Service as a Compass:

My Vision for Pomona

Taking on the role of President of the Pomona Rotary Club has been one of the greatest honors of my life. While becoming president is certainly a milestone, I see it as much more than a title. It represents another opportunity to continue a journey that has shaped my life for decades—a journey rooted in service, mentorship, collaboration, and a deep love for the Pomona community.

Throughout my career, I've been fortunate to work alongside incredible community leaders, nonprofit organizations, educators, public agencies, and volunteers who dedicate themselves every day to making our neighborhoods stronger. As I begin this new chapter, my goal is simple: to help bring people together, strengthen partnerships, and inspire even more people to discover the power of service.

Beginning the Year with Purpose

One of the first things I learned through community work is that no single organization can solve every challenge alone. Real change happens when people come together around a common purpose.

As I begin my presidential year with the Pomona Rotary Club, I've been reaching out to fellow service clubs, nonprofit organizations, educators, business leaders, elected officials, and community partners to explore new opportunities for collaboration. I believe Rotary can serve as a connector—bringing together organizations that already do amazing work while helping amplify one another's efforts.

My vision isn't simply to organize successful events or complete service projects. It's to help build a stronger network of organizations that communicate, collaborate, and support one another throughout the year. When we work together, our impact multiplies.

Investing in the Next Generation

For more than two decades, I've had the privilege of working in youth development, gang intervention, violence prevention, mentoring, and nonprofit leadership. Those experiences have taught me something I'll never forget:

One caring adult can change the direction of a young person's life.

I've witnessed young people overcome incredible obstacles simply because someone believed in them, encouraged them, and gave them an opportunity to succeed.

That is why youth leadership will remain one of my highest priorities during my Rotary presidency.

I hope to strengthen relationships with our schools, support programs like Interact and Rotaract, encourage mentorship opportunities, and create meaningful ways for young people to become active participants in serving their own community.

Our future leaders aren't waiting to grow up—they're already here. We simply need to invite them to the table.

Building Relationships That Last

People often think service is measured by the number of projects completed or dollars raised. While those things certainly matter, I've come to believe that the greatest measure of success is the relationships we build.

Whether I'm attending a Rotary meeting, filming a community event, producing a podcast, meeting with nonprofit leaders, or simply having coffee with someone who wants to make a difference, I'm reminded that lasting change always begins with relationships.

When people trust one another, they begin sharing ideas.Ideas become partnerships.

Partnerships become opportunities.And opportunities change communities.

That's the kind of culture I hope to continue building—not just within Rotary, but throughout Pomona.

Using Storytelling to Inspire Service

Many people know me through my work with the Southern California Service Corps, but storytelling has also become an important part of my life's work.

Through 3P Studios, Positive Pomona Productions, podcasts, photography, documentaries, and community storytelling, I've learned that stories have the power to inspire action.

• Every neighborhood has heroes.

• Every nonprofit has stories worth telling.

• Every volunteer has a reason they serve.

My goal is to help shine a light on those stories—not to promote individuals, but to remind our community that ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things every single day.

When people see others making a difference, they're often inspired to become part of the solution themselves.

A Vision for a More Connected Pomona

My long-term vision is for Pomona to become one of California's best examples of what happens when service organizations intentionally work together.

Imagine Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Optimists, Soroptimists, schools, neighborhood organizations, nonprofits, businesses, faith communities, and city leaders working side by side—not replacing one another, but supporting one another.

• Imagine sharing resources instead of competing for them.

• Imagine creating more opportunities for volunteers.

• Imagine expanding mentorship programs, youth leadership initiatives, community service projects, and civic engagement because organizations are communicating more effectively.

That vision is absolutely possible.

Our community already has incredible people doing incredible work.

My hope is simply to help connect more of those dots.

Why Service Matters to Me

Service has never simply been something I do—it has become part of who I am.

Like many people, my life has been shaped by mentors who believed in me, challenged me, encouraged me, and opened doors I never knew existed.

Those experiences changed my future. They also taught me that each of us has the ability to influence another person's life in ways we may never fully realize.

That is why I continue to believe that giving back isn't about recognition or awards.

It's about leaving our communities stronger than we found them.

If I can help one young person discover their purpose, encourage one volunteer to step forward, connect two organizations that should be working together, or inspire one person to serve their community, then I know we're moving in the right direction.

Join Us

One of the beautiful things about Rotary is that service is open to everyone.

You don't have to be a lifelong volunteer to make a difference.

You simply have to care enough to get involved.

I invite you to:

• Visit a Pomona Rotary Club meeting.

• Volunteer with the Southern California Service Corps.

• Support one of the many outstanding nonprofit organizations serving our community.

• Mentor a young person.

• Attend a community event.

• Introduce yourself to someone who's making a difference.

• Discover how your own talents can help strengthen Pomona.

I truly believe our communities greatest resource isn't found in a budget or a building.

It's found in its people.

• Every volunteer.

• Every student.

• Every nonprofit.

• Every business owner.

• Every neighbor.

• Every person has something valuable to contribute.

If we choose to serve together, collaborate with purpose, and invest in one another, there is no limit to what our community can accomplish.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

I look forward to working alongside all of you as we continue building a stronger, more connected, and more compassionate Pomona—one act of service at a time.