Events

Japhath Hartmann, nephew of Rotarian Andy Hartmann, will share his observations and insights into the Nebraska Air National Guard from his deployments and service as a civil engineer during this program.

Dr. Elizabeth Grimpo, a member of the music faculty at Concordia University, will reflect on her years teaching students piano, offering her unique perspectives and insights as a renowned pianist, composer, and teacher during this program.

Eric Anderson is overseeing the Nebraska Department of Transportation's Highway 15 project through Seward as the project manager for Constructors, Inc., the general contractor on the project.  He will share his perspective on bidding projects, planning for them, and managing them while underway during this week's program.

State Sen. Jana Hughes (District 24) will review the Unicameral's 2024 session that concluded in April and, with rumors of a special session, ballot initiatives, and interim studies, preview what might happen before the next session in January.

Trinity Academic, a Lutheran school offering a classic liberal arts education, recently completed its first academic year.  Gabe Haley, president of the Trinity Academy board, will review the first year and share what lies ahead for the school

Ian Fiala will share his reflections from his recently completed mission trip with his fellow Conordia University students.

The wonderful craziness that is the 4th in Seward will be almost underway as we hear from this year's winners and runners up for Miss Independence and Mr. Firecracker and are reminded again of why we spend the 4th in Seward!

John Ricks, Nebraska State Tourism Director, will discuss the ongoing efforts to promote the Good Life to both Nebraskans and those who aren't fortunate enough to live here during this week's program.

Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home marks 150 years of caring service for grieving families in 2025.  The Perdues and Zabkas will reflect on this compassionate work during this week's program.

During this club meeting, we will develop our plans for our Club's centennial year.

Derek Engelbart, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, will update the Club on what is happening at Concordia University during this week's program.

Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) is a publicly-owned utility that serves all or parts of 84 of Nebraska's 93 counties.  We'll learn more about this key player in supplying the energy needs of Nebraska during this week's program presented by Larry Arens, who, during his career at NPPD, served the Seward community.

Seward Rotarians are needed to staff our booth at the 2024 Seward County Fair, where we will share the impact Rotary has had over 100 years in Seward, invite interested persons to learn more, and, importantly, sell Grocery Grab tickets.

Concordia University has launched a work-study program where students pay for their college experience through a combination of work assignments at the university and scholarship aid, one of a few such programs in the country.  Dr. Bull and Paul Berggren, program director, will talk more about this unique program during this week's meeting.

We'll hear about the latest happenings in Seward County from Commissioner Misty Ahmic, who represents Milford and southeast portions of the county, during this week's program.

Kenny Zoeller, Director of Gov. Jim Pillen's Policy Research Office, will update our Club on developments in Nebraska during this week's program.

Jessica Dominy, Seward Elementary Principal, and Sarah Rising, Reading Interventionist, will be sharing knowledge regarding current literacy instruction as well as how students are supported when they are struggling with literacy development.

Seward Rotary Club is again hosting Family Day at the Museum, sponsoring free admission for families to the Seward County Historical Society Museum in Goehner, including the entire grounds and the children's train, which will be running.  Cake and ice cream will be provided to attendees until it is gone. 

The event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 8th.

Tom Kerfoot, 2024-25 Rotary District 5650 Governor, joined Children’s Nebraska in January 2016 as a Director of Development for Philanthropy. Tom has thirteen years of experience in healthcare fundraising, working previously for the CHI Health Foundation.  He has a long record of successfully working with private donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors to secure funding for projects and programs.

Tom has served in leadership roles for a number of area organizations, and is Past-President for the Suburban Rotary Club of Omaha and Past-Chairman of the Suburban Rotary Board of Trustees. Tom served on the Board of Directors for the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce and was the Chairman of the Board in 2019. Tom has served on the Board of Directors for the La Vista Community Foundation for the past twenty years, serving as Chairman of the Board twice and is currently the Board Secretary.

Dr. Brian Maschmann, Administrator for Education Service Unit #6, will share an area perspective on literacy and discuss how the ESU is supporting Seward Public Schools and other districts in Seward County with professional development regarding literacy.

Dr. Brian Maher, Commissioner of Education for the State of Nebraska, will provide a statewide perspective regarding literacy and share current initiatives to develop literacy in our state during this week's program.   

Join Seward Rotary Club on Wednesday, October 23rd for a fun time of food, drink, and fellowship while helping to support the eradication of polio across the globe.

For a suggested donation of $20 per person, you'll enjoy pulled pork and sides from Squire Ward’s, while drinks will be available for purchase from Bottle Rocket Brewing Co.  The favor of a RSVP by October 18 is requested so we can plan for adequate food to be available.

Thank you to our event sponsors:  Jones Bank, Bottle Rocket Brewing, Rembolt Ludtke LLP, Edward Jones (John Owens, Brady Johnson, and Adam Greenquist), the Tanderup Family, Hartmann Construction, and Mark Kolterman.

Email sewardrotary1540@gmail.com if you would like to join them as an event sponsor.

For children 0-12, free and open to all!

Judging by age, with winners receiving special medals and an overall Grand Prize Trophy. No pre-registration required.

To kick off Rotary Foundation month, Mick McKinley, District 5650 Rotary Foundation Chair, will share an update on giving throughout the District to The Rotary Foundation, the funding of global and district grants, and other points of emphasis as we consider our year-end giving.

Brad Kindler, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Sustainable Landscape Specialist, will share the Arboretum's mission to plant Nebraska for healthy people, vibrant communities, and a resilient environment through tree-planting, gardening, and education.