Club History

Chartered in 1979, the Rotary Club of Concord-Diablo was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Concord. Over the past 30+ years, the Club has donated tens of thousands of dollars to local needs as well as international projects.

Locally, we tend to focus on programs that benefit youth and those who are in disadvantaged circumstances.  Examples include:

  • Cambridge Community Center Holiday Gifts (Books & Toys + a visit with Santa)
  • Sponsoring a youth basketball team at the Concord Salvation Army
  • Fruit Gleaning – members pick and donate over 10,000 pounds of fruit to five local food banks and pantries

Internationally,the club actively supports Rotary International’s End Polio Now! program. In support of these programs, members contribute regularly to The Rotary Foundation.  In recognition of their contributions, over 50% of the members have been recognized as Paul Harris Fellows.

Additional programs supported include:

  • Funding prosthetic hands for distribution world-wide through the LN-4 Foundation
  • Industrial Sewing Machines for a Burn Unit at a hospital in Ecuador (to sew special bandages for burn victims)
  • Drilling water wells and building a school for remote villages Burkina Faso in Africa
  • Dental health care for children in Kenya

In support of international peace and understanding, the club has a relationship with the Rotary Club of Wakayama-West in Japan.  Each summer, a young person from Concord visits Japan.  In turn, they send a young person to visit members of our club.  This program was established in 1982, and has been ongoing ever since.

The club currently sponsors two Interact Clubs (Concord High School and Carondelet/De La Salle High School) in Concord.

The club’s board of directors also serve as the directors of the Rotary Club of Concord-Diablo Charitable Fund. The fund raises money each year and the proceeds of these efforts are distributed in the following fiscal year.  The Concord-Diablo Rotary Charitable Fund is a not for profit 501(c) (3) organization (TIN 68-0301959)

Fundraisers include:

  • Dave Crane Memorial 4th of July Pancake Breakfast, held at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord during the Independence Day Festivities.
  • Bowling Bash Family FUNRaiser

Other Accomplishments:

  • At the October 15,2019 Concord City Council meeting, the World Polio Day Proclamation for the October 24, 2019 World Polio Day was acknowledged by the Concord City Council.
  • Rotary District Grant submitted and obtained for Project Second Chance. A big thank you to our own Nancy Glenfield and blueskiesservices.com/ for taking the lead on the Grant submission which takes months to complete, process and obtain approval.

Past Presidents*

  • 1979 – 1980 Al Luhks
  • 1980 – 1981 Dave Crane
  • 1981 – 1982 Frank Milliken
  • 1982 – 1983 John Leykam
  • 1983 – 1984 Lloyd Simpson
  • 1984 – 1985 Hal Ostling
  • 1985 – 1986 Ralph DuMouchel
  • 1986 – 1987 Bud Hansen
  • 1987 – 1988 Father Nick Milatos
  • 1988 – 1989 Jim Sloneker
  • 1989 – 1990 Bob Baldwin
  • 1990 – 1991 Bill Haynes
  • 1991 – 1992 Rick Silvester
  • 1992 – 1993 Dirk Wentling
  • 1993 – 1994 Joe Bechelli, Jr.
  • 1994 – 1995 Marty LeMasters
  • 1995 – 1996 Jeff Kasper
  • 1996 – 1997 Randy Davis
  • 1997 – 1998 Dick Peppin
  • 1998 – 1999 Scott Singley
  • 1999 – 2000 Diana Gates-Waterman
  • 2000 – 2001 Beri Kasper
  • 2001 – 2002 Al Browning
  • 2002 – 2003 Fred McCarl
  • 2003 – 2004 Erin Williams
  • 2004 – 2005 John Newman
  • 2005 – 2006 Sam Vesser
  • 2006 – 2007 Matt Chan
  • 2007 – 2008 Greg Grassi
  • 2008 – 2009 Kathy Lafferty
  • 2009 – 2010 Dirk Wentling
  • 2010 – 2011 James Ficenec
  • 2011 – 2012 Jeffrey S. Kasper, D.D.
  • 2012 – 2014 Eric Maldonado
  • 2014 – 2015 Karen Valles
  • 2015 – 2016 Kian Ameli
  • 2016 – 2017 Beri Kasper
  • 2017 – 2018 Kathy Lafferty
  • 2018 – 2019 Edi Birsan
  • 2019 – 2020 Patricia Ramirez

* Special thanks to John Leykam who in 2006, most generously offered to compile and write a club history. Without his efforts, so much of our Club’s rich history and memories might have been lost.