By Amathyst Bailey
Join District Governor Jim Polk and Rotarians from all around District 5110 for the Annual District Conference. This year’s theme is “Create Hope in the World” and with a great lineup of speakers, we hope to do just that in our district. Over the weekend you’ll hear a keynote from Amy Wolff, founder of the Don’t Give Up Movement, Coquille Tribal Chairman Brenda Meade, past Philippines GSE Laurence Soteo, and we’ll be joined by the Rotary International President’s Representative, PDG Margaret Walton from District 7170 in Ontario over the three days of fellowship. We look forward to seeing you!
DisCon 2025 Schedule of Events
The Location:
The Mill Casino, Hotel and RV Park
3201 Tremont Ave
North Bend, OR 97459
Speaker Bios:
Amy Wolff
Amy Wolff is founder of the Don’t Give Up Movement, an accidental global movement of spreading hope and love through tangible signs. She shares the unexpected journey in her book Signs of Hope and in her TEDxPortland talk (which was delivered at the world’s largest TEDx event). Amy’s day job is a speaker coach at Distinction Communication, a coaching firm she runs out of Portland, OR. When Amy’s not with clients or running Don’t Give Up, she’s cheering at her daughters’ soccer games, sipping coffee with her husband Jake, and trying to keep (too many) houseplants alive.
Margaret and Ron Walton
Margaret joined the Rotary Club of Bracebridge in 2003; Ron has been a Rotarian for 37 years, first in the subarctic community of Yellowknife and then in Bracebridge. Internationally, Margaret and Ron have participated in two “Rotary Wheels for Learning” trips to Cambodia to deliver bicycles to school children and a trip to Zambia to undertake a school expansion as part of a District sponsored RELAY project (Rotarians Enhancing Learning for African Youth). This was a project that Margaret initiated during her year as District Governor. In 2014, Margaret and Ron participated in a Rotary Friendship Exchange with District 9520 in South Australia; in 2016, during her year as District Governor, she led an exchange to New Zealand. As District Friendship Exchange Chair, she has coordinated exchanges with districts in Zambia and the Philippines. Margaret and Ron went on the exchanges and coordinated the return visits. Together, Margaret and Ron have attended nine Rotary International conferences. She is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, a member of the Paul Harris Society. She is in her second term as a District Rotary Foundation Chair and Council on Legislation/ Resolutions chair. Professionally, Margaret has a Master’s degree in land use planning, is a Registered Professional Planner and past President of Planscape, a land use planning firm which provides consulting services to private and public clients throughout Ontario. She is a recognized expert in planning to support recreational and resort development and in protecting agricultural lands in areas experiencing pressure for urban growth. Ron is a retried Civil Engineer who worked as a municipal public works engineer throughout his career. He partnered with Margaret throughout her District Governor year providing transportation, fellowship, AV support and sage advice. He has been District registrar and is currently a member of the District 7010 Finance Committee. In their leisure time, Ron and Margaret enjoy golf and travel, especially travel that involves the extensive network of Rotary friends they have developed around the world. When not traveling, Margaret and Ron live in Bracebridge, Ontario in the winter and at their lakefront cottage in the summer. They have 3 adult children, all married to wonderful in-law children and 6 grandchildren who keep them young and active.
Dr. Laurence Soto
Dr. Laurence Soto is a proud alumnus of the Rotary International Group Study Exchange Program. He was part of the GSE team from RI District 3850 in the Philippines that visited RI District 5110 – Oregon and Northern California in 2013. He is a Paul Harris Fellow recipient. He was born and raised with humble beginnings in San Enrique, Iloilo. His father was a farmer while his mother was a market vendor. He is the youngest among 8 children. Currently, he is a Special Education Teacher at North Salem High School, in Salem, Oregon. Prior to working in the United States, he was the Principal of PAREF-Westbridge School for Boys in Iloilo City and a Graduate School Professor at West Visayas State University. Laurence completed his elementary education at San Enrique Central School as Second Honorable Mention; his secondary education at San Enrique Polytechnic College as Class Valedictorian; and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at West Visayas State University as Cum Laude, Outstanding Political Science Graduate, Service Awardee and Outstanding Thesis Awardee. He earned his Diploma in Teaching; Master in Education in Administration and Supervision; Master in Education in Special Education; and Doctorate degree in Philosophy in Educational Management with High Distinction at the same university. Laurence has been in the teaching profession for almost 25 years. He is active in both curricular and co-curricular activities of the school he is serving. He is a seasoned teacher who has taught all levels from elementary, secondary, tertiary and graduate school. He has taught and supervised many subjects, including history, economics and humanities. Part of his advocacy is to give teacher trainings, parenting talks and student leadership seminars in public schools. He is a strong advocate for students’ inclusivity and access to quality education. Likewise, he is also active in organizing community immersions and outreaches. In fact, his adopted indigenous community in his hometown has been a recipient of support from various Rotary Clubs in RI District 5110. On a personal note, he loves to read, write, jog, travel, watch stage plays, play sports and is a loving uncle to his nephews and nieces.
John Ogan
John Ogan is with the Coquille Indian Tribe, holding the position of Executive Director of Natural Resources. In that role, he leads the Tribes’ forestry, fish and wildlife management, and environmental planning, compliance, and monitoring programs. John has a degree in Fisheries Science from Oregon State University, and a law degree at Lewis and Clark College, Northwestern School of Law along with a Certificate of Specialty in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. John practiced law, primarily representing Indian Tribes in the Pacific Northwest, on fisheries, forests, water, and natural resources matters for 28 years before taking his position with the Tribe leading its Natural Resources Office in 2022. John retired from his law practice and moved his family from Sisters to North Bend when he took his Executive Director position with the Tribe. He and his wife are avid hunters, fishers, community theater fans, gardeners and are enjoying the vast offerings Coos County and the South Coast offer for those leisurely pursuits.
Mark Johnston
Mark Johnston has served as CEO of the Coquille Indian Tribe since 2017, though he has recently moved over to serve as the Tribe’s Interim CEO of the Ko-Kwel Wellness Center as they recruit a permanent CEO for that position. He brings 29-years of experience and knowledge of executive leadership with Tribal Government programs, including Indian Health Service (IHS) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), to his role. He has served on the Indian Health Service Fund Distribution Workgroup since 2004 and on the Indian Health Service Specialty Referral Center Planning Team for over nineteen years. That team was honored, in 2016, with the Portland Area Indian Health Service Directors Award. Through his work in healthcare, he has been awarded the Indian Health Services Director Award and Tribal Health Program Employee of the Year, the National Indian Health Board “Local Impact Award” and “Regional Impact Award”, along with the Portland Area Director’s Award for Excellence. Born and raised in Coos County, Mark was a two-sport athlete in basketball and baseball at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, graduating in 1989 with a degree in Business Administration – Marketing/Management. He is also an avid outdoorsman and local rancher.