October 7, 2009

Robert Rivard

Editor

San Antonio Express-News

Enduring Journalistic Values in the Age of Digital Chaos

Chair of the Day:  Mike Bennett

 Robert Rivard, 56, is the editor and executive vice president for news at the San   Antonio Express-New, a Hearst newspaper. San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the United States, located three hours north of the Mexican border, and is home to one of the largest Latino populations in the country.

Bob has worked for five different Texas newspapers over his 31-year career. He also served for 10 years as a foreign correspondent in Latin America and as a senior editor at Newsweek magazine in New York.  In April 2000, he was chosen by Editor & Publisher magazine in New York as its first annual newspaper “Editor of the Year.”

“Trail of Feathers: Searching for Philip True,” Rivard’s first book, chronicles the disappearance and murder of Philip True, the Express-News Mexico City bureau chief. It was published by Public Affairs in New York in 2005. The paperback edition was published in 2006.

Rivard went to Mexico to lead the search for True. After persuading officials in the administration of President Zedillo to launch an all-out military search and rescue mission in the remote Sierra Madre of western Mexico, Rivard joined the lead search party and was part of a small group that located True’s hidden grave in the Chapalagana Canyon in Huichol Indian territory. The book was widely reviewed, briefly excerpted in Esquire magazine, and selected by People magazine as one of five recommended nonfiction works in 2005. The New York Time’s William Grimes described Rivard’s search for True and his six-year pursuit of True’s killers through Mexico’s justice system as ”quietly heroic.”

Rivard began his career in journalism in 1977 as a sports reporter for the Brownsville Herald. He moved to the Corpus Christi Caller in 1978 and one year later joined the Dallas Times Herald. He moved to Central America in 1981 to open a news bureau to cover the region’s civil wars. From his base in San Jose, Costa Rica, he covered conflicts in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala and the Reagan administration's efforts to back the region's military regimes against guerrilla insurgencies. He also covered the Falkland Islands war between Argentina and Great Britain in 1982.

Later that same year, he was awarded one of journalism's top awards, the Society of Professional Journalists' Distinguished Service Award for Foreign Correspondents.  Judges singled out his writings on military-backed death squads operating in El Salvador.

In 1983, he was hired by Newsweek to open its news bureau in El Salvador and to serve as the magazine’s Central American bureau chief.  After two more years of covering civil wars and the death of his working partner and Newsweek photographer, John Hoagland, who was killed in a crossfire between soldiers and guerillas, Rivard and his wife, Monika Maeckle, and their newborn son, Nicolas, returned to the United States.  He was promoted to a senior editor position in New York, and until his return to Texas in 1990; he served as Newsweek’s chief of correspondents, overseeing the magazine’s corps of reporters in 30 national and foreign bureaus.  The work gave Rivard the opportunity to travel the world during his five-year assignment, to meet many world leaders and to witness the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

Rivard joined the San Antonio Light and worked as its deputy managing editor until it closed in 1993.  He then joined the Express-News, where he was named managing editor in 1994, and editor in 1997. He marked his 11^th anniversary in that position in August.

Rivard is a 1996 political science graduate from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a 1996 graduate of Northwestern University's Executive Management Program at its Media Management Center.  He was selected by his alma mater, UTSA, as “Alumnus of the Year” in September of 2000.  He has been married for 27 years to Monika Maeckle, who serves as the Southwest U.S. vice president for Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company. They have two sons, Nick, 24, an architect in Austin, and Alex, 21, a piano composition major at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.

Kingdom for Kids VIII

Remember all those happy days you spent at the playground?  Do your kids or grandkids love the slide?  Help us give some of those happy memories to the children in the South San Filadelfia Church and Community Center area.

Through Kingdom for Kids VIII, Rotary will be building two play structures for children of the community. Right now there is no place for the children to play.

If you would like to make a donation, please contact the Rotary office at 222-8242, x101 or send an email to assistant@rotarysa.org

Volunteers are also needed to help build the play structures.  Contact the Rotary office to sign up.

Build information:

Friday, Oct 23 and Sat, Oct 24

South San Filadelfia Church and Community Center

2483 W. Southcross

Flu Shots

Flu shots will be available at the Bright Shawl on Wednesday, Oct 7 from 11 - 2 PM.  This is the regular seasonal flu shot - not the H1N1 shot.

Family, friends and co-workers are welcome.  Call the Rotary office if you plan to attend so we'll have enough vaccine on hand:  222-8242, 101 or assistant@rotarysa.org

Family of Rotary News

On October 9, the San Antonio Business Journal will hold the 2009 Women’s Leadership Awards luncheon.  Congratulations to the following club members who will be honored:

Vicki Cade - Corporate Executive

Cynthia Orr - Mentoring

Jackie Claunch - Public Service/Education

Congratulations to Jerry Marshall who was named the 2009 Distinguished Graduate for Sam Houston State University.

Check out the September/October issue of San Antonio Woman.  An article titled “Growing Your Business Through Collaboration” features club member Linda Mariani, president of Corporate Troubleshooter, LLC.   Patrick Felty’s wife Heather is also featured.  Patrick and Heather own Fintan Technologies.

Successful Don Strange Ranch Party !

Although the day started out a little rainy,  the evening at the ranch was perfect.  Thanks to everyone who was able to attend, who bought a raffle ticket and volunteered their time to make this a very successful event. 

The absence of a silent auction gave members and their guests more time to socialize and just relax. 

Congratulations to Ben Brewer who is the winner of our first ever “Unlimited Possibilities Raffle”

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this a special event. 

Special thanks to Brian Strange and the Strange Family for their generous donation of the ranch, food and drink.  We wouldn’t have a party without Brian!  Rick Cavender provided the music and kept the guests dancing all night.  Committee chair Ramiro Morales pulled it all together and provided assistance from his staff at BBVA Compass. Art Riklin’s generous donation ensures more students will graduate year after year.

Thanks to all our members who put in long hours to make this party a success:

Larry Amos, Liz Crawford, Lee Hereford, Charlotte Mitchell, Lane Mitchell, Karen Pitcher, Joe Ramirez, Linda Vieweg, and Joe Waxse.

Photos of the event will be posted to the website soon!

 U40 Class 2010 - Applications now being accepted

Nominations are now being accepted for the U40 2010 Class.   Do you know a community or business leader under 40 who would make a great Rotarian?  Submit their application between now and October 31 and they will have an opportunity to be chosen to be part of the U40 Class of 2010.  Download a membership application on our website at www.rotarysa.org or get one at the Rotary office.  See below for a summary of the U40 Class criteria and program.

Purpose

To recruit and develop new Rotarians under the age of 40, bringing them into the club together as a class once a year. The U40 Program will help these new members become immediately involved in the club, establish a bond with peer members and develop them into future leaders of the Rotary Club of San Antonio

Candidate Criteria

· Under the age of 40 (as of September 1)

· A current  or potential owner, partner, or executive of their organization

· Has served in leadership roles outside of their place of business

· Has a desire and passion for service, and has exhibited this with involvement in other organizations

· Has time to participate in Rotary activities, specifically in six month class program

Program Summary

· Steering Committee comprised of club leadership is established to oversee program

· Entire club is encouraged to nominate candidates

· Applications for program will be accepted only between Sept 1 and Oct 31

· Young Members Board will select and recruit final candidates

· Up to 25 candidates will be selected striving for diversity

· Normal Admissions criteria will be applied to candidates

· Class members will receive a special new member orientation

· Program will run from April – September with recognition at the Don Strange Ranch Party

· Class members will participate in U40 projects organizing class and club-wide service projects and socials, attend past presidents breakfast series, participate in club events , become active in a committee of their choice

Did you know…

Our club offers free classified ads on the website?  Do you have something to sell or looking to buy?  Do you want to lease out that condo at the coast?  Does your office need an intern?  Advertise on the website!  Ads are open to Rotarians only.  A link to the site will be included in the weekly email to the membership.  Contact the Rotary office for more information.

Register now for the

2010 RI Convention in Montréal, Québec, Canada

June 20-23, 2010

Sophisticated yet friendly, Montréal offers an ideal setting for Rotarians to gather at the 2010 RI Convention. More than 80 nationalities and ethnic groups reside in Montréal. In addition, it is also the largest francophone city outside of Paris, making it the most bilingual metropolis in North America. Register early now for “An International Experience” and to receive the best rates and accommodations.

Visit the RI website to learn more about the Convention:  www.rotary.org