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Aug. 25, 2026
Kathleen brings extensive Rotary experience, having served in several leadership positions, including as the Club President of the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 in 2004-2005 and in Rotary District 5020.
Kathleen was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from William S. Hart High School and attended Los Angeles Valley College. She is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator and has earned Certificates in Fundraising and Public Relations. Since 1990, Kathleen has held leadership positions in nonprofit organizations focused on social services and animal welfare. Prior to that, she worked as an advertising agency executive, journalist, and airline flight attendant.
In 1994, Kathleen joined Tacoma #8 Rotary Club and has actively participated in various roles, including Club President 2004-2005. She has served as the Auction Committee and Foundation Committee Chair and co-chaired the 2007 District 5020 Conference in Tacoma. Kathleen has also been a facilitator at several training events, including the Pacific Northwest President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS), District 5020 Training Assemblies, and the South Sound Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is a Major Donor, Paul Harris Fellow +9 and a Rotary Foundation Benefactor.
Kathleen and Rick met in 1994 while volunteering at the Emergency Food Network in Tacoma. They got married six months later and merged their families, each with two sons. Rick joined Rotary in 1996 and has served as Sgt. of Arms three times, currently at the Rotary Club of Arlington. In December 2017, Kathleen accepted the Director position at Purrfect Pals, prompting their move to Arlington to be closer to family in Bellingham, where Kathleen's brother-in-law, Robert is also a Rotarian. She and Rick joined the Marysville Rotary Club in 2018 and transferred to the Arlington Rotary Club closer to home and work in 2021.
Throughout her life, Kathleen has been actively involved in community volunteerism. She has held officer positions on several local, regional, and statewide nonprofit boards focused on social services, the arts, education, and animal welfare.
Kathleen and Rick enjoy volunteering at community events, cruises, golf, cheering for the Seahawks and Mariners sports teams, and spending time with family and friends. They are dog foster parents for Old Dog Haven and currently have four senior Chihuahuas and two senior cats.
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Maan Farms
Sep. 01, 2026
Devinder Maan, affectionately known as Mama Maan, is the Co-CEO of Maan Farms, a family-owned agritourism destination and estate winery in Abbotsford, BC. She has played an integral role in growing the farm while staying deeply connected to the food, hospitality and family values at the heart of the business. Known for her warmth, work ethic and hands-on leadership, Devinder brings a practical and personal perspective on entrepreneurship, family business and building something that lasts for generations. |
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Sharing her Experiences from Around the World
Sep. 08, 2026
Dean, her husband Rhino and their 3 children emigrated to Canada from South Africa 32 years ago. Dean grew up in Zambia and after marrying Rhino lived in Malawi, Namibia and South Africa. Dean was born into a Rotary family and when Rhino joined Rotary in 1986 became an active Rotary Ann until she joined Rotary in 1989. On arriving in Vancouver both Dean and Rhino joined the Rotary Club of West Vancouver and at present are members of the Rotary Club of Langley Central in District 5050. Dean has had a varied career from the early days of being an Operating Room Nurse on Professor Christiaan Barnard’s first heart transplant team to running a Nursery School in Malawi. Together with Rhino they now owner manage a company that is involved in soil stabilization during road construction. Dean has served on District and Zone committees; which include: Regional Rotary Coordinator and Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Pacific Northwest PETS Chair, District Governor in 2007/2008, Rotary International Director 2016-2018, Rotary International Vice- President 2017-2018, President of the Rotary Foundation Canada 2021, and Trustee of the Rotary Foundation 2020-2023. However, her best experience is leading teams of Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors to Africa and seeing how this volunteer experience changes their lives. |
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SARA for Women
Sep. 15, 2026
Paula Sharpe Paula Sharpe is the Director of Housing and Programs at SARA for Women, a non-profit organization supporting women and children fleeing violence in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. She oversees a diverse range of services, including emergency shelter, second-stage housing, outreach, and public education, as well as trauma-informed STV (Stopping the Violence) and PEACE (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Counselling and Empowerment) counselling programs. With a strong background in program development and frontline service delivery, Paula is committed to advancing client-centered, culturally responsive approaches in the gender-based violence sector. Megan Chalifoux Megan Chalifoux is the Community Resource Coordinator at SARA for Women, where she identifies unmet needs in the community and actively works to find supports and resources to address them. She is also deeply involved in fundraising initiatives and fostering connections with local businesses to strengthen community support for SARA’s programs and services. |
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Rotary Inter Country Committee
Sep. 22, 2026
Al has been with Rotary for over 22 years. He is an active member of the Port Moody Rotary Club. He has served in many Club roles including President (2012).
Presentation Topic: Inter country committees have been active in Rotary since 1946. They foster communication, peace and good will between countries. The ICC with D4250 (founded Fall 2026) is large in scope. It covers Canada/USA/Belize/Honduras/Guatemala. This presentation will review objectives and outcomes of this committee.
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Overview of Foundry Abbotsford Services
Sep. 29, 2026
Foundry Abbotsford offers free and confidential mental health and wellness services for youth ages 12-24. Jade Randhawa has been with Foundry for the past two years and her role includes community outreach, volunteer supervision, liasoning between Foundry and the Abbotsford School District and managing social media.
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