Events

Colonel Heather Fox is the Commander, 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base, CA. She is responsible for approximately 7,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel, and the entire Air Force high-altitude reconnaissance fleet of U-2 Dragon Lady aircraft. The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is comprised of four groups and four overseas operating locations, executing worldwide missions in support of all six geographic combatant commanders.

Colonel Fox is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and started her career as a T-38 instructor pilot before transitioning to the U-2 program as a mission pilot. Col Fox’s staff duties have included exchange officer service in the UK Royal Air Force Strategy Division, the Joint Staff J3 Reconnaissance Division, and as a strategist and speech writer for the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She has earned three Master's Degrees from the American Public University, King’s College London, and the National Defense University. Her combat experience includes missions over Iraq and Afghanistan during Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM, and she has commanded EQ-4, RQ-4, and U-2 combat missions for Operations INHERENT RESOLVE, FREEDOM’S SENTINAL, as well as Sensitive Reconnaissance Operations in the Arabian Gulf.

Colonel Fox is a command pilot with over 2,400 hours in the U-2, E/RQ-4, and T-38A. She has flown 69 combat missions in the U-2 and has over 650 hours of combat time. Prior to her current position, she was a student at the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.

Ingelise Mahlis-Miller graduated from Inspire School of Arts and Sciences a year early and embarked on an adventure as an Exchange Student with Rotary to Taiwan. She is eighteen years old and has lived in Chico for almost all of her life. She is very excited to have been on exchange to Taiwan through Rotary, and sharing her story with us, and expresses her thanks to Rotary for this wonderful opportunity. 

Katy Thoma - Katy came to Chico in 1974 from Aptos, CA to attend Chico State where she graduated with a degree in Economics. Katy has 25 years of banking experience, and 16 years’ experience working in the non-profit sector. She also spent 2 summers during college working as a ride operator at Magic Mountain – one of her favorite jobs. She can still recite her “spiel” on demand. Katy takes great pride in the fact her family has been in California for 9 generations. She is a 3rd generation Rotarian. Katy is honored to be the CEO of the Chico Chamber where she works on behalf of the business community.

Student Ambassadors - Local and International Projects

Fred Penney

Johrita Solari - A Rotarian since 1993, Johrita is currently a proud member of the Rotary Club of Anaheim, California. She served as District Governor for District 5320 in 2010-2011. Additional service has included chair of the 2013 Southern California/Nevada PETS, training leader at the 2014 and 2015 International Assemblies, chair of the 2015 Institute for Zones 25/26, and membership on Rotary’s Peace Major Gifts Initiative Committee. On July 1, 2019, she became the Rotary International Director (2019-2021) for the newly configured Zones 26/27.

As District Governor, Johrita held the first District 5320 Million Dollar Dinner for The Rotary Foundation. Under her leadership, District 5320 became the second district in the world to become a 100% Paul Harris Club District.

Johrita is Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Solari Enterprises, Inc., a full-service property management company employing 300 team members who specialize in the management of more than $1B of affordable multifamily housing. She works together with her husband and daughters to create a working environment with a high level of ethics and integrity. She has served in many capacities on community and industry boards.

Rotary plays an important role in the lives of the Solari family. Johrita, her husband Bruce, and their two daughters, Gianna and Tressa, are all past club presidents and with their son-in-law, Reece are active supporters of The Rotary Foundation. Johrita and Bruce are members of the Arch Klumph Society.

They live in Villa Park, California, U.S.A.

Laura Cootsona 

Acheivment Builds Choice Awards presented to students at Fair View High School.

Contact Dick Stein for more information