Speakers

Edna Smith, Ph. D. This past Tuesday, fellow Kiwanian Edna Smith, Ph.D. led the club through our annual update on Youth Protection Guidelines for all members who work with kids in any Kiwanis-sponsored format or gathering. As a retired educator, Dr. Smith is highly-qualified to lead us through club training from her experiences over a…

Peggy Harris Peggy Harris, a retired elementary school teacher, talked to the Club this morning about the ‘Give 5- Read 5’ program. As Peggy said, “Give 5 – Read 5 is a reading initiative June Atkinson, former N.C. State School Superintendent of Public Instruction introduced across our state. During 2015 she challenged civic groups and…

Chuck Eldridge Chuck Eldridge, president of the local NAMI chapter was our guest speaker this past Tuesday. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and is one of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Chuck was here to tell us…

Tammie Parris Tammie Parris, President of the Pender Education Partnership (PEP) Board of Directors was on our speaker this Tuesday to talk about this partnership that promotes learning and scholarship in the Pender School District. Pender County Schools’ Dr. Steven Hill, Superintendent was in the audience in support of PEP. Tammie is very passionate about…

Jeff Wenzel and Scott Franko Mayor Jeff Wenzel, Town of Holly Ridge brought his usual high level of enthusiasm to our Club meeting this week. He was proud to announce that Holly Ridge is the 2nd fasting growing town in North Carolina! Back in the day, Holly Ridge was the Highway 50 gateway to Topsail…

Dave Glenn Dave Glenn, a volunteer, from SkyWatch Bird Rescue in Castle Hayne, NC brought long-time resident Micro, a red shouldered hawk to visit us Tuesday morning. Dave is an avid raptor conservationist who has a passion for helping these marvelous birds recover from their injuries through a rehabilitation process at the center that aims…

Tracy Lafon Tracy Lafon, Community Program Manager, for ‘Communities in Schools of the Cape Fear’ described how this multi-state group works to meet the needs of kids in schools beyond the personal attention that their teachers can give. As Tracy said, ‘We are there to support the school, students, and families with additional resources that…

Dixon Middle School Molly and Jocelyn from Dixon Middle School were our guest speakers this Tuesday morning representing the seven member team for ‘Odyssey of the Mind’ at their school who are coached by teachers Patty Browne and Erik Gruner at the school. Odyssey of the Mind is an International Organization over 40 years old…

Kimberly Patrizi Club Treasurer Kimberly Patrizi briefed the Club this morning on the status of our finances. Kimberly noted that the Club had a successful year of fundraising primarily because members donated their time and goods depending on the fundraiser to ensure success. Notably, the Club was able to fund nearly $20,000 in grant requests…

Chief Phillip Voorhees Chief Phillip Voorhees of the Surf City Police Department was our guest speaker this week. Chief Voorhees, a New Jersey native, brings a wealth of experience to his position. He began his career with the US Marines and was stationed at Camp Lejeune for a portion of his enlistment. Appreciating the beach…

Mayor Joann McDermon “North Topsail Beach also known as Nature’s Tranquil Beauty is living up to its name! We are ready for this year’s residents and vacationers!” as Mayor McDermon announced to the Club this past Tuesday. Mayor McDermon introduced Alice Derian, Town Manager, who joined N. Topsail Beach last October. Manager Derian has had…

Daniel Flynn Daniel Flynn, from the Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center of Jacksonville, NC, brought his ministry for pregnant women to our club this week. As Daniel explained the vision of the center is ‘a community where every life is protected – physically, spiritually, and emotionally.’ Daniel went on to describe the mission of the center…

Principal Brian Allen Principal Brian Allen joined us this past Tuesday morning to talk about happenings at Surf City Elementary. This relatively new school serves the fast growing area of Pender County. The school designed for 750 students and sharing the campus with Surf City Middle has already grown to 745 students with a staff…

Principal Heather Bridgers Our speaker this Tuesday was Principal Heather Bridgers from Surf City Middle School. Principal Bridgers has almost 20-years in education, first as a teacher, and then moving through administrative positions until becoming principle. One of the first things she said to us was that “Kiwanis empowers our school through your contributions in…

Mason Smith Dr. Mason Fuller Smith, Director of Community Engagement for Boys and Girls Homes of NC gave a very inspiring presentation on how the Boys and Girls Home at Lake Waccamaw has undergone a major refurbishment in both physical facilities and in the way kids are cared for at the home. Everyone the kids…

Nicholas Tripp Our speaker Tuesday morning was Nick Tripp from Coastal Carolina CPR. His message was simple “What do you do when someone collapses and their heart stops?” Call 911, move the person’s head back to check for blockage, move head back to normal position and start CPR chest compressions at the rate of 200…

Brittany Meade, Outreach Coordinator Brittany told us that ‘True Justice International’ is a non-profit fighting to eradicate sex trafficking through ‘Reaching, Raising Up and Restoring’ the lives of survivors. Their goal is to fight human trafficking in our local and global communities through Christ-centered strategic initiatives with the goal to reach, raise up, and restore….

Dr. Steven Hill Dr. Steven Hill, Superintendent of Pender County Schools, updated the club on the status of Pender County Schools and some of the challenges the school system faces with COVID-19 and burgeoning enrollments. The school system is under ever increasing scrutiny with the restrictions and threat of COVID-19 as the governor, state health…

2021-2022

Dawn Ellis Dawn Ellis spoke from Share The Table.  They are working on their capital project to fund the building of their new facility on NC17 and Perkins Rd.  Kiwanis will be contributing to that funding via our Skip-A-Meal program.  We will have envelopes at meetings as well as three Skip-A-Meal Socials.  Their highest needs…

Dan Callender Dan Callender from Salty Turtle Beer Company, located at 103 Triton Lane in Surf City was on hand to talk about founding and operating a micro brewery in this competitive market. Dan talked about the hurdles he and his partners had to overcome to make Salty Turtle the microbrew success that it has…

Tommy Batson Tommy Batson, Director of Pender County Emergency Management took time away from his beach vacation this morning to talk to our Club about the Emergency Management Department in the county. His department coordinates various state, federal and local agencies that work together for all types of emergencies, whether it is a swift water…

Mario Harris Mario Harris is a retired United States Marine Master Sergeant that served faithfully and honorably for over twenty-seven years. Throughout his distinguished career, he was an Equal Opportunity Representative, Formal School Instructor, Certified Master Trainer, Curriculum Developer, and Certified Master Instructor (Marine Awareness and Prevention Training). His commitment to equality, solid leadership skills,…

Joe Crostic Joe is Governor-Elect of the Carolinas District, and will assume the Governorship of the District on October 1. Previously, he was a Distinguished Lt. Governor for Division 26, the Membership Coordinator for the Carolinas District and is a Distinguished Past President of the Southport-Oak Island Club. It is easy to see why Joe…

Kathy Zagzebski Kathy Zagzebski, Executive Director, Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island was our guest speaker Tuesday morning. Kathy was just named executive director in February. Before coming to Topsail she was the Director of the National Marine Life Center, a marine animal hospital and science and education center in Bourne,…

Phil Misciagno is a Retired Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman that was stationed in the Camp Lejeune area since 1995. Since his retirement in 2016 he has been with Coldwell Banker Seacoast Advantage. For the last year and a half Phil has been managing broker for the Sneads Ferry and Topsail office. Seacoast Advantage combined has…

John Fahey Dr. John Fahey, Ed.D. was our guest speaker this past Tuesday morning. Dr. John started off college with a major in Russian language as an undergrad. A skill set he use to help our government during the old Cold War days. Dr. John’s real passion though became education and helping kids learn. After…

Larry Combs and Rodney Dillman Tuesday morning with attendance improving Larry Combs and Rodney Dillman gave our Club an update on the history, status, and relationship between the Club and the Foundation. As Larry, Foundation Treasurer, described, ‘The Kiwanis Foundation of Topsail Island Area, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was formed by the Club several years ago as…

Buddy Fowler William ‘Buddy’ Fowler, Surf City Councilman and fellow Kiwanian was our guest speaker this past Tuesday morning. Buddy had several exciting activities and developments in Surf City to relay to our Club. He was very proud of the new Surf City Town Hall and Police Department Building that was officially dedicated and now…

Tammie Parris About Our Speaker Tammie Parris serves as Director, Pender County Economic and Workforce Development at Cape Fear Community College. This year she was elected as the President and incoming chair of the Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. In addition to her other roles in the community, Tammie talked to us…

Fidel Forde President Carrie Hewitt introduced Fidel this morning. Fidel is owner of Ignite Your Spark in Holly Ridge. Fidel is a man of many talents …not only is he a motivational speaker, but he is also a Yoga instructor and massage therapist. Fidel specializes in body, mind, and life coaching. He uses his broad…

Les King Our 2021 scholarship address was given by our own Les King. As everyone knows, Les excels in public speaking and this morning was no exception as he quickly brought both of our 2021 Scholarship winners, Ashley Schaefer and George Davis from Dixon High School into his commentary. His talk aimed to steer our…

Tammy Proctor Tammy Proctor spoke with us Tuesday morning. Tammy works as the Director of Tourism here in Pender County and in 2014 she served as the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce. Tammy has been active in producing press releases, articles, and updating websites and social media for non-profit organizations. Additionally, she writes…

Lindsay Peiffer Our speaker today is Lindsay Peiffer. She is Director of the “ Girls on the Run” and “Stride” Programs for the YMCA for all of Southeastern North Carolina. Her programs empower young kids to believe in themselves by building self-confidence through healthy living. Girls on the Run New Hanover County Schools held Girls…

Janine Stidley Janine Stidley was our guest speaker on April 13th. She and her husband Rick, a fellow Kiwanian, moved to Topsail in 2016 to be full time residents after vacationing on Topsail for a number of years. Janine has worked in the corporate sector, the private sector and the federal government as well as…

Carrie Hewitt and Tim Horner President Carrie Hewitt led the discussion Tuesday morning on our first week back for in-person meetings at the Surf City Welcome Center. She noted that April 12th is D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) Day. A national celebration of reading that encourages families to stop everything and read together. Reading is…

Wilmington’s Successful Women Vicky Janowski In her introduction of our speaker today, President Carrie Hewitt noted that March 8th was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. We learned from Carrie’s introduction that Vicky Janowski is the editor of the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, editor of…

Alexa Matlock Alexa Matlock, Surf City, Recreation Program Supervisor, was our speaker Tuesday morning. Alexa gave us an overview of the Recreation and Parks program and the adjustments that had to be made with COVID restrictions. The main focus has been to keep the program going for kids, During school year on Wednesdays when schools…

Diane Cavanagh A longtime advocate for children and adults with disabilities, Diane Cavanagh, Ph.D., retired to Hampstead, NC in 2017 with her husband Kevin. Her passion for special education began in 1976 in her first job as a public school teacher for children with Down syndrome. Her 40 year career in special education continued as…

Bulldog Our speaker today is a longtime resident of North Carolina who goes by the road name “Bulldog.” For 6 years he has been the Cape Fear President of the biker organization, B.A.C.A. which stands for Bikers Against Child Abuse. BACA is a charitable worldwide motorcycle organization with the intended purpose of empowering abused children….

Cody Leutgens Shaka Taco, founded in 2017 as a fresh food oriented taco establishment, is the ‘heart’ of Surf City for welcoming people to the beach and Surf City. Cody and his partners empower their employees to facilitate this ‘heart feeling’ at Shaka Taco as a hangout space for surfers and others who want to…

Anthony Nigro Anthony Nigro, District Executive for the NE Cape Fear District, Cape Fear Council of the Boy Scouts of American was our speaker today. To say that Anthony is excited about Boy Scouts is an understatement as his enthusiasm for scouting was evident throughout his presentation. Anthony’s district includes Pender County and North East…

Josh Schieffer In 2020, Josh and his two sons, Blake and Jacob formed Watermans Warehouse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in which he currently serves as the Executive Director. Watermans Warehouse provides free and reduced priced swim lessons to local residents who are under financial stress. Josh made an alarming point that quite a number of people…

Taylor Maready Taylor Maready owns and operates Ecological Marine Adventures here on Topsail Island. EMA teaches kids of all ages about the ocean through hands on experiences like field exploration, experiments and touch tanks just to name a few. Their motto is “Learn Love Protect. “ Taylor’s enthusiasm and exuberance bubbled over this morning even at…

Cory Sydes Topsail Island Longboard Association is a nonprofit surf club on Topsail Island. Cory said “Our goal is to promote our sport, and lifestyle while we give back, and have a positive impact in our community.” The Topsail Island Longboard Association (TILA) was founded in 2017 by Cory Sydes to offer youth and young…

by Les King The speaker this 5th day of January was our own Dr. Les King, Ph.D. who spoke about the night sky and what people have imagined in the past and what we can see today. Les was planetarium director for 10 yr in PA in his teaching role. Giving planetarium shows, Les’ audience…

Michele Bennett, Chairperson Carrie Hewitt, vice-president introduced Michele ‘a Virginia native who has lived in the Topsail area for nearly 10 years.  She is currently using her graduate degree in her role as the Housing Specialist for an Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT).  In this role, she works out in the community, providing services for…

Steve Smith, Mayor Steve Smith, Mayor of Topsail Beach, NC, and fellow Kiwanian presented an overview of happenings in Topsail Beach at our Club meeting, Tuesday, November 17. Mayor Smith noted that COVID-19 cases are increasing in town right now as they are across North Carolina and the Nation. He encouraged people to stay safe…

Jeff Wenzel, Mayor Jeff Wenzel, Mayor of Holly Ridge, NC, and fellow Kiwanian gave the Club an update on happenings in the second, fastest-growing small town in North Carolina. Holly Ridge is a gateway to Topsail Island, but also strategically located between Wilmington and Camp Lejeune on US 17, a major corridor in eastern NC….

Dr. Edna Smith, Ph.D. Edna Smith, Ph.D. assisted the Club in our annual review of the Kiwanis Youth Protection Guidelines. Edna has made this training activity a priority for her contributions to the Club and this year was no different. She was informative and concise as she went through the policies. Edna had already provided the…

Renee Jones Carrie Hewitt, Club Vice-President, introduced Renee Jones, Social Worker, at Dixon High School. Renee then gave the Club an update on the counseling and assistance programs she coordinates at the school. She first thanked Kiwanis for the fundraising financial support the Club has given the school. She noted how our over $1,500 dollars…

Katie White Katie White, Recreation Program Supervisor, with Onslow County Parks & Recreation spoke to the Club about a special program she directs that provides a ‘Remote Learning Center’ for elementary and middle school students when the county was under remote learning. Katie has spoken to the Club previously in her role as a parks…

Kevin Eitel, Club Treasurer Kevin Eitel gave a semi-annual treasurer’s report to the club membership on Tuesday morning. Kevin noted that a new electronic bookkeeping system has been adopted that will allow members to pay dues and make contributions online. Additionally, payments can be made via debit or credit card, using Stripe and PayPal. This…

Rick Yount, Executive Director Hello! I’m Cooper! I’m training to be a WCC service dog Rick Yount, Executive Director of the Warrior Canine Connection brought along his pal, Cooper to tell us about this unique program for servicemen with emotional and physical disabilities. Rick doing graduate work in sociology in California came up with the…

Pender County School System Update Dr. Steven Hill, Superintendent of Pender County Schools, updated the club on the status of Pender County Schools and some of the challenges the school system faces with burgeoning enrollments. Dr. Smith commented The district is comprised of 18 schools serving approximately 9,300 students in grades Pre-K through 12 and…

Jennifer Andrews, Community Liaison, for Lower Cape Fear LifeCare was our speaker on Tuesday, February 18. Jennifer noted that this is the 40th year for the non-profit previously known as Lower Cape Fear Hospice. The non-profit serves New Hanover, Pender and Onslow Counties. Jennifer noted that ” You deserve the highest quality of life when…

Joann McDermon, Mayor Pro Tem Joann McDermon, Mayor Pro Tem, of the Town of N. Topsail Beach presented an update on happenings in Town. She explained that the Board of Aldermen is in a holding state due to the challenge of Dan Tuman, mayor candidate who lost the election to her as write-in candidate on…

We had a potpourri of Kiwanis members give short testimonies about themselves We learned from Joe Bell that he used to be bigger than he is now and played football.  Now he plays Pickleball and golf, but only when the weather is warm. A modest man, Joe failed to mention that he easily rides away…

Anthony Nigro, NECF District Executive of the Cape Fear Council of Boy Scouts of America talked about scouting in the Northeast Cape Fear Council of the BSA and program changes the scouts have made to accommodate young families wanting scouting experiences for their sons and daughters. (photo by Jeff Wenzel, Above Topsail) The mission of…

Lynn Gordon, Legal Officer, New Hanover Regional Medical Center Lynn Gordon, Legal Counsel at NHRMC spoke to us on Tuesday, Jan 14th about a “Future Partnership Exploration” for the hospital. As background, Lynn noted that NHRMC serves patients from New Hanover Co. and six surrounding counties. NHRMC is unique in the country being one of…

Mayor Steve Smith, Town of Topsail Beach Topsail Beach Community Report Topsail Beach did have a good 2019: Good Morning Let me start with a thank you to Howard Braxton and Linda Stipe for their years of service to our town. They were part of a Board that has worked as a team for the…