This week at Rotary we had two speakers, Jeff Cohen from Ward Five and Matt Kidd from Endless Energy. 

 

Jeff spoke first, regretfully not seeing Mark Shaw in attendance (Mark did attend via Zoom). He did briefly mention that the city had a long way to go to address housing, but that he was proud of how Salem has been addressing environmental issues. Salem residents will be allowed to grow and sell plants on their own properties, for example. Not only is this good for the environment, it does help to address food insecurity in the city. Other ordinances will help protect beautiful wetlands and focus on green housing initiatives. The current Green Building Ordinance will require municipal buildings to be environmentally friendly. Jeff is looking to add an additional ordinance that would address non-municipal buildings. The obvious goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of Salem. The councilor close by explaining that making properties environmentally sustainable does have an added upfront cost, but that there are great long term savings. 

 

Matt Kidd, the CEO of Endless Energy, spoke next. The goal of Endless Energy is decarbonization. The company focuses on making existing properties more energy efficient through air source heat pumps. They are the largest installer of such heat pumps in Massachusetts. These systems are efficient both in terms of cost and energy. The upfront cost is aided by rebates available in the Commonwealth. Massachusetts has a goal of converting millions of homes by 2030, and Endless Energy fits into those goals. Matt did address concerns, such as the functionality of the systems in cold weather as well as certification and training. For more information, go to their website 

 

The four way test

Today our Club welcomed Leanne Smith from the Bentley School and AG Martha Mauser. AV guru Jack Keirnan was also there to keep us connected to our Zoom friends!

 

• Matt Ingram was happy to be back and to report on the birth of a new baby girl. Congrats and welcome back!
• Kristen Armstrong also made a return to Salem Rotary this week! She did tell the unfortunate story of falling down the stairs and needing to be rescued by Salem FD. Happily she did tell the fireman that he was very handsome.
• Jason Consalvo was in a very braggadocious mood. First, he missed last week because because he was busy taking batting practice at Fenway. He also claimed to hit his first eagle in golf. The normal caveat about bankers not being able to count applies. 
• Bill Henning followed up on last week's happy dollars to report on the trip from San Diego to Arixona, and that only one person responded to the Facebook post (and they shall remain nameless). 
• Liz Bradt attended the North Shore CDC soiree last week, which was quite the event. She also kindly volunteered to offer mentorship to help people starting their own businesses. 
• Joe Amico had a wonderful and relaxing time in Provincetown with Jim. If he is not at the next Rotary meeting, it is because he is on the list to have cataract surgery. 
• Rich Eisner had a great time in Ireland. He was somehow even able to find good food, though unfortunately he "left his money there"!
• Bruce Whear was happy to report that Heidi had a great trip to Chicago with her son. In the meantime, Bruce had fun driving around his new truck.
• Gerrit Bradley was not to be outdone and took his antique car out. He did explain that it only cost him $85 to fill the tank, but did not include the important information about the size of the tank! He did have a great dinner with an old friend at The Landing in Marblehead. 

Rotary Auction and Installation

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement

 

We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs.

 

Recognizing that individuals from certain groups have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership, we commit to advancing equity in all aspects of Rotary, including in our community partnerships, so that each person has the necessary access to resources, opportunities, networks, and support to thrive.

 

We believe that all people hold visible and invisible qualities that inherently make them unique, and we strive to create an inclusive culture where each person knows they are valued and belong.

 

In line with our value of integrity, we are committed to being honest and transparent about where we are in our DEI journey as an organization, and to continuing to learn and do better.