On April 26, our speaker was Agnes Leshner, recently retired director of the Montgomery County Welfare Services, a position she has held for more than 25 years. She is on the Board of Directors of 4 Montgomery’s Kids and other nonprofit organizations in Montgomery County. 4 Montgomery’s Kids provides a vital service for families involved in child welfare services, with small grants for camps, school supplies, and other important items not covered by grant programs.
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We heard from our own Joe DiPietro, (below) who gave us an updated classification talk. Joe grew up in East Meadow, NY, in the New York suburbs on Long Island. He attended a local community college, then made the big transition to Georgetown University in DC, where he majored in foreign service. A few years after graduation, he switched careers and joined an insurance agency, then helped start his own firm with three other partners. He joined Rotary (and North Bethesda) shortly after that, and he’s been with us ever since—more than 30 years. He’s served in many roles at NRBC—but, according to this reporter, has never said a discouraging word! Thanks, Joe!

We heard from Carolyn Taylor, director of the Montgomery Countryside Alliance. She gave an enthusiastic presentation on the 93,000-acre Agricultural Reserve in upper Montgomery County. She described the history of the Reserve, beginning in the 1960s as Montgomery County struggled with rapid growth. In recent years, development pressure has continued, with the latest issues revolving around the growth of the Clarksburg area and Ten Mile Creek. The Alliance has a small staff (Carolyn and one assistant) but depends on a variety of volunteers and board. Members to keep the Reserve a special place.