July 9, 2008

Lyle Larson

County Commissioner

“BRAC - Military Growth Impacts for San Antonio”

Chair of the Day:  Trish DeBerry

As Chairman of the Military Transformation Task Force, Lyle Larson protected San Antonio’s military facilities during the 2005 BRAC round. He helped turn a projected loss of more than 1,000 jobs into a net gain of nearly 11,000 jobs, establishing South Texas as the home of all medical military medical training in the United States.

Here are some other career highlights for Lyle Larson:

· As the lone Republican on the commissioners’ court, Larson led the effort to lower the tax rate 7 times during his 11 years in office, saving taxpayers over $150 million.

· Larson led the 2005 effort to enact the Senior Tax Freeze which, combined with the Senior Homestead Exemption, will save taxpayers 65 and over an estimated $77 million in 2007-2008. 

· Larson voted against and refused to accept all pay raises for county commissioners, saving taxpayers more than $300,000. He currently earns half the going rate for a county commissioner.

 Join the Group Study Exchange Team

This year our District will participate in two Group Study Exchanges—Mexico and France.  Deadlines are fast approaching for team leaders and team members.  Team leaders must be Rotarians.  The deadline to apply is July 18.  Team members must be non-Rotarians.  The deadline for team members is August 1.  

Read below for more information of visit the RI website at www.rotary.org.  Contact the Rotary office  (222-8242) or District Chair Doug Cross (259-7713) if you have any questions.

What is Group Study Exchange?

The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 in the initial years of their professional life.

The program provides travel grants for teams of participants to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For four to six weeks, team members study the host country’s institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. Team members can come from corporations, small businesses, community organizations, medical and educational facilities, government offices, and nonprofit agencies.

Why should I participate?

Individuals who participate in this rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime experience will return home with a broadened cultural perspective and new understanding of a nation’s history, language,commerce, and government. A GSE offers a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills, work on team building, and increase self-confidence.

The program is designed to have an invaluable impact on the career of a young professional in the increasingly global workplace by creating networking opportunities and lifelong friendships.

                 The 2007 GSE Team from Japan with Mayor Hardberger and Patrick Tobin 

Who is eligible?

GSE team member applicants must:

· Be between the ages of 25 and 40

· Be fully employed with at least two years of work experience in their chosen field

· Be in the early stages of their careers or professions

· Reside in or be employed in the sending Rotary district and also be citizens of the country in which they reside

· Be proficient in the language of the country being visited

· Be personable, articulate, cooperative, motivated team players, and enthusiastic about their vocations

The best candidates for GSE are rising leaders who meet the qualifications above and who have an interest in people of other cultures. GSE can be an excellent way to recognize top-performing staff or provide exposure for potential young leaders with limited international experience.

Note: Spouses of participants may not accompany teams. In addition, the following are ineligible: a Rotarian; an employee of a Rotary club, district, other Rotary entity, or Rotary International; any Rotarian’s or Rotary employee’s spouse, ancestor (parent or grandparent by blood), lineal descendant (child or grandchild by blood and any legally adopted child); or a spouse of a lineal descendant.