Reported by Richard Shannon
ADRIAN L. MOORE:
Adrian highlighted his distinguished career in the field of juvenile and criminal justice and corrections, including youth services for delinquency prevention, with both government and non-profit organizations from 1965 through the present.
Adrian has been a Rotarian for about 14 years. During his time of membership he has served, chaired or been a dual sponsor of a number of Rotary Committees dealing with youth issues.
Adrian’s government service includes Texas Youth Commission, New Mexico Vocational Rehabilitation Division and the New Mexico Youth Authority, Camp Sierra Blanca.
Later in his career, Adrian worked with non-profit organizations, the National Council on Crime & Delinquency and the American Correctional Association. In 1999, Adrian founded the Council on At-Risk Youth (CARY) and served as its Executive Director under December, 2015. CARY focused on helping youth promote safe schools and safe communities with delivery of violence, drug abuse and delinquency prevention programs.
Currently, Adrian is the CEO of Close the Pipeline to Prison LLC, an organization dedicated to stopping juvenile misbehaviors that result in criminal convictions that form a pipeline to a life-time of institutionalized imprisonment. Adrian has aspirations of writing a book on this subject and other issues related to youth transitioning into healthy and productive adults.
RICHARD PAYTON:
Richard is founder and CEO of The Payton Company which provides applicant tracking systems and employee assessments for hiring by organization searching in the USA and Canada. Accomplishments of Richard and his Company are summarized in the May 2, 2017 Rotary Reminder (last week—Vol. 54, Issue 42).
Richard personalized his business accomplishments by paying tribute to the people and institutions who helped him along his journey. Born on a dairy farm near Austin, he is the youngest of four children. Summers were spent working in a one-half acre garden plus he had a paper route and raised rabbits. These early experiences prepared him for a life guided by discipline and hard work and individual responsibility and accountability. His Eagle Scout award bears witness to this.
He attended the University of Texas at Austin and is a UT fan; nevertheless he also graduated from Texas A&M University majoring in Petroleum Engineering; he holds an MBA degree as well. His first jobs were in oil and gas drilling and production. Working for Tenneco Gas, he had the opportunity to traveling widely outside the USA. Rio de Janeiro, Argentina is one of his favorite cities, though he found himself living in Houston, Texas for 11 years.
When the oil and gas industry fell on hard times, Richard moved to Austin and started his own company dealing with job assessments. He was an innovator — working with early development of webinars and go to meeting. The Payton Company has, for 5 years running, been listed among the 100 fastest growing company owed or operated by an AGGIE.
RONNEY REYNOLDS, CPA:
Ronney is the President of Reynolds & Franke, PC a CPA firm that is a continuation of a firm he started in 1973. Ronney’s distinguished career as a Rotarian is outlined in the May 2, 2017 Rotary Reminder (last week’s). Ronney currently serves as the Treasurer and Endowment/Major Gifts Advisor for Rotary Zone 21b-27 and was the Operating Chair for the 2016 Lone Start P.E.T.S. His wife of 46 years, Mary, is also an active Rotarian working with public schools and education.
Ronney is a fifth generation Austinite. His father was a shoe and clothing salesman on commission — a career that requires a lot of faith and positive attitude. He attended Austin public schools, played football and was a high-jumper on the track and field teams.
After graduation from UT-Austin with a degree in accounting, he taught at Allendale Junior HS where he met his beloved wife, Mary. They were married in 1970 in the same church were his grandparents had been married. Then Ronney worked for Arthur Anderson & Co. in Houston, Texas for two years. But, he was home sick for Austin. He announced that he was leaving AA without another job; AA graciously allowed him 45 days on the pay-roll while job hunting.
Ronney found a job with the State Bar of Texas in a executive position. That lasted a few years, but Ronney wanted to have his own business. So, in 1973, he started his own accounting firm — after tax season was over — where was the work? When a shocked Mary learned he was leaving a pay check for a start up practice, she decided to re-enter the education field as a teacher. However, a winner will prevail and Ronney’s firm did flourish in time.
The following summary for the April 25 lunch meeting was provided by the Executive Director:
President Elect Sara Pantin, filling in for President Dale, called the Rotary Club of Austin (RCA) meeting to order. Past President Dick Brown led the pledges and Bill Baker gave the invocation of the day. Mary Reynolds led us in saying The Four Way Test, and taught us how to do it properly. Justin Deming was our greeter and Margaret Curtis introduced our guests and visitors.
President Elect Sara traded Ann Marie Ellis and Richard Tagle Blue Badges for their Red ones. Then, assisted by Michael Portman, she presented Michael Abelson with his Paul Harris Fellow +1 Award and Nick Boyd and Richard Tagle with their first ones. Congratulations, Dr. Abelson, Nick and Richard!
Austin Rotary Club Foundation Chair Jack Nash gave us a recap of the recently awarded scholarships; and Jon Yates announced there were still volunteer spots open during the upcoming Pecan Springs Elementary School’s Books For Me week. President Elect Sara made a couple of announcements then we had time for Fellowship.
She then called on Jim Bushnell to introduce our three member speakers.