Rear Admiral Michael J. Browne - Rotary Club of Oklahoma City

Meeting Location: Petroleum ClubTuesday – 11:45 a.m.June 10, 2008GreetersMarta Jones, Jim Bruza,Floyd Skarky and New MembersLuncheon/Parking Ticket SalesGary ZebrowskiAttendance ScanningMark McDaniel and Eric RobertsVisiting Rotarians & GuestsRegistrationProgram CommitteeEmily Stratton, ChairmanRay Ackerman, David Alexander, Bill Bowden, TimBrassfield, Jack Coleman, Larry Edwards, LelandGourley,Carolyn Hill, Steve Kime, Bob Klabzuba, NancyLeonard, Susan McCalmont, Mike O'Neal, Ron Page, H.J.Reed, Bill Rodgers, Pat Rooney, Rowell Sargeant, DennisShockley, Steve Solomon, Clayton Taylor.Sunshine CommitteeCarl Bosteels, ChairCall 235-5100 with sickness, hospital orbereavement information.Next Program: Petroleum ClubTuesday, June 17, 2008Presidents DayJune 10, 2008 Volume 96 No. 48Rear AdmiralMichael J. BrowneNaval Sea Systems CommandWashington, D.C.Rear Admiral Michael J. Browne is a 1980graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with adegree in Mechanical Engineering.Rear Adm. Browne has commanded fourreserve units including Naval WeaponsStation, Port Hadlock Detachment 213, ForestPark, Ill; Submarine Squadron 2 Detachment213, Gary, Ind.; Space and Naval WarfareSystems Command HeadquartersDetachment 406, San Diego, Calif; and asProgram Director, Naval Network and SpaceOperations Command, Norfolk, Va.He has recently served as Chief of Staff forTask Force Navy Family, Washington, D.C.,supporting families affected by HurricanesKatrina and Rita; as Deputy Director of theNavy Staff, Washington, D.C.; and as theSenior Fellow for the CNO’s Strategic StudiesGroup (SSG XXVI), Newport, R.I.InvocationRowell SargeantIntroductionsWayne Dabneycontinued on page 2Chair-of-the-DayGreg SlavonicGreg Slavonic receivedhas bachelors of sciencedegree from OklahomaState University and hereceived his mastersdegree from the University of CentralOklahoma. He has served in the U.S.Navy in the Vietnam War, Gulf War,Saudi Arabia, North Arabian Gulf, RedSea and Operation Enduring Freedom II,in Baghdad, Iraq. He is ExecutiveDirector of the Jim Thorpe Association,continued on page 2

REFLECTIONSREFLECTIONSby Vi Le“Oklahoma Revisited”My dear friend Cindyand her family traveledup to Oklahoma Cityfrom Fort Worth tospend the weekendwith my family. Cindyand I met the first week of law schoolat the University of Oklahoma andbecame fast friends. After 14 years offriendship, we are both practicingattorneys with very full lives in andout of the office.Cindy had not been back toOklahoma except for depositions,weddings and funerals since ourgraduation, so we spent the weekendrevisiting Oklahoma City andNorman. We started out at La Lunain downtown Oklahoma City formargaritas and Mexican food. As wepulled into the parking lot, she askedif this was the area that the ArtsFestival was each year. I said yes andlaughed at her excellent memory.Our Arts festival ritual consisted ofthe following: eat, walk, eat, and thenhustle back to Norman to study forlaw school finals. She told herhusband that this was a great festivaland her only regret was that, as astudent, she was too poor to buy anyart (but never too poor to sample thegreat food).At La Luna we, the super moms,managed to drop a container oftortillas on one child's head, spillcheese sauce over the menus, andplug a leak springing from the side ofone of the kid's drink cups —allbefore ordering our meal. Afterdinner, we proceeded to the AT&TBricktown Ballpark for the evening’sRedHawks game. My friendmarveled out how Bricktown hadgrown with beautiful waterways,bustling nightlife and a gorgeousballpark.The next morning we went to LakeOverholser so that the kids could playat the relatively new Route 66 Park onthe west side of the Lake. It is hometo the City of Oklahoma City's largestplayground structure. It was a hugehit with the school-age set and withparents like us who enjoyed the ampleshade. While we were sittingwatching our kids play and lookingonto the lake, Cindy asked me aboutour classmates like Mike Knopp, withwhom we traveled the UK during ourOU Law Oxford Summer Program.She asked if he was still rowing. Isaid that he was indeed and is now theExecutive Director of the OklahomaCity Boathouse Foundation and theHead Coach of the Rowing Program atOklahoma City University. She wasthrilled that Mike has turned hispassion and vision into a reality forOklahoma City.To close out the weekend, we wentback to our alma mater at OU Law.Cindy had not seen the significantaddition to the law school since wehad graduated or the beautifulrenovations. She marveled at the newbuilding and the growth of theUniversity as a whole. We took ourcameras to take pictures of kids on thegrounds of the law school – perhapsfuture law grads? Instead we gotpictures of kids splashing andscreaming while fishing their shoesout of the law school fountain. Myfriend looked over at the kids and thenover at me. She said to me, "I'm gladyou stayed in Oklahoma." I said, "Iam too. You knew I always would.”May 27 Luncheon MeetingPresident Gean Atkinson, Speaker PaulSechrist, OCCC President, and Chair of theDay, Harry Wilson.Rear Adm. Browne,continued from page 1Over the course of his career, RearAdm. Browne has received advanceddegrees in Underwater Acoustics fromthe Naval Postgraduate School,Business Administration from theUniversity of Chicago, and NationalStrategy and Resource Planning fromthe Industrial College of the ArmedForces, National Defense University asIBM’s Industry Fellow in 2005. He isalso a graduate of the HarvardBusiness School AdvancedManagement Program for IBM ClientExecutives and the Defense LanguageInstitute, Monterey, CA (French andSpanish).Chairman of the day,continued from page 1Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame,Rivers Transportation Group and servesas Chairman of the War on TerrorMemorial Committee. He retired as aRear Admiral from the U.S. Navy. Heand his wife Molly, have three childrenand one grandson.BUY YOUR CAR TAGSFROM BRAD SULLIVAN!Tag Agent Extraordinaire!2511 N. Westernthe Hughes Group / CFABUSINESS SALES & ACQUISITIONS9301 Cedar Lake Avenue, Ste. 203, OKC,OK 73114www.thehughes-group.com478-3800 (Fax) 478-2482 Larry HughesDanielMedleyBobMedleyCOMMERCIAL – INDUSTRIAL – RESIDENTIAL• Air Conditioning • Heating • Plumbing •528-3333SALES FAX: 528-3359 SERVICEwww.medley-insurance.com 405-528-3565

Happy BirthdayJames Caylor, 06/10, Energy & Minerals: PetroleumExploration Geology – Fossil Energy Inc.Ray Vaughn, 06/14, Government/County: Commissioner– Oklahoma County.Tim Brassfield, 06/15, Sports & Recreation: Sports/EventOrganizer – Okla. City All Sports Assn.Don Fitzgerald, 06/16, Investments: Investments.Interests: Parkinson’s Foundation of the Heartland.Mystery Rotarianby Ron PageLess than 20 years ago, our Mystery Rotarian relaxedand contemplated in an ocean-side café enjoying thePacific breeze. The location would have been Australia ormaybe New Zealand; could have been Indonesia, orpossibly Hawaii. Our club member lived in Honolulu atthe time in a 27th floor corner-unit condo, a small livingspace with a large view. One view was to the beach andthe sea and the other to the mountains.Living in Hawaii and working with major Pacific Rimgolf resorts provided many such idyllic settings when onesurely would have felt compelled to contemplate; but toooften that contemplation involved just how to complete aproject or problems in booking the next trip in or out ofAustralia. But on this occasion our Rotarian was lookingat the big picture: “My legacy, how I will be remembered,in what way will I make a meaningful contribution?” Stillyoung, our club member could dream of whatprofessional triumph or service to humanity might leave amark, totally unaware that people around the worldwould hear of our Rotarian for something alreadyachieved years earlier.Back in high school at Northwest Classen, our MysteryRotarian played violin in the school orchestra and won amusic competition, but learned from a respected teacherthat the future did not hold the promise of performing atCarnegie Hall, La Scala, or the Shanghai Opera House.Northwest Classen claimed several state championshipsin sports, but our member’s 117 lb. frame was a bit smallto be a varsity starter although sports were certainly onepart of the foundation of this outstanding Rotarian’scharacter.Before moving to Hawaii, our Rotarian was theyoungest person in State history to be licensed in thechosen prestigious profession, a profession in which ourmember would play a leadership role, serving aspresident of the local chapter of this profession’sforemost organization, and state president of that sameorganization once in each of four decades. Not just afigurehead, this Rotarian played a role on a national levelserving in various capacities including creating andevaluating licensing and registration examinations.Locally, our Rotarian has been active in historicpreservation as well as serving as a member of theOklahoma City Arts Commission. No longer interested inviolin, our member purchased a ukulele while visitingHawaii just last year.Following a landmark event in this nation’s history, ourClub 29 member was called upon to provide criticalinformation available from no other source and will nodoubt be part of the historical record. It is unlikely anymember of Club 29 has spent more time withinternational media figures than our Mystery Rotarianwho was interviewed for six hours by Tom Brokaw alone.Arguably millions more people worldwide know thename and location of one of our member’s creations thanknow the location of Grand Canyon, YellowstoneNational Park, or Rockefeller Center.Our Mystery Rotarian’s music teacher was wrong insuggesting the Shanghai Opera House was not a futurepossibility, for in the summer of 2006, our Club 29member did indeed take the stage at the Shanghai OperaHouse, not with a violin, and not with a ukulele, but withnotes to accompany a lecture at an internationalprofessional conference.Who is this Mystery Rotarian? Turn to page 4 to findout and read more about this outstanding individual.www.osborneelectric.comIt’s The ServiceThat Counts.24 Hours7 Days Week525-7622Cole + Reed P.C.531 Couch Dr. Ste 200Oklahoma City, OK 73102-2251www.coleandreed.comdgreenwell@coleandreed.com218-4703BarneySemtnerSEMCOCOLOR PRESS(405) 528-1919 • FAX 525-0632blsemtner@semcocolor.comWe build strong kids,strong families,ilies,strong communities.m YMCAServing Oklahoma City since 1889231-8866 saintsok.com

Make-UpDawn Davis 05/13 North OKC •Marty Kavanaugh 05/19 West OKC •Tom Price 05/27 Shreveport, LA •Lowell Stewart 05/28 West OKC •ROTARY INAUGURALJoin us for a very special evening,Tuesday, June 24th at the Oklahoma CityGolf & Country Club. Reception andCocktails are at 6:00 and Dinner is at 7:00.Cost is $70 per person billed on yourquarterly statements. Paul Harris Fellows,wear your PHF medallions. Rotary 29Community Fellows, wear your Rotary 29Fellow Medallion and your PHF lapel pin.Jeff Simpsen is Chairman.Michael K. Kirk, DDS1057 NW Grand Blvd. OKC 73118405-848-3719www.dentistokc.comGeneral • ImplantCosmetic DentistrySimplified Self-Funding forOklahoma's Finest EmployersMedical • Dental • VisionDisability Management3121 Quail Springs Pkwy, OKC 73134www.maa-tpa.com • 405.848.1975Todd ArcherPresidentNominations for membershipSecond NoticeThe following nominations for membership have beenreceived in the Rotary office. If you have an objection, pleasedirect it to the Rotary office within three days.Will Lightfoot, Director of Marketing,Lee Properties, “Fast Food Franchisee”nominated by Joshua Fahrenbruck andAnn Felton.ROTARY OFFICE HAS MOVEDNew Address119 North Robinson # 360(73102)Mystery Rotarian revealed...........................................Our Mystery Rotarian is Jim Loftis, our incoming president takingoffice July 1. Jim is an architect and was the designer of theMurrah Federal Bldg. Immediately after the bombing and forweeks following, Jim was a continuing source of information forrescuers, investigators and journalists. No one else possessed hisknowledge of every detail of the structure. The sturdiness of Jim’sdesign is evidenced by the fact that the rear of the buildingremained in place and, in fact, reflected the force of the blast to thenorth, protecting from harm the many downtown highrises andoccupants to the south.Jim is a graduate of OU’s Architectural School and was a four-time presidentof the state chapter of AIA. He lived in Honolulu from 1989-1994 and was aconsulting architect on a billion dollar golf resort development in Australia aswell as other Pacific Rim resorts and several extreme high-end residences inHawaii. He is a leader in many civic activities. Thirty years ago, Jim wasinstrumental in rescuing the Overholser Mansion from disrepair.In 2006, Jim was invited to speak at an international architectural conference inShanghai, China, and Jim did, indeed lecture from the stage of the ShanghaiOpera House. Jim and his wife, Jan, toured the Hawaiian Islands last winter.ColemanClarkCome See UsAfter Rotary–Just Across The Street101 Park Ave. • 232-8806 • www.bcclark.comChange for Airmen and SailorsThis years pocket change collections will go to the unmet needsof families of our local Troops serving in harms way. $7,524.87has been raised.JimClarkT. S. PHILLIPS INVESTMENTS, INC.“Service To The Investor”Investment Consulting forIndividuals and InstitutionsTom Phillips943-94333555 N.W. 58th St, Suite 600, OKC 73112Member NASD/SIPCThe OKC Rotary News(USPS 471-440)Official Publication of theRotary Club of Oklahoma CityMember of Rotary InternationalClub No. 29, organized Nov. 22, 1910Meets 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each Tuesday, at thePetroleum Club. Published weekly except theweek(s) between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eveand when New Year’s Day and July 4th fall on aTuesday by The Rotary Club of Oklahoma City, 119N. Robinson, #360, OKC, OK 73102, Ph. 235-5100.Subscription price $1.00 per year.Periodicals paid at OKC, OK.POSTMASTER send address changes toThe OKC Rotary News, c/o Rotary Club of OKC,119 N. Robinson, #360, OKC, OK 73102.www.okcrotary.com • email: rotary29@okcrotary.comOfficersGean Atkinson PresidentJim Loftis Vice PresidentAnn Ackerman SecretaryJeff Brown TreasurerJeff Simpsen Sergeant-at-ArmsDirectorsBarry GangwerRon PageEmily StrattonTerri CooperMike McAuliffeMarion PadenSam Hammons Past PresidentEllen Fleming Past TreasurerEditorRon PageGroup ChairChuck WigginContributing EditorsSusan AgelBilly BowdenJohn FrostDonna LawrenceVi LeSusan McVeyRon PagePat RooneyBarney SemtnerDonna LawrenceLuncheon MenuChoice of:• Fruit Plate with Chicken Salad• Chef’s Salad• or Small Luncheon Salad• London Broil with sautéed onions &mushrooms• Vegetable & PotatoLuncheon Includes:• Bistro Dessert• Rolls and Butter• Coffee or teaAttendanceMay 27, 2008Total Present & Makeup ......................................186Average ................................................................38%MembershipMay 15, 2008........................................................537Senior Active Excused ..........................................21Honorary Members ..............................................20Total ......................................................................496Club 29 Breakfast Meetingmeets every Thursday at 7:15 a.m.Crowne Plaza (formerly NW Hilton Inn)The breakfast speaker on June 12th isJoe HodgesSt. Anthony Hospital Update Phase 2