2005 Argentina GSE

Last Locations

2005-12-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

In Junin, we met with both the Junin Centro and Junin Sur Rotary Clubs. After the Junin Sur meeting, which ended about midnight, we headed to La Cique, a café off the central plaza for a night of tango (which went until 3am). We went with two members of the GSE team that will be coming to northern California in the spring, which was a treat. It was beautiful and amazing to see tango as part of the everyday life of everyday people, just enjoying the recorded music and dance. There was a range of ages of the dancers and some very good dancing. Luckily, no one asked us to dance!

As we were now accustomed to, we visited with the mayor. We learned that agriculture and administration are the most important functions for the city but they are trying to attract companies in order to be an employment and commercial center for people living in the surrounding villages and districts. The city is also developing its tourism sector, hoping to become a regional attraction for its community events, museums, the nearby lakes and for good food.

We also met with the Secretaria de Obras y Servicios Publicas, including people from the Planning and Development office, and talked about the housing programs taking place in Junin. There are federal, provincial and local housing programs and the city is in the process of building about 900 housing units for low-income families. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see these developments because the day we arrived, there was a storm with wind that blew off the roofs of many of these new houses!

We visited a number of other important projects occurring in the city. Trains used to be repaired at a railyard in Junin. The train station still exists and is used but there is a fair amount of adjacent property that is no longer in use and the city wants to redevelop. This site is in the geographic center of the city, dividing the southern half, where the central plaza and most activity is located, and the northern, more poor, neighborhoods. The city would like to restore the historic brick buildings (similar to Puerto Madera in Buenos Aires) and create a vibrant area with housing, shops, offices, as well as retain a small area for train repairs. The size of this project (50 hectares) provides an amazing opportunity, but in a city the size of Junin, will be a challenge to be able to support a project of this size. The Public Works and Services Department is working hard on this project, using GIS software to map and analyze the site, and thinking in terms of creating an identity for the area based on its past use. For example, there is a very tall brick chimney in the center of the site, which is where the powerhouse was located. The idea is to use this structure as the focal point for the new community, and create an identity around this very visual landmark.

Another project happening in the center of town is along the main commercial street, which runs from near the central plaza to an inner ring road (which was another interesting project that created a number of linear parks along previous railroad tracks). The process to agree on what to do with the commercial street has been a bit contentious, with varying ideas on how to make the street more accessible and friendly to shoppers. There was discussion about whether to close the street to cars and make a pedestrian street; however, the result is to narrow the street in places in order to slow traffic and to create wider sidewalks, creating the opportunity for outdoor cafe seating. The goal is to finish the project in time for the Christmas shopping season, but when we were there, a work truck drove on the setting concrete, which ruined it, resulting in the need to re-pour a section of the street.

The most important project for the residents of Junin is a large flood-control project occurring along miles of the Rio Salado. This project has been in the works for 25 years, and is close to completion. The work includes canals, bridges, levees, etc., and all the concrete used is made in Junin. The river flows over 500 miles, starting at only 800 feet in elevation, resulting in a pretty flat grade all the way to the Rio Plate in Buenos Aires. This makes flooding a fairly common event. The project should help keep the river within its (created) banks and the architects and engineers we met were very proud of this project.

Another enjoyable visit was to Estancia Don Alejandro, which is about 90,000 square miles in size. We figured this is about the same area as the San Francisco peninsula. Owned by one family. We were told the family was French, and then came to understand that the family originally came from France, about two or three generations ago! The estancia is about one-quarter for cows and the rest is planted in soy, wheat and other crops. We ate another fabulous, extravagant asado and wandered around the beautiful homestead, enjoying the warm breeze.

We had a work-related talk with architects in Junin as well as an interview with the local newspaper La Verdad. Pictures of both events made it into the next edition of the paper!

After a few enjoyable meals with local architects, the Public Works and Services director, and with our host families, we packed up and went to the Rotary District conference at La Mariapolis, a convent in the countryside about 20 miles from Junin.

We stayed in the basic hotel of Mariapolis, surrounded by fields, trees and a lot of Rotarians. We spent our first day just relaxing and preparing our Sunday morning presentation. We looked over all our pictures (thanks to the digital age) and created a presentation of our month in Argentina. Each of us gave a brief overview of one of the five places we visited, and included many pictures of our generous hosts, which was a hit! We spent some quality time talking with and hanging out with the five GSE team members coming soon to California – and planning some grand birthday parties in CA!

Finally, we went back to a hotel in Junin for our last night and morning and had a few hours to finish shopping, taking pictures, drinking café cortados with facturas (pastries) until we were picked up by Rotarians for a quick lunch at the Junin Sur clubhouse and then onto the airport about three hours away.

What an experience! It was an amazing time, full of much to learn and enjoy. I think we were highly successful in reaching the goal of cultural exchange and now have some wonderful new friends.

District Conference

2005-12-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

Richard with District Governor Antonio at the District Conference

Sara with Leticia Flores, the GSE Team leader for the incoming team

Photo at the District Conference with several of our Moreno hosts

Photo of Both GSE Teams at the Conference

The Final Weeks

2005-11-21T06:47:00.000-08:00

(Evening out with Moreno Hosts)

Our mostly-female Rotary hosts in Moreno formed the club of F. Molino Campo less than five years ago and are already one among the most active clubs in the district. In Moreno we visited several local examples of adaptive re-use of older buildings, including a former hospital now used for offices and a music school, and the recovery of the urban center of Moreno. There, planners are working on the first multi-modal transportation center that will facilitate pedestrian access to train and bus stations. Other major urban projects include the reclamation of the river-front for pedestrians. For housing, Moreno is taking advantage of the ¨Techo y Trabajo¨ (loosely, Roofs and Work) federal program to build affordable housing.

(At the Boca Juniors Soccer Team Museum)

On Saturday, sixteen of us travelled to Unicentro, the largest mall in Buenos Aires, for a little retail therapy. And then we drove into the city for a special tour of the Boca Juniors soccer stadium. Argentines take their soccer very seriously (as Sara and Richard were able to experience at a game between Boca and Colon the next day)! On Saturday night, our host took us to swanky San Isidro for a few drinks...we didn´t leave the house until 1am, returning bleary eyed at 5am, a typical night for most locals.

The Moreno club hosted a special weekly meeting just for us on Sunday, which included an incredible asado and a display of one of their major community projects to support local children.

(Moreno Rotary Meeting)

Almost as quickly as we had arrived, we were off to our last host city, Junin.

(Chris and Sara with their Junin hosts. Their daughter Augustina is a member of the incoming GSE team from Argentina).

Junin is a city of 100,000 in the center of the Buenos Aires Province. We drove the three hours there accompanied by two hearty Moreno hosts, past hours and hours of countryside planted with wheat, corn, and soy. We enjoyed the ability to walk around the tree-lined center of town in Junin.

(Tango in a cafe in Junin)

(Traditional Asado (BBQ) at an Estancia near Junin)

Two+ Weeks into the Trip

2005-11-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

After leaving our lovely hosts in Chacabuco, we set off on the three hour ride back to our next stop in the Buenos Aires suburb of Jose C. Paz (named after the first newspaper publisher in Argentina). We settled in with our new host families and then set off for our weekend retreat (sans Rotary hosts) in Buenos Aires. In the capital we enjoyed a stay in the Retiro neighborhood and marveled at the Paris-like feel of the big city.

Sara and I took a day trip on Saturday to the town of Colonia in Uruguay, a one hour ride by ferry accross the Rio Plata from Buenos Aires. There we strolled around the 18th century historic buildings and cobbled streets, observed many people drinking mate (Uruguayans are famous for loving their mate), and enjoyed a nice relaxing afternoon. Richard, Chris, and Sarah got to know several neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, including the newly rehabilitated neighborhood of Puerto Madero (great adaptive re-use of old dock buildings) and the Soho-like Palermo. We all saw the stylish ¨Puerto de la Mujer¨, (see photo) a pedestrian bridge designed by a Spanish architect that rises up across the river in an arching simplicity that contrasts nicely with the 19th century dock buildings of Puerto Madero. Other city highlights include two excellent meals in the Palermo district, plenty of shopping, and a visit to the MALBA art museum (see photo).

We took the commuter-rail back to Jose C. Paz on Sunday night and were treated to an excellent home-made asado and empanadas. On Monday we were up bright an early to make the trip to La Plata, the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires. In La Plata, we met with Freddie Garay, a nationally known planner and architect who, while working for the City of Buenos Aires, helped bring the adaptive re-use of Puerto Madero to fruition. Mr. Garay has also spent much of his career working to provide housing for the lowest-income Argentines, and he shared with us a national perspective on housing issues. (Photo at left - Translation is "Federal Housing Program"). We also discussed growth patterns of the Buenos Aires suburbs, where 50% of the population is poor, compared to 10% in the capital city. In La Plata we also visited a large affordable housing development that is currently under construction and that is meant to replace a neighboring ¨villa de miseria¨ (shantytown).

On Tuesday we were treated to a visit to Tigre in the delta region north of Buenos Aires. And yesterday we were back on the housing trail, visiting an enormous construction site in Jose C. Paz. (See Photo at Left) Jose C. Paz currently has plans to build more than 1,500 new affordable houses. We visited one site, which will include 1,000 new units as well as infrastructure (water, sewer, electricity) and community-use buildings such as schools. The homes are modestly-sized (approx. 450 square feet for a 2BR) but a significant improvement over the villa homes where the future residents currently live. This particular site is being built by labor cooperatives of 16 people per 8 houses. Workers have no previous experience building houses and are supervised by an architect (1 per 3 coops) and an engineer-consultant to provide technical support. All of the construction workers will receive a house of their own at the end of the project. There are approximately 2,000 workers (!) on the site, and currently they are building 250 homes. Once these are completed, they´ll start on another 250, until all 1,000 are completed. Construction is traditional, (thin) slab on grade, and all of the work is essentially done by hand.

(with our Jose C. Paz Hosts)

In the evening we attended the Rotary Club meeting of the club of San Miguel, which invited as well our hosts from Jose C. Paz. The meeting was the biggest we´ve attended yet - more than 40 people - and as a surprise we were serenaded with traditional Argentine songs by a very talented local singer. We finally got our Powerpoint presentation up and running with not even one glitch.

Today we are transfering to Moreno, a suburb of Buenos Aires about 30-40 minutes from Jose C. Paz.

One Week into the Trip

2005-10-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Argentina from the GSE Team!

Our team arrived safely in Buenos Aires on Wednesday morning October 26th after a long overnight trip. We were met at the airport by our first group of Rotary host families and immediately taken to our respective homes for a day of recovery from travel. The team was divided among several towns in the western suburbs of Buenos Aires with Rotary members from two different clubs. Our first full day on Thursday was exactly that = quite full! Our first stop was a meeting with the planning director of nearby town to learn about their master planning efforts and particularly how they are dealing with new housing and with rehabilitating some of the housing that has become either run down or socially challenged. We then went to a bank to learn about mortgage and lending practices. Generally we found that the people who actually qualify for loans are not those who really need them! Most people who purchase homes in Argentina do so with cash, so the concept of leverage does not really exist here....

We also met on Thursday with some of the faculty at the local University to discuss some of the new efforts around housing in Argentina and to see some of their work.

(Sara presenting to the Merlo Norte Rotary Club)

Thursday night we made our first presentation (in Spanish!) to a Rotary Club.After some technical difficulties that included a smoking transformer (!) all went quite well.

(Richard sampling Yerba Mate, a traditional drink of Argentina. We all needed to cut the bitter flavor with lots of sugar!)

Friday we spent touring some housing construction sites in the nearby towns and in the afternoon we visited a bilingual school during their sports practice. Richard was a big hit telling stories of surfing and the recent shark attack in Bolinas, which thrilled the teenagers to no end.

Saturday we had a city bus tour of Buenos Aires and saw some of the more important neighborhoods, (Photo: colorful La Boca Neighborhood in Buenos Aires) including several of the soccer stadiums (Boca Juniors and River Plate - should not even really mention them in the same sentence because the rivalry is so intense here). The team is looking forward to returning to the city again in another week or so for more time to explore.

Sunday we moved to our second club in Chacabuco (not on the map below, but just to the west of Merlot and Moreno). It is a smaller city of about 40,000 residents - very charming, very pretty and with a very nice downtown area that comes alive with everyone at night. (Photo: At the Chacabuco Rotary Club. They loaded us up with Dulce de Leche!) We are now settled in w¡th our second families and had another vocational day on Monday, meeting with a cooperative that implements affordable housing initiatives locally and then in the afternoon touring a number of the different barrios (neighborhoods) that the cooperative has worked on in the past 15 years. The instability of the economy and inflation has made it extremely difficult for any programs to have any sort of ´legs´in Argentina, and it seems that every time the economic situation changes here, the program becomes entirely new and different, making it tough for there to be any sort of institutional memory. This applies not only to housing but to many different government program. Needless to say, we are all recognizing the perserverence of the Argentinians in times of difficulty!

We are all happy and healthy, if a little tired out, but the families so far have been wonderful, the food is terrific and the programming has been very good. We heard that the last group of Argentines who visited the states from this district all gained 4-6 kilos in one month in the US, so we are all trying to watch our dulce de leche consumption!

We all send our greetings and best wishes to you all.

Itinerary

2005-10-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

We have received our itinerary from the Argentinians and are excited to see that we've got lots to do. The itinerary is posted blow (en espanol) and I'm including a link to a translator that is somewhat helpful (although with some very funny limitations from time to time!)
http://babelfish.altavista.com/

The map above shows most of the areas we'll be visiting including Buenos Aires, Moron, Merlo and Moreno. Towards the end of the trip we'll be headed for Junin, which is west of Moreno.

If you have specific questions about our trip plans, please email any one of us and we'll be happy to provide more details. Otherwise, keep checking in and we'll keep on updating the blog as our trip unfolds!

Itinerario:

ROTARY CLUB: Merlo Norte

26 Octubre
-Recepción y desayuno en Ezeiza - Traslado a hogares de familias anfitrionas
-Descanso - Compartir con familias anfitrionas

27 Octubre
-Encuentro con el Director de obras públicas de la Municipalidad de Morón
-Coloquio en la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Morón.
-A la Noche presentación del grupo en RC Merlo Norte - Recepción Oficial

28 Octubre
-Visita a varias viviendas en construcción del partido de Merlo.
-Visita al campo deportivo del Sarmiento Intl. School de San A. de Padua
para interactuar con alumnos y docentes del colegio bilingüe y practicar deportes

29 Octubre
-Día libre para visitar la ciudad de Buenos Aires con un cronograma que les entrega-
rá el RC Merlo Norte. Allí podrán conocer lugares históricos y turísticos.

30 Octubre
-Entrega del grupo al RC Chacabuco en la entrada principal de la Basílica de Luján.

ROTARY CLUB: Chacabuco

30 Octubre
-Traslado al RC de Chacabuco - Almuerzo en el club
-Tarde libre y cena en los hogares anfitriones

31 Octubre
-Visita a la Intendencia - Comienzo del día vocacional
-Cena con rotarios

1 Noviembre
-Mañana libre - Por la tarde visita al Haras Caryjuan y al cementerio local
-Por la noche Reunión y presentación en el RC Chacabuco

2 Noviembre
-Mañana libre - Al mediodía traslado a Chivilcoy con programa a cargo de rotarios
-Retorno a medianoche a los hogares anfitriones

3 Noviembre
-Visita a la planta de productos de maiz - Almuerzo - Visita la la planta Molinos
-Chacabuco - Tarde Libre - Cena con rotarios

ROTARY CLUB: José C. Paz

4 Noviembre
-Arribo a la sede del RC José C. Paz - Traslado a hogares de familias anfitrionas
-Tarde libre y cena en los hogares anfitriones

5 y 6 Noviembre
Días libres

7 Noviembre
-Visita a funcionarios a cargo de Tierras y Viviendas de la Provincia de Bs. As.

8 Noviembre
-City Tour a la Ciudad de Bs. As.

9 Noviembre
-Visita guiada por personal municipal a barrio de viviendas económicas que se está
levantando en José C Paz y que fuera anunciado por el presidente Kirchner
Recorrida por distintos lugares de interés de la zona - Traslado de reunión al RC
G. Sarmiento. - Presentación del grupo de intercambio

10 Noviembre
-Traslado al RC Moreno Florencio Molina Campos

ROTARY CLUB: Moreno Florencio Molina Campos

10 Noviembre
-Arribo y encuentro con familias anfitrionas y cena en los hogares

11 Noviembre
-Visitarán con un arquitecto vivienda de bajos recursos y la institución que tiene a su
cargo las mismas. Todo ello se realizará en la localidad de Moreno

12 Noviembre
-Recorrido por la ciudad de Luján visitando la Basílica y el complejo Museográfico
-Tarde de shopping. Cena en casa de cada familia. Opc.: salida nocturna por la zona

13 Noviembre
-Mañana libre. Almuerzo. Se realizará un asado criollo con todos los miembros del
club. Tarde cultural: Los participantes del IGE realizarán su presentación y nos
mostrarán su cultura mediante alguna comida típica, baile, vestimenta, etc.

14 Noviembre
-Mañana libre - Almuerzo y posterior traslado a la ciudad de Junín

ROTARY CLUB: Junín

14 Noviembre
-Recibimiento por las familias anfitrionas y cena con las mismas.

15 Noviembre - TBD
16 Noviembre - TBD
17 Noviembre - TBD
18 Noviembre - TBD

ROTARY CLUB: Junín Sur

18-20 Noviembre
Conferencia de Distrito

21 Noviembre
-Desayuno en hotel y preparación de maletas
-Traslado del grupo a Ezeiza a cargo del RC Junín Sur

22 Noviembre
Vuelva a los Estados Unidos

Greetings from District 5130

2005-10-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Northern California District 5130
To Argentina District 4850

October 25 to November 22, 2005

GREETINGS FROM DISTRICT 5130

Dear friends in Rotary District 4850:We are very excited about the exchange of professionals between our two Districts. My district has, several times, hosted and sponsored Rotary Youth Exchange students with Argentina. These relationships have always been friendly, productive, and valuable.This year, we begin a new type of relationship, with Group Study Exchange. Yet the basis remains the same - to bring us closer to the goals of Rotary International: World Peace and International Understanding. We do this by providing opportunities for our team members to share with - and learn from - your District Rotarians and friends. We will share our respective cultures and history, family life, and our goals and dreams, both personally and professionally.Our District chose Affordable Housing as the focus of our Group Study Exchange. We have heard that your country has local and national policies about this theme. Our team members are dedicated to that topic in their professions, and they are eager to learn about your programs.With your help, our team will return home with increased knowledge for their own careers and with a greater understanding of Argentina and your people.

Sincerely,
Charlie Kelly
2005-06 District Governor 5130

ABOUT GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE

One of the most popular and rewarding programs of The Rotary Foundation is Group Study Exchange (GSE). This program offers a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunities for young business and professional men and women. Since the first exchange between districts in California and Japan in 1965, the program has provided educational experiences for over 35,000 business and professional men and women who have served on 6,500 teams. Since 1965, almost US $59 million has been allocated for GSE by the Rotary Foundation.

One of the most important features is the opportunity for team members to meet, talk and live with Rotarians and their families in a warm spirit of friendship and hospitality. The team members are given a chance to study another country, its people, language and institutions. This program promotes an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide. Observing vocations as practiced in another country benefits team members’ careers through discussion and reciprocal exchange of ideas.

This year's District 5130 GSE team has chosen a vocational focus of "affordable housing." Our team hopes to learn and share knowledge and expertise with Rotarians, government officials and private sector developers who are committed to providing housing that improves the quality of life for all citizens. Specific goals include:
. Understand how different Argentine people approach affordable housing needs
. Understand how Argentina's government is working with the private sector to increase affordable housing
. Share our experience in building, financing and maintaining affordable housing
. Establish relationships that will further our personal, cultural and professional understanding of our countries

About Rotary District 5130

District 5130 is located north of San Francisco and is composed of the six northwest counties of California, from south to north, Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Del Norte. From south to north the district is nearly 300 miles long and at its greatest width a little less than 100 miles. Rotarians in District 5130 are very proud of their international programs and projects as well as those in our immediate backyard.

We have 43 clubs in our district.
Our Rotary membership is over 2600.
Our smallest club in the district is Middletown with 17 members.
Our largest club in the district is Santa Rosa with 168 members.
We have chartered two clubs in the past five years.
We have 42 student interact clubs.
We have two Rotoract clubs.
We raised $ 120,000 for Tsunami Relief in 2005.

2005-10-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

The GSE Team - Mara, Sarah, Richard, Chris, Sara

2005-09-28T15:10:00.001-07:00

Richard Power
Tax Attorney

District 5130 Team Leader
Richard has been an attorney for 35 years. A cum laude graduate from Harvard College, he received his law degree from the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley and a masters in law (taxation) cum laude from Golden Gate University. He is a founding member of the law firm of Carle, Mackie, Power & Ross LLP in Santa Rosa, California where he is both the financial partner and the head of the firm’s Affordable Housing Group. The Affordable Housing Group represents both for profit and non-profit developers of affordable housing financed using the federal low income housing tax credit. The firm also represents corporate investors in these transactions. The firm has been involved in transactions as to over 10,000 units of housing. Additionally, Richard is a principal in a firm that develops homes designed for and marketed to first-time Latino home buyers.Richard has been a Rotarian for eleven years. He and other members of the Sebastopol Rotary Club founded the Sebastopol Sunrise Rotary Club. He has since returned to the Sebastopol Rotary Club where he is currently the Sergeant of Arms. He is also chairperson of its annual poker tournament. While his community activities now center on Rotary, he has also served over the years on various nonprofit boards. He has been married to Trish for 22 years. They have two children. Their son, Ryan, will turn 21 during the GSE Team’s stay in Argentina. He is a junior at the University of California at Santa Cruz majoring in environmental studies with a focus on sustainable agriculture. Their daughter, Juliana, is fifteen and a student at Analy High School. She is a dedicated volleyball player for both her school and club which results in a ten and a half month volleyball “season.” Richard’s wife, Trish, is a certified women’s health nurse practitioner who received her masters from the University of California at San Francisco. She is also an artist whose work focuses on the artistic use of gourds. Together they have a small, 800 vine vineyard, next to their 125 year old home. Richard has traveled extensively to Europe, Costa Rica, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Mexico, Canada, Peru (where he hiked the Inca Trail with his son), India (where he participated in the second descent of a river in the Himalayas) and Bhutan.

2005-09-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

Chris Pennacchio
Christopher has lived most of his life in the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois. He attributes his early interest in architecture to the abundant discoveries unveiled to him while exploring this great city as a child. Several years later he relocated to the central part of the state to attend the University of Illinois (UIUC) where he received his degree in architectural studies. He accepted his first position in Chicago at a notable firm specializing in educational projects, which began his tenure of twelve years in architectural practice. Since that time he has contributed to an array of projects including commercial office buildings and interiors, health facilities, and private residences. His recent work with Kellogg + Associates has focused on affordable housing, space planning, urban design and mixed-use projects. For the past six years, he has been a resident of Santa Rosa, appreciating the intimacy of a small city and the diversity of the Sonoma Valley landscape. The region offers him wonderful outdoor opportunities such as hiking and camping. He has enjoyed extensive traveling in recent years to various cities throughout the United States and Western Europe relishing new discoveries as he did in his youth. Christopher is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa West.

2005-09-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Mara Blitzer

Mara Blitzer was raised in the Bay Area and now lives in San Francisco, CA. She attended Amherst College in western Massachusetts and later moved to New York City, where she worked for an innovative non-profit organization, Common Ground, and helped to implement a housing program for youth aging out of foster care. While in NYC, Mara attended graduate school at Columbia University and received a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development. Mara relocated to California two years ago and began her current work as a Project Manager for Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition, an award-winning regional non-profit housing developer. Her work for MPHC has included development of affordable housing for farm worker families and seniors. Mara has always enjoyed traveling, and in 2002-2003 she visited 14 countries in eleven months. Her experiences ranged from picking fruit on an organic orchard in New Zealand, building a small house in rural Uganda, and assisting a nonprofit in Nicaragua with its goal of using solar energy to improve the lives of campesinos. Mara is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Windsor.

2005-09-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

Sara Press

Sara was born in Berkeley, California and spent her childhood in rural coastal southern Mendocino County. After getting her undergraduate degree in Sonoma County, and a geography master’s degree from the University of Oregon, Sara is back to living and working in Berkeley. She works for an urban planning and design firm called Design, Community & Environment, whose work is based on the principles of good design, community involvement and environmental conservation. Sara brings her geographer’s perspective to the work she does managing projects, conducting researches, and writing a range of comprehensive planning documents, including plans for specific neighborhoods, general plans for Cities and Counties, urban design studies and environmental assessments. Community participation is a key component of the work Sara does, and she is skilled at organizing public workshops and facilitating small groups. Sara lives with her husband, Andrew, and they enjoy traveling and spending time with Sara’s family in northern California and Andrew’s family in Scotland. Sara fills her free time with a variety of dance classes, including West-African, afro-Brazilian, afro-Cuban, samba and salsa. Sara is sponsored by the Sebastopol Sunrise Rotary Club.

2005-09-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Sarah Zahn

Sarah Zahn was born and raised in the state of Maine, which is geographically located at the easternmost point in the United States. She attended Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated with a degree in Political Science and French. After graduation, Sarah moved to San Francisco, California and began working in the Internet technology industry. She spent five years working in public relations and consumer marketing at Internet start-up companies. Two years ago, Sarah switched industries and began working at A. F. Evans Development, a private affordable housing developer which develops, owns and manages over 8,000 apartments at properties in locations spanning the western coast of the United States. Sarah’s work at AFED has focused primarily on for-sale, condominium development targeted towards middle-income first-time homebuyers and on affordable rental family housing. In her free time, Sarah enjoys some of the many outdoor activities that Northern California has to offer including running, hiking, biking and alpine skiing. She has run a marathon and competed in several triathlons. Sarah lives in San Francisco with her husband of six months, Ted. She is sponsored by the Valley of the Moon Rotary Club in Santa Rosa, California.

Welcome to the GSE Blog

2005-09-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

We are preparing for our GSE trip to Argentina leaving on October 25, 2005.....