| | Published August 3rd, 2022
| Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary schedules notable speakers for August
| | | Submitted by Tom Black | | |
Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Club has on tap a trifecta of notable guest speakers for August.
Presenting on Aug. 5 is Mike Lyons, a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is a regular contributor as a military strategy analyst for CBS News and CBS Radio. In this capacity he also has appeared on CCTV America, Al Jazeera America, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal online. Along with other military officers he was featured in an edition of Business Week. The 1983 graduate of West Point also earned an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. His 10 years of active duty, including service in Iraq, enable him to provide a unique soldier's-eye perspective in his on-air commentary.
Following Lyons on Aug. 12, likewise via Zoom, is Kayla McKeon, who in 2017 became the first registered Congressional lobbyist with Down syndrome. She plays a role as a paid legislative advocate for the National Down Syndrome Society. She prepped for the job as an intern for John Katko, a Republican representing the 24th district of New York State. Earlier McKeon made a name for herself as an athlete, winning a gold medal in Special Olympics bocce competition in 2011. She additionally starred in soccer, floor hockey and bowling.
Appearing in person on Aug. 19 is Diana Becton, recently re-elected as district attorney for Contra Costa County. She was originally sworn in in 2017 as the county's 25th DA and the first African American since the office was established in 1850. Before becoming DA she served as a Contra Costa County judge for 22 years. She is a product of Castlemont High School in Oakland and a graduate of Golden Gate University school of law.
These and virtually all other outside speakers at Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary have been secured by Buddy Burke, who serves as the club's chair of programming. Asked if the COVID shutdown put a damper on availability of speakers, Burke said, "On the contrary, it actually has worked to our benefit, as by dint of Zoom we have been able to attract speakers from literally anywhere in the world. I like to say we made lemonade of lemons."
Guests are always welcome to attend the club's weekly breakfast meetings, Fridays at 7 a.m., at the Veterans Memorial Center, 3780 Mount Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. Meetings may also be attended virtually, via Zoom, no login required - https://lamorindasunrise.org/speakers |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA