This Week's Speaker | Nate Stevens, The Boulas Company
Nate Stevens joined The Boulos Company in 2007 after working with CBRE in Tucson, Arizona prior to moving back to Maine. Nate works in all areas of commercial real estate including office, retail, industrial, development, and investment properties located in Central and Southern Maine. Nate has extensive experience working with local and national developers, investors, and companies including nonprofits, start-up businesses, state organizations, local municipalities, and large corporate companies. Nate is often asked to contribute to articles and be a panelist based on his knowledge of the commercial real estate market. He is also a regular speaker at the annual MEREDA conference where he presents on the status and future of the southern Maine office market.
A Portland, Maine native, Nate left to study at the University of Arizona where he received his bachelor’s degree in Regional Development. He was an accomplished swimmer captaining the Division 1 men’s team to consecutive top four finishes at the NCAA Division 1 championships as well as earning All-American status and reaching a top 25 world ranking. This leadership and competitive spirit is what drives Nate’s achievements in commercial real estate. Nate has a long, well-engrained family history in Portland; his great-great grandfather was famed regional architect John Calvin Stevens, a legacy which spawned his interest and passion for the local built environment. Nate lives in the Deering Center neighborhood of Portland with his wife, Jane, and son, Carter. They enjoy summers on Little Diamond Island in Casco Bay.
Meeting of Feb 11 | Kathleen O'Donnell, SCOREby Tom Nickerson
Kathleen O’Donnell, along with Dan Reed (from the Biddeford-Saco Club), provided an engaging presentation on SCORE and its role in supporting Small Businesses from Idea to Exit.
Our roving program reporter PP Bowen Depke, from the sunny Merrill’s Wharf, introduced Kathleen. She is an experienced business consultant and executive coach. Kathleen has also run her own business for 36 years. She provides coaching on business start-up, mid-career, and sale. Kathleen has been with SCORE since 2015 and is the Vice Chair of Client Services.
Kathleen shared that SCORE was formed in 1964 with the mission to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. SCORE’s vision is that every person has the support necessary to thrive as a small business owner. This is clearly an organization that is aligned with Rotary interests.
What does SCORE do? SCORE provides free business advice and mentoring; offers low or no-cost business training; and shares free business templates and resources. Kathleen discussed how SCORE provides one-to-one mentoring that is designed to tailor the advice to the needs of the individual small business owner. This service helps reduce sense of feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to go for help.
IN 2021, SCORE Maine provided services to 3,194 individuals; counseled 4,243 small business owners; and had volunteers donate 18,705 hours of service. SCORE helped 509 business get started and supported the created of 1,412 jobs.
Kathleen closed by describing the opportunities for Rotarians to volunteer. Given our wealth of business experience and interest in community service, SCORE has found Rotarians to be strong mentors. Mentor demand is high, SCORE gets between 80 to 100 requests a month. The benefits of being a mentor include being recognized as a local leader; good feeling of helping; networking; and growing personally and professionally. The types of volunteer opportunities include being a mentor, subject matter expert (especially for panel discussions), workshop facilitation, and chapter support. SCORE will provide all necessary training and has a strong ethics code. If you are interested in volunteering with SCORE, please review the application form at their website.
Snow Byrd Report
In 1926, Admiral Richard E. Byrd, a member of the Rotary Club of Winchester, Virginia, carried a small silk Rotary flag with him on man’s first flight to the North Pole. Three years later, Admiral Byrd was a guest of the Wellington Rotary Club, New Zealand, where he was presented a Rotary flag to carry on his flight over the South Pole. With the famed explorer present, the flag was presented to Rotary International at the 1933 Boston Convention.
Bits and Pieces | by Bill Blount
An informal gathering logged into the Zoom meeting before noon. Discussion topics were geographic of an island nature, ranging from the high price of real estate here and in New Zealand. Another discussion about the weather in St. John where returning travelers Bruce Moore and Jan Chapman recently visited former Portland Rotarian Meredith Small. The Zoom background for DG Dick Hall was a ski trail map for Saddleback Mountain. Comfy fleece blankets are now available with ski trail maps of some of your favorite mountains. Google it.
President Bruce Jones started the meeting with a familiar chime from our Rotary bell, acknowledging two visiting Rotarians and two guests. Visiting guest Gervin Kah is submitting his application to our club, so we look forward to having him on our team! PP Ellen Niewoehner led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and Juliana L'Heureux sang "God Bless America" in her lovely soprano voice. President Bruce delivered the invocation, sharing priorities that he tries to live by: "Listen more than talk. Leave things better than you found them. Give more than you take. Serve others. Have fun." He followed with a quote from Mark Twain. "Let us live life so that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sad."
Paul Harris Fellow
Club Foundation Chair Patty Byers presented Ellen Niewoehner with her fourth Paul Harris Fellow. Ellen spoke about why she chooses to contribute to the Rotary Foundation. She is amazed by the good works she sees every month in the Rotarian magazine done by other clubs, our own good works in the Dominican Republic, and with our local recovery community. Congratulations Ellen!
TIP Trauma Intervention Center
Leslie Clark spoke about a volunteer opportunity that is close to her heart, the TIP Trauma Intervention Program. TIP of Greater Portland is a chapter of the Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. (TIP), a national non-profit organization founded in 1985. TIP has 14 affiliates serving over 250 cities across the nation. TIP of Greater Portland, Maine provides services to police, fire and hospital staff serving the following areas: Cities of Portland, South Portland, Westbrook and towns of Cumberland, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Gorham, Scarborough and Windham. It also includes Maine Medical Center's trauma emergency department and special care units for adults and pediatrics.
TIP has received the prestigious Innovations Award in State and Local Government from Harvard University and Ford Foundation, Crime Victim Service Award from the U.S. Justice Department, and the Governor's Victim Service Award from the State of California.
The Greater Portland Chapter of TIP was founded in 2005 as the result of a collaborative effort between the Community Counseling Center and the Portland Maine Junior League. Support and guidance of this chapter will come from TIP National and TIP's local Advisory Committee.
TIP is a group of specially trained volunteers who provide emotional first aid and practical support to survivors of traumatic events and their families in the first few hours following a tragedy. Trained, skilled TIP responders are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are called by police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and hospital personnel to assist family members and friends following a natural or unexpected death; survivors of violent crime including rape, assault, robbery, or burglary; survivors of fire; disoriented or lonely elderly persons; people involved in motor vehicle accidents; people who are distraught and seeking immediate support; and those whose loved one has died by suicide or overdose.
Interested in finding out more? Check out TIP here, call Leslie Clark at 207- 415-7049, or send her an email.
Meeting Location Update
DG/PP Dick Hall mentioned that in-person meetings will be a principal topic in the club's board meeting immediately following our regular club Zoom meeting on Feb 18th. All club members are welcomed to attend.
February is Rotary's Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month. Dick sent an email to club members announcing a zoom meeting from the District's World Peace and Understanding Event on Tuesday, Feb 22, 6pm. Circle back to Dick if you need the room code again.
Tennis Update
The Portland Rotary Tennis league was established in 1992. It's now going on 30 years of intermediate level, mixed doubles tennis, consisting mostly of Portland Rotarians. 24 members on six four-person teams compete on Monday night for 34 weeks indoors. Scores are recorded. Prizes awarded. There are two seasons of tennis, Fall and Spring, for 15 and 18 weeks respectively. Currently in week 7 of 18 Spring season, Jake Bourdeau and Alex St. Hillaire's Team 3 holds a 4-point lead over second place Team 4, Dick Hall, Ben Milick, and Bruce Moore. A tie for third place exists with Max Chicuta, Bill Blount and Howie Herodes' team 1, and Larry Gross' team 6. Teams 2 and five trail the pack at 6 and 5 points. The tennis league leadership resolves to communicate updates more frequently to the Rotary membership from henceforth.
February Birthday and Anniversary Salute!
Birthdays: Charlie Frair 14th, Erik Greven 19th, Greg Hansel, 21st, Doreen Rockstrom 21st, Rich Campbell 23rd, Eric Lusk 24th, and Olivier Ndayirukye 28th.
Anniversaries: Mike Harper 1 yr, Xavier Botana 4 years, Ron Bennett 20 yrs, David Clough 28 yrs, Paul Tully 33 yrs, and Paul Gore 35 yrs!
Rotary Foundation News
Thank you for your support of The Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus Fund. We are so close to meeting our $2,000 goal. To-date, we’re at 94% of our goal, having raised $1,879.
Just a decade ago, three-quarters of all the world’s polio cases caused by the wild virus were contracted in Africa. Today, Africa has been declared virus free.Now more than a billion Africans are safe from the disease.
Only two countries continue to report wild polio cases: Afghanistan and Pakistan. With your help we can eliminate this devastating disease! Please join us. TAKE ACTION. Donate now at endpolio.org
Bruce Jones closed the meeting by noting that Rotary has four key ingredients to strengthen clubs, known as the "Four Pillars of Rotary". They are Membership, Projects, Programs, and Fundraising. At our February 25th Club Assembly meeting, Bruce will be integrating these four pillars into the discussion.
Speaker Schedule
February 25 | Club Assembly
March 4 | Katrina Venhuizen, ecomaine
March 11 | Jack Carr, Maine's Maritime History
President-Elect Bruce Jones will turn over the reins to thesePast President's to guest host the following meetings:March 4th: Amy Chipman • March 25th: Tom Talbott • April 1st: Bill Blount • April 22nd: Larry Gross • April 29th: John Marr • May 20th: Bowen Depke May 27th: Ellen Niewoehner • June 17th: Roxane Cole • June 24: Ben Lowry
Club Executives
President-Elect Bruce Jones
1st VPDick Hall
2nd VP Patty Byers
Treasurer Howie Herodes
SecretaryMichelle DiSotto
Board of DirectorsEllen Niewoehner, Mark Foster, Bob Clark, Roger Fagan, John Thompson
Sergeant-At-Arms Dave Putnam
Club Administrator Alice Alexander
The Windjammer
is published online by
The Rotary Club of Portland, Maine.
Contributing Editors
Bill Blount, Jake Bourdeau, Dick Hall,
Erik Jorgensen, Julie L’Heureux, Ben Lowry,
Tom Nickerson, Tom Talbott, Laura Young
3rd Q Program Chair:Justin Lamontagne
4th Q Program Chair:Roxane Cole
Managing Editor Tom Talbott
Co-ProductionAlice Alexander
Thank you North43Bistro, South Portland, for your support!
Southern Maine. Nate has extensive experience working with local and national developers, investors, and companies including nonprofits, start-up businesses, state organizations, local municipalities, and large corporate companies. Nate is often asked to contribute to articles and be a panelist based on his knowledge of the commercial real estate market. He is also a regular speaker at the annual MEREDA conference where he presents on the status and future of the southern Maine office market.
engaging presentation on SCORE and its role in supporting Small Businesses from Idea to Exit.
Programs, Inc. (TIP), a national non-profit organization founded in 1985. TIP has 14 affiliates serving over 250 cities across the nation. TIP of Greater Portland, Maine provides services to police, fire and hospital staff serving the following areas: Cities of Portland, South Portland, Westbrook and towns of Cumberland, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Gorham, Scarborough and Windham. It also includes Maine Medical Center's trauma emergency department and special care units for adults and pediatrics.
The Portland Rotary Tennis league was established in 1992. It's now going on 30 years of intermediate level, mixed doubles tennis, consisting mostly of Portland Rotarians. 24 members on six four-person teams compete on Monday night for 34 weeks indoors. Scores are recorded. Prizes awarded. There are two seasons of tennis, Fall and Spring, for 15 and 18 weeks respectively. Currently in week 7 of 18 Spring season, Jake Bourdeau and Alex St. Hillaire's Team 3 holds a 4-point lead over second place Team 4, Dick Hall, Ben Milick, and Bruce Moore. A tie for third place exists with Max Chicuta, Bill Blount and Howie Herodes' team 1, and Larry Gross' team 6. Teams 2 and five trail the pack at 6 and 5 points. The tennis league leadership resolves to communicate updates more frequently to the Rotary membership from henceforth.
Birthdays
Bruce Jones closed the meeting by noting that Rotary has four key ingredients to strengthen clubs, known as the "Four Pillars of Rotary". They are Membership, Projects, Programs, and Fundraising. At our February 25th Club Assembly meeting, Bruce will be integrating these four pillars into the discussion.
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