January 15, 2025 • 23 mins
Have you ever wondered how a career in humanitarian aid could lead to a prominent leadership role in a global organization? Welcome to an inspiring conversation with Nyron McLean, Rotary District Governor-Elect, whose impactful journey from leading medical teams in post-earthquake Haiti to becoming a pivotal figure in Rotary is nothing short of remarkable. From a speaking engagement at the Rotary Club of Covina to his integration into the Riverside Sunrise Club, Nyron's story is a testament to the power of mentorship and the supportive environment within Rotary. Listen as Nyron reflects on the rapid ascent to becoming a Rotary Club president and how leaders like past District Governor Rudy Westervelt inspired him to pursue further leadership roles within the district. The essence of Rotary's empowerment and growth opportunities comes alive through Nyron's experiences and insights.
Join us as we explore the parallels between Rotary's leadership development and corporate management programs, focusing on structured mentoring and the nurturing of future leaders. Nyron sheds light on the comprehensive training offered to district governors and shares the excitement of connecting with a global network of Rotarians at the International Assembly in Orlando. As 2025 comes to a close, the promise of Rotary as a transformative force globally shines through, underscoring the significance of storytelling in amplifying the efforts of community heroes. These narratives of hope and positive impact are what we aim to share, reinforcing our commitment to spreading hope and celebrating the community of individuals dedicated to making a difference in the world.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to the Community.
Heroes of Hope, a podcast wherewe shine a light on the
remarkable individuals andprojects in Rotary District 5330
that bring hope and change toour local and global communities
.
I am Judy Zelfikar, yourco-host and the current District
Governor of Rotary District5330.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
And I'm Niren McLean, the Rotary District
Governor-Elect, and I'm NirenMcLean, the Rotary District
Governor-Elect.
Together, we're diving deepinto the heart of the community
service, showcasing the impactof dedication and collaboration
in addressing some of the mostpressing challenges our
communities face.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Each episode, we'll tell stories of incredible
people making a difference,innovating solutions and
inspiring others to take action.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
We'll also be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at
the projects that aretransforming their lives, and
we'll discuss how you, too, canget involved, contribute and be
part of the positive change.
Whether you're a seasonedRotarian or just looking to give
back, this podcast is for you.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So join us as we explore the journeys, challenges
and successes of people likeyou who have stepped up to make
a difference.
Let's celebrate the spirit ofcommunity and the power of hope
together.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Don't forget to subscribe to the Community
Heroes of Hope on your favoritepodcast platform.
Stay with us on this journey ofinspiration and let's spread
the message of hope further thanever.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Thank you for tuning in.
Let's get started.
Rotary is very interesting inthat it has a change every year.
Every year, we change from onepresident to the next, one
district governor to the nextand, in the spirit of the
turning of the wheel, we aregoing to have our new co-host
(01:48):
District Governor-elect, nirenMcLean, joining us.
And today we're going to learna little bit more about Niren,
what his goals and dreams arefor his year as District
Governor, and welcome him to theRotary Community Heroes of Hope
podcast, niren welcome.
Thank you, judy, glad to behere.
Well, tell us about yourjourney to becoming the District
(02:12):
Governor-elect.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well, my journey really started with the work
that I was doing in Haiti afterthe earthquake.
After the earthquake, where Iled now about 34 teams of
doctors, dentists, nurses andsurgeons down to perform free
medical care in Haiti.
After the earthquake, and overa period of eight years or so,
(02:37):
we led 34 teams and savedthousands of lives and performed
numerous health care clinicsand surgeries, etc.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
And were you a Rotarian at that time?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I was not.
I was actually invited by theRotary Club of Covina to speak
to them about the work I wasdoing and they said well, are
you a Rotarian?
I said no, and they said whynot?
I said I don't know anythingabout you guys.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Oh, good question.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
So they asked me immediately to join their Rotary
Club and I said, well, I livein Riverside.
And what was really remarkableto me and I think this should be
not lost on anybody but theysaid, hey, no problem, we'll
plug you in with a club inRiverside.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Right, because we are Rotarians and services above
self all over the world.
All kinds of opportunities andclubs that you can join right.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Absolutely, and they took the time and actually fit
me in with the perfect club,which is the Rotary Club of
Riverside Sunrise and my mentoris Jim Rector and it was a
perfect club for me to join andI've been a Rotarian ever since
that was 2012.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Wow, very good, very good.
And then, what was yourprogression in that club?
Did you become Rotary Clubpresident?
When did you do that and tellus a little bit about?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
that I became Rotary Club president probably about a
year and a half after I joined,the lady who was going to be
president got transferred toArizona, I believe, and they
said, well, would you like to bepresident?
I said no, it's kind of early.
They said, don't worry, we'llbe there to help you.
(04:18):
And they were.
And that made it prettytremendous because they were
there to support me every stepof the way and make sure I
didn't take the train off therails.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
It's so funny because that's one of the things that
you know that my mentors when Iwas Rotary Club president for
the Rotary Club of Temecula.
They're like you can't break it, just get in there, you know,
and go, because there's so manypeople at the club level to help
you and mentor you and reallywork together Because it's not
one person right.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Right and it makes a difference.
It makes a difference.
It gives you that strength youneed to either make decisions or
to know that, if you make a baddecision, they're there to
guide you.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
They'll help re-correct you Absolutely.
There's lots of opinions.
It's all good, there's noshortage of opinions.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah, there's lots of opinions.
It's all good.
There's no shortage of opinions, yeah, so that's how I became
president and then, luckily forme, I was actually president in
the year.
My district governor was pastdistrict governor Rudy
Westervelt, and he was anamazing, amazing leader and he
led from the front.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah, and he still is right.
He's still very involved in thedistrict, very involved, very
involved, and has a greathistory of being a peacemaker
and quite a leader in ourdistrict.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
And he did both.
The year he was districtgovernor he also started a
global peace conference here andit was extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But everything he led from the front, and that's who
have really inspired me toconsider being a district
governor.
And then, when you werefinished being president, how
did you transition into beinginvolved at the district level?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I did.
Past district governor ManzoorMassey asked me to head up his
district training assembly.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
And then he asked me to assist in heading up the
district conference because MaryBrown, who had done that, had
to take some time off for somepersonal things.
So I stepped up and helped thatand was just given
opportunities to lead anddevelop along the way.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
You know.
It's interesting that you saythat, because I think one of the
things that we don't talkenough about in Rotary is the
leadership opportunities and thedevelopment opportunities that
we all have.
I know I have grown to be abetter leader by being a part of
this process, and it is a greatopportunity for individuals out
there that are really lookingto sharpen their leadership
(06:44):
skills, to become a Rotarian andget involved at a leadership
level, whatever level that mightbe, whether at the club or at
the district.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
And I think that's very important for us to show
and to me that's one of theattractions of Rotary is that if
somebody is a manager workingfor General Motors, cvs, rite
Aid, it doesn't make anydifference If we can show them
that, in addition to doing goodin the world, in addition to
benefiting your community,showed them that, in addition to
(07:15):
doing good in the world, inaddition to benefiting your
community, you're also learninggood practical management skills
, organizational skills,scheduling skills, discipline,
interpersonal relationshipskills, building skills.
All of that comes to play andwe can better their career.
And they do good in thecommunity.
Why would you not join Rotary?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Right, I think we just made an ad, by the way.
So tell us about Niren theperson.
Tell us about you as a familymember and what do you do in
your professional life.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
In my professional life.
Well, my background is finance.
I'm an East Coast boy fromMassachusetts and, unfortunately
, a Patriots lover, who rightnow is a tough place to be for
the last three or four years.
But I am a father.
I have two daughters.
My older daughter, Erin, is apsychotherapist, lives in
(08:05):
Maryland, and my youngerdaughter, Erica, is doing her
residency, graduated from USCSchool of Dentistry and she's
doing her residency in Tucson.
My wife and I, some 23, 24 yearsago, started a company called
Planet Life where we have homesfor at-risk teenagers.
These are kids that are takenaway from their families by
(08:28):
Child Protective Services formental, physical, sexual abuse,
sexual trafficking and that sortof thing, and so we provide,
first and foremost, a safe placefor them to live, and then we
provide significant therapeuticcare for them to deal with the
trauma that they've experienced.
They all have PTSD becausethey've had just horrific things
happen to them, and so we tryto provide an environment where
(08:51):
they're able to deal with thosethings appropriately but also
still be a teenager, and we onlydeal with teenagers which are
the toughest ones, but that'sthe ones my wife loves.
But hey, we expect you to getup, go to school, do well, play
football, be a cheerleader, playin the band, whatever the story
is Right.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
try to have a quote unquote normal life.
Normal is not a great word,typical would probably be a
better word.
Yes, typical teenage life right.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Right, right, the prom, the whole nine yards.
So we provide all of thosethings and help them overcome it
.
Some have a much tougher roadto hoe than others, but we have
a good success rate and so we'redoing doing that.
So that's what keeps me busywhen I'm not uh when you're not
doing, I'm not doing rotary outof the 36 hours in my day, like
(09:38):
yours, right right, that's.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
That's just how it is .
It is very obvious, naira, thatyou have a service heart deep,
deep deep down in everything youdo, both in your personal and
professional life.
How has the journey to becominga district governor gone.
I mean, what made you thinkabout applying to become a
district governor?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Well, I got to tell you a lot of the district
governors Barry Valdez, rudyWestervelt, manzo Massey, dan
Goodrich, don Casper, almostevery single one of them,
starting off with a gentlemanwho's no longer with us called
Fred Ford.
But he said you know, fred saidone day you're going to be a
good district governor.
And I hadn't even.
It wasn't even on my mind.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It wasn't on the radar.
What are?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
you talking about.
But everybody kind of lent thatorientation, provided the
opportunity, sat and talked andsaid have you ever considered
being a district governor orfurther leadership in the
district?
And gave me opportunities.
And so I think that it'ssomething I never honestly
(10:44):
wanted to do, but it's somethingI thought I could do very
effectively, and certainlyworking with you has been a
wonderful joy, I've got to tellyou.
You're, just as my mother usedto say, the catch meow.
Well, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
We all have to help each other right.
And that's part of what youwere just talking about
mentorship.
So not only is it a greatopportunity for individuals to
gain leadership, it's also agreat opportunity for us, as the
current leaders, to bring thoseothers that are coming into a
leadership position to mentorthem, to help them, to help them
(11:20):
with their confidence, to be asounding board for them.
And that's what makes a strongorganization when we're all
working together to rise eachother up, correct.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Absolutely, and I really think that, at least from
my perspective, I'm trying tobring, and I think I'm going to
be bringing, a morebusiness-like approach to the
district.
The district is the corporationright and we serve our
communities locally andworldwide.
But any corporation ProcterGamble, general Motors, xerox,
ibm they have a managementtraining program where they
(11:52):
identify potential futuremanagers.
They have a management trainingprogram where they identify
potential future managers.
They give them opportunities,they move them around in
different positions, theyprovide them education, which we
have RLI and Rotary LearningCenter and a variety of other
things but we give them theopportunities to grow and
develop and then, whether theywant to be district governor or
just want to be a betterRotarian, we've provided the
(12:15):
resources for them to do that.
So I think we need to be verydecisive about structuring a
mentoring program where we'relooking for and identifying
people who can benefit thedistrict and who can benefit
from the various resources weare and have that passion for
Rotary and having an impact andgive them the opportunities.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
And we've got a team working on that.
Tell us a little bit about yourtraining to become a district
governor.
You've been going through itfor the last year.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I've been going through it and this year is the
most active, I have to say.
Rotary has an extraordinarytraining program and they're
always seeking to improve thatwhich I really like Right.
So at the end of, for instance,at the end of this particular
year of training, when my DGNyear, they put out an extensive
(13:04):
survey asking what did we doright, what did we do wrong,
what can we improve on, what newthings do we want to add?
And they were really seekingquality content.
It wasn't one of these thingskind of to pacify yeah, we're
not patting each other on theback.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
You did a great job, no we really want to know how
could we do better.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
How could we do better?
And they've already started toincorporate some of those
recommendations into changing upthe training program.
But it's very extensive.
Both is your DGND year.
You're kind of just gettingyour feet wet.
The DGN year, the DGE year, iswhere the rubber meets the road.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
The district governor-elect year is the
toughest, I think, because youreally have to do all that
planning lots of phone calls,lots of meetings, people coming
in, coming out.
And you can't actually doanything yet, which is somewhat
frustrating, but you have to getit all ready.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
You have to get it all ready in lots of moving
parts, as somebody says, likeherding cats, but a lot of
people want to help.
There's a lot of passion forRody, which I really love, and
that's the invigorating part,because people want to make a
difference, and so that's whatwe're here to do is to help
everybody make a difference inour district, and it's exciting,
it's very exciting.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
And you in our district, and it's exciting.
It's very exciting and you'reabout ready to head off to to an
exciting event that's happeningat the first of February.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I'll be going off to International Assembly, which
will be in Orlando, florida,where they fly in all of the
district governor elects fromall over the world for us to go
through district governortraining world, for us to go
through district governortraining and come out the other
side prepared to lead yourdistricts.
So that's exciting.
I know that, at least I feelthat the training that we have
(14:41):
in our zone, in our zones 26 and27, is extraordinary and I
think that we'll be wellprepared for what they're going
to offer for InternationalAssembly.
But I'm excited to meet otherdistrict governors from around
the world.
To me, that's the power ofRotary.
When you go to InternationalAssembly, when you go to Rotary
International Convention andyou're there with 30, 40, 50,
(15:02):
60,000 people from around theworld who share a passion for
changing the world and making animmediate impact.
It's invigorating, it'sinspiring.
We're part of something that'shuge and I think a lot of people
miss that.
We do things in our localcommunity but they don't realize
that those communities stretchacross the globe Right, and
(15:23):
we're really having an impactfar and near.
And you can collaborate withpeople far and near.
And when you're sitting in aclass that's being taught from a
lady from Cairo, and somebodyelse from Johannesburg, and
somebody else from Tokyo andsomebody from Toronto and Buenos
Aires.
It's like my God, this thing ismassive.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It is amazing.
I'm so excited for you a deeperrelationship with the core
group of district governors inour zone, which we are all fast
friends and all work togetherseamlessly on a regular basis,
(15:59):
and then being able to expandthat network of friends and
Rotarians from around the world.
I am so excited to hear howyour experience is going to be
and I'm excited for you.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Well, I'm excited too .
And look at the needs that arehappening right now in our
community today, because we havethe fires burning in Los
Angeles and we have yourdistrict governor friends and my
district governor elect friendsin 5300 and 5280.
And we're trying to dosomething with 5330 and
everybody else around us to havean impact and to help people
Right.
So that's the beauty and thepower of Rotary and I think I
(16:34):
want to share that witheverybody.
The power of Rotary.
We underestimate it.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
I would agree 100%.
The power to be able to cometogether quickly to address
needs in a community like we'reexperiencing with with the fires
, is unprecedented.
Right, I mean it, it was all 30of us from the western half of
the united states are activelywithin our district working on
supporting those that areaffected by those fires and
(16:58):
instantly, like as the day thefires came out, that was already
being put into place and we'reall working together I mean,
where else do you say hey, youknow what, do you have a room?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Do you have a room?
Do you have a spare room?
Do you have that?
Can you take in a family?
Speaker 1 (17:10):
And people go yeah, absolutely, done, done, done,
done, done, yeah, bring them in,no issues, bring them on.
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
It's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
It is a beautiful thing.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
You're about ready to really get into the heavy
training of your presidents.
Tell us about how manypresidents that you're
responsible for helping and whatare your goals for them.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Right now I'm responsible for, I believe, 61
clubs we have, but looking atgrowing that and we have a
number of different avenues thatwe're going to utilize this.
The goals really are a coupleof things.
One is for people to realize tounleash their passion they need
(17:59):
.
I think we've been throttled insome cases.
I think people don't realizethe size and the scope and the
magnitude of the organizationthey belong to.
You know, it's like the UnitedStates.
You're in one little state,Rhode Island or Idaho and you
don't realize that there's anenormous country that you belong
to.
Rotary is an enormousorganization with resources,
(18:23):
looking to change the world andcommitted to changing the world.
Right and dedicated, yeah, anddedicated, and so one of the
things I want to do is toreignite that passion in people
to changing the world Right anddedicated, yeah and dedicated.
And so one of the things I wantto do is to reignite that
passion in people to change theworld wherever you're going to
make a difference, and thenshare that.
And that's what helps withmembership.
Membership's, not themembership chair's,
responsibility.
It's all of our responsibility100%.
(18:45):
And if we live the four-way testthat we claim we believe in,
then that should be.
People should see a differencein how we conduct ourselves and
make a difference and go thatway.
So it's to really expand themembership and to attract new
people to Rotary.
So that's one thing.
And then expand our foundationwe have, whether it's dealing
(19:08):
with local fires here inSouthern California or
earthquakes around the world orwhatever the story.
I mean.
Just think that polio in 1985was a grant that somebody wanted
to do in the Philippines andnow we've almost eradicated this
disease from the face of theplanet.
That's an extraordinary effort.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Right and a consistent effort that millions
of Rotarians have participatedover the years.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
So again, that's where passion and commitment.
And somebody had a crazy ideahey, let's do a polio campaign.
And people said, let'seradicate it Right.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
So bring your passion for service to Rotary and let's
see what we can do together todo good in the world.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Absolutely, absolutely.
We want people who want tochange the world.
We want people to unleash theirpassion and have an impact, and
we want to support them andprovide them the resources to do
that, whatever that is.
So that's what we're all about.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Well, I will tell you that I enjoy serving with you.
You're a pleasure to work with.
I'm excited that you're goingto be our new co-host here on
the Rotary Community Heroes ofHope.
What do you think about thepodcast and what are you looking
forward to doing here with uson our podcast?
Well, I'm excited about thepodcast and what are you looking
?
Speaker 2 (20:30):
forward to doing here with us on our podcast.
Well, I'm excited about thepodcast.
It is.
You've actually, quite honestly, you brought a huge number of
creative outlets for thedistrict, whether it's the
podcast, whether it's thedigital billboards on the side
of the road.
You've brought an amazingopportunity for us to get into
the 21st century and that's, youknow, it's not your daddy's
(20:52):
Buick anymore.
We have to look at using 21stcentury tools to attract 21st
century people to Rotary, and sowe have to adapt.
And I know a lot of people havebemoaned.
Well, you know, back in DanielBoone's day.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Well, time to move on .
We're not there yet.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
But down to a wound today.
Well, time to move on.
We're not there yet, butDonnick Kunz can happen at.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Kentucky Rifle and let's move forward together.
We are in the digital age.
Let's put it to our good use.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
So I'm looking to really continue to really build
on what you've already done, andthat is really to expand and
identify and let people hearabout our community heroes of
hope and hopefully to inspirenew people, particularly
non-rotarians.
I'd love for more non-rotariansto hear about this so they say
(21:37):
what is this Rotary thing that'sdoing?
These people are really justknocking out of the pocket.
How do I get involved?
Is there a Rotary club near me?
Who do I need to talk to?
Speaker 1 (21:45):
That's what excites me, because I hear how and see
in our communities there are alot of people that are very
passionate about doing serviceand I'm just looking forward for
them to join us at Rotary andjoin in on all the wonderful
service opportunities thatRotary gives us, both here in
(22:06):
our communities and around theworld, and working together to
really do do great things in theworld and it's working together
is a key because when people,when we invite people to our the
work that we do in thecommunity, they actually can see
us committed to making adifference.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
It's not just talking about it or it's not just
writing, writing a check.
We're actually committed.
Hey, come help me clean thestreets.
Hey, come help me teach somekids.
Hey, come help me do this.
And it's that passion, whenpeople see you walk the walk,
that makes the difference.
You got to walk the walk.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Absolutely Well, niren.
Any final thoughts?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
My thoughts are let's finish out 2025 year with a
bang and let's start 2025, 2026,and rock on and make Rotary the
greatest thing that everhappened to this planet.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
And keep it rolling right.
Keep it rolling, keep itrolling and keep telling the
stories.
Keep telling the stories Aboutthe wonderful community of
people that are doing wonderfulthings in our world, and the
community heroes of hope.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Absolutely, absolutely.
You've done a great thing.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Well, I'm glad to have you on board as my partner
here, so let's go tell somestories.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
All right.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
So that wraps up this episode of Heroes of Hope.
We are so happy that we have anaudience out there listening.
We want you to subscribe, shareand tell your friends about the
Rotary Community Heroes of Hope, because that's how we get the
word out about the impact we're.
Hello and welcome to the Community.
Heroes of Hope, a podcast wherewe shine a light on the
remarkable individuals andprojects in Rotary District 5330
that bring hope and change toour local and global communities
.
I am Judy Zelfikar, yourco-host and the current District
Governor of Rotary District5330.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
And I'm Niren McLean, the Rotary District
Governor-Elect, and I'm NirenMcLean, the Rotary District
Governor-Elect.
Together, we're diving deepinto the heart of the community
service, showcasing the impactof dedication and collaboration
in addressing some of the mostpressing challenges our
communities face.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Each episode, we'll tell stories of incredible
people making a difference,innovating solutions and
inspiring others to take action.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
We'll also be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at
the projects that aretransforming their lives, and
we'll discuss how you, too, canget involved, contribute and be
part of the positive change.
Whether you're a seasonedRotarian or just looking to give
back, this podcast is for you.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So join us as we explore the journeys, challenges
and successes of people likeyou who have stepped up to make
a difference.
Let's celebrate the spirit ofcommunity and the power of hope
together.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Don't forget to subscribe to the Community
Heroes of Hope on your favoritepodcast platform.
Stay with us on this journey ofinspiration and let's spread
the message of hope further thanever.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Thank you for tuning in.
Let's get started.
Rotary is very interesting inthat it has a change every year.
Every year, we change from onepresident to the next, one
district governor to the nextand, in the spirit of the
turning of the wheel, we aregoing to have our new co-host
(01:48):
District Governor-elect, nirenMcLean, joining us.
And today we're going to learna little bit more about Niren,
what his goals and dreams arefor his year as District
Governor, and welcome him to theRotary Community Heroes of Hope
podcast, niren welcome.
Thank you, judy, glad to behere.
Well, tell us about yourjourney to becoming the District
(02:12):
Governor-elect.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well, my journey really started with the work
that I was doing in Haiti afterthe earthquake.
After the earthquake, where Iled now about 34 teams of
doctors, dentists, nurses andsurgeons down to perform free
medical care in Haiti.
After the earthquake, and overa period of eight years or so,
(02:37):
we led 34 teams and savedthousands of lives and performed
numerous health care clinicsand surgeries, etc.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
And were you a Rotarian at that time?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I was not.
I was actually invited by theRotary Club of Covina to speak
to them about the work I wasdoing and they said well, are
you a Rotarian?
I said no, and they said whynot?
I said I don't know anythingabout you guys.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Oh, good question.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
So they asked me immediately to join their Rotary
Club and I said, well, I livein Riverside.
And what was really remarkableto me and I think this should be
not lost on anybody but theysaid, hey, no problem, we'll
plug you in with a club inRiverside.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Right, because we are Rotarians and services above
self all over the world.
All kinds of opportunities andclubs that you can join right.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Absolutely, and they took the time and actually fit
me in with the perfect club,which is the Rotary Club of
Riverside Sunrise and my mentoris Jim Rector and it was a
perfect club for me to join andI've been a Rotarian ever since
that was 2012.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Wow, very good, very good.
And then, what was yourprogression in that club?
Did you become Rotary Clubpresident?
When did you do that and tellus a little bit about?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
that I became Rotary Club president probably about a
year and a half after I joined,the lady who was going to be
president got transferred toArizona, I believe, and they
said, well, would you like to bepresident?
I said no, it's kind of early.
They said, don't worry, we'llbe there to help you.
(04:18):
And they were.
And that made it prettytremendous because they were
there to support me every stepof the way and make sure I
didn't take the train off therails.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
It's so funny because that's one of the things that
you know that my mentors when Iwas Rotary Club president for
the Rotary Club of Temecula.
They're like you can't break it, just get in there, you know,
and go, because there's so manypeople at the club level to help
you and mentor you and reallywork together Because it's not
one person right.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Right and it makes a difference.
It makes a difference.
It gives you that strength youneed to either make decisions or
to know that, if you make a baddecision, they're there to
guide you.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
They'll help re-correct you Absolutely.
There's lots of opinions.
It's all good, there's noshortage of opinions.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah, there's lots of opinions.
It's all good.
There's no shortage of opinions, yeah, so that's how I became
president and then, luckily forme, I was actually president in
the year.
My district governor was pastdistrict governor Rudy
Westervelt, and he was anamazing, amazing leader and he
led from the front.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah, and he still is right.
He's still very involved in thedistrict, very involved, very
involved, and has a greathistory of being a peacemaker
and quite a leader in ourdistrict.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
And he did both.
The year he was districtgovernor he also started a
global peace conference here andit was extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But everything he led from the front, and that's who
have really inspired me toconsider being a district
governor.
And then, when you werefinished being president, how
did you transition into beinginvolved at the district level?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I did.
Past district governor ManzoorMassey asked me to head up his
district training assembly.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
And then he asked me to assist in heading up the
district conference because MaryBrown, who had done that, had
to take some time off for somepersonal things.
So I stepped up and helped thatand was just given
opportunities to lead anddevelop along the way.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
You know.
It's interesting that you saythat, because I think one of the
things that we don't talkenough about in Rotary is the
leadership opportunities and thedevelopment opportunities that
we all have.
I know I have grown to be abetter leader by being a part of
this process, and it is a greatopportunity for individuals out
there that are really lookingto sharpen their leadership
(06:44):
skills, to become a Rotarian andget involved at a leadership
level, whatever level that mightbe, whether at the club or at
the district.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
And I think that's very important for us to show
and to me that's one of theattractions of Rotary is that if
somebody is a manager workingfor General Motors, cvs, rite
Aid, it doesn't make anydifference If we can show them
that, in addition to doing goodin the world, in addition to
benefiting your community,showed them that, in addition to
(07:15):
doing good in the world, inaddition to benefiting your
community, you're also learninggood practical management skills
, organizational skills,scheduling skills, discipline,
interpersonal relationshipskills, building skills.
All of that comes to play andwe can better their career.
And they do good in thecommunity.
Why would you not join Rotary?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Right, I think we just made an ad, by the way.
So tell us about Niren theperson.
Tell us about you as a familymember and what do you do in
your professional life.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
In my professional life.
Well, my background is finance.
I'm an East Coast boy fromMassachusetts and, unfortunately
, a Patriots lover, who rightnow is a tough place to be for
the last three or four years.
But I am a father.
I have two daughters.
My older daughter, Erin, is apsychotherapist, lives in
(08:05):
Maryland, and my youngerdaughter, Erica, is doing her
residency, graduated from USCSchool of Dentistry and she's
doing her residency in Tucson.
My wife and I, some 23, 24 yearsago, started a company called
Planet Life where we have homesfor at-risk teenagers.
These are kids that are takenaway from their families by
(08:28):
Child Protective Services formental, physical, sexual abuse,
sexual trafficking and that sortof thing, and so we provide,
first and foremost, a safe placefor them to live, and then we
provide significant therapeuticcare for them to deal with the
trauma that they've experienced.
They all have PTSD becausethey've had just horrific things
happen to them, and so we tryto provide an environment where
(08:51):
they're able to deal with thosethings appropriately but also
still be a teenager, and we onlydeal with teenagers which are
the toughest ones, but that'sthe ones my wife loves.
But hey, we expect you to getup, go to school, do well, play
football, be a cheerleader, playin the band, whatever the story
is Right.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
try to have a quote unquote normal life.
Normal is not a great word,typical would probably be a
better word.
Yes, typical teenage life right.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Right, right, the prom, the whole nine yards.
So we provide all of thosethings and help them overcome it
.
Some have a much tougher roadto hoe than others, but we have
a good success rate and so we'redoing doing that.
So that's what keeps me busywhen I'm not uh when you're not
doing, I'm not doing rotary outof the 36 hours in my day, like
(09:38):
yours, right right, that's.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
That's just how it is .
It is very obvious, naira, thatyou have a service heart deep,
deep deep down in everything youdo, both in your personal and
professional life.
How has the journey to becominga district governor gone.
I mean, what made you thinkabout applying to become a
district governor?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Well, I got to tell you a lot of the district
governors Barry Valdez, rudyWestervelt, manzo Massey, dan
Goodrich, don Casper, almostevery single one of them,
starting off with a gentlemanwho's no longer with us called
Fred Ford.
But he said you know, fred saidone day you're going to be a
good district governor.
And I hadn't even.
It wasn't even on my mind.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It wasn't on the radar.
What are?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
you talking about.
But everybody kind of lent thatorientation, provided the
opportunity, sat and talked andsaid have you ever considered
being a district governor orfurther leadership in the
district?
And gave me opportunities.
And so I think that it'ssomething I never honestly
(10:44):
wanted to do, but it's somethingI thought I could do very
effectively, and certainlyworking with you has been a
wonderful joy, I've got to tellyou.
You're, just as my mother usedto say, the catch meow.
Well, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
We all have to help each other right.
And that's part of what youwere just talking about
mentorship.
So not only is it a greatopportunity for individuals to
gain leadership, it's also agreat opportunity for us, as the
current leaders, to bring thoseothers that are coming into a
leadership position to mentorthem, to help them, to help them
(11:20):
with their confidence, to be asounding board for them.
And that's what makes a strongorganization when we're all
working together to rise eachother up, correct.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Absolutely, and I really think that, at least from
my perspective, I'm trying tobring, and I think I'm going to
be bringing, a morebusiness-like approach to the
district.
The district is the corporationright and we serve our
communities locally andworldwide.
But any corporation ProcterGamble, general Motors, xerox,
ibm they have a managementtraining program where they
(11:52):
identify potential futuremanagers.
They have a management trainingprogram where they identify
potential future managers.
They give them opportunities,they move them around in
different positions, theyprovide them education, which we
have RLI and Rotary LearningCenter and a variety of other
things but we give them theopportunities to grow and
develop and then, whether theywant to be district governor or
just want to be a betterRotarian, we've provided the
(12:15):
resources for them to do that.
So I think we need to be verydecisive about structuring a
mentoring program where we'relooking for and identifying
people who can benefit thedistrict and who can benefit
from the various resources weare and have that passion for
Rotary and having an impact andgive them the opportunities.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
And we've got a team working on that.
Tell us a little bit about yourtraining to become a district
governor.
You've been going through itfor the last year.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I've been going through it and this year is the
most active, I have to say.
Rotary has an extraordinarytraining program and they're
always seeking to improve thatwhich I really like Right.
So at the end of, for instance,at the end of this particular
year of training, when my DGNyear, they put out an extensive
(13:04):
survey asking what did we doright, what did we do wrong,
what can we improve on, what newthings do we want to add?
And they were really seekingquality content.
It wasn't one of these thingskind of to pacify yeah, we're
not patting each other on theback.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
You did a great job, no we really want to know how
could we do better.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
How could we do better?
And they've already started toincorporate some of those
recommendations into changing upthe training program.
But it's very extensive.
Both is your DGND year.
You're kind of just gettingyour feet wet.
The DGN year, the DGE year, iswhere the rubber meets the road.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
The district governor-elect year is the
toughest, I think, because youreally have to do all that
planning lots of phone calls,lots of meetings, people coming
in, coming out.
And you can't actually doanything yet, which is somewhat
frustrating, but you have to getit all ready.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
You have to get it all ready in lots of moving
parts, as somebody says, likeherding cats, but a lot of
people want to help.
There's a lot of passion forRody, which I really love, and
that's the invigorating part,because people want to make a
difference, and so that's whatwe're here to do is to help
everybody make a difference inour district, and it's exciting,
it's very exciting.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
And you in our district, and it's exciting.
It's very exciting and you'reabout ready to head off to to an
exciting event that's happeningat the first of February.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I'll be going off to International Assembly, which
will be in Orlando, florida,where they fly in all of the
district governor elects fromall over the world for us to go
through district governortraining world, for us to go
through district governortraining and come out the other
side prepared to lead yourdistricts.
So that's exciting.
I know that, at least I feelthat the training that we have
(14:41):
in our zone, in our zones 26 and27, is extraordinary and I
think that we'll be wellprepared for what they're going
to offer for InternationalAssembly.
But I'm excited to meet otherdistrict governors from around
the world.
To me, that's the power ofRotary.
When you go to InternationalAssembly, when you go to Rotary
International Convention andyou're there with 30, 40, 50,
(15:02):
60,000 people from around theworld who share a passion for
changing the world and making animmediate impact.
It's invigorating, it'sinspiring.
We're part of something that'shuge and I think a lot of people
miss that.
We do things in our localcommunity but they don't realize
that those communities stretchacross the globe Right, and
(15:23):
we're really having an impactfar and near.
And you can collaborate withpeople far and near.
And when you're sitting in aclass that's being taught from a
lady from Cairo, and somebodyelse from Johannesburg, and
somebody else from Tokyo andsomebody from Toronto and Buenos
Aires.
It's like my God, this thing ismassive.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It is amazing.
I'm so excited for you a deeperrelationship with the core
group of district governors inour zone, which we are all fast
friends and all work togetherseamlessly on a regular basis,
(15:59):
and then being able to expandthat network of friends and
Rotarians from around the world.
I am so excited to hear howyour experience is going to be
and I'm excited for you.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Well, I'm excited too .
And look at the needs that arehappening right now in our
community today, because we havethe fires burning in Los
Angeles and we have yourdistrict governor friends and my
district governor elect friendsin 5300 and 5280.
And we're trying to dosomething with 5330 and
everybody else around us to havean impact and to help people
Right.
So that's the beauty and thepower of Rotary and I think I
(16:34):
want to share that witheverybody.
The power of Rotary.
We underestimate it.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
I would agree 100%.
The power to be able to cometogether quickly to address
needs in a community like we'reexperiencing with with the fires
, is unprecedented.
Right, I mean it, it was all 30of us from the western half of
the united states are activelywithin our district working on
supporting those that areaffected by those fires and
(16:58):
instantly, like as the day thefires came out, that was already
being put into place and we'reall working together I mean,
where else do you say hey, youknow what, do you have a room?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Do you have a room?
Do you have a spare room?
Do you have that?
Can you take in a family?
Speaker 1 (17:10):
And people go yeah, absolutely, done, done, done,
done, done, yeah, bring them in,no issues, bring them on.
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
It's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
It is a beautiful thing.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
You're about ready to really get into the heavy
training of your presidents.
Tell us about how manypresidents that you're
responsible for helping and whatare your goals for them.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Right now I'm responsible for, I believe, 61
clubs we have, but looking atgrowing that and we have a
number of different avenues thatwe're going to utilize this.
The goals really are a coupleof things.
One is for people to realize tounleash their passion they need
(17:59):
.
I think we've been throttled insome cases.
I think people don't realizethe size and the scope and the
magnitude of the organizationthey belong to.
You know, it's like the UnitedStates.
You're in one little state,Rhode Island or Idaho and you
don't realize that there's anenormous country that you belong
to.
Rotary is an enormousorganization with resources,
(18:23):
looking to change the world andcommitted to changing the world.
Right and dedicated, yeah, anddedicated, and so one of the
things I want to do is toreignite that passion in people
to changing the world Right anddedicated, yeah and dedicated.
And so one of the things I wantto do is to reignite that
passion in people to change theworld wherever you're going to
make a difference, and thenshare that.
And that's what helps withmembership.
Membership's, not themembership chair's,
responsibility.
It's all of our responsibility100%.
(18:45):
And if we live the four-way testthat we claim we believe in,
then that should be.
People should see a differencein how we conduct ourselves and
make a difference and go thatway.
So it's to really expand themembership and to attract new
people to Rotary.
So that's one thing.
And then expand our foundationwe have, whether it's dealing
(19:08):
with local fires here inSouthern California or
earthquakes around the world orwhatever the story.
I mean.
Just think that polio in 1985was a grant that somebody wanted
to do in the Philippines andnow we've almost eradicated this
disease from the face of theplanet.
That's an extraordinary effort.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Right and a consistent effort that millions
of Rotarians have participatedover the years.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
So again, that's where passion and commitment.
And somebody had a crazy ideahey, let's do a polio campaign.
And people said, let'seradicate it Right.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
So bring your passion for service to Rotary and let's
see what we can do together todo good in the world.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Absolutely, absolutely.
We want people who want tochange the world.
We want people to unleash theirpassion and have an impact, and
we want to support them andprovide them the resources to do
that, whatever that is.
So that's what we're all about.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Well, I will tell you that I enjoy serving with you.
You're a pleasure to work with.
I'm excited that you're goingto be our new co-host here on
the Rotary Community Heroes ofHope.
What do you think about thepodcast and what are you looking
forward to doing here with uson our podcast?
Well, I'm excited about thepodcast and what are you looking
?
Speaker 2 (20:30):
forward to doing here with us on our podcast.
Well, I'm excited about thepodcast.
It is.
You've actually, quite honestly, you brought a huge number of
creative outlets for thedistrict, whether it's the
podcast, whether it's thedigital billboards on the side
of the road.
You've brought an amazingopportunity for us to get into
the 21st century and that's, youknow, it's not your daddy's
(20:52):
Buick anymore.
We have to look at using 21stcentury tools to attract 21st
century people to Rotary, and sowe have to adapt.
And I know a lot of people havebemoaned.
Well, you know, back in DanielBoone's day.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Well, time to move on .
We're not there yet.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
But down to a wound today.
Well, time to move on.
We're not there yet, butDonnick Kunz can happen at.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Kentucky Rifle and let's move forward together.
We are in the digital age.
Let's put it to our good use.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
So I'm looking to really continue to really build
on what you've already done, andthat is really to expand and
identify and let people hearabout our community heroes of
hope and hopefully to inspirenew people, particularly
non-rotarians.
I'd love for more non-rotariansto hear about this so they say
(21:37):
what is this Rotary thing that'sdoing?
These people are really justknocking out of the pocket.
How do I get involved?
Is there a Rotary club near me?
Who do I need to talk to?
Speaker 1 (21:45):
That's what excites me, because I hear how and see
in our communities there are alot of people that are very
passionate about doing serviceand I'm just looking forward for
them to join us at Rotary andjoin in on all the wonderful
service opportunities thatRotary gives us, both here in
(22:06):
our communities and around theworld, and working together to
really do do great things in theworld and it's working together
is a key because when people,when we invite people to our the
work that we do in thecommunity, they actually can see
us committed to making adifference.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
It's not just talking about it or it's not just
writing, writing a check.
We're actually committed.
Hey, come help me clean thestreets.
Hey, come help me teach somekids.
Hey, come help me do this.
And it's that passion, whenpeople see you walk the walk,
that makes the difference.
You got to walk the walk.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Absolutely Well, niren.
Any final thoughts?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
My thoughts are let's finish out 2025 year with a
bang and let's start 2025, 2026,and rock on and make Rotary the
greatest thing that everhappened to this planet.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
And keep it rolling right.
Keep it rolling, keep itrolling and keep telling the
stories.
Keep telling the stories Aboutthe wonderful community of
people that are doing wonderfulthings in our world, and the
community heroes of hope.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Absolutely, absolutely.
You've done a great thing.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Well, I'm glad to have you on board as my partner
here, so let's go tell somestories.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
All right.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
So that wraps up this episode of Heroes of Hope.
We are so happy that we have anaudience out there listening.
We want you to subscribe, shareand tell your friends about the
Rotary Community Heroes of Hope, because that's how we get the
word out about the impact we're.
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