Service Above Self
Mequon, WI 53092
United States of America
PATRICK NETTESHEIM, CO-FOUNDER GUITARS FOR VETS
Patrick is a music teacher, composer and performer. In college, Patrick excelled in psychology and philosophy. He considered a career in medicine but chose the path of the artist instead. Music credits include many films and numerous bands in which he played guitar, bass and piano with styles covering rock, jazz, country, ambient and techno. In 2007, Patrick co-founded Guitars for Vets (G4V) with his student and friend, Vietnam Era Marine, Dan Van Buskirk. Since then, G4V has grown to more than 150 chapters throughout the USA. He is credited with developing the G4V “four-way path” known as PAGE—Patience, Acceptance, Gratitude, Empathy. The G4V community applies these principles in all aspects of operation as they strive to open “windows of serenity” with our military brothers and sisters that live with the challenges of PTSD. Patrick continues to compose and perform music in his band, Kharma Shotgun. His vision for the future is to offer the G4V program to all wounded Veterans throughout the USA and beyond.
The Mequon-Thiensville Community Foundation (MTCF) will hold its annual Pillars of the Community Award Luncheon on Tuesday, June 4th at 11:30 a.m. at North Shore Country Club. This year, the Foundation will honor Mequon resident and former mayor, Connie Pukaite. “Connie’s passion for people and the environment shines through everything she does – in her past professions, her service to the city of Mequon, and her countless projects that have positively impacted our community and beyond. Connie truly exemplifies what it means to be a Pillar of the Community,” says MTCF President Lori Lorenz.
Connie moved to Mequon in 1966, having been raised on a farm in Massachusetts that was settled by her ancestors in 1725. Those early roots proved to be foundational to her love of woodlands, trees and all-things nature, driving a passion to preserve and maintain natural spaces for future generations to come.
Connie’s life of service is remarkable, with a mission to make the lives of those around her better than how she found them and to strive for service over self. However, her service to ourcommunity didn’t begin for several years after settling in Mequon. Instead, she immersed herself in work to advocate for those who couldn’t advocate for themselves: elevating the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities; helping draft legislation to establish special education in public schools; and fighting for affordable housing and neighborhood renewal in the Milwaukee Lindsey Heights inner city neighborhood.
Indeed, according to close friend and prior Pillars award recipient, Sandy Custer, “To say that Connie is a pillar of Mequon-Thiensville doesn’t begin to take into account the profound influence she has had beyond our community. To me, Connie is a Pillar of Ozaukee County, the city of Milwaukee, and the state of Wisconsin, all in one.”
Connie’s impact in our own community is indeed immense. She served as Alderman for eight years over three different terms; as Mayor and Chair of the Planning Commission for six years; as President of the Mequon Police and Fire Commission for three years; and held numerous leadership positions for the Sunrise Rotary Club over the past 15 years. In fact, Connie was the first woman elected to a top governmental position in Ozaukee County, and was the first female member of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club when they asked her to join in the mid-1980’s!
During her many years of service, she made an indelible mark throughout the community. Connie was instrumental in creating the first comprehensive land-use plan for Mequon; developing the Mequon Industrial Park and saving Garvey Woods; constructing the Mequon Police and Fire Station; developing the gateway feature that graces the entryway to the Town Center; and securing the site for the Spur 16 development, just to name a few!
While mayor, she set the vision for Rotary Park, noting the need for a park large enough to bring the community together to celebrate and recreate – the first park of its kind in Mequon. And on her last day as mayor, the city honored Connie with an 18-acre parcel of land abutting the northern edge of Rotary Park and bearing her name: Pukaite Woods. For the past 16 years, she has been the chief steward of that land, clearing buckthorn, establishing a prairie meadow and oak savannah areas, and maintaining it for all to enjoy.
Joining the Sunrise Rotary Club in 2009 brought together two of Connie’s passions: love for the environment and a desire to serve. As chair of the Environmental Committee she organized the planting of hundreds of native redbud trees throughout the Town Center, tamarack trees along the Riverwalk, and oak trees in Pukaite Woods, providing a bounty of natural beauty throughout the community.
Ask anyone who knows Connie and the praise is effusive. According to Cindy Shaffer, long-time friend and owner of Shaffer Development, “Nearly two decades ago our paths crossed at Mequon Thiensville Sunrise Rotary, and since then, her unwavering dedication to service has left an indelible mark on all who know her. Connie’s commitment to bettering our environment and promoting the common good has been a guiding light for me, both personally and professionally. She embodies the essence of the Rotary motto—service above self—pouring her heart and soul into initiatives that uplift and enrich the lives of those around her. What sets Connie apart is not just her visible contributions, but the countless acts of kindness and generosity that often go unseen. In a world that often seems chaotic and divided, Connie stands as a beacon of hope, reminding us all of the transformative power of compassion and selflessness.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise then, that for the past dozen years Connie has been tirelessly advocating for the homeless in Ozaukee County and helped to co-found the first homeless shelter, Family Promise of Ozaukee County. Initially her efforts centered around partnering with local churches to provide shelter but soon realized the need was so much more. Fast forward 11 years later, and Family Promise opened its doors in early 2023 – the first free-standing shelter in Ozaukee County – with an emphasis on human dignity and seeking to determine the root cause of homelessness and preventing it in the first place.
Connie lives in Mequon and continues to work on several boards and committees, serving the people and the city that she loves. For Sponsorship Information or to register for this event, please visit our Pillars of the Community event page!
From the very beginning the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club was alert to community needs and began immediately to support and initiate worthwhile community projects and programs. One of the earliest projects was sponsorship of the Boy Scout Program; and this support still continues in 1993, fifty-six years later. Other early projects were the County Apple Show and Smokey the Fire clown (a school program). During the World War II years, the club was involved with the sale of war bonds, clothing drives, and similar wartime activities. Many more projects have been initiated since those early years; and these are listed elsewhere in this program book. The most recent major project is the City of Mequon Rotary Park, a project officially launched on September 19, 1987, at the fiftieth anniversary ceremonies of the club. Thiensville-Mequon Rotary is working closely with the city of Mequon and initially presented a check for $50,0000.00 toward start up construction, with $30,000.00 in reserve for fundraising activities. Progress has continued in construction and fundraising. Ultimately, over $2,000,000.00 will need to be raised. The Thiensville-Mequon community has always been very supportive of Rotary's fundraising activities which finance numerous worthwhile community projects and programs; and we appreciate that and thank all of our local supporters. It is you who have helped finance the many activities of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club.
She has worked with clients to make positive and long-lasting changes around issues such as: PTS D, Complex trauma histories, Anxiety, Depression, Mental health and substance abuse, Child sexual abuse, Self-injurious behavior, Family violence/conflict, Grief and loss, as well as emotional, behavioral and relational problems affecting children.
She is intensively trained by the Linhan Institute in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and is a candidate for certification. She also has advanced training in Behavior Activation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP). Jenny serves on the board of REDgen and Ozaukee Family Services and cares deeply about their missions and their impact on the community.
The recognition is named after Rotary’s founder, the late Paul Harris, a Chicago lawyer, who started Rotary with three business associates in 1905. A world of goodwill and better understanding comes closer to reality today because Sam Azinger has made a substantial donation to The Rotary Foundation and can be named as a Paul Harris Fellow – PLUS THREE.
Sam has repeatedly gone above and beyond in “doing good in the world.” Thank you, Sam, for using your time, talent, and treasure to enhance the lives of others. Your generosity means so much to so many. On behalf of the club, we thank you and welcome you to receive your new multiple Paul Harris pin. Please wear this with pride in honor of all the lives that you will reach through your generosity. Sam Azinger continues to put “Service above Self.”
Our speaker on Tuesday, March 12 is Caitlin Steinberg.
I am also an award-winning journalist and photographer, with a passion for covering breaking news and documenting stories of resilience and creativity. I received the SPJ James Julian Memorial Award in 2021 for my outstanding reporting, news writing, and podcast production during the 2020 political campaign season. My art pieces and photography have been featured by galleries in San Diego County, the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite National Park, and multiple fine art wedding publications. Additionally, I have produced all of the documentary style oral history content created by Operation Green Faces using Ultra-HD 4k equipment formatted to fit any gallery or exhibit as well as appear in Documentaries and Films.
My mission is to create accessible, imaginative, and intimate experiences for museum visitors, artists, veterans, and students, by merging fine art, mental health services, public education, and oral history. I believe that by celebrating cultural heritage, creative expression, common human experiences, and public history, we can build more resilient communities and foster programs that educate, inspire, and heal.
To close, I am a proud member of the Society of American Archivists, the Oral History Association, and the American Association of State and Local History... I honored to work in this field for the rest of my life.
Posted from the District 6270 website.
As we sit back and ponder the journey we have embarked on in Rotary, we create moments to look back and connect the dots. Well, it is time again to shape the future of Rotary through club and district resolutions. The Council on Resolutions (COR) meets online each Fall to vote on proposed resolutions and urgent enactments. A resolution addresses a concern for the entire Rotary world and not a local or administrative issue. Conversely, an urgent enactment is a change to the constitutional documents, proposed by the RI Board, that the Board has determined cannot wait until the next Council on Legislation.
Delegates from each Rotary district cast votes on proposals presented by clubs, districts, the RI Board, and the general council or Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland Council. Resolutions that receive approval are subsequently reviewed by either the RI Board or The Rotary Foundation Trustees. Swiftly approved enactments alter the constitutional documents and become effective one month following the transmission of the Council on Resolutions report.
So, why is this information important? This presents a chance for you to influence the global operations of Rotary. Clubs and districts can propose resolutions for review at the upcoming COR next Fall, with a submission deadline of June 30.
Curious about the resolutions deliberated upon last fall? You can access them online at https://my.rotary.org/en/council/cor/vote. These results will be available on the page until the commencement of the next COR.
For further inquiries, feel free to reach out to PDG Rick Debe, who currently serves as our district's representative.
The Guatemala Medical Resource Partnership (GMRP) is a project of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Clubs, started in 2005 by Doug Hansen, formerly of Washington Island, WI and his Rotary Club members. January of 2024 was the 20th year of our work there. The mission serves the rural population around Oliveros, Guatemala, an extremely poor area in the southeastern part of Guatemala, near the Pacific Ocean and the border with El Salvador. Each year around 600-800 people registered for care at our 4 1/2-day clinic. Our clinic is often the only medical care they receive during the year.
Doug and his wife Pam had gone to Guatemala to visit their son Brian, who was in the Peace Corps there. They were so very touched by the people’s poverty, that they came home determined to do something about it. It took Doug and his Rotary Club members a whole year of research, and the finding of Enrique Gandara (Kico), the Guatemalan Rotary member working in Madison WI who was key in putting the plans together to bring their hopes to fruition. It is his ranch the team stays at. And his workers who help set up the clinic and feed us. His contacts help us get through customs down there with minimal hassle, and he arranges the in-country transportation and protection we have.
After the first mission, a team of T-M Rotarians went back to Oliveros and updated and rewired the school electrical system. Another team went back and hooked up a water tower to the existing well that now serves a large part of the area. The water is chlorinated and fluoridated, providing safe drinking water and improving dental health. Water does not go to individual homes, but is within walking distance for people to fill jugs.
Currently, every January, a team of about 40 people, consisting of medical providers, dentists, dental assistants, interpreters, optometrists, nurses and general volunteers-who all personally pay over $1,300 each for their own airfare, bus transportation in Guatemala, and room and board-travel to Guatemala. At times we have a nutritionist to help with education. We did not sent a team in 2021-2023 due to Covid problems, but supported our Continuing Care program.
The clinic is held in a local elementary school which doesn’t hold classes for the week we are there. Our examining tables, dental chairs and other equipment are stored in a donated semi-trailer.
Trying to make this a partnership, local parents and teens help us haul the equipment into the school to set up, and also to put it all away. Local volunteers help with registration and escorting patients to the right areas. Other volunteers are a Guatemalan psychologist who generally joins us, and at times a Guatemalan ob/gyn and his assistant are with us for 2 days. We’ve also had Guatemalan dentists join us as well. Students of English help serve as interpreters.
In 2014, we began our Continuing Care program. For several years we had been looking for a way to serve people who needed various surgeries and care after we left, --for cataracts, hernias, orthopedic problems, cancer, etc. This part of our program has been truly life-changing for the patients involved! We have continued to provide this through covid years.
In 2014 we found Floridalma Quintanilla (Flory), a Guatemalan woman who works at a hospital for the poor in Antigua and knows her way around the medical system in the country. Since then, she has organized our approximately 145 yearly follow-up patients and their care, shepherding them through the bus ride to the hospital, 3 hours away from their town, and through all the necessary trips and tests that lead to surgery.
The operations are provided free of charge by teams of rotating international surgeons, we pay the hospital surgical fee.
Flory is a genius at getting other services donated or at a reduced price—ambulance rides to the hospital by the local fire department, prosthetic devices for our amputees by another mission, half price fees from the hospital, free chemo treatments for a needy mother, wheel chairs and much more. She also asks patients to help pay for part of their tests and treatment, as she feels they are able.
Still, we need to pay her salary ($400 a month), hospital fees, doctor consults, lab tests, MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, prescriptions, Covid tests and transportation for the patients. We often have to pay for dental work, since some teeth are so badly infected that there would be a risk to do surgery without repairing them.
Our budget is about $15,000 for the week-long clinic and $50,000 or more for the Continuing Care program.
We are always looking for medical personnel, dentists, optometrists and interpreters to join our team.
Please visit our web site http://gmrp.org to get a better idea of our project -- to view a short video, see photos of the mission, read short articles about the people served, and see quotes from our team members. You may also donate online or send checks to T-M Rotary-GMRP, PO Box 182, Washington Island, WI 544246