May 2008 Programs

May 5 - Steven Dudley ~ Latin America's shift to the left and its implications for U.S. foreign policy

Steven Dudley is a United States Fellow, and Andean bureau chief/Bogotá
Colombia,   Dudley was born in St. Louis and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He received his bachelor's degree from Cornell University and his master's from the University of Texas, Austin. From 1999-2004, he was a freelance reporter in print, radio and broadcasting. He worked mainly in the Andean region and the Caribbean for the Washington Post, National Public Radio, the BBC, and the Boston Globe. He also worked briefly for the Miami New Times.

Since 2004, he has been the Miami Herald bureau chief for the Andes in Colombia. He was a recipient of a team award from SPJ for international writing for his series on land mines in Latin America. He also received a team honorable mention from the Overseas Press Club's Malcolm Forbes Award for a series on China's impact in South Florida and Latin America.

He was a winner in 1997 of a National Security Education Program scholarship to study and write in Colombia for one year. In 2006, the paperback version of his book, "Walking G hosts: Murder and Guerrilla Politics in Colombia" was published. It is often used in Harvard, University of California, Berkeley, and other university classes in the United States.

May 12 - Debate on the $378 million School District bond - Measure A

Measure A is a $378 million bond initiative that would fund major renovations throughout the Palo Alto Unified School District.

The measure, set for a June 3 election, would pay for new classrooms, technology, security and seismic upgrades, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities act and a host of renovations to make campuses more energy efficient. Both high schools would be set for stadium upgrades, including a new soccer field at Gunn. The district also has plans to build a new theater at Paly.

Mandy Lowell - Pro Debater for Measure A

Mandy served eight years on the PAUSD board, including two terms as President. During her time on the Board, PAUSD: opened a third middle school; completed the Building for Excellence bond projects including construction over two dozen new classrooms, and renovation of over a hundred existing classrooms; and fought off the Governor's proposal to take away PAUSD's locally-generated "basic aid" property tax  funding. Mandy also has served on California Instructional Materials Advisory Panels, as well as the District's PTA Council Director of Legislation. She is a Co-Chair of Strong Schools for a Strong Community, the citizen's support group for the bond measure. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Law School.

Wayne Martin - Con Debater for Measure A

Wayne Martin earned a BS/Geology, Minors/Math, Physics, and Graduate Study/Geology, and Computer Science.

Wayne Martin was awarded Direct Commission in the US Army. He commanded a
Signal Operating Company ------300 Men and Equipment tasked to maintain ground communications supporting a Corps Headquarters.

Mr. Martin was employed as a Process-Control Software Engineer for Bethlehem Steel and assigned to a rolling-mill automation project.  He was also employed by Control Data Corporation as an Operating Systems Developer, with a specialty in Transaction Processing; and was assigned as Internal Consultant to the California State Universities for Transaction System support.

He worked in several Silicon Valley Start-Ups, developing microcomputer applications software—such as spreadsheets, word-processing and other productivity-increasing products.

He spent many years as an Independent Consultant for established Silicon Valley companies, such as Telebit, Broadcom and Oracle.  He became instrumental in
automating the software/hardware testing processes—thereby reducing costs and increasing quality of client companies' products.

Mr. Martin has written numerous Guest Opinions for local papers advocating reduced Government expenditure, better cost accounting, and has advocated greater transparency in Government operations.  He is an advocate for digital libraries and Internet-based education delivery to reduce cost, and provide for equal access to quality education.

Wayne Martin is currently engaged in researching a book on the American Civil War, using digital techniques.


May 19 - Dr. Bunzel - The Presidential Race in 2008:  A Survey of the Political Landscape

                                                   

John H. Bunzel, a senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution, specializes in current political and educational problems and frequently writes and lectures on issues of public policy. He is a former commissioner of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.

He is an expert in the field of civil rights, race relations, higher education, U.S. politics, and elections.   His current research centers on race and race relations in U.S. society, with a focus on affirmative action, multiculturalism, and diversity in higher education as well as U.S. politics and elections.

From 1970 to 1978, when he joined the Hoover Institution, and he was President of San Jose State University.

Bunzel's most recent book is Race Relations on Campus: Stanford Students Speak.  He has also published Political Passages: Journeys of Change through Two Decades, 1968-1988; The American Small Businessman; Issues of American Public Policy; Anti-Politics in America; New Force on the Left: Tom Hayden and the Campaign against Corporate America; and Challenge to American Schools: The Case for Standards and Values.

In 1990, he received from the Policies Studies Organization the eighth annual Hubert Humphrey Award for his years of service as "an outstanding public policy practitioner."

He holds an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Santa Clara and in 1969 received the Presidential Award from the Northern California Political Science Association. In 1974, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors awarded him its Certificate of Honor for "unswerving devotion to the highest ideals of brotherhood and service to mankind and dedicated efforts looking to the elimination of racial and religious bigotry and discrimination."

He is past president of the Northern California Political Science Association, past director of the Northern California Citizenship Clearing House, and a member of the American Political Science Association. In the last three presidential elections, he has served as a political analyst for CBS radio in San Francisco.

He also has written numerous articles on trade unions and collective bargaining, discrimination and affirmative action, and the relationship between quality and equality in education.  Bunzel was a member of the California Attorney General's Advisory Committee on Constitutional Rights from 1960 to 1962. He was a delegate from California to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968.

He has taught at San Francisco State College (1953-56, 1965-70), Michigan State University (1956-57), and Stanford University (1956-63).  The American Voter, his 1964 weekly television program on KPIX (CBS affiliate) in San Francisco, won a national award.

He received an A.B. in political science from Princeton University, an M.A. in sociology from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California at Berkeley. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the U.S. Army.  (2002)

May 26 - Dark - Memorial Day Observed

April 2008 Programs

April 7  - David Magnus  - Emerging Issues in Bioethics

David Magnus, PhD is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Stanford University, where he is Director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and co-Chair of the Ethics Committee for the Stanford Hospital. He received his PhD in philosophy from Stanford University and has published articles on a range of topics in bioethics, particularly on issues concerning genetic technology, cloning, and stem cell research. 

He served on the National Research Council Ad Hoc Committee on the Bioconfinement of Genetically Engineered Organisms, and served as an “expert consultant” for the World Bank on food security and biotechnology and a consultant for the National Conference of State Legislators on cloning.  In 2003-2004, he was a member of the Secretary of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Biotechnology in the 21^st Century. He currently serves on the California Human Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee.

He is the principle editor of a collection of essays entitled Who Owns Life? (2002) and his publications have appeared in Science, Nature Biotechnology, and the British Medical Journal. He serves as Associate Editor of the American Journal of Bioethics. He has appeared on many television shows including Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, FOX news Sunday, and ABC World News, several nationally syndicated radio shows and has been quoted in Time magazine, Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, NY Times and USA Today among other publications. In addition to his scholarly work, he has published a number of editorial pieces in prominent newspapers.

April 14 – Martha Kanter - Foothill And De Anza Colleges:  Our Mission, Accomplishments, and Challenges Ahead

Martha Kanter is chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, one of the most prominent community college districts in the nation, serving more than 44,000 students with a total budget of more than $275 million. From New York, she came to California in 1977 after serving as an alternative high school teacher in Tarrytown and at The Searing School in New York City. In California, she established the first program for students with learning disabilities at San Jose City College. She then served as a director, dean and subsequently as vice chancellor for policy and research for the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office in Sacramento. She returned to San Jose City College as vice president of instruction and student services. In 1993 she was named president of De Anza College, where she served until becoming chancellor in 2003.

Kanter holds a doctorate in organization and leadership from the University of San Francisco, a master's degree in education with a concentration in clinical psychology and public practice from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in sociology from Brandeis University.

Kanter is active in a wide variety of national, state and local organizations. She serves on the executive board of the nationally renowned League for Innovation in the Community College and is the vice president of the CEO Board of the Community College League of California (CCLC). She is past president of the Community College Leadership Development Initiatives (CCLDI) Foundation at the University of San Diego. She is a trustee of the San Jose Museum of Art, The National Hispanic University, Cogswell College and the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. She also holds appointments to the boards of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, Inc., Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, North Valley Workforce Investment Board (NOVA), Mexican Heritage Corporation, Vision New America, Stanford Business School’s Alumni Consulting Team (ACT), and EdSource, a statewide policy and research organization serving K-12 and community colleges. In addition, she is a CEO member of Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG). Kanter serves as a member of the Foothill-De Anza Foundation Board of Directors and its executive committee and the Foothill-De Anza Audit and Finance Committee.


In 1996 she was named Woman of the Year by the 24th Assembly District and Woman of Achievement by the San Jose Mercury News and the Women's Fund, and in 1999 was named Woman of the Year for Santa Clara County by the American Association of University Women. In July 2002, Kanter was the recipient of the Heinlen Award for Promoting Cultural Diversity in the region from the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, a San Jose-based non-profit educational organization. In October 2003, she received the Excellence in Education award from the National Organization for Women, California Chapter. In August 2006 Dr. Kanter was honored for diversity and community leadership by the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women. In February 2007 the American Leadership Forum-Silicon Valley honored Dr. Kanter with the John W. Gardner Leadership Award.

April 21 – Women in Rotary – Betsy Bechtel, Diana Diamond, Gloria Hom, Liz Kniss, and Bob Smithwick

Betsy Bechtel

Born in Illinois on April 15, 1940. Second oldest of 5 children. Received my B.A. and M.A. from Stanford in l962 and l963. Married George, PhD. Stanford ’63, in l963. Two grown children, Chris and Kate who are both married, Chris in Los Angeles, Kate in Washington state and both with darling children and wonderful spouses.

George and I served in the Peace Corps in Quito, Ecuador from 1964 to 1966 as part of the University Education Group.

I served on the Palo Alto City Council from 1980 to 1989. This includes one year as mayor, 1983, and 2 as vice mayor.

Won a national award as “Outstanding Woman in Business" (known as the "goddess" award).

After fifteen years at Citibank and then JP Morgan, I joined Borel Private Bank & Trust as a bank director. In addition I serve as an elected trustee to the board of Foothill-De Anza Community College District and consultant with the Palo Alto Housing Corporation, builder and provider of affordable housing in Palo Alto.

George and I enjoy bicycling, skiing, traveling and playing with our grandchildren.

________________________________________

Diana Diamond

I was born and raised in the East (a suburb of New York City), and I still miss the drama of the four seasons. My father was a physician, my mother a homemaker.

I attended Middlebury College in Vermont, but those cold winters made me decide to transfer to the University of Michigan for my junior year. I was married two weeks after I graduated as an English major. We moved to Washington D.C. where I worked as an editorial assistant, and then back out to Sunnyvale, CA. By age 26 I had four sons (in four years). But I became active in community activities, was host of a TV show on Channel 54, and served as an executive director of a nonprofit.

We moved to Chicago in the late 60's, and I soon restarted my career -this time writing for a newspaper. I became Managing Editor and saw the paper expand. Shortly thereafter my marriage came apart.

In the late 70's, I was awarded a Professional Journalism Fellowship at Stanford, and took three of my four sons cross-country for a year. After the academic year was completed, I joined the San Jose Mercury News as an editorial writer and member of the Editorial Board. I later started and was editor of the "Perspective" section. From there I went to work for The State Bar of California as editor-in chief of "California Lawyer" magazine. In the mid 80's, I began working for Stanford University for the Office of Public Affairs, the President's Office, and later the School of Medicine and the hospital.

A number of years ago I started my own business, Diamond Communications & Design, specializing in the writing and design of publications. From that I went on to be a columnist for the Palo Alto Daily News, then executive editor of this group of newspapers serving six communities.

After Knight Ridder purchased the Daily News, I began work for the Silicon Valley San Jose Business Journal, where I continue to work part-time. I also write a column for the Palo Alto Weekly, and am editor of the Healthcare Journal of Northern California, sent to some 40,000 northern California physicians.

My greatest joy: My four grown sons (6'5"; 6'5"; 6'4" and 6'3"), who are good, kind, decent and loving individuals. My best friend: My partner and spouse, Booker Morey. My greatest satisfaction: creating a work of art or writing a probing political column . An equal satisfaction: friendships.

________________________________________

Gloria Hom

I spent my formative years in Asian. My father was a career diplomat with the Chinese government. I came to America to finish high school at Lowell High School in San Francisco. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Economics/Political Science from Dominican College in San Rafael and received a master degree and teaching credentials from San Jose State University. My Doctorate is from the University of San Francisco and took additional graduate work from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.

I recently retired after 30 plus years as Chairman and Professor of the Economics Department at Mission College in Santa Clara. I served on several boards with a focus on educational policy, such as the California State Board of Education, the California State University Board of Trustees, White House Conference on Libraries and Information Service, Sallie Mae Board of Directors, Board of Governor for the California Maritime Academy, and Boards of Trustees for Dominican College, Castilleja School and others. I received the Award of Outstanding Educator of America and Community Leader and Noteworthy American.

I have also published an anthology collected from my students, Chinese Argonauts, an Anthology of Chinese Contributions to the Historical Development of Santa Clara County. Currently I am working on Echoes from the East, a Mirror of Chinese Culture in the West.

I was the first woman admitted to membership in Palo Alto Rotary and the first woman President.

I am married to Peter Hom, a retired tax attorney. We have three grown daughters: Patricia, an architect; Jennifer, an engineer with a MBA in marketing and Leslie, an environmental lawyer. Our greatest joy is spending time with our five grandchildren.

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Liz Kniss

Born: Hyannis, MA. Oldest of five children, raised on Cape Cod and attended public schools. Further education at Simmons College, Boston (B.S., P. H.); have RN also — Received MPA from CSU; also did graduate work in Health Care at UCB.

Moved to San Francisco after college, worked at Children’s Hospital and in public health in San Mateo County.

Moved to Wisconsin in the mid-60's and became Director of Education at La Crosse Lutheran Hospital. Married in 1966.

We have two daughters born in 1968 and 1971. Husband, Rick, has been with HP for 27 years.

My involvement in the community began with AAUW, LWV and political campaigns. (I continued to work on a part-time basis until I ran for office).

I ran for elected office first in 1985 for the PAUSD Board of Trustees, serving until 1989—was Board Vice President and President in 1987 and 1988. I ran for Palo Alto City Council in ’89, (as the first elected School Board member since 1909 to run for the Council) with a field of 17 candidates.

I have served now on the Council for eight years, as Vice Mayor in 1993 and Mayor during our Centennial in 1994. Reelected in 1997.

I work at Sun Microsystems Laboratories as Marketing Communications Manager.

We’ve now lived in Palo Alto for nearly 30 years. I think we’ve taken root.

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Bob Smithwick

I  was U.S. born, but brought up in India by American Protestant missionary parents. Arrived home in U.S. thru Ellis Island, educated at the University of Illinois, BS and DDS. Active in U.S. Navy WWII as the Dental Officer on a transport ship and auxiliary hospital ship in the Pacific Theatre. After the war, I practiced in Chicago, then accepted an appointment to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs medical service and served at Carson Indian Agency in Nevada. Retired from Indian Service and practiced in Sunnyvale in 1950 - 1983 as a Pediatric Dentist. Served in a variety of community and state service organizations. President of the following organizations: Sunnyvale Community Council, Santa Clara County Comprehensive Health Planning Association. Santa Clara County Dental Society, Sunnyvale Red Cross, Sunnyvale Rotary Club; elected as Trustee and President Fremont Union High School District Board, 12 yrs.; Trustee, Foothill-De Anza Community College District, 34 years.

A simply wonderful family, Aileen (an RN), two children, Michael, a software engineer and author, and Cathye, a Dental Hygienist and practicing Economist.

As to the activity from which I have derived the most satisfaction and the most joy (outside of my family) I would have to say it is that of being one of the founders of, and the Founding President of first elected Board of Trustees of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District-a system which is ranked among the top five in the nation, and which has served as many as 83,000 unduplicated students in one year’s time. (Note: In the aggregate I have served forty-six years as a public, elected official -  the longest tenure of any elected officer in the history of California, or so I’ve been told.

Most satisfying retirement activity: founder and director of MediShare International, an all volunteer organization that accepts, refurbishes and places surplused and/or used medical, dental, and hospital equipment into clinics and hospitals in the Third World.

April 28 – The Honorable Larry Klein –  Change Palo Alto Style

Mayor Klein will talk about changes in the city administration (manager, auditor), changes in the make up of the City Council, changes that external forces are placing on us (global warming, higher energy and water prices) and changes that we may choose to adopt (new library).

CITY COUNCIL SERVICE

Mayor, 2008

Vice Mayor, 2007

Elected to City Council, 2005

Previously served on City Council from 1981 to 1989

Mayor, 1984 and 1989

Vice-Mayor, 1988

OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE

Co-Founder, Palo Altans for Government Effectiveness, 2003

Chair, Avenidas, 1999-2000 (Avenidas is Palo Alto’s Chief Agency for service to its Senior Citizens)

Board Member, Avenidas, 1992-2000

Chair, Palo Alto Centennial, 1993-1995

Board Member, Palo Alto Community Fund, 1999-2005

Board Member, Palo Alto Community Child Care, 1999-2005

Board Member, Palo Alto Recreation Foundation, 1991-1995

Board Member, (San Francisco Bay Area), Teach for America, 1991-1995

Co-Founder (one of nine), Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, 1970-1972 (The Open Space District’s purpose is to acquire and maintain open space land.  To date it has acquired more than 55,000 acres.)

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

Honoree, Tall Tree Award, 1994 (Palo Alto Citizen of the Year)

Member, Harvard Law Review, Board of Editors

Member, Alpha Epsilon Kappa (College Economics Honorary Society)

OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE

Special Counsel, Environmental Protection Agency, 1974

Captain, U.S. Army, JAGC, 1964-1967

OCCUPATION

Lawyer

EDUCATION

BA, Cornell University

J.D., Harvard Law School