Ambassador Michael N. Nemelka returned to Kellogg Hansen in 2020 after serving as the Deputy United States Trade Representative for Africa, China, the Western Hemisphere, and Investment, Services, Labor, and Environment. In addition, he was responsible for global trade policy in the areas of intellectual property, market access, and industrial competitiveness. Ambassador Nemelka was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote without opposition. As Deputy United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Nemelka formulated and implemented U.S. trade policy for the regions and issues under his purview, led important trade negotiations, and developed and executed strategies to address trade barriers and unfair trade practices in countries around the world. Ambassador Nemelka played a key role in the successful implementation and launch of the new United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement, which replaced NAFTA, and in the monitoring and enforcement of the groundbreaking China Phase I deal. He also served as the lead negotiator for the proposed free trade agreement with the Republic of Kenya, which would be the first such agreement between the United States and a country in sub-Saharan Africa, and negotiated important trade agreements with Ecuador and Brazil. Prior to being confirmed as Deputy United States Trade Representative, he served as special advisor to Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative.
Ambassador Nemelka helps clients navigate challenges and barriers in international trade and investment, and in dispute resolution before international trade tribunals and arbitrations. He also specializes in complex commercial litigation, and has experience across a broad range of civil and criminal matters. He has tried numerous cases to verdict in federal and state courts, as well as before arbitration panels. He has represented corporate and individual clients in cases involving antitrust liability, trust administration, breach of contract, intellectual property, and government securities and FCPA investigations.
JoAnn Hill, Author, gave a presentation on “Secret Washington, DC: A Guide to The Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” at the Rotary Club Meeting on February 17, 2022.
On February 3 Rotarian Nabil gave an impassioned update on his work with Believe in Belize. We are truly thankful that Nabil has continued to serve Rotary and the humanitarian needs of Belize. As a Club, we have committed to assist Nabil in his latest request to ship donated supplies and goods to Belize. Nabil has committed $2,000 of his own money to help finance the cost of shipping a 40 ft container to Belize. Our Club needs to raise another $2,000 for this worthy endeavor. If you would like to participate to help fund this worthy Believe in Belize shipping container expense, please make a check payable to the Potomac Bethesda Rotary Foundation. I will be accepting donations at the club meeting or you could hand deliver or mail me your contribution at a later date. If our Club receives in excess of $2,000 from our members (other than Nabil), the rest will be deposited into our Foundation account to be used at a later date.
Tom Day gave a presentation on the "general state of affairs in the Arctic Ocean" and other icy places. Tom is an experienced public speaker with a broad range of interests. The presentation "Ice At The North Pole" gives the basics of melting ice at the North Pole, covers the seasonal changes of the Arctic ice cap, and annual changes in recent years. The talk is illustrated with several Satellite images and graphs and shows effects on Greenland and Antarctica. Presented via Zoom by Tom Day, Stevenson Ranch, CA.
Believe in Belize (https://believeinbelize.org) provided major funding for the shipment of a 40’ container from the United States to Dangriga, Stann Creek through a collaboration with their partner Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad (MESA) Foundation, Inc. (https://rotarydistrict6600.org/MESA).
The container provided hundreds of items worth thousands of dollars donated by different organizations and individuals in the US.
Corozal Animal Program: Misc. Pet Toys, 2 Dog leashes & 2 dishes.
Placencia Humane Society: Several boxes of Pee pads.
RCI project stuff - computers, tables, books, school supplies, etc. for ~20 primary schools in Stann Creek. To learn more about the RCI project, please see this link https://resourcecentersinternational.org/about-us/.
"At 14, Tommy had finished his primary school in Kibera and as is usual with many students who live in the slums, this was the furthest one could go. As a child, Tommy grew up with a lot of questions often wondering whether he could ever break free from the poverty he was raised in. His family could not afford life basics such as food, clothes and a proper shelter and that is why after his lower education, Tommy had almost submitted to the fact that he may never acquire any further education. Time went by and fate had it otherwise for Tommy. At the verge of giving up on his dreams Tommy met a complete stranger who would completely change not just his life, but also the approach and perspective from which he looked at things henceforth. The stranger, an old Irish man Tommy had never thought of meeting agreed to pay for all his high school education, turning around Tommy’s life and giving him another chance to dream. To Tommy this wasn’t just an opportunity. It was HOPE. An opportunity to redeem himself from abject poverty and give himself a better life different from the one his parents could afford. Tommy finished his high school and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Human Development in university and became an active member of the community and later, with his wife Judy formed The Mirror of Hope."
"Mirror of Hope was found in response to the plight of needy children and women of Kibera. The organization was formed to bring back hope to the residence of this huge slum of Africa using the transformative power of education and the ripple effect of women empowerment. In 2010 Thomas and his wife Judy formed a small group initially aimed at providing care and support to orphans and vulnerable children of Kibera and to enable capacity building and empowerment to women in order to create change and transformation in one of the world’s biggest slums. These women and children were initially receiving support from an organization that later dissolved abruptly, leaving them in a vulnerable state with their lives and dreams at stake. Among the many challenges that come with living in Kibera, poverty is the biggest of them all. And among the many solutions one could think of, fighting poverty through education and empowering women, who are sole providers in most families comes first…or at least we believe so. It is through this way that Mirror of Hope exists today first, to provide education sponsorship to children coming from needy and extremely poor families in Kibera. We target education as the major transformational tool to bring change. Through sponsoring these children, it is our belief, having evident proof, that these children will acquire knowledge to help themselves and their families out of the chains of poverty that for generations has enslaved them. Secondly, we aim to empower all economically vulnerable women through entrepreneurship via the Women Empowerment program and lastly, Our computer training facility and Music Centre are subsidiary programs aimed at using the collaborative power of music and technology to develop careers and create jobs for the youth coming from underprivileged areas."
In June 2021 Montgomery County unveiled the Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan is the County’s strategic plan to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80% by 2027 and 100% by 2035. The Climate Action Plan details the effects of a changing climate and includes strategies to reduce GHG emissions and climate-related risks to the County’s residents, businesses, and the built and natural environment. In this presentation, members of the County’s climate team will provide an overview of the Climate Action Plan and the climate actions currently underway.
Adriana Hochberg: Adriana Hochberg serves as the Climate Change Officer for Montgomery County, Maryland. She leads Montgomery County’s efforts to combat climate change while building a healthy, equitable, and resilient county. Ms. Hochberg coordinated the development of the Climate Action Plan, a strategic roadmap for the County to cut community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2027 and reach zero emissions by 2035. Ms. Hochberg previously served as an Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for Montgomery County.
Mara Parker: Mara Parker works as a grants coordinator in Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, tracking and reporting on FEMA grant funding utilized to prepare for and mitigate the effects of disasters, a growing problem as climate change continues to reshape our region. She is a member of the County’s Climate Leadership Team, where she worked with the Climate Adaptation and Carbon Sequestration workgroups. She has served on the County’s COVID-19 Crisis Communications Team and worked for over ten years as a senior legislative aide at the Montgomery County Council, providing analysis of the County’s public safety departments.
Stan Edwards: Stan Edwards is the Chief of the Energy, Climate, & Compliance Division in the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. He manages a range of programs related to energy and climate issues, as well as enforcement of the County’s environmental laws. He helped write the County’s 2009 Climate Protection Plan and serves on the County’s core climate planning team working to implement the County’s 2021 Climate Action Plan. Mr. Edwards has a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Dickinson College and a master’s degree in Energy Systems from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the George Washington University.
Sandra Brecher is Chief of the Commuter Services Section in the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Transportation. In that role she leads efforts to plan and promote use of alternatives to single occupant vehicle travel, to reduce traffic congestion, improve the environment, promote sustainable urban development and help address climate change. The office works with County employers, developers, property managers and the broader community to incorporate Transportation Demand Management strategies into policies and projects; operates five Transportation Management Districts located in urban activity centers of the County; and operates two commuter stores, one bricks & mortar, one mobile. Ms. Brecher received her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and graduate education in urban planning at Cornell University. Prior to joining Montgomery County, Ms. Brecher worked as an urban planning consultant, completing a variety of local and national assignments in transportation and land use policy, development planning, and community facilitation for public and private sector clients.
Claire Iseli serves as a special assistant to County Executive Marc Elrich. She has held this position since December 2019. Prior to that, Ms. Iseli worked in Marc's at-large County Council office for 10 years, and previously worked for the late district councilmembers Marilyn and Don Praisner. During her 30 years with county government, Claire has concentrated on land use policy planning, analysis, and zoning, environmental issues, and constituent services. More recently, she has also been involved in affordable housing issues. Claire is a 45-year resident of Montgomery County and lives in the Cloverly area of the East County.
My name is Queen Balina, and I’m a senior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. I’m also a member of PeaceJam Mid-Atlantic’s Youth Advisory Council. I heard about the Rotary Club and all the wonderful work you do from Luke Addison from Winchester Rotary in the U.K., who is also active in both PeaceJam and Rotary International. PeaceJam is an international organization that mentors youth in the mold of Nobel Peace Prize laureates. It has worked with 1.3 million youth in 41 countries since it was founded in 1996. It works to bring the new ideas, perspectives, and approaches of younger generations to the forefront of change. Under the guidance of PeaceJam, I have collaborated with three other young leaders to establish Sankofa Empowering Women in Ghana (SEWING), a women’s economic empowerment project. Through SEWING, we aim to leverage our partnerships in the area – particularly with members of PeaceJam Ghana – to connect young women to job training opportunities and hopefully end a cycle of poverty and exploitative labor practices.
JCA® — the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington — strives to make D.C., suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia great places to grow up and grow old. Their experts on aging provide access, answers and opportunities to older adults and family caregivers of all faiths and from all walks of life. Since 1973, they have been helping older men and women maintain independence, dignity, vitality and self-respect.
Ambassador Michael N. Nemelka returned to Kellogg Hansen in 2020 after serving as the Deputy United States Trade Representative for Africa, China, the Western Hemisphere, and Investment, Services, Labor, and Environment. In addition, he was responsible for global trade policy in the areas of intellectual property, market access, and industrial competitiveness. Ambassador Nemelka was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote without opposition. As Deputy United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Nemelka formulated and implemented U.S. trade policy for the regions and issues under his purview, led important trade negotiations, and developed and executed strategies to address trade barriers and unfair trade practices in countries around the world. Ambassador Nemelka played a key role in the successful implementation and launch of the new United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement, which replaced NAFTA, and in the monitoring and enforcement of the groundbreaking China Phase I deal. He also served as the lead negotiator for the proposed free trade agreement with the Republic of Kenya, which would be the first such agreement between the United States and a country in sub-Saharan Africa, and negotiated important trade agreements with Ecuador and Brazil. Prior to being confirmed as Deputy United States Trade Representative, he served as special advisor to Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative.
On February 3 Rotarian Nabil gave an impassioned update on his work with Believe in Belize. We are truly thankful that Nabil has continued to serve Rotary and the humanitarian needs of Belize. As a Club, we have committed to assist Nabil in his latest request to ship donated supplies and goods to Belize. Nabil has committed $2,000 of his own money to help finance the cost of shipping a 40 ft container to Belize. Our Club needs to raise another $2,000 for this worthy endeavor. If you would like to participate to help fund this worthy Believe in Belize shipping container expense, please make a check payable to the Potomac Bethesda Rotary Foundation. I will be accepting donations at the club meeting or you could hand deliver or mail me your contribution at a later date. If our Club receives in excess of $2,000 from our members (other than Nabil), the rest will be deposited into our Foundation account to be used at a later date.
leaving them in a vulnerable state with their lives and dreams at stake. Among the many challenges that come with living in Kibera, poverty is the biggest of them all. And among the many solutions one could think of, fighting poverty through education and empowering women, who are sole providers in most families comes first…or at least we believe so. 
Adriana Hochberg: Adriana Hochberg serves as the Climate Change Officer for Montgomery County, Maryland. She leads Montgomery County’s efforts to combat climate change while building a healthy, equitable, and resilient county. Ms. Hochberg coordinated the development of the Climate Action Plan, a strategic roadmap for the County to cut community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2027 and reach zero emissions by 2035. Ms. Hochberg previously served as an Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for Montgomery County. 
My name is Queen Balina, and I’m a senior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. I’m also a member of PeaceJam Mid-Atlantic’s Youth Advisory Council. I heard about the Rotary Club and all the wonderful work you do from Luke Addison from Winchester Rotary in the U.K., who is also active in both PeaceJam and Rotary International. PeaceJam is an international organization that mentors youth in the mold of Nobel Peace Prize laureates. It has worked with 1.3 million youth in 41 countries since it was founded in 1996. It works to bring the new ideas, perspectives, and approaches of younger generations to the forefront of change. Under the guidance of PeaceJam, I have collaborated with three other young leaders to establish Sankofa Empowering Women in Ghana (SEWING), a women’s economic empowerment project. Through SEWING, we aim to leverage our partnerships in the area – particularly with members of PeaceJam Ghana – to connect young women to job training opportunities and hopefully end a cycle of poverty and exploitative labor practices.
