Events

Rob Taylor is the Owner, Founder, and Master Distiller of Revelton Distilling Company, an international award-winning craft distillery located in Osceola, Iowa. 

Rob grew up on his family's farm in central Clarke County, where he raised Limousine cattle and grew corn, hay & soybeans. Rob's professional background includes extensive experience in the automotive industry as an ASE Certified Diesel mechanic, service director, and fixed operations consultant. He also managed a family-owned petroleum company for many years, specializing in synthetic lubricants and biofuels. In 2012, Rob was elected to the Iowa State House of Representatives, serving three terms before leaving politics in 2018 to focus on building and operating Revelton Distilling Company.  Rob is married to Dr. Christi Taylor, a practicing physician who serves as his partner and Gin Distiller at Revelton. Together, they have 4 adult children and 2 grandchildren who all had a part in building their business and actively help at the distillery on a regular basis.

Revelton Distilling Company first opened its doors to the public in December of 2020, after spending the previous 11 months building during the COVID pandemic.  It is now celebrated for its exceptional spirits, including Bourbon & Rye Whiskey, Mulberry & American gins, vodkas, and flavored liquors. The distillery sources ALL its grains (for the purpose of making whiskey) from southern Iowa and gives back 100% of its spent mash to its local farm partners as a high-quality feed source for livestock.  Revelton is now recognized as the fastest-growing distillery in Iowa and truly reflects the “buy local, support local” philosophy in everything they do.

...Here's to Good Times & Great Spirit

EembarJeffries,  a journey through the treetops and conquer new heights with our passionate team of outdoor enthusiasts. Each staff member brings a   of expertise and enthusiasm to ensure an unforgettable experience for every adventurer who steps foot on our course. Get to know the faces behind the adventure and discover the heart and soul of Stowe Heights Challenge Course. on a journey through the treetops and conquer new heights with our passionate team of outdoor enthusiasts. Each staff member brings a   blend of expertise and enthusiasm to ensure an unforgettable experience for every adventurer who steps foot on our course. Get to know the Embark on a journey through the treetops and conquer new heights with our passionate team of outdoor enthusiasts. Each staff member brings a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm to ensure an unforgettable experience for every adventurer who steps foot on our course. Get to know the faces behind the adventure and discover the heart and soul of Stowe Heights Challenge Course.faces behind the adventure and discover the heart and soul of Stowe Heights Challenge Course.Embark on a journey through the treetops and conquer new heights with our passionate team of outdoor enthusiasts. Each staff member brings a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm to ensure an unforgettable experience for every adventurer who steps foot on our course. Get to know the faces behind the adventure and discover the heart and soul of Stowe Heights Challenge Course.

Kids Operating Room began in 2018 and was founded by Garreth and Nicola Wood, a well-known family in Scotland. The KidsOR USA branch was formed in 2023 to build awareness in the US and expand our mission in Latin America. 

There are two differentiating factors to Kids Operating Room’s mission and approach: we build local healthcare capacity instead of relying on medical missions and harness solar energy to power our operating rooms. In just over 8 years, we have installed and equipped 99 pediatric operating rooms in 35 countries around the world to deliver safe surgery to children in some of the most challenging and hard-to-reach areas of the world, including Haiti, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Afghanistan. We also built the world’s first pediatric OR in a refugee campaign in Kenya. Our work has highlighted in a BBC short film Kids OR | Smile Train and we were honored to receive the .ORG Impact Award last fall in Washington, D.C. in the Health and Healing category. 

Each Board Chair will provide a vision of what to expect during our 2025-26 year that begins July 1st.  Members are encouraged to listen, learn, and decide where they want to plug in.  Exciting things happen when members explore opportunities to make things happen!  It's all in the details as we work together.

State Fair meeting for DMAM members and their immediate family (+1 and children in the K-12 & younger range).  

DMAM Rotary members need to respond to the RSVP request you receive tickets.  Tickets will be distributed at a designated SF entrance gate the morning of the meeting.  Only those who reserve tickets will receive tickets.  You and everyone in your party must be present to receive a ticket.  Those not attending forfeit their ticket(s).  

There will be more messaging regarding this meeting, so watch the Monday Memo and emails for additional details.  

Dr. Maija Cheung is currently a surgeon at Yale University and the Chief Medical Officer for Kids Operating Room – the world’s leading children’s surgery charity. 

Dr. Cheung graduated from Middlebury College, where she majored in geography with a focus on Middle Eastern Studies, minored in religion, and completed studies in Arabic. After graduating, Dr. Cheung spent time living and studying in Amman, Jordan, and then worked as an ORISE Fellow for Dr. Tony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases working on global public health research and development activities. 

Dr. Cheung graduated from Dartmouth Medical School where she spent a year directing research and clinical program development in Peru as part of the Dartmouth Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and assisting in humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. 

Dr. Cheung completed her General Surgery Residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and was the first Yale Global Surgery Research Fellow.  Her research focused on capacity building and educational projects in pediatric surgery and trauma and emergency general surgery in Uganda.  She completed a fellowship at Yale in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery and stayed on as faculty initially at Yale New Haven Hospital and now through an appointment at the West Haven VA Medical Center. While at Yale she was also in an education leadership position as the Associate Program Director for both the Yale General Surgery Residency Program as well as the Bariatric and MIS Fellowship Program. 

During her residency at Yale, she worked with a group that would become Kids Operating Room (KidsOR). Since the founding of KidsOR in 2017 she has served on the International Advisory Board steering clinical development opportunities and data collection policies, and in 2021 was appointed as their Global Lead for Surgery.  She became the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for KidsOR in December 2023 as well as the CMO for the KidsOR commercial subsidiary Global Hospital which develops healthcare infrastructure and solar powered solutions in low-resource settings with all profit going to KidsOR to create capacity for children’s surgery around the world. 

Dr. Cheung’s expertise extends beyond clinical practice, encompassing a broad spectrum of global health initiatives.  She has spearheaded numerous projects aimed at improving healthcare infrastructure, increasing training opportunities for the health workforce, and promoting access to care in underserved areas.  Her work has taken her to remote villages, urban slums, and disaster-stricken regions where she has amassed extensive experience in addressing healthcare disparities across diverse populations. 

As a staunch advocate for health equity, Dr. Cheung has collaborated with international organizations, non-profits, and governmental agencies to develop sustainable healthcare solutions tailored to the unique needs of each community.  She is actively involved in research endeavors aimed at addressing pressing public health issues on a global sale and using her expertise to shape policy and inform evidence-based interventions through innovative and context-specific programs. 

District 6000 Governor's Club Visit

GARY DOLPHIN - VOICE OF HAWKEYE FOOTBALL

Gary Dolphin is in his 28th year as the play-by-play voice for Iowa football and Men's basketball and hosts the weekly Kirk Ferentz and Ben McCollum coaches radio show. He spent ten years in Chicago broadcast circles, calling Northwestern basketball and working for the Chicago Bears in TV production.

Mr. Dolphin covered High School sports in Iowa for 25 years, broadcasting state boys and girls, football, basketball, baseball, and softball tournaments. He has received multiple awards for his broadcasting, civic, and charitable involvement. Gary is a native of Cascade.  

Gary Dolphin will preview the annual Iowa-Iowa State football game for DMAM Rotary members. Since 1996, he has been the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football and men's basketball teams for Learfield/IMG College and the Iowa Hawkeye Sports Network.

Come join your fellow Rotarians for an evening of socialization! 

• We have reserved the Crescent Room and side patio for our group. 
• Drinks provided
• Food - Variety of heavy appetizers 
• DMAM members are allowed one guest to join in on the fun - please use the link below to RSVP!

RSVP HERE

Shir Agha Safi is a former major and intelligence battalion commander in the Afghan National Army, where he served for 12 years leading counter-terrorism operations. After the fall of the Afghan government in 2021, he resettled in Iowa and founded Afghan Partners in Iowa, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Afghan refugees build self-sufficient lives. In addition to his role as executive director for Afghan Partners in Iowa, he is currently a student at John Dee Bright College of Drake University and a devoted father of two. Shir Agha brings a powerful story of resilience, service, and community leadership.

Event Details
We’re now FULL with 44 golfers signed up so thanks!

• Morning scramble format
• Open to all skill levels – fun and camaraderie are the focus!
• Post-golf lunch & awards on Woodland Hills Golf Course patio
  • Prizes for long/short drive, long putt, closest to pin, and more

Social Event to Follow at Tom & Laura Hudson’s home on the golf course (~1:30 p.m.), non-golfers welcome!
Hudson's Address:  6365 NE 8th Ct., Des Moines, IA 50313

Rotary Book Club is scheduled for Friday Sept. 19th at the Des Moines Biergarten in Water Works Park off Fleur Drive.

Time: 4 to 6ish. This is before Oktoberfest starts there that evening. 

There is no admission fee. Oktoberfest starts at 6:30 PM there with Tapping of the Golden Keg by Mayor Connie Boesen. The band Guilty Pleasures starts at 7:00 PM.   

Wir sehen uns dort!!!

Harry Smith is an award-winning American television journalist best known for his work as a correspondent and anchor with both CBS News and NBC News. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has covered presidential elections, major world events, cultural milestones, and human-interest stories with depth and warmth. At CBS, Smith anchored The CBS Morning Show and CBS News Sunday Morning, and later became a senior correspondent for CBS Evening News. He later joined NBC News, contributing to Today, NBC Nightly News, and Dateline NBC. Renowned for his versatility and storytelling, Smith has earned a reputation as one of broadcast journalism’s most trusted and enduring voices.  He is now a professor with his alma mater, Central College, where he teaches a class about igniting and nurturing “Curiosity.” 

Roy Johnson was born in Bellflower, California on February 25^th, 1949.  As his father served in the Navy for 20 years Roy spent his youth traveling the country, including time in the Dominican Republic where he learned to speak Spanish fluently.

After his father retired from the Navy in 1962 the family settled in Palmdale, California, where his father embarked on a career in the Civil Service.  Following graduation from high school, Roy joined the Navy on August 3^rd, 1967. 

Boot Camp in San Diego was followed by attending a little over a year of training to become a Sonar Technician prior to being transferred to his first ship which was homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.

After two years on his first ship, it was back to San Diego for another year of training on a new sonar system, and orders to his next ship, homeported in Long Beach, California.

Following a shore assignment in San Diego teaching Anti-Submarine Warfare tactics and another sea duty assignment, Roy applied for and was selected for commissioning as an Ensign in the Limited Duty Officer program at the 14-year point in his career.  The remainder of his career was as an Electronics Materiel Officer where he would typically be responsible for various radar and communication systems.  Subsequently, he would serve on a Guided Missile Cruiser, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and two major shore commands.  At these shore commands, Roy was responsible for coordinating the upgrading of the secure voice communication systems on all ships in the Pacific Fleet, and his last shore duty command in San Diego held him responsible for the maintenance and upgrades to the Combat Systems suite of electronics on the six West coast aircraft carriers.

He retired after 30 years of service on August 1^st, 1997 as a Lieutenant Commander and makes his home in Ankeny Iowa with his wife.

Join us for our New Member Orientation on Friday, October 3, immediately following our regular Rotary meeting. In just 40 minutes, you'll gain valuable insight into Rotary, our Club, and all the benefits of your membership. You'll also meet fellow new members, our New Member Committee, and Board members—making Friday mornings even more welcoming! We'll gather in the Blue View room, just off the main meeting area.

Email Judy Ralston-Hansen at jamrhansen@gmail.com to let us know you'll be there!

Valerie Van Kooten is the COO and Administrator of the State Historical Society of Iowa. A Pella native, Valerie previously was the Executive Director of Pella Historical. Before that, she taught technical writing and history at Central College in Pella. Valerie has loved Iowa history since she was a little girl. She currently serves as Chairperson of Marion County's Pioneer Cemetery Commission. In her spare time, Valerie and her husband Kent enjoy following their grandsons' ball games and school events.

The State Historical Society of Iowa has been in existence since 1857 and holds the records and artifacts of our state's earliest beginnings.  Like many other museums and non-profits, the Society is going through some rocky times.  Join Administrator Valerie Van Kooten to hear what's happened, what's being done, and how the Society is ensuring that Iowa's history will be safe into the future.

Des Moines A.M. Rotary Quarterly Foundation Board Meeting to follow the regular Rotary Meeting.

Putting an End to Human Trafficking
Presented by the Greater Des Moines Rotary Multi-Club Committee

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: a program focused on ending human trafficking throughout greater Des Moines while building momentum for community service.

 Cost:  $25 / person

 View the attached event flyer for more information, and follow the provided link to RSVP and donate. 

Our regularly scheduled Friday morning Rotary meeting is cancelled.

Please show your support Wednesday, October 15th at the CIVITAS 2025 event! 

Click the image below for more information.

It's that time again!  The Annual DMAM Live Auction event is scheduled for Friday, October 24th - as many of you know (and for you newer members), this is a highly-anticipated event each year and cannot happen without YOU!  As we've done in years past, we are asking members and their businesses to consider donating an auction item towards the cause - please and thank you!  All collected items will then be auctioned off back to DMAM members during our meeting on 10/24.  The cause you may ask - over the past 4 years, we have provided north of $50,000 worth of coats, hats, gloves, undergarments and snow boots to the kids of Capitol View Elementary.  You all showed up last year and helped us raise $19,810 in less than 30 minutes..... Let's do it again!!

If you or your business are willing and able to provide a donation, please reach out directly to discuss:

Zach Bouslog 515.422.2377 or Jordan Bouslog 515.402.9131

Previous year's donation items have included:

• round of golf at local club
• wine or booze packages
• gift cards
• civic/musical/sporting event tickets
• experiences **these are always hot items for the auction!
• timeshare/vacation rentals
• home goods
• keepsakes/collectibles
• business offerings

We hope to have our lineup of auction items confirmed by October 17.  Thank you in advance for those willing to donate - we couldn't do this without you!  As a reminder, 100% of the money raised will directly fund the students of Capitol View Elementary School to ensure their warmth this winter.  We cannot express enough gratitude for your commitment to helping those in need.

As you consider your donation in advance or bid the day of, please remember our motto:  Service Above Self.

Thank you again for all you do.  We appreciate each of you DMAM'ers!

ZB

Zach Bouslog