Pleasanton North Rotary's Rotarian of the Year

Submitted by Pleasanton North Rotary:

Communications specialist Jim Brice has been honored by Pleasanton North
Rotary (PNR) as 2011-2012 Rotarian of the Year.

Brice received the award from outgoing president Ronda Henstorf during ceremonies June 22. He was recognized for his public relations efforts on behalf of Rotary chapter that meets weekly at the Hilton Hotel at the Club, Pleasanton.

Brice is a freelance healthcare and science writer and owner of Pleasanton Public Relations, a business communications firm. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in creative communications. He was also trained the University of Minnesota School of Journalism, Minneapolis.

As chair of the PNR communications committee, Brice helped increase public awareness of the Rotary club’s accomplishments since mid-2011. These include:

A Starry Night, PNR annual gala event that serves as the club’s main fund-raising mechanism for its charitable work:

• Afghanistan Project where the club equipped the General Hospital of Jalalabad, Afghanistan’s second largest city, with modern patient monitoring and neonatal intensive care equipment
• Wheelchair Project where PNR has funded and actively participated in the distribution of more than 5800 wheelchairs in 11 Latin American countries since 2003
• School of Imagination and Happy Talkers where the club donated $70,000 to help build the a permanent school house for the pre-school and kindergarten program in Dublin for autistic and other developmentally challenged children
• El Oasis where it supports a Mexican orphanage providing a home, education, and the spiritual training to 85 children who live in supervised group homes in the Baja Desert of Mexico
• Foothill High School Interact Club where 55 students learn leadership skills and participate various charitable activities
• Many other local events for students, active military personnel, military veterans, retirees, and Tri-Valley residents who need a helping hand.

PNR is a 58-member local chapter of Rotary International, District 5170. Dedicated to the principle of “service before self,” PNR provides hands-on and financial help to numerous programs assisting Tri-Valley residents and
targeted international humanitarian causes.

PNR welcomes applications for membership from qualified adults whose career experience has placed them in positions of responsibility and leadership that can be applied in positive ways to benefit their community. For more information, visit www.pnr-rotary.org.