Call to Order
Doug Brent called the meeting to order at 12:30pm
Pledge
Ron Cassel
Guests
Joe Russo, Monique Guo, Joe and Luis from Grande Center, and Samira Esposito
Inspiration
Jean-Marc told two stories about music, entitled Music to My Ears. One was about the musicians on the Titanic who played to keep people calm as the ship went down—all perished in the tragedy. The second was about A.D. Benedetto, known as Tony Bennett, a tireless civil rights advocate who marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 with Martin Luther King. Both stories exemplified service above self.
Rotary Birthdays
Hal Rosen, Riley Barr, Gordon Levin, Randy Cobb, Andrew Stearns, Jean-Marc Blanchard, Carol Goedde, and Thomas Lettiere
Rotary Anniversaries
Ed Bowen, Michael Frangadakis, Eric Eberle, Andrew Howard, Meghan Burton, Randy Cobb, Sandeep Gopisetty, Cindy Gentile, Emi Eto, Fabio Giannetti, Ane Troger, Tsovo Massena, Ryan Rosenberg, and Dan Spalding
St. Luke’s Eggs
This week celebrated the 100th anniversary of Disneyland
Three Activity Slides
Fisher Middle School Track Meet, JW House Dinner, and First Tuesday at the Terraces
Grande Center for Education in El Salvador
Joe and Luis thanked the club for ongoing support of their K-12 education center. Permanent construction is complete, desks have been purchased, and Paul Johnson and the school district are sending books for the library. The Rotary-purchased school bus is essential for getting children to school who otherwise couldn’t attend.
Blue Badge Presentation – Nathan Pendleton
Nathan’s parents are from Saskatchewan. His father was a family doctor; his mother, a teacher and travel agent. They moved from Port Alberni, BC to Saratoga, CA. Nathan attended Saratoga High School and Santa Clara University, earning a BSEE and MBA.
He met his wife Cordelia at Santa Clara; they’ve been married 34 years and have two children: Raymond, a ghostwriter, and Giulianna, graduating from George Washington Law School this week.
Nathan worked in tech/software with HP, SAP, and SyBase, managing marketing, sales, and engineering teams. He left tech to open Nox Cookie Bar, a late-night dessert shop. He sold the business in 2024—it continues to thrive in Campbell.
His interests include travel, exercise, and time on Pendleton Island (family-owned). He joined Rotary to give back and support both local and international service.
Fisher Track Meet Thanks
Melissa Crow from the school board and Fisher track team brought students to thank Rotary volunteers who helped with the meet, which had 1,225 student participants. Volunteers received thank-you notes and flowers.
Community Bulletin Board
May 24: African Day, 5–9pm. $50 includes entertainment, food, and first drink. Led by Folake Phillips.
May 17: Polio Plus Concert/Fundraiser, 2pm at Campbell United Church of Christ. $20
Volunteer Request: Volunteers needed at information points at San Jose International Airport. Doug will include this in his weekly letter.
Great Race Sponsor Info
The 47th annual race is August 30. Be a race “friend” at $500 or up to $1000 to be a presenting sponsor with 15 free entries and a registration banner. Supports the club and gives great business visibility. Commitment deadline is July 15.
Announcements
May 16: Bill Wilson Center fundraiser setup, 1–4pm at Santa Clara Convention Center
May 30: Rotary Family BBQ at Oak Meadow Park, 5–8pm. Register online or with Tina Orsi-Hartigan
May 20 & June 17: Final JW House dinners of the year (slots filled)
May 31: District Conference at San Jose State University
June 24: Roast and Toast at Shir Hadash
Guest Speaker – Pasquale Esposito, Opera Singer
Pasquale shared his journey: born in Naples, Italy, youngest of five and the only boy. His father was a nurse, and his mother made gloves. He spent most of his early years with his grandparents, where his grandfather introduced him to opera via a victrola.
After breaking the needle on the victrola, his grandfather asked him to sing instead—and discovered his voice. Pasquale joined the church choir at age 6, trained with the priest, and sang until he was 15.
He began singing in the streets of Naples for tips, then moved to Budapest. There he met a woman from California who encouraged him to visit. He came to Palo Alto, fell in love with the community, applied for a green card, and won the lottery six months later.
He moved to the U.S., worked in coffee shops and restaurants, and studied music/opera at Foothill College and San Jose State University. He began performing in piano bars and got his big break at Aldo’s restaurant in Los Gatos.
Pasquale has toured internationally with conductor Carlo Ponti (Sophia Loren’s son), produced four PBS specials, and was mentored by Plácido Domingo.
He now teaches music to underprivileged students and believes in giving back. He concluded by singing the final lines of Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot.
Fabulous presentation!
Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 1:30pm.