Attendance: Brent Yauchler, Tammy Wedig, Tracy Diehm, Jorge Sevilla, Melissa Lease, Susan Smith, Elizabeth Grabe, Sarah Straka, Gary Tree. Heidi Kopras, Dave Reed, Peggy Zalucha, Aubree Hanks,. Susan Smith, Franke Wallitsch, Keith White and exchange student Zandra. 

Guest Steven Salinger. Student Rotarians: Cullen Anderson, Aspen Laesch.

Zandra shared that she recently enjoyed a trip to Olive Garden with friends, scored two points in basketball, and sold delicious pastries that are common in Greenland.

Aspen Laesch is currently busy preparing for college and remains active in choir and music as her primary extracurricular activities. Cullen Anderson shared that he is focused on strength training with a goal of reaching 215 pounds within the next two years. He is also participating in International Baccalaureate classes, which allow students to explore and analyze social concerns.

Paul Christiansen thanked everyone who participated in the Rotary Super Bowl Brunch, including our Student Rotarians. He also reminded members to please submit their vote on the by-laws as soon as possible.
The club welcomes our newest member Melissa Lease!

The Rotary Mega Meeting will take place on February 24 in alignment with Rotary International goals to ensure a steady and peaceful leadership transition. The District Governor will be visiting in March 11th, and the club will assemble a welcome basket. Members are encouraged to bring an item or piece of swag in the coming weeks.

Tricon will be held April 17–18, 2026, in Wisconsin Dells. This highly recommended conference brings together three districts to collaborate and strengthen Rotary clubs. Additionally, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) participants will attend leadership camp at Camp Upham Woods, where sophomores engage in student-led contests and conflict resolution activities. Pickup will be May 11 at 10:00 a.m.

Rotary is verbally supporting the League of Women Voters political panel. For those interested in leadership opportunities, the District is offering financial assistance for PETS (President-Elect Training Seminar).

Thank you to Jon LaVenture for joining and participating in our brunch.

Susan shared that her daughter rang the bell last Thursday after beating cancer and continues her recovery journey. Melissa celebrated the birth of her grandson, Barron. Tammy expressed excitement about having our Student Rotarians present and thanked the Interact Club for their support at Saturday’s event. Gary shared that he is steadily checking items off his list as he prepares for retirement. Keith noted there was nothing new on the wrestling front but praised the Super Bowl Brunch, especially the brand-new back-of-house crew who did a phenomenal job. Brent shared how meaningful the Super Bowl Brunch was and expressed heartfelt appreciation for the card members sent following his father’s passing.

Peggy explained that Rotary was originally founded to represent a variety of professional classifications, such as bankers and other occupations. The club will continue hosting classification talks so members can better understand one another’s professional backgrounds.

Tracy Diehm served as the featured speaker and first announced that Melissa Lease is officially a Rotary member and was presented with two plaques.

Tracy shared that she is a biological mother, adoptive mother, and foster mother, having welcomed 17 foster placements. She is also a sister and daughter, and her husband is Jorge. She is licensed in Wisconsin and Nevada and has achieved national hearing and conservation certification. Tracy serves on the board of the Wisconsin Alliance, an organization that works to unite hearing professionals and support legislative oversight.

Raised in Verona, Wisconsin, Tracy attended Winona State University before moving to Las Vegas with the goal of becoming an elementary school teacher. After beginning work at a hearing clinic, she was encouraged to pursue further education in audiology. About three years ago, Tracy and Jorge decided to return to Wisconsin and settled in Mount Horeb, where she opened Badger Hearing.

Through Badger Hearing, Tracy provides oral rehabilitation, tinnitus treatment, hearing evaluations, hearing aids, and more. She explained that hearing loop systems use magnetic fields to connect directly with hearing devices, improving accessibility in public spaces. She consulted with the Mount Horeb Public Library on its closed-loop system, which Rotary helped fund. She also shared information about Auracast, an emerging technology that enhances hearing accessibility in public settings but is not a closed-loop system.

Tracy noted that hearing aids have incorporated artificial intelligence for about 20 years and now have the ability to determine user intent—such as whether someone is seated at a table or walking through a room. Many devices also include fall detection through accelerometers and can alert family members if needed.

She joined Rotary because of its aligned purpose and the belief that collective action creates greater impact than any one individual alone. The membership committee is focused on ensuring new members feel welcomed, supported, and clear about next steps. Additional volunteers are welcome to assist with the committee’s work.

Liz endorsed Tracy’s work, sharing that Tracy was incredibly helpful in supporting her elderly mother.