Events

This will be a virtual meeting you can watch from Facebook Live - www.facebook.com/rotaryclubofdallas 

Michael Brundy is a motivating and inspiring speaker and storyteller. He retired from AT&T with 39 years of service and he never missed a day of work. 

Michael identifies his passion as a desire to communicate with and empower others.  He does this through his writings and his public speaking.  He is a member of the National Speakers Association, a member of the Toastmaster International Hall of Fame, an author and the president of his own speaking company, called I Speak.  He is also an active member in the Dallas Storytelling Guild and the North Texas Storytelling Guild.

Michael believes in being involved.  For five years he served as the national president of Community NETwork, AT&T’s African American employee organization.  In this role he worked for equal pay, promotion and progression of black employees. He has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Black Telecommunication Professionals (NABTP) and as the editor of their newsletter, the Sphinx.  He is a proud lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the past president of the Mansfield Cedar Hill Kappa Foundation and his local alumni chapter. In addition, he has served on the Core Council of the Center for Spiritual Living in Dallas.

Through his storytelling Michael aims to inform, inspire and entertain his audiences..

5th Wednesday Evening Social 

This will be a virtual meeting streamed on Facebook at noon - www.facebook.com/rotaryclubofdallas 

Matt Gerber
Rotarian, The Rotary Club of Dallas ShelterBox USA Board Member
Matt Gerber grew up in Rotary. Although he was born into a farming family in Oregon with no connection to the organization, a Rotarian and neighbor invited him to apply to be a Youth Exchange Student. Since the age of 15, Matt has participated in Rotary programs from Youth Exchange to Camp Enterprise, being a founding Rotaract Club president at his university, a mentor to Interact Clubs, 11 years as a guest speaker at RYLA in District 5100, speaker to numerous district and zone events, service on district committees, being a Rotary Club president in Minneapolis, participating with Rotary as he lived and worked in several places overseas... until he finally moved to Dallas and is now a proud member of our club.
Matt's story highlights the potential of youth programs to inspire lifelong loyalty and participation in Rotary. For the last 24 years, Matt says that Rotary has been the most consistent part of his life, especially given that he has worked, lived and studied in 75 countries around the globe. Much of his professional work find inspiration in using the model of Rotary programs in unlikely settings. Matt came to Dallas four years ago when he was hired to start a vocational rehabilitation program for struggling veterans—which he based off the model of RYLA. The program was an immediate success and graduated nearly 200 veterans into new careers and purpose as certified personal trainers and giving them leadership and professional skills to help them succeed in civilian life.
Matt currently helps companies design and implement corporate social responsibility strategies around the globe, with current projects in Pakistan, Ukraine, Poland, Spain and the UK. Additionally, Matt serves on the US Board of Directors for ShelterBox, the official disaster relief partner of Rotary International. Originally started as a Rotary project 20 years ago by a club in Great Britain, ShelterBox has now been nominated two years in a row for the Nobel Peace Prize for its ongoing work in Syria, Somalia and the Lake Chad Basin Crisis. Today, Matt will be sharing about his Rotary journey and the importance of inspiring young people with the potential and purpose of being part of Rotary.

The Dallas Rotary Club Foundation Board of Trustees will meet quarterly following the club luncheon. 

Kathleen McElroy LaValle
President and CEO, Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
Kathleen LaValle became president of Dallas CASA in July 2014 following three decades of practicing law, earning distinction in Chambers USA as a top tier counsel and preeminent practitioner and chairing the Texas State Bar Antitrust and Business Litigation Section. Today she leads the largest CASA program in the country in terms of total children served by volunteers, number of volunteer advocates, and annual revenue. In 2019, Dallas CASA and its 1,500 volunteer advocates will serve more than 3,500 children in foster care. Now advocating for 98% of Dallas County children in foster care today, Dallas CASA’s goal is to serve every child in need.
While a partner with Jackson Walker LLP, Kathleen headed the women’s initiative and served on the firm-wide diversity committee. She currently serves as a member of the Dallas County Child Welfare Board, the Texas CASA board of directors, and the Nonprofit CEO Council. Prior to transitioning to her nonprofit role, Kathleen served on the Dallas CASA board of directors for 12 years, including a term as board chair. Kathleen was recognized as an SMU Dedman School of Law Distinguished Alumni in 2018 and she was the recipient of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s ATHENA® Award in 2014.
Kathleen received her JD from SMU’s Dedman School of Law and her BA from the University of Notre Dame. Immediately following law school, LaValle clerked for the Hon. Robert Madden Hill, U.S. District Court (N.D. Tex.) and she later taught Legal Writing and Texas Pre-Trial Practice and Texas Trial and Appellate Practice as an adjunct professor at SMU

Every 3rd Thursday the Dallas Rotary members meet at various locations around Dallas for fellowship and Happy Hour. This is a great opportunits for networking, and getting to know your fellow members of the club in a casual environment. It is also a wonderful time to invite a guest.