District Governor Cisca Stellhorn visited with an inspirational message of encouragement to carry on with our Community and International Service Projects, and was especially appreciative of of work with YOUTH through both Interact (Cal High) and Rotoract (Whittier College). She also presented our Most Inspirational Members Awards:
We acknowledge three members, Wesley Kruse, a longtime member who we lost to CoVid last March; Maggie Moe, for her outstanding Local Community Service work; and Wandi Steward for her International Community Service work for Literacy.
WESLEY KRUSE (1945-2021)
Wesley came to the Whittier Sunrise Rotary (actually East Whittier Rotary at that time) in 1987. He was a local Realtor and active in many civic activities. He grew up in Pico Rivera as the only child and spent much on his time working for his father on the large dairy farm pulling a new born calf and doing the milking. His father set an example as he was long time member of the local Lions Club with a long perfect attendance record and active in many other civic activities.
After graduating from Whittier College, he went on to take a graduate degree from Thunderbird School of International Business. He went to New York to work for Security Pacific Bank (now Bank of America) where he met his future wife, Louise. Returning to Southern California he worked downtown LA. Realizing the corporate life did not suit him, he switched careers and got a real estate license.
Wesley was always the perfect gentleman. He consistently spoke very highly of all the people he was around and never had a negative thought or word. After joining Rotary, he always attended every club meeting and activity. Throughout the years many of our members looked to him to assist them as their real estate professional. Wesley had the ability to light up the room when he entered.
MAGGIE MOE (Past Club President 2019-2020)
Maggie has been involved in the Whittier community her entire life, helping people and actively participating in community issues. She recently ran for the Whittier City Council in District #1. She serves on the Board of the Whittier Regional Symphony. She is a member of the Whittier Art Gallery.
She has served as a co-chair of the BATTLE OF THE BANDS, our Club’s major annual fundraiser, bringing together local high school jazz bands for a community concert. Proceeds benefit both the Club and the high school music programs. She is a marvelous recruiter. She has been a health advocate with the Guard-A-Heart Foundation facilitating events in Whittier and surrounding communities that offer free tests to analyze the health of the heart, and free CoVid-19 tests.
She has been active in local food drives, and works to aid residents facing eviction. She actively supports public gardening projects, such as tree plantings and butterfly gardens. And she is a wonderful cook, often providing the refreshments at Rotary-sponsored events!
WANDI STEWARD (Our Newest Member)
Wandi Steward, is an experienced facilitator of airport operations and emergency management. A graduate of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, Wandi designed and delivered full-scale disaster simulation exercises at the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. She draws upon this knowledge to teach aviation career directions to middle school students via Zoom through the World Space Foundation.
Currently on her fifth visit to East Africa, Wandi is leading our Club’s International Literacy Project, in concert with Rotary Clubs in Tanzania and Rwanda that delivers HUNDREDS of culturally relevant physical and digital books as well as project-based experiential education to elementary school students in children’s centers throughout Arusha, Tanzania and Kigali, Rwanda.
She is an avid outdoors-person– while in Arusha, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Her sheer energy is awe-inspiring!