VE and HTS Congo. He is an avid sailor and enjoys working with electricity.

RYAN PADNUK

Ryan S Padnuk AP, founder of Vero Beach Healing + Acupuncture, is passionate and dedicated to helping clients align with their optimal health, wellness, and lifestyle. A former Lieutenant Firefighter-Paramedic, a graduate of Stetson University and Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine, Ryan is Board Certified Acupuncture Physician and Herbalist. He has completed certifications in Acupoint Injection Therapy, Kali Natha Yoga RYT200, is an Advanced NSEV Healing Practitioner, member of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the Florida State Oriental Medical Association, We Care of Indian River County, the Indian River Medical Society, and Acupuncturists Without Borders. He loves spending time with his family, on the beach and in the ocean.

RALPH GEHR

Ralph was born and raised in Philadelphia and has lived in Richmond, VA and Clermont, FL. They moved to Vero Beach eleven years ago.  Professionally he has managed homeowners & condo associations for 25 years. Ralph served as board president of various associations and currently is the President of the River Mews Association in the Moorings. He has volunteered for a number of boards and events.  They have two sons, the youngest is in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and the oldest is with Farm Bureau in Orlando.

JESSICA OLAVARRIA 

From an early age Jessica felt a connection to alternative therapies and Eastern medicine. This led her to pursue and complete a Master of Nursing degree, with a focus on family medicine, from Mercer University in 2017.  In April 2018, she began working as a nurse practitioner in the emergency department.  Throughout that time, she continued her exploration of holistic and spiritual approaches to wellness.  Jessica currently owns and operates Gaia Functional Medicine where she isI committed to offering personalized one-on-one guidance and education to help clients achieve fuller, healthier lives. Her traditional medical training /licensure as well as her functional medicine certification allow her to care for the physical body, while her certification as a practitioner of Love and Authenticity equips her to address the mind and spirit.

 

DENISE CALIGIURI

Denise graduated from the University of Miami and had a 40-year career in the advertising field in Miami & Hollywood, FL.  She has been a Rotarian since 1998 as a member in the Coral Gables Rotary Club, Coconut Grove Rotary Club, and the Downtown Ft Lauderdale Club.  She served on the board and as Sargent at Arms and was involved in a variety of projects and events.  She was voted “Rotarian of the Year in 2016” and currently has two Paul Harris Fellows. Denise retired in January and moved to Vero Beach.  She is immersing herself in the catering business with her husband, Greg, who is a yacht chef.  She has one son who is 22, and Greg has one son who is 20.

 

MARIA ZECCA-BOTWIN

Maria was born and raised in Harrison, NJ. She followed in her father’s footsteps, a Rotarian holding many offices for over 30 years, and joined Rotary.   After graduating dental school, through her role as a Rotarian, she helped organize a Thanksgiving Food Drive.  She also worked with a youth mentorship program inviting high school students to shadow in her practice affording them the opportunity to explore career goals and work towards obtaining scholarships. After practicing dentistry for 14 years in NJ, the family, with three children in tow, moved to Lake Worth, Florida to be closer to their parents where they maintained a practice in Boynton Beach for 16 years.   They have had a weekend home in Vero since 2017 and retired here in 2022.  After finding they missed doing what they loved, they “unretired” and started a new dental office in Vero located on Royal Palm Pointe. Maria and her husband, Todd, are members of the Vero Beach Power Squadron. They have volunteered and donated to local charities and causes such as JDRF, Siblings of Murdered Siblings, Best Foot Forward, Children's Miracle Network, Cobra 5K, among others and look forward to continuing to better the Vero community by service though Sunrise Rotary Club. Maria and Todd have been married for 32 years. They have three children and a daughter-in-law, Benjamin, 28, Max, 25, and his wife Tori, and Fia, 21. They are also parents to pups, Louie and Maggie John.

 

BETTY J. SWISHER-GIACOMETTIA

Betty is the oldest of four girls and is originally from Massillon, Ohio. She retired to Vero Beach in 2023. Her career started right out of high school as an office manager for Olivetti Underwood and ended upon her retiring as Office Manager of a Dental Practice.  She had a brief interruption in her career when she stopped working to care for her late husband, Greg who suffered with ALS. She likes staying busy and does so by volunteering at Save The Chimps, Riverside Theater, the Victory Center Military Store and belongs to the Indian River Genealogy Society.  In the past, she served as a Guardian for the Southeast Florida Honor Flight.  She looks forward to becoming actively involved in Sunrise Rotary.  Betty currently lives with her significant other Bill Ince and 2 cats, Bob Cat and Rita Louise.

 

LARRY TREGER  

Larry’s business background includes ten years working with reputable companies such as George Pacific and Pactiv Corporation where he was responsible for over $100 million in combined sales.  This provided the opportunity to understand markets and how they affect the economics of Main Street Americans. Additionally, he was the owner and operator of Treger Studio of Martial Arts. During that time, he acquired the perspective of a small business owner, learning the importance of personal relationships in business and how seemingly small economic policies can drastically affect the dreams of everyday, hard-working people. The discipline that comes with the life-long study of martial arts as well as the instruction of it, has been a vital part of who he is and has assisted him in all aspects of his life.  He resides in Vero Beach, Florida with his wife and their “semi” laidback dog, Watson. In his spare time, Larry enjoys swimming, pickleball, relaxing at the beach, and volunteering in the community.

 

HEATHER CHIANIS 

Heather Chianis currently serves as the Director of Operations of a Healthcare company in Southern California. She holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. In addition to her corporate responsibilities, Heather and her husband, John, are the proud owners of Pepper & Salt BBQ. Despite her demanding careers, Heather is first and foremost a devoted mother to her two young children. Heather is an avid sports enthusiast with a particular passion for baseball and softball. Each year, she eagerly anticipates the opportunity to participate in the Red Sox Fantasy Camp. A highlight for Heather was the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing baseball at the iconic Fenway Park in Boston, an experience that she cherishes to this day.

BRIAN RUTHERFORD

Brian Rutherford was born in Lancaster, California and relocated with his family to Florida during his childhood. He has been a resident of Vero Beach since 2012. Brian has worked to build his business, Integrity Tree, and become involved in the community.  He is actively studying arboriculture and is a member of the Florida ISA Chapter.  He is very supportive of youth activities in the community.  He currently serves as a board member for the Vero Beach Little League and well as coaches a team.   Brian is also invested in supporting and working with men from transitional sober living homes and offers a second chance by providing a job when they are ready.  Brian and his wife, Jessica, have two boys ages eight (8) and five (5) as well as a newborn baby girl.

EMIL NARDONE

Dr. Nardone was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia.  He attended Fairmont State University and received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in Chemistry. He then attended The Southern California University of Health Sciences in Whittier, California earning his Doctor of Chiropractic degree.  He eventually went on to receive his Juris Doctorate degree from the Charleston School of Law in Charleston, South Carolina. He has been practicing the science, art and philosophy of chiropractic for over two decades. Emil obtained credentials and certifications in Zone Technique, the ICA council's Certified Chiropractic Wellness Practitioner, The Spinal research Institute of San Diego Whiplash and Brain Injury Traumatology, International Association of Veterinary Chiropractitioners, and Impairment Ratings for Disability Evaluations 5th Ed. He performs Functional Medicine with a focus on whole body nutrition and practices the Pinnacle Chiropractic System. Emil and his wife, Tricia, live in Vero Beach.

ELIZABETH EVANS

Elizabeth was born and raised in Florida. She attended Fellsmere Elementary, Sebastian River Middle School, Sebastian High School, and Indian River Community College. She has worked in construction most of her life starting with Florida Shutters and now owns her own company, IRC Fencing Company. In May of 2023, she opened a bar called the “Short Twig” in Vero Beach. She plans to start a new business soon called D.O.G. Transportation, which will provide transportation for your beloved dog to places including doggie daycare, groomers, or any other type of needed transport. She has a farm in Fellsmere with horses, chickens, turkeys, and cows. She loves anything outdoors and is very fond of air boating and tours local marshes and waterways with her own airboat. Elizabeth has one daughter who serves in the United States Navy. 

ALEX MARTEZIAN 

Alex Martezian was born in Long Island, New York. He moved to Florida in 2010. He graduated from Centennial High School and attended Indian River State College. He moved to Jacksonville and transferred to the University of North Florida and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science with a minor in Finance. In December of 2021, he graduated and immediately started working in the insurance field. Alex obtained his 2-20 and 2-15 licenses to work with home, auto, life and commercial insurance products. He moved to Vero Beach and started his career at Florida Farm Bureau Insurance in August of 2022. Since moving to Vero, he has purchased a home, adopted a puppy, and met many wonderful people!

SHANNON NORVIG

Shannon Davis Norvig grew up in nearby Osceola County. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from Florida State University and a Juris Doctorate and Family Law Certificate from Florida Coastal School of Law. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2009 and to Federal Tax Court in 2018.Her practice of law concentrates on Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration, Guardianship, Probate Litigation and Estate & Gift Taxation.   Shannon and her family have resided in Indian River County for almost a decade and have made it their permanent home. 

COLBY BECHTOLD

Colby Bechtold is a single father, born and raised in Vero Beach. He is a Registered Nurse and held leadership positions in a level one trauma hospital on the intensive care unit and the emergecny department.  Prior to that, he worked for eleven years as a patient care technician in and out of the hospital setting.  In honor of his grandparents, Colby founded (and is the owner of) Hummingbird Care Services.  He and his team provide compassionate in-home companion services, personal assistance services, memory care assistance and respite care.  In his spare time, Colby plays cello, flies paramotors, and loves nature and photography. 

JOHN ROBERTS

John is originally from Brooklyn, New York. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Army. After completing his military service, he received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice from Suffolk County Community College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Relations from St. Joseph’s College. John held several corporate asset protection positions at Macy’s, Federated Department Stores, and Saks Fifth Avenue. In 2004, he moved to Maryland and eventually expanded his retail career as the General Manager for Home Depot.  John and his wife, Cindy, relocated to Vero Beach in 2016 to be closer to family.  John and Cindy both enjoy successful careers as realtors with Dale Sorenson Real Estate. He currently serves as Chairman for the City of Vero Beach Historic Preservation Commission and and works with the Indian River Board of Elections as a poll deputy. John and Cindy have three children and four grandchildren. In his spare time, John enjoys walking the beach, cooking with Cindy, and spending time with their grandchildren.

COLLEEN JENNINGS

Colleen grew up in Vero Beach with her parents and brother. Colleen’s brother got her involved in Rotary years ago and she has loved it ever since! She has been an active Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Vero Beach for the past eight (8) years and is a past president. She has been involved in many local projects and events with her primary focus being high school homelessness.  She started a Christmas drive at the local high school seven (7) years ago. Coleen is a local realtor with Billero & Billero Properties.  She is on the Realtors Association of Indian River County Board of Directors and serves on five committees for Florida realtors. When Colleen is not giving back to her community or selling real estate around the clock, she enjoys spending time with her family, her fiancé (Jason), friends, and her Potcake (Cooper). In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, boating, fishing, winter skiing, and cooking.

NICK BRUCE

Originally from Texas, Nick attended Furman University and then graduated law school at Southern Methodist University in 2008. He met his wife, Christina, at Furman.  In May they celebrated their 17^th anniversary.  After Nick graduated in 2008, they moved to Savannah, Georgia so Christina could pursue her passion of interior design by attending (and graduating Summa Cum Laude) from Savannah College of Art and Design. In 2011 they relocated to Vero Beach to be closer to her parents. Nick joined the law firm of Collins Brown as an estate planning and tax attorney. After 10 years in that role, he switched gears and joined UBS as a financial advisor. They are the proud parents of twins Carlisle and Samuel and are actively involved in the community and various nonprofits. If he’s not at the office, you can probably find him at the beach with his son surfing, helping his daughter learn guitar, or losing golf balls. Nick also enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with his family.

RAY ROSADO

Raymond served 8 years in the US Navy Reserve with three active-duty deployments to Southwest Asia and Europe. He retired as a Detective from NYPD after 22 years of service. After retiring from NYPD, Raymond owned and operated a private security company which provided executive protection for international visitors to the United States. Due to the pandimic in 2021, Raymond closed his security business and relocated to Vero Beach. It wasn’t long before Raymond’s entrepreneurial spirit motivated him to purchase the local PostNet Franchise.   Raymond is a member of the IRC Chamber of Commerce, the local BNI Power Partners of IRC chapter, and a member as well as a board member of the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce. He’s been married to his wife Azalia for 34 years.  They have three daughters and a grandson.

CAPTAIN KELVIN GARCIA

Captain Kelvin Garcia has a Bachelor in Industrial Engineering from Technical University Ecuador. He completed two years at The Salvation Army seminar and graduated as a Minister, and is currently working on his second bachelor's degree in Christian Ministry at Trevecca University.  Captain Kelvin is from Ecuador, and Captain Niuris is from Cuba. They arrived in the United States in the same year, 2005, and moved to Naples, FL, where they met in The Salvation Army Church and married in 2010. They came to Vero Beach from Miami Dade County, where, for the last five years, he and his wife were responsible for the programs and services of The Salvation Army Hialeah. Captain Kelvin and his family assumed their new position in Vero Beach in June 2022.  Captain Kelvin is active in the community with the programs The Salvation Army provides such as the Food Pantry, Emergency Disaster, Soup Kitchen, Utilities Assistance, Summer Camps, Youth Programs/Music Program, Christmas Assistance for Children and Seniors, Back to School Supplies, and more. They have three children: Caleb, David, and Angelina.

Rotary Means Business meets the first Thursday of each month 

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Baci Trattoria - 1918 14TH Avenue

 Contact a Sunrise Rotarian for your invitation

Rotarians are welcome!  

Rotary Means Business encourages Rotarians to support the success of their fellow Rotarians by doing business with them, and by referring others to them.    

NEXT MEETING IS MAY 1, 2025

 

  

Our Club was one of the sponsors and our members particiated in the Indian River Lagoon Greenway Air Potato Cleanup event.  They along with others, helped in the effort to "get ahead of the spread."  

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.  Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.  With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world.

Our mission

The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

What impact can one donation have?

• For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.

• $50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.

• $500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.

 

 

 

 

 

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Consider being a part of our dynamic club serving Vero Beach, the state of Florida, and beyond.

                                         

 

Contact a Sunrise Rotarian & find out how you can become a Member!

    

Several Sunrise Rotarians were out bright and early participating in the Hallstrom Conservation Cleanup.  The 100+ acres around the Hallstrom Farmstead were purchased by Indian River County and are being restored as a nature preserve and green space. The County expects the 93-acre conservation area around the Hallstrom House to be open to the public sometime in early 2023.

Community Service

Chair - Debbie Avery

Environmental

Chair - Sue Flak

Health & Wellness 

Chair - Colby Bechtold

International

Chair - Rick Root

Literacy

Chair - Wendy Orthober

Membership 

Chair - Richard Geissert

Public Image

Co-Chair - Deb Avery

Rotary Means Business

Chair - Darrell Horn

Scholarships

Chair - Ed Massey

Vocational

Chair - Linda Scalco

Youth 

Chair - Mike Murphy

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                      

      

Sunrise Rotary is involved with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association’s Pollution Mapping Project on a regular basis.  The most recent expedition Saturday included Rotarians Mike Murphy, Jack Diehl, Kathy Lindsey, Justin Lefebure.  They collected samples from the lagoon then analyzed and reported their findings at ORCA’s Center for Citizen Science.  The two lagoon sampling sites our members monitor on a regular basis are the areas behind the Riverhouse and the dog park. This sampling provides needed data to initiate and maintain conservation actions. The purpose of the poject is to educatte and engage community members in solving the problmes that lead to the degradation of the Indian River lagoon.