Events

Artificial intelligence is increasingly woven into our everyday routines, shaping communication, work, security, and more. Dr. Joshua Waite, postdoctoral researcher at Iowa State University’s Translational AI Center and founder of Asters (an early-stage physical security technology startup), will share approachable examples of AI’s role in daily life, address its limitations, and discuss how these technologies are being developed and applied.

Coffee farmers, service learning, and coffee immersion visits to Uganda and Honduras. Cafe el Zapote has been importing coffee to Ames since 2018, but the volume has grown exponentially over the last two years. Adding service learning trips and coffee immersion visits to the coffee imports is an exciting endeavor.

We will enjoy breakfast burritos and scones from the Filling Station and freshly brewed coffee from Cafe el Zapote. 

Ames Fire Chief Rich Higgins will also join us with a few words about the Ames Fire Station #2 Relocation Project. The City of Ames is moving forward with plans to relocate Fire Station No. 2 from its current location on Welch Avenue to a new site along State Avenue. A bond referendum will appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 4 ballot. This project is designed to: Enhance community safety with a modern, efficient facility; Improve emergency response times; Support redevelopment in Campustown.

Program Spotlight: Ames New Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus

The City of Ames is embarking on a new era for solid waste, recyclables, and yard waste management as it transitions away from the 50-year waste-to-energy operations. Join us to learn about the exciting construction and plans for the community's new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus.

We are excited to welcome Clayton Mooney, Co-Founder and Chief Farmer of Clayton Farms, as our guest speaker! Clayton will share his fascinating journey, detailing how he transitioned from growing up on an Iowa farm to successfully building innovative technology companies. As Chief Farmer of Clayton Farms, his mission is to provide "better food for more people." A proud alum of Iowa State University, Clayton enjoys pushing his limits by running ultramarathon trail races when he's not busy revolutionizing farming.

For lunch, you'll have the opportunity to taste the results of Clayton's hard work! We will serve delicious salads made with produce from Clayton Farms.

If you aren't able to join us in person, we will be streaming the meeting on our YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/live/DqSqjvNJqfo?feature=share

We're excited to welcome Matthew O'Neal, Professor and the H.A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture in the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology at Iowa State University.

Professor O'Neal will share insights and data from the innovative Alliant Energy-ISU Solar Farm partnership. This 10-acre, utility-scale solar farm, built in 2024, is a living laboratory where ISU faculty and students conduct crucial research on agrivoltaics—determining which farming and conservation practices can be carried out in an environmentally and economically sustainable way alongside solar panels.

Having just completed their second field season, Professor O'Neal has interesting data and stories to share about:

• The possibilities for integrating conservation and agricultural activities at solar farms.

• The research into growing fruits, vegetables, and pollinator habitats in the modified microclimate beneath and between solar arrays.

• What these results mean for the expansion of solar developments in Iowa and the future of sustainable land use that values both agriculture and renewable energy.

Don't miss this fascinating look at what's possible when utility and agricultural interests align for the future! 

Watch the video recording at https://youtu.be/DDLC4E52bbE?si=8wltl61dpyJUqY2D

President-Elect Nominee Randy Olson will kick off our membership campaign for the year. Lisa Heddens will share details about a new social media campaign that everyone will participate in, and Karin Sevde will provide the annual Rotary Foundation update and present several Paul Harris Fellow recognitions.

Lunch will be Pyrizhky and Rolinni, from Piece & Freedom, and soup from Labyrinth Coffee.

If you are not able to join us in person, please tune in to watch our live stream on our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@rotaryclubofames

The Rotary Club of Ames is hosting a special off-site "Bring Your Own Brown-Bag Lunch" meeting on Monday, November 24th.

We're excited to visit and learn more about the incredible work being done at the Boys and Girls Club of Story County! This is a fantastic opportunity to see their new space and get a comprehensive overview of their program.

• Date: Monday, November 24th
• Time: Fellowship and Brown Bag Lunch begins at 11:45 am
• Program/Tour: Starts at 12:15 pm
• Location: Boys and Girls Club 210 South 5th Street, Ames, IA 50010
• ​Note: This is a Bring Your Own Brown-Bag lunch, so please remember to bring your own lunch for the fellowship portion!

We encourage all members to attend and support this vital community partner.

This Meeting will NOT be live-streamed.

Myrna Johnson, IPR's Executive Director, will talk about the outsized role ISU and WOI played in creating today's public radio system and what the future holds as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting closes its doors, and the public radio system goes it alone without state or federal support.

Lunch will be catered by Sweet Caroline's. Cider Glazed Roasted Chicken, Candied Sweet Potatoes & Festive Puppy Chow. 

If you are not able to join us in person, please watch on our YouTube channel. https://youtube.com/live/L15fXlTjA3Q?feature=share

ACCESS | Assault Care Center Extending Shelter & Support 

​ACCESS is a free, voluntary, and confidential agency that provides services to victims of homicide & all violent crimes.

View the recording of this meeting at https://youtu.be/NJI4qdYPFmI

Download the Accessing ACCESS document here

🎄 It's the Most Wonderful Meeting of the Year! 🎄

Get ready for some holiday cheer! The Rotary Club of Ames is taking a break from formal presentations to focus on what matters most: Food, Fun, and Fellowship.

Join us for our annual Holiday Luncheon! It's going to be a lively celebration of the season and our community.

❄️ Here is what we have planned:

• Dress to Impress (or Distress): Break out your best Ugly Sweater, your festive Christmas tie, or any holiday attire that brings you joy. 🧣

• Trivia & Prizes: Test your holiday knowledge and maybe walk away with a win!

• Holiday Songs: We'll be spreading cheer with some classic tunes. 🎶

• The Brag Bucket: Come prepared to share your holiday plans or favorite festive memories. All proceeds from the bucket will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Ames & Story County.

🗓️ When: December 15th
🕛Time: The fun starts at Noon
📍 Where: The Plex Community Center 

Music has always been a significant part of Paul Lasley's life, and after spending 40 years on the ISU faculty, he started taking fiddle lessons. This led to acquiring old fiddles from flea markets, antique malls, pawn shops, and garage sales, fixing them up, and donating them to the CY Stephens Instrument Drive to provide fiddles to grade school and middle school youth who aspire to become musicians. Restoring fiddles combines his woodworking skills and interest in music to help support public school orchestras in central Iowa.

Potters Shoppe & Eatery will serve our lunch buffet.

If you are not able to join us in person, please tune into our YouTube Channel for the Live Stream!

Iowa has a critical shortage of all health care workers, and it’s straining the state’s entire care system, from hospitals to nursing homes. It could also be impacting your health, especially if you’re in a rural area. For Ames residents, the shortage makes it more challenging to find a primary care provider or see a specialist, leading to a negative impact on their health and longevity. Dr. Kitchell will present a pertinent and practical talk about Iowa’s shortages of health care workers and what we are doing about it.

We will also hear an update from The Boys & Girls Club of Story County and The Salvation Army on the use of their Rotary Community Grant funds. 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7146949574?pwd=VYFiUqbGgSxjxEHgYJaCA4s6fqz3Cq.1&omn=85307008752

Meeting ID: 714 694 9574
Passcode: Rotary

Join us for a social gathering at The Ames Writers Collective (612 Fifth St., Ames) prior to the MLK Day Celebration at City Hall. The event begins at 5 pm and will end at 6:15 pm, allowing members time to make their way to City Hall. 

There will not be a formal program.
Street Parking will be available on 5th Street.
Thank you to former Rotarian Ana McCracken for opening the facility for our event.

Ames and Story County MLK Day Celebration
Monday, January 19, 2026
Ames City Hall Auditorium, 520 6th Street, Ames, IA

Social: 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• Birthday Cookies & AHS Jazz Band
Program: 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
• Humanitarian Awards Presentation
• Sixth Annual High School Essay Contest Winner Announced (Rotary is a sponsor)
• Musical Selections (Meeker Elementary School and more)
• Keynote Speaker: Quentin Hart, Mayor of Waterloo, IA

🚑  ARCH: Redefining our Response

Traditional emergency responses don't always fit every crisis. The ARCH team provides a specialized unit of mental health professionals and paramedics who respond to 911 calls involving mental health, housing, or social needs—bridging the gap between medical care and community support. We will hear from Nick Toornstra & Becky Lundy.

🎨  Grant Presentation: Octagon Center for the Arts

We will also hear from Heather Johnson from the Octagon Center for the Arts. Heather will share details about their latest project and how our Rotary grant is helping foster creativity and community in Downtown Ames.

Join us via Zoom at Noon. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7146949574?pwd=VYFiUqbGgSxjxEHgYJaCA4s6fqz3Cq.1&omn=85133885318 (Meeting ID: 714 694 9574 Passcode: Rotary)

America's SBDC Iowa (part of the America's Small Business Development Center network) is a statewide business support organization that provides no-cost, confidential, and customized business guidance and training to Iowa entrepreneurs and small business owners. It's hosted by Iowa State University's Ivy College of Business and funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Got a business idea—or already running one? Come check out a presentation on America's SBDC Iowa and learn how small business owners get no-cost, confidential, and customized help with things like business planning, financing, marketing, and growth. Whether you're just dreaming or already doing, SBDC is here to help. Join us and find out how!

If you can't join us in person, please watch our YouTube live stream: https://youtube.com/live/8jRIXGLzQ84?feature=share

Mark Swanson, Regional Director, will speak about Growing Hope Globally, a Christian response to hunger through agricultural development that, for more than 25 years, has linked the grassroots energy and commitment of rural communities in the U.S. with the capability and desire of smallholder farmers in developing countries to grow lasting solutions to hunger.

Kristin Pates and Megan Klein-Hewitt will each update us on how their organization has used their Community Grant funds.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87997114978?pwd=HmsJETLWzR5bSYLSYVOaoN5DUu7PN2.1

Meeting ID: 879 9711 4978
Passcode: Rotary

"I love living in Ames! I am passionate about seeing Ames continue to be a great city for current and future generations, and Building The Future of Ames Together!"

Mayor Haila was elected on November 7, 2017, and sworn in on January 2, 2018. He was re-elected on November 3, 2021, and sworn in on January 3, 2022.

Schonerts will provide lunch catering with sandwiches, soup, and cookies.

If you are unable to join in person, please watch on our YouTube Channel. https://youtube.com/live/tqJdRAQXnYA?feature=share

After Timpson's Fulbright in Burundi, three Global Grants were created through Fort Collins and Ngozi Rotary Clubs, following a thirty-year civil war resolved with Nelson Mandela's help. The war, starting in 1962 amid Africa's independence wave, involved minority Tutsi (15%) ruling Burundi with colonial support and opposition from the majority Hutu (80%).

Limited by French education, peacebuilding efforts shifted to English to facilitate education, aiming to overcome poverty and colonialism and foster a deeper understanding of peace. In 2011, Timpson, as a Fulbright Senior Specialist, worked with colleagues in Burundi, leading to these Rotary Global Grants. These fostered collaboration with neurologist Dr. Spencer in 2025 and with the upcoming book 'Re-Training the Brain … for Peace.'

Timpson will discuss working with the University of Ngozi to include peace in curricula and inspire global leaders, encouraging others to build on this foundation.

Learn how the new Behavioral Health Service System in Iowa is designed to make it easier for people to find the help they need. This presentation highlights the Iowa Primary Care Association's role as the Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organization. It introduces System Navigation—a free, low‑barrier service that helps individuals, families, and professionals understand options, overcome barriers, and connect to behavioral health supports.

To combat and, hopefully, reverse greenhouse gas (GHG) growth and climate change, achieving the ambitious goal of net zero GHG emissions by 2050 is essential for the health and well-being of our children and grandchildren. Therefore, the science and engineering community worldwide must do its best to address key GHG emission challenges to make renewable, zero-carbon electric power more accessible and to promote the widespread adoption of green technologies.

Learn more about Iver at this link: https://www.ameslab.gov/news/inventor-and-ames-national-laboratory-scientist-iver-anderson-retires 

Lunch will be catered by Garbanzo – it’s a pita buffet with protein choices of lemon chicken and gyro, Tabbouleh salad, and baklava.

Don't forget to bring your baked goods for the Rotaract bake sale to the meeting. Please fill out this form about your donation. **Please read the instructions on the form carefully.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfe53TUzRArOTFK2PRrXuLtzte7ze6Vb82RCP39u71VIzZNw/viewform?usp=header

If you are unable to join us in person, you can also join us online via our YouTube channel - https://youtube.com/live/Urf3hNXuvow?feature=share

First National Bank (presentation on the latest fraud schemes and effective strategies to prevent them). Beverages provided; 60 spots available.

United Way of Story County (visit the new Frankee Oleson Collaboration Hub space and hear the latest on the organization's 2030 community impact plan). 20 spots available

ChildServe (tour and conversation on current programs, initiatives, and growth strategies). Dessert provided, 10 spots available

Green Hills Community (comments by Marketing Director and Outreach Liaison AND Tours): Bistro available for lunch purchase or brown-bag; 20 spots available.

Ames Public Library and APL Friends Foundation (lunch, tour, and highlight of new things at the library). Lunch provided, 25 spots available.

Anyone who would like to sign up for a particular site can email Kate Reynolds at katerey@childserve.org. 

• Sarah Bennett-George: Teaching Professor in Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management
• Anna Weber: Senior in double-majoring in Fashion Design and Merchandising (emphasis in Merchandising and Retail Analytics) and Event Management
• Megan Ream: Senior in Fashion Design and Merchandising (emphasis in Creative and Technical Design) with a minor in General Business
• Mallory David: Senior in Fashion Design and Merchandising (emphasis in Fashion Communications) with minors in Public Relations and Event Management
• Emma Lea Werling: Senior in Fashion Design and Merchandising (emphasis in Creative and Technical Design) with a minor in Performing Arts​

Glen Rippke will talk about Rotary water projects in Tanzania and the impact on the local communities. Glen first visited Tanzania in 2007 with church members from Bethesda in Ames and then with Rotary in 2011, 2012, and 2019. Glen, along with 12 others, started an NGO, Empower Tanzania, that also works in the Same district, doing programs in health, education, and rural development.

DGE Bill Bruce will join us to update the club on the 2027 District 6000 Conference, April 30 - May 2. The club is hosting the conference with Bill, and there will be many opportunities to get involved!

Potters Shoppe & Eatery will be catering lunch. - Don't miss those yummy cookies!!

Live Stream - https://youtube.com/live/PgoLLEOWpf0?feature=share

Hear directly from the new Mary Greeley Medical Center CEO, Amber Deardorff, what she wishes you knew about healthcare! 

She believes that healthcare is the most incredible profession! It's rooted in compassion, service, and helping others in their most vulnerable moments. The business side of healthcare, however, is incredibly confusing – even for those who have worked in the industry for decades! In her presentation, she'll talk about what makes healthcare so special and then walk us through two examples of hospital reimbursement.

Please join us for lunch, catered by Wasabi, and some Rotary fellowship.

If you are not able to attend in person, please watch our livestream on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/51hF2trvcVc?feature=share

Hear directly from Kevin Bourke, President and CEO of Discover Ames, about the latest updates on The LINC project and the significance of the Ames Event Center for the community.