Last week’s meeting honored the long-term commitment of our members, including Randy Vanderbilt for 21 years of service, Roland Williams and Ceta Dochterman for 16 years of service, and Virginia Degner for 17 years of service.. We also welcomed the President of the Boston University Rotaract Club, highlighting Rotary’s global reach among young professionals. Finally, Nimone Li‑Hardisty, CEO of Forestr.org, shared how her nonprofit’s "clean, green, and glean" initiatives provided 20,000 pounds of food to local banks last year while improving Castro Valley’s urban resilience.
Rotary Club Meeting Highlights: Local Roots and Global Reach
Last week’s meeting of the Castro Valley Rotary focused on a mix of local environmental impact and the longevity of our own membership.
Honoring Years of Service. The club took time to recognize several members for their long-term commitment to the community. We celebrated Randy Vanderbilt for 21 years of service, Roland Williams and Ceta Dochterman for 16 years of service, and Virginia Degner for 17 years of service. These individuals represent a combined seven decades of service above self and leadership within the club.
A Visit from Boston University. We were also joined by a special guest, the President of the Boston University Rotaract Club. It was a valuable opportunity to hear about the initiatives of younger Rotarians on the East Coast and to see the professional development occurring through Rotaract at the university level.
Guest Speaker: Nimone Li-Hardisty, Forestr.org The main presentation featured Nimone Li-Hardisty, CEO and founder of Forestr.org, a Castro Valley-based nonprofit. With a background in major San Francisco construction projects like the Asian Art Museum, Nimone now applies her technical expertise to urban greening and food justice.
Key highlights from her presentation included:
- Food Security: Forestr’s "Castro Valley Gleans" program rescued nearly 20,000 pounds of gleaned fruit in 2025 alone, directing it to local food banks.
- Environmental Impact: Since 2018, the organization has recovered 78,000 pounds of produce and prevented millions of gallons of water waste.
- Community Restoration: The group builds manages pocket parks and conducts litter cleanups, focusing on "cleaning, greening, and gleaning" to build local resilience.
Her presentation detailed how technical construction knowledge can be leveraged to create sustainable, hyper-local food systems and cleaner public spaces right here in Castro Valley.