Dr. Joel Fitzgerald, Sr., a 28-year law enforcement veteran became the City of Waterloo, Iowa-Chief of Police while our country was embroiled in the throes of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic and national protests calling for police reforms because of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For a plethora of reasons, we will likely remember 2020 as one of the most difficult yet transformative years faced by those serving in the modern policing profession. Fitzgerald hopes to be someone remembered for his efforts to hold this community together during a tense and emotionally charged time.
Dr. Fitzgerald has an exemplary record of integrity that has facilitated his success in working among diverse populations, innovation, and crime abatement. As the first African American chief of police in four municipalities, he earned a reputation as a reformer who is no stranger to facing contemporary major policing challenges.
In each position, Joel’s strong leadership traits were instrumental in those agencies becoming the standard for jurisdictions seeking to promote community problem solving, the use of relational policing, and enacting evidence-based strategies to abate crime. Fitzgerald was the catalyst organizational culture changes
that now prefer to invest heavily in enhancement of procedural justice, sanctity of life, and other tenets of 21st Century Policing over reactionary models.
July Service
This month Rotary Club of the Cedar Valley will be partnering with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. Now through August 8th, we will be collecting donations for personal care items such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper. You can bring items, or money for this collection. Donations can be brought to the club meetings or can be dropped off at Cynthia's house.
We will also have the opportunity to volunteer at the food bank. Tuesday, July 21st volunteers can help from 6 - 8pm. We are looking for 8 - 10 people to fill the shift. If you aren't available to make this date, but still would like to volunteer there are other options on the page to sign up for. Sign up at the link below!
Rotary Club of Cedar Valley has $1,000 of gift certificates to Downtown Waterloo and Downtown Cedar Falls businesses. While supplies last we will be selling $25 certificates for $20 with proceeds going to local crisis shelters. They can be purchased at meetings, or can be ordered via emailed rotaryclubofcv@gmail.com
Help us make this the best Rotary year yet - join a committee!
The committee chairs can meet one on one to provide with details about their committee and determine how you can help.
Program: Justin Jensen
Service: Tom Marquez
Putt Putt For a Purpose
Polio Awareness Month
Veteran's Dinner
Membership: Wendy Bowman
Foundation: Tom Blanford
Fundraising: Eashaan Vajpeyi
Communications: Jessica Rucker
If you are interested in joining a committee, or getting more information, please send us an email RotaryClubofCV@gmail.com
On July 1 we gathered IN PERSON again (with a Zoom Option) finally to welcome our new Rotary Year and our new President Cynthia Gitta. We received an update on our Global Grant, learned about upcoming programs, and learned from our committee heads about opportunities to serve. Cynthia also spoke about her experiences with the Rotary International Exchange Program and how much engaging on an international level has opened her eyes about the scope and power of Rotary as a force of humanity. If you are interested in joining a committee please connect with : Jessica Rucker: Communications, Wendy Bowman: Membership, Tom Marquez : Service, Finance/Fundraising: Eashaan Vajpeyi, Foundation: Tom Blanford.
Rotary is not just a club you join. It is an invitation to endless opportunities. It opens opportunities to serve in a project as big and historic as End Polio Now and also in a small community project, where you just plant a tree. It opens opportunities for you to live a richer, more meaningful life, with friends around the world, based on our core values. Everything we do opens another opportunity for someone, somewhere.
The 2020-2021 theme is: Rotary Opens Opportunities.