The 2023 Zones 26 & 27 (Big West) Institute is quickly approaching and we have an exciting line-up of presenters to motivate and inspire as you Create Hope in the World this Rotary year, including: Rotary International President Elect Stephanie Urchick will be the second woman to serve as RI President. She has held many Rotary roles, including Chair of the RI Strategic Planning Committee. She was instrumental in development of the People of Action Program and holds a doctorate in leadership studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Foundation Trustee Greg Podd is the paired Trustee with Zones 26 & 27. Greg has a long history of Rotary service including Director, Vice President, and the RI Investment Committee. Greg will be the keynote speaker at the District 5340 Foundation Gala on Friday evening November 10, which is a separate ticketed event at the Town & Country Resort (see below). John Hewko is the General Secretary and CEO of RI and TRF. He is an attorney and has published and spoken extensively on political and business matters. He assisted in the preparation of the initial draft of the Ukrainian post-Soviet constitution and is a charter member of the first Rotary club in Kyiv. Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania from 1994 to 1996. She later served as a country director in Malawi and as chief of operations for eastern and southern Africa. On January 11, 2022, she was sworn in as Director of the Peace Corps. Jim Marggraff is the creator of LeapFrog. His inventions and his voice of the LeapPad Storyteller have led to sales of over $1 billion. Some of Jim’s other innovations include Livescribe Smartpen, Eyefluence, StrataCom, and Kinoo. He has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT. Dr. Pat Gorman Barry is the founder of BrainWise. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Colorado. BrainWise is a proven, evidence-based social and emotional learning program for teaching critical thinking and decision making skills. If you have not already registered, please do so now before the registration fee goes up on September 2. See you in San Diego! | 
