2020 PETS Instructors
Course: Communication, Social Media & Rotary
Day: Friday
Time: 9:00 - 9:45, 10:00 - 10:45, 11:00 - 11:45
Location: Pacific Coast 3
Michael has Rotary in his blood, a fourth generation Rotarian. Michael’s Great Grand Father, Luther Hodges was Rotary International President in 1967-68. Michael’s Father is Past District Governor in District 5010, his mother is Past President of the Rotary Club of Wasilla and his wife is Past President of the Rotary Club of Pismo Beach/Five Cities.
The Rotary Club of Pismo Beach-Five Cites, 2001-Present
Positions Held: President, President-Elect, Treasurer (3 years), Club Service Director (2 years), Public Relations Chair (8 years), Vocational Service Director, International Service Director, Club Foundation Vice President & Club Foundation President.
Current Position: President’s Advisor
Rotary District 5240 Staff, 2002-Present
Positions Held: Website Chair (3 years), Public Relations Chair (3 years), Club Service Director, Communications Committee (3 years), Membership Advisor, SOCAL PETS Instructor (5 years – Public Image, #WeAreRotary, Social Media), SOCAL PETS Facilitator (4 years – Promote Rotary, Your Members, Your Leadership, Club Management). Current Position: Membership Chair, District Conference Promotion Committee
Rotary Zone 25/26 Board of Advisors, 2015-Present
Positions Held: Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator, Keynote Speaker AZ PETS, AZ PETS Instructor (Rotary Club Central), Speaker at Zone Institute 2015, 2016 & 2017.
Current Position: Rotary Public Image Coordinator
Both the San Luis Obispo Tribune and the Pacific Coast Business Times recognized Michael with their “Top 20 Under 40” Award for his professional excellence and profound commitment to the Community.
Michael lives in Arroyo Grande, CA with my wife and son.
Course: Conflict Resolution
Day: Friday
Time: 9:00 - 9:45, 10:00 - 10:45, 11:00 - 11:45
Location: Los Angeles 4
Course: Fundraising
Day: Friday
Time: 9:00 - 9:45, 10:00 - 10:45, 11:00 - 11:45
Location: California 3 & 4
Course: Grow Rotary - The three essential elements
Day: Friday
Time: 10:00 - 11:45
Location: Imperial D, E, F
Lucinda has served extensively in her club and districts. She led a successful membership drive for Mesa West that received district recognition. She has been honored as Club and District Rotarian of the year, presented with the Rotary International Service Above Self Award and was honored to serve several times as a Rotary International President’s Representative.
District operations, club engagement and leadership development are intensely important to Lucinda. Her experience includes two terms as chair of Arizona Tri-District PETS, multiple years as a District Conference chair and as Group Study Exchange chair, service on the RYLA committee, faculty at Zone 25-26 GNATS, and vice chair for the 2013 Phoenix Zone Institute.
Lucinda presently serves in the following capacities; on her club’s board, the Multi District PETS Alliance and West Coast PETS Alliance, as the Zone 25-26 Treasurer, the convener of Zone 26 Nominating Committee and continues to serve to strengthen District 5495. She has recently completed service as an Assistant Rotary Coordinator. Lucinda supports our Foundation as a Major Donor, Benefactor and Bequest Society member.
Lucinda is the owner of Simplified Expansions an office management and bookkeeping business. She and her husband Wayne live in Phoenix with Bella the softest cocker spaniel you will ever meet.
Course: Maximizing ClubRunner
Day: Friday
Time: 9:00 - 9:45, 10:00 - 10:45, 11:00 - 11:45
Location: California 3
Course: Grow Rotary - The three essential elements
Day: Friday
Time: 10:00 - 11:45
Location: Imperial D, E, F
Course: Polio Today
Day: Friday
Time: 9:00 - 9:45, 10:00 - 10:45, 11:00 - 11:45
Location: Pacific Coast 4
As a member of the Rotary team, Ernie participates in the annual Ride to End Polio / El Tour de Tucson, cycling distances up to 104 miles and helping to raise millions of dollars for PolioPlus. Ernie and his wife Sally participated in a Polio National Immunization Day in West Africa in 2005 and in India in 2017. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Tucson.
Enthusiastic supporters of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, Ernie and Sally are members of the Arch Klumph Society and Legacy Society, multiple Paul Harris Fellows, and members of the Paul Harris Society.
Ernie and Sally developed dozens of Rotary projects in West Africa. These projects have provided clean water, sanitation, health care, education support, and income generation for tens of thousands of needy people in 50 communities in Togo and Niger.
Ernie served in the US Army from 1959 to 1981, serving in Germany, Greenland, Vietnam, and Korea, as well as numerous posts in the United States. He subsequently retired from a second career as a defense analyst responsible for test and evaluation of military weapon systems.
Sally, a member of the Rotary Club of Tucson, is also a Past District Governor (2014-15) and is a recipient of Rotary’s highest award, the Service Above Self Award. She served as Grants Chair for several years. She is a retired criminal defense attorney, having practiced for many years with the Public Defender Service in Washington, DC.
Course: Club Culture
Day: Friday
Time: 9:00 - 9:45, 10:00 - 10:45, 11:00 - 11:45
Location: Pacific Coast 5 & 6
Course: Maximizing DACdb
Day: Friday
Time: 9:00 - 9:45, 10:00 - 10:45, 11:00 - 11:45
Location: Los Angeles 3
Michael currently serves as one of the Assistant RPICs for Zone 26, District Communication Officer (DCO) for District 7600 and District 5300. Is the District 5300 Grants chair 2017-2020. He has been serving on the SWR PETS committee since 2015 as committee chair for the Website/Social Media/USummit Event App.
Additionally Michael is a Paul Harris Fellow +7.
Course: Attracting Yound Professionals
Day: Friday
Time: 9:00 - 9:45, 10:00 - 10:45, 11:00 - 11:45
Location: Pacific Coast 1 & 2
In September 1995, Cozette joined the Rotary Club of Westchester (Los Angeles). She has served in numerous positions at the club, district and zone levels, including chairing the opening night event for the 2008 RI Convention in Los Angeles, staring Natalie Cole at L.A. Live. She currently serves as District Governor for RI District 5280.
Cozette also serves on the Board of Directors for 1736 Family Crisis Center and the U.S. Selective Service System, while developing the RI District 5280 Human Trafficking Initiative.
Cozette and her husband Richard Moon met in Rotary and have a blended family of four children, two daughters-in-law, two grandchildren, with another due in March.
Young Professionals Panel
Tori is also employed by Rotary District 5280, serving as the District Administrator. She loves working with Rotarians on a daily basis and has had the opportunity to work in the non-profit sector for over twelve years. By far, her favorite part of the job has been traveling to the annual humanitarian trips in Latin and South America.
Tori graduated from UCLA in 2005 with a degree in Art History. In her free time, she loves visiting museums, gardening, and finding any opportunity to swing a hammer. She has a passion for interior design and has worked on several demo/rehab design projects.
Committed to the community, Cozette has served in a leadership capacity in many civic organizations including the Board of Trustees of the Westchester Rotary Foundation, Selective Service Board (Los Angeles Region), Neighborhood Council Westchester/Playa, LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce, Airport Marina Counseling Service, and 1736 Family Crisis Center. In July 2017, Cozette became the District Governor for Rotary International District 5280 and will maintain that position until June 2018. She takes pride in her twenty-two years of membership in the Rotary Club of Westchester having served as the club’s president in 2001-2002, as well as serving in numerous district and zone positions for Rotary International. Through Rotary she is leading an effort within District 5280 in establishing the Rotary International District 5280 Human Trafficking Initiative.
Professional Experience
After graduate and law schools, Cozette worked as an academic counselor and adjunct law professor at the University of West Los Angeles. In 1996 she established her own firm; and in 1999 through 2004, she worked with a partner under Vergari & Fu, LLP. Since 2014, Cozette has partnered with Kimberly Napolitano to open the new firm of Vergari & Napolitano.
Education
Cozette’s eclectic educational endeavors began with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and a lifetime secondary teaching credential from the University of Southern California. She graduated 5th in her class from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law, was named Outstanding Graduate by the faculty, and completed her internship with a federal court magistrate. Cozette holds a Doctorate of Juris Prudence.
Affiliations
As a member of the State Bar of California Cozette is also admitted to practice before the United States District Federal Court for the Central District of California. Aside from litigation, she is trained in Mediation; Collaborative Family Law; and has received Court appointments as Minors Counsel, representing children in high conflict custody battles.
In September 1995, Cozette joined the Rotary Club of Westchester (Los Angeles) where she has served in numerous positions at the club, district, and zone levels. As a dedicated Rotarian, Cozette is a second level major donor to the Rotary Foundation.
More about Cozette
Native to Los Angeles and raised in Westchester, she and her husband Richard Moon (who is also an active Rotarian at the club and district levels) still reside in Westchester. They have a blended family of four children, two daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren.
Her firm, Yazdanyar Law Offices, specializes in assisting clients nationwide to comply with and address issues related to the sanctions programs administered by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). More specifically, her practice focuses mainly on assisting Iranian-Americans and Legal Permanent Residents of the United States with the legal and transparent transfer of assets from Iran to the United States and/or obtaining specific licenses from OFAC authorizing otherwise prohibited transactions. Ms. Yazdanyar has successfully handled issues relating to U.S. trade sanctions arising before various U.S. government agencies and depository institutions, as well as successfully assisted thousands of clients throughout the U.S. with the legal and transparent transfer of assets from Iran to the United States.
In addition to the legal assistance and guidance Ms. Yazdanyar provides to the Iranian-American community, she is also a dedicated supporter of many non-profit organizations within the community. In the past few years she has served as a member of Farhang Foundation’s Patrons Council as well as a board member of ISCC’s Second Generation. Ms Yazdanyar has also been an avid supporter of the Iranian American Bar Association, Pars Equality Center, Iranian American Women’s Foundation, and Mothers Against Poverty. And finally, Ms. Yazdanyar has been an active member of the Rancho Park Rotary Club for over 6 years and served as President of the Rancho Park Rotary Club for the 2018 to 2019.