Speakers

The Verrado Rotary Club was delighted to plan and host The Gathering, a farm-to-table dinner and drawdown raffle supporting All Faiths Community Services, a Buckeye food bank and life-skills training charity.  All Faiths’ Director Cassie Wilkins is the tireless and effective brain and heart of the organization, and an effective advocate for meeting residents’ basic needs, with a “hand up” approach that encourages life and employable skill training.   Those at The Gathering learned about All Faiths Community Services… what it does, its Buckeye roots, the recipients, and how it serves the community.  

Verrado Rotary Foundation President Doug Bredow conceived, planned, and was the engine of The Gathering’s execution and success.  He connected his Verrado organization to not just Buckeye business, government, and other leaders, but to respected individuals and families with deep and historic roots in the city.  It was a humbling sight to see those with generations of Buckeye history seated next to newer arrivals…and all with hearts to bless our neighbors.

Join our club for a great look back and forward as Cassie and Doug share the story of The Gathering and All Faiths Community Services.

As one of our longtime Verrado Rotary Club members,  Dr. Clay Goodman is an Arizona native, has lived in the West Valley for 28 years, and has been a Verrado resident since 2012.  

Prior to his retirement, Dr. Goodman served as the Fossil Generation Training Manager for Arizona Public Service, and in that role, led the leadership and technical training for six Arizona Public Service power plants in both Arizona and New Mexico.  Before joining APS, he had a successful 25-year career at Estrella Mountain Community College as their Vice President of Academic Affairs, Vice President of Occupational Education, and Vice President of Administrative Services.  He was instrumental in acquiring and remodeling the old Buckeye High School into the Estrella Mountain Community College Buckeye Education Center. He also played a key role in the facility design and programs for the WestMEC campus on Verrado Way.  This is someone who has shaped our community landscape!

Clay is our elected Buckeye City Council District 6 Representative as of June, 2020. He loves the outdoors, and his wife Lynda have two grown children and one grandson. 

 

Colonel Gabriel Szody, a native of Northern California, was commissioned as an Artillery Officer in 1999 from West Point and has served over 24 years in the United States Army, of which 22 have been in Special Operations. He is the current Commander for the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, KY.  Colonel Szody has participated in numerous combat, contingency, and expeditionary operations in locations that include Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, East Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Colonel Szody holds a Bachelor of Science in Law from the United States Military Academy, a Master’s Degree in Defense Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School, and was a U.S. Army War College Fellow to the Central Intelligence Agency. Gabe is married to the former Ms. Gina Gray of Tacoma, Washington and they have two children, Luke (15) and Lyla (13).