Category Archives: New Member

Landscaping Services

Ray Aguilar is the Vice President of Aztec Landscaping Inc. Ray’s parents started Aztec Landscaping and have kept it family owned since 1970 with Ray, his brothers and cousins currently at the helm.

Ray is a former member of the La Mesa and Lemon Grove Rotaries. He joined a San Diego Rotary meeting this past year and was impressed by the energy of our Club, then applied to switch. As a Lemon Grove Rotarian, Ray helped execute a clean water project for an underserved area in Mexico, bringing clean water to an orphanage, as well as a community, in need. He realized then that the beliefs he was raised understanding—to give to those who have less, and to do what you can for those who need help—aligned with Rotary’s mission and vision.

The Cesar Chavez Readers and Storefront Committees are of interest to him as he likes to be present while being impactful. He has four children if you count Peggy, the family dog (don’t worry Ray, we do), and he hopes to married in the near future.

Ray’s Club 33 sponsors are Bob Russell and Craig Evanco.

Sustainability-Children’s Toys

Malte Niebelschuetz is the Founder and CEO of Shore Buddies, a sustainable and educational children’s brand with a focus on preventing plastic pollution in the world’s oceans by using recycled bottles as the material to make stuffed animals, while additionally teaching youth about the dangers of inaction. He is also the Founder of the $1 For the Ocean nonprofit organization whose network connects ocean minded businesses who commit financially to support ocean protection projects and nonprofit organizations with a $1 donation for every product or service purchased within the network.

Malte grew up in Germany, and, after getting his graduate degree from a school near Hamburg, he became the Chief Knowledge Officer for Germany’s largest defense contractor in Dusseldorf.  He found himself wanting more from a career and found an opportunity here in San Diego to make an difference in the world by starting these two companies whose missions are grounded in sustainability and education.  Eleven years later he is a green card recipient, and now a proud resident of San Diego, though he considers himself a global citizen.

In his free time he enjoys surfing, soccer, yoga, reading, writing, and cooking. His “real life super power is getting the best out of people.” Malte’s life purpose is to empower kids to improve the world and to disrupt the toy industry. Luckily, he now knows there is more to California than just the “Golden Gate Bridge, LA and David Hasselhoff!”

Malte’s sponsors are Phil Blair, Judy Thompson and Douglas Arbon.

Consultant-Information Technology

Rudy Michelon is the CEO for Skyriver IT, where he has been a partner since 2017. Skyriver is an outsourced information technology company. Rudy’s background in accounting and financial management helps his company’s clientele understand the financial implications of technology and managing risks. Their unique business-centric, rather than technology-centric, approach is aligned with their mission to ensure their clients stay focused on their businesses while knowing their environment is reliable and secure.

Rudy’s father came from Italy and his mother was born in Peru, making him the first person in his family to be born in the United States. As a child he lived in Los Angeles, then later Peru and Argentina, before coming back to the US to attend USC. He studied abroad in France, at the La Sorbonne University, where he learned fluent French after getting his degree in accounting. After starting his career he moved back to Argentina, he later worked for a company in India, and, several Fortune 500 companies from Michigan to San Francisco, before settling here in San Diego.

He has four grown children of his own, and his life partner has three. He recently moved to East Village and is excited to meet new people through Rotary. Some of the community service organizations he is currently involved in include the Knights of Columbus and United Way.

Rudy thanks his sponsors Judy Thompson, David Oates, and Nicole Deberg.

Senior Care Services-St. Paul’s

Michael McHale assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at St. Paul’s Senior Services on April 11, 2022 after more than 22 years of executive management and development experience in the senior care and hospice industries.

McHale began his career in senior living administration at St. Paul’s Nursing & Rehabilitation Center (McColl Health Center) in 1999, where he served as Associate Administrator and offered support during the initial phase of the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) application process.

Before returning to St. Paul’s in 2022, McHale served as the President and CEO of TRU Community Care in Boulder, Colo., where he improved operational performance and expanded services including hospice, home health, palliative care, memory care and PACE.

Additionally, McHale has served as the President & CEO of Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care in Illinois; Chief Operating Officer (COO) and CEO of Hospice of the Chesapeake, Inc. in Maryland; Vice President of Business Development and Sales at The Washington Home and Community Hospices in Wash. D.C.; Corporate Director of Marketing and Access Services at Hospice of Michigan; and Director of Access Services at the San Diego Hospice & Palliative Care, Inc. Throughout his career, McHale has served on multiple Rotary Club boards and is published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management for his innovation in hospice tele-health services.

Michael is originally from the state of Wisconsin, and he and his spouse have four children, one daughter-in-law, a granddaughter, and interestingly, an Alpaca Farm.

Michael thanks his sponsors Cheryl Wilson, Mark Allan and Troy Wilson.

Social Service & Welfare – ECS                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Elizabeth Fitzsimons started her career in San Diego as a journalist at the San Diego Union Tribune. She then became Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Rady’s Children’s Hospital, and later, Vice President of Leadership and Engagement at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce where she led LEAD San Diego. In April of 2021, Elizabeth began serving as Chief Executive Officer for Episcopal Community Services, where she works today. In this role she inspires children, empowers adults and transforms communities by providing vital, high-quality social services that focus on early childhood education and development, homelessness, mental health and substance use disorder.

Elizabeth recently completed two terms as Library Commissioner on the City of San Diego’s Board of Library Commissioners; she currently serves on the Board of Governors for the University Club Atop Symphony Towers. Previously she served on the Board of Directors for the Jacob’s and Cushman San Diego Food Bank, and on the Governance Committee for the San Diego Public Library Foundation.

She lives in Del Cerro with her husband, daughter and twin sons: though her oldest is leaving for her freshman year in college.

Elizabeth’s sponsors are Wendy Urushima-Conn, David Oates and Valerie Attisha.

Real Estate-Residential-AA                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Goldie Sinegal, born and raised in San Diego, graduated from Logan Elementary, Memorial Junior High, San Diego High, and University of San Diego. She worked for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper for over 30 years.  After leaving the UT newspaper, she became a realtor in 2010, and is still working with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties out of their La Jolla office.

Goldie sang professionally for a few years with the San Diego Opera Chorus, and at the White Sands Senior Community, as well as non-professionally with other performing groups.

She has served on the following boards: University of San Diego Alumni, YMCA Youth and Family Services, City Ballet, Emerald Cove La Jolla Community, and La Jolla Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir.

Some of the pillars of her life are her faith in God, family and friends, music, community service, and theatre. She is a 27-year member of La Jolla Presbyterian Church, where she serves with many fellow Rotarians. Both Goldie’s mother and husband, who has passed, were very involved in San Diego community service alongside her. She is ready to continue to serve through Rotary Club 33 by joining many committees and becoming very involved.

Goldie’s sponsors are Jan McDonough, Roger Haines and Walter Lam.

Medicine-Chiropractic

Dr. Conn heads the Biophysics Chiropractic Wellness Center, an office that for over 20 years has been dedicated to helping protect their patient’s nervous systems through wellness care, chiropractic adjustments, massage, health education and advocacy.

Bart has always been passionate about serving the community. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Biology from University of Maryland, he worked for the National Institute of Health. He took part in extensive Cancer and AIDS research, then obtained his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic before opening his own business here in San Diego.

He has been extensively involved in the California Chiropractic Association both on the local chapter level, as well as the state, serving as sergeant at arms, secretary, vice president then president from 2004-2018. During that time he was also San Diego’s representative for the state of California.

Bart and his wife, fellow Rotarian Wendy Urushima-Conn, share two daughters: Reiko and Emi. “Getting to be their dad has been my greatest gift.” He enjoys surfing, riding his motorcycle, sailing and is a lover of the natural world. He is interested in our Hands Across the Border committee.

Although Bart isn’t a runner himself, he does keep Wendy running (he says)!

His sponsors are Wendy Urushima-Conn, Valerie Attisha and Joe Horiye.

Education-Private University-Marketing

Emily Hill is the Assistant Dean of Marketing and Recruitment at University of San Diego’s Knauss School of Business, one of the top business schools in the country focused on educating the next generation of ethical business leaders, with an emphasis in stewardship through values-driven enterprise.

After she was born and raised here in San Diego, Emily and her husband moved to Chicago for a brief period before the weather sent them home. She started her career in journalism, but later decided education was a better path. She has since worked at University of California San Diego in their undergraduate enrollment management department; and before that, she spent seven years helping build the marketing and recruitment department for Academy of Our Lady of Peace, where she is also alumna.

Emily joined Rotary to be able to better serve the San Diego community. She is dedicated to donating blood on a monthly basis and volunteers her time mentoring underrepresented undergraduate students at USD. Good news for everyone: she enjoys baking and promises to share her creations!

Emily’s sponsors are Valerie Attisha, David Oates, and Dick Eger.

Retired-US Navy-General Counsel

Mary has had two careers, and for most of her life they were simultaneous. She worked with the US Navy Office of the General Council for 23 years, retiring in 2017 as Counsel, Navy Region Southwest heading a nine person office of attorneys and staff providing all business and civil law support to the Commander and his staff, while commanding officers of all installations in the Southwest’s six-state region.

Mary is also a retired US Navy Captain (O-6, Intelligence) where she served in numerous active duty and ready reserve positions, both domestically and abroad, including service as Commanding Officer of the largest Reserve Intelligence Unit Command in this region.

She is very interested in complimenting her current volunteer efforts by focusing on helping the “voiceless community members” in our area; such as the foster youth and other forgotten children and seniors, as well as young adults who have no role models and no perceived way out of poverty and chaos. She would also like to reach out to incarcerated individuals and, moreover, work toward solutions to the obscene violence that poverty and famine brings to its victims here and abroad.

After retiring from both careers, Mary has traveled extensively and been able to accomplish many goals she had put on hold during her two careers and her raising four children. She is now ready to dive into Rotary service projects with energy, focus and a vigilance for potential committee participation that can utilize her grant-writing expertise.

Mary is sponsored by Judy Thompson, Mike Conner and Constance Carroll.

Social Service and Welfare-Homeless-AA

Emily Fauber is the Director of Community Engagement at Solutions for Change, a North County nonprofit solving family homelessness through a 700 day academy program that re-imagines futures for homeless families through classes, counseling, housing, and workforce training.

Outside of work, Emily and her husband volunteer at their home church, King’s Cross Church in Pacific Beach, as the Volunteer Director of Facilities and Volunteer Director of Kids Ministry respectively.

Emily is passionate about serving vulnerable youth through better education around adverse childhood experiences and with trauma informed care. She volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA Volunteer) through Voices for Children, advocating for and mentoring youth in the foster care system. Emily and her husband support Compassion International as child sponsors, and are passionate about supporting outdoor experiences and outdoor leadership opportunities for youth and young adults through the Gordon College LaVida Outdoor Leadership Program.

Emily’s husband Dan serves in the US Coast Guard, which originally brought them to San Diego. In their free time, they enjoy backpacking, surfing, climbing, and exploring new places, including a six month US Road Trip adventure in their home built campervan. Emily’s faith plays a large role in her desire to serve her community and support innovative solutions for vulnerable populations.

Her sponsors are Will Hage, Bill Fenick and Duke Sobek.