This week’s meeting will focus on shaping our strategic plan for 2025–2026, with a special emphasis on membership.We’ll explore how to grow our club, engage members more meaningfully, and strengthen retention as we look ahead to a new Rotary year. Join us as we lay the groundwork for a vibrant and sustainable future.
We’re delighted to welcome back Linda Berg-Cross, a valued past member and dedicated Rotarian, as she visits our club. Linda will share insights into her current focus and ongoing commitment to service. Join us for an inspiring session and reconnect with a familiar face who continues to make a difference both locally and globally.
We are pleased to welcome Geoffrey Thomas, recipient of our Professional Service Award, to our club. Geoffrey has demonstrated outstanding dedication to community service, and we look forward to hearing about his impactful work with Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland. His leadership and commitment to providing safe, affordable housing have made a meaningful difference in the lives of many. We are honored to have him join us and share his experiences.
Nick Martinez, CFP®Financial Advisor – Edward Jones
Nick Martinez is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional based in North Bethesda, Maryland. He brings over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry, serving individuals, families, and business owners with personalized investment strategies and long-term financial planning.
In addition to holding the CFP® designation, Nick also carries a number of professional licenses and certifications, including the Accredited Asset Management Specialist℠ (AAMS®) designation, as well as the Series 7, Series 66, and Life and Health Insurance licenses.
Nick has received multiple recognitions throughout his career, including being named a Million Dollar Producer, a Circle of Success qualifier, and a consistent Impact Conference attendee—demonstrating both high performance and strong client commitment.
Outside of the office, Nick is an active member of the local community, and enjoys a variety of activities including coaching youth sports, playing golf, and participating in high-performance driving experiences at local tracks.
This year’s Teacher of the Year is Kristen Portalea, a dedicated math teacher with 14 years of experience at Rockville High School. Known for her creativity and commitment to all learners—especially students with IEPs and Emergent Multilingual students—Ms. Portalea makes every student feel welcome. Whether it’s using erasable highlighters, color-coded notes, or hot chocolate to keep lessons engaging, she goes above and beyond to help every student succeed.
Darine Haddad earned her Ph.D. in Optics from the University of Versailles in 2004, where she taught and conducted research in optical sensors and metrology. She has worked on precision experiments to measure the Planck constant and define the unit of mass, first in France at LNE and since 2008 at NIST in the U.S. She now leads NIST’s efforts on the primary realization of mass (NIST-4) and the Quantum Electro-Mechanical Metrology Suite (QEMMS).
