Home Page | Rotary Club of Marana Dove Mountain

Welcome to the Dove Mountain Rotary Club!

Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Thursdays at 5:15 PM

Highlands Clubhouse

4949 Heritage Club Blvd
Marana, AZ 85658
United States of America

We meet In Person or Online (check the Clubs calendar on this website for details).

District Site

Venue Map

Teree Bergman

Welcome to the Dove Mountain Rotary Club! We are people of action who are committed to making our community and our world better places. If you would like to visit our club or join in one of our activities, email:

Teree Bergman.

DM Rotary Board & Club Meeting with DG Nov 19th

DM Rotary’s Nov 19^th ZOOM meeting was special, as it was an Official Club Visit by our D5500 DG Diane Ventura- Goodyear and our Assistant DG Marc Snow.

Diane learned more about the Club Directors and their current roles & responsibilities, met the club’s newest members, and was updated on the club’s goals, activities, and collaborations.

She spoke about the current pandemic, that no Rotarian should feel compelled to attend in-person during the pandemic, and highlighted some opportunities for guest speakers, attending other club meetings, and other opportunities.

Our DG spoke about many new things put into place by the District to help us navigate, including significant leadership & Toastmaster training on D5500.org, 10 Zoom licenses, Quick Books Live, the region 26/27 virtual fundraising platforms available, and now having both a district treasurer & bookkeeper.

Diane emphasized how Rotary is changing, how Rotarians must have unity, work with each other, think outside the box, and should “go for it” with any new and creative ideas.

A few planned events were discussed, including a virtual Four-Way Test Contest in April, and the District Conference in Tubac being a hybrid event.

Diane shared several messages from the RI President, including:

Don’t focus on headcount, but select members carefully and then communicate & engage them.
Embrace new club types (satellite, eClubs, fellowship clubs, other).
Club member’s ages not so important, as long as clubs can think outside the box.
Continue to support polio eradication.
Interacts & Rotaracts are strongly supported.
Hold a strategic meeting every year, a district vision team “Re-imaging Rotary after Covid” can help.

Other suggestions included: wearing your Rotary garb daily to create opportunities to introduce Rotary to others, donating to the Rotary Foundation with Rotary Direct, and using the Brand Center for brochures / business cards / logo updates.

In appreciation of the DG and Assistant DGs visit, our club donated $100 to Polio Plus.

Click here to play a full video of the DGs visit to our club.

"Friends of PACC" Service Project Collaboration

During October and November, DM Rotarians collaborated with the Tucson Sunrise Rotary Club, by participating in their "Friends of Pima Animal Care Center" project bagging dog & cat food as well as cat litter to help needy pet owners.

"Friends of PACC" Photo Gallery

"Handbags of Hope" Service Project on Nov 12th

DM Rotary Club recently prepared & delivered 22 handbags with basic needs items to Eagles Wings of Grace, a non-profit organization that helps local disadvantaged women after life-altering situations such as addiction, abuse, and incarceration. This District 5500 "Handbags of Hope" service project was coordinated by DM Rotarians Brigitte Hentges, Prudy Abeln, and Mary Ann Tatum.

"Handbags of Hope" Photo Gallery

"Inner Peace in Times of Conflict"

DM Rotary Peacebuilder committee member David Eisenberg attended this ZOOM presentation & workshop, focused on achieving greater inner peace and learning how to manage interpersonal conflict better. The presentation is a combination of training and skill building and was presented by the Center for Community Dialogue and Training of Tucson for Rotary District 5500 on Saturday, November 7th. Especially during these difficult times, it may be worthwhile to review this excellent material.

Click here to view: Inner Peace in Times of Conflict.

Click here to view: Feelings & Needs Words.

Click here to view: Lazare’s Model for an Effective Apology.

Nov 5th Program Sylvia Whitlock, "Women's Entrance into Rotary"

Our club viewed a motivational video of Sylvia Whitlock about women’s entrance into Rotary. Sylvia moved to California to pursue a career in Education, later becoming an elementary school principal in Duarte, CA in 1982 and serving as an educator for forty years.

Joining her first Rotary club as “S. Whitlock” in 1976, she later became president of the Rotary Club of Duarte--making her the first woman to hold such a position within Rotary International. The club’s charter had previously been revoked in 1978 after they admitted women which was against Rotary International policy. The Duarte club filed suit and won in the California courts, claiming that Rotary Clubs are business establishments subject to regulation under California's Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on race, gender, religion or ethnic origin. Rotary International appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court, on May 4, 1987, confirmed the California decision supporting women, in the case Board of Directors, Rotary International v. Rotary Club of Duarte. Rotary International then removed the gender requirements from its requirements for club charters. Her case fully opened up women’s opportunity in Rotary.
Sylvia highlighted many challenges encountered, including attending her PETs training with 290 men as the only women present, and having the District Governor speak about her case to that group in support of RI and the gender restriction. She even encountered other women (Rotary spouses & others) supporting the RI gender restriction.
Sylvia’s video speech was compelling and motivational, as a trailblazer for women in Rotary. DM Rotary club members Joe Hentges & Teree Bergman both attended prior Rotary events with Sylvia as a speaker, and were very inspired by her.

DM Rotary Dedicates Peace Pole at Tangerine Sky Park, Marana

The DM Rotary Club dedicated a new “peace pole” at Tangerine Sky Park in Marana on Friday, Oct. 30^th.

The pole has the phrase “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” in five languages: English, Spanish, Hebrew, Mandarin Chinese and Tohono O’odham, selected to represent people vital to this area of the world.

The selected location along interior walking paths within the park provides gorgeous views of the Tucson Mountains, the Tortolita’s, and the Catalina’s -- offering a meditative area for a peaceful thought for the 35,000 to 80,000 residents that walk thru that area each year.

The dedication ceremony included Marana town officials, Rotary District 5500 leadership, club members, & other guests and speakers including:

Jeff Penfil, Club Peacebuilder chair & event emcee
Jim Conroy, Marana Director of Parks and Recreation
Joe Hentges & Randy Brooks, Past Rotary District 5500 Governors
Ellie Patterson, Immediate Rotary Past District 5500 Governor & Peace Education Chair
Arturo Foltes, Parks & Recreation peace pole installer
Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman, Chabad of Oro Valley
Ed Honea, Marana Mayor

The 8-foot white pole is a recognized symbol for peace around the world.

“Peace poles are internationally recognized symbols that send messages for peace ... and there are more than 250,000 poles in every country of the world…and now there is one more in this gorgeous Marana park location.” said Club Peacebuilder chair Jeff Penfil.

Oct 30th Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony Photo Gallery



Click here to view a video of the entire ceremony.

Oct 22nd Speaker Curt Woody - Town of Marana Economic Development

Curt Woody, the Director of Economic Development for the Town of Marana for the last 8 years, provided our club an overview of many facets of the Town’s year 2020 economic development activities, including business attraction, retention, expansion, recruitment, and creation/incubation.

The program’s desired outcome is to significantly increase the living standards and quality of life for the community with several key areas of focus: healthcare, tourism, public safety, recreation, education, workforce development, community beautification, and infrastructure evolution.

The Town employs several tools to achieve their goals, including a Job Creation Incentive Program, the Downtown Marana Reinvestment Fund, the Arizona Commerce Authority for statewide incentive packages, the Town of Marana’s economic development website https://www.maranaaz.gov/economic-development and www.selectmarana.com which promotes available town land assets.

They also have numerous collaborations including Sun Corridor, the Arizona Commerce Authority, site selection consultants, real estate brokers, developers, The Pima Community College Small Business Development Center, and a variety of architects, builders, and engineers.

Curt highlighted numerous projects currently in the economic development pipeline, many of which could only be spoken about in general terms, as they are not yet identified in the public domain.

The Town of Marana’s Economic Development Strategic Plan creates a supportive climate for business and identifies specific needed infrastructure investments. It strives to expand in four target sectors: IT, Business Services, Advanced Manufacturing, and Logistics & Distribution. In addition, it works with the Education sector (Pima County Community College and K-12) to create the workforce needed for the future by developing new curriculums and certifications for Career & Technical education. The plan has divided the Town into activity centers: Downtown, the Airport, Tangerine Rd @ 1-10, the Tangerine Rd corridor, Heritage, the Transportation Logistics Zone, and Dove Mountain.

Due to time constraints, Curt was not able to cover the Residential part of his presentation. However, club members & attendees asked many questions and were quite impressed with the significant level of the Town’s economic development activities under way, in spite of the pandemic.

Oct 15th Vocational Talks & Member Spotlights by DM Rotary's Newest Members

Club members Prudy Abeln & David Eisenberg provided vocational talks & member spotlights to help the club get to know our newest club members better.

Vocational Talk: Prudy Abeln

Prudy was raised in the Minneapolis area and attended Colorado College where she attained degrees in Political Science & Education. She also later received an MBA from the University of Utah’s executive program. Much of her professional career was in Banking-mortgage origination with her last industry position at Wells Fargo. Prudy and her husband later purchased and operated a Bed & Breakfast (Dreamcatcher B&B) in Taos, NM for 9 years. She has contributed greatly to Rotary and has performed other significant volunteering activities, throughout her life. Prudy and her family have also lived in Colorado, New Mexico, and Europe where her children attended International School. Prudy and her husband John have been married 43 years, have 4 children and 11 grandchildren.

Member Spotlight: Prudy Abeln

Can you provide a brief summary of your Rotary experiences: I joined Rotary in 1999 in Parker, CO. I was immediately recruited for the International Committee which led me to getting very involved in Youth Exchange. We have hosted 14 exchange students for 3-5 months of their year as well as I served as the District Youth Exchange Chair for 3 years and on the District Committee for 8 years. In 2009 we moved to Taos, NM where I became a member of the Taos-Milagro Rotary Club. I have also served as Club President (2008-2009 in Parker, CO), as Asst. Governor in District 5520 New Mexico, Lieutenant Governor in D5520, and D5520 Awards Chair. I’ve been Club Rotarian of the Year 3 times, and received one District Governor’s Award for Outstanding Service in D5450 Colorado when I served as Youth Exchange Chair.

Why did you become a Rotarian? My father was a Rotarian, and the bank branch manager at Wells Fargo invited me to attend when we lived in Colorado. I have been a lifelong volunteer for many different organizations, and the idea of a service organization appealed to me.

Tell us about a dream for the future that is important to you. I pray for greater peace in the world.

Who is the person you admire most, and why? Ruth Bader Ginsberg, for all she did through her persistence and intelligence, to improve women’s rights and equality for all.

Tell us of a moment in your life that taught you a valuable lesson. When my mother was dying of cancer, I attended a religious retreat. During that experience, we went through the stations-of-the-cross. At one of the stations, there was a reading that said, “Lord, if I could say something to change your plan, I would not speak.” It strengthened my personal faith in a power greater than myself.

What is your favorite quote? “Everything in moderation”…one of those things my father often said.

What is a latest book you read that you would recommend to others? Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Share one positive aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that you can think of. I’ve sorted through lots of things that I have carried with me for most of my life – old photos, letters from old boyfriends, school notebooks with important information that I was SURE I’d use later in life!, etc. Also, I’ve learned how to stay in touch with friends and family through Zoom and other Internet applications.

What message would you have for other Rotarians? Find something you are passionate about, and find a way to make an impact either in your community or throughout the world. You will get so much more out of the experience than what you put in. The greatest gift you can give yourself is serving others.

Vocational Talk: David Eisenberg

David is a 3^rd generation Philadelphian, and was also educated in the Philadelphia area. He highlighted his HS Rotary Interact Club experience and especially his live-in volunteer work at a summer camp for impaired/handicapped children as amazing life experiences. David developed an interest in Human Services as he grew up. He spent his junior year in college at a UK university and has an uncle he visited often that is an expatriate in Paris. These strong connections to the UK and France helped him to develop strong interests in language & culture. This also brought him to have hosted 3 international students. He has had diverse professional careers, having completed the police academy in CA and becoming a police officer near the US/Mexico border. In addition, he attained his PhD degree & studied to receive a clinical social work license, to run a mental health facility in CA. He then evolved to perform clinical social work for those with high-pressure jobs and addressing police social work emergencies. David feels a strong commitment to public service.

Member Spotlight: David Eisenberg

Can you provide a brief summary of your Rotary experiences: I was in an Interact Club while in high school. This is my first time in Rotary.

Why did you become a Rotarian? I just retired and wanted to form friendships locally and make a contribution to my community.

Tell us about a dream for the future that is important to you. I really want to be able to travel extensively both in the US and Western Europe. I am continuing my studies in French and want to spend some serious time in France before I leave this mortal orb.

Who is the person you admire most, and why? Without hesitation my father Warren. He directly imbued me with a moral compass, taught me how to correctly treat people, and served as a model for doing ethical business and serving others.

Tell us of a moment in your life that taught you a valuable lesson. When I was 29 I tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate a 4 year old who had just drowned. It taught me about death and the importance of protecting others and preserving life.

What is your favorite quote? “Cultivate humility. I never know when I am going to need it.” John Lithgow.

What is a latest book you read that you would recommend to others? Maiden Voyage by Tim Notier. Tim is a global adventurer; this book describes his start. A good read for anyone who wants to venture out from their own world.

Share one positive aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that you can think of. Getting to spend more uninterrupted time alone.

What message would you have for other Rotarians? I am so appreciative of others who are willing to share who they are and what they have.