After a delicious lunch served by Jonnie Dukes with his usual good cheer, Peter Comaroto led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. President Doug Person then gave the invocation, during which we learned that he has a master’s degree in Conflict and Dispute Resolution. He reminded us that conflict can be seen as a gift because it affords an opportunity to grow. But he probably won’t need to use his dispute resolution skills with his fellow Rotary members since we all get along so well.
Our guests were Vikki Grundmann, a work colleague and friend of William Li; Simon Cawley, a work colleague and friend of Bret Johnson; and Felicia Wang, a guest of Susan Baker.
For the sunshine report, Joe La Mariana informed us that Claude, the resident albino alligator at the California Academy of Sciences, passed away at age 30.
Phil Siegle, who recently returned from Portugal and Spain, reported that he drank a lot of Porto on his trip, and, in the spirit of further celebration, he agreed to join the President’s Club.
Susan Baker announced the 2026 Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting on January 15, 2026. She presented our club with a check for $2,050, representing the tips earned by our dedicated volunteers at this year’s Burlingame Beer & Wine Fest.
Marilyn Orr announced our holiday luncheon on December 17 and encouraged each of us to bring a new unwrapped toy for the Holiday Toy Drive organized by the Central County Fire Dept. Our holiday party will not feature a speaker, but we will be serenaded by Christine Krolik and her friends. After our holiday party, we will be dark for two weeks.
Jennifer Pence told us that next week we will have another speaker from Thermo Fisher Scientific, this time on the topic of how DNA helps foster justice.
William Li reported that our Rotary scholar is refreshing our club’s social media presence on Facebook and LinkedIn and suggested liking those pages to boost our visibility and ranking.
President Person spoke about the upcoming Rotary commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, which takes place in San Francisco on December 11. Several club members will be in attendance.
Fritz Brauner did his usual commendable job recognizing birthdays and anniversaries. Highlights were Peter Comaroto acknowledging the friendships he has made during his 18 years with the club, and the return of Phil Magic, who is celebrating his one-year anniversary with the club.
Program:
Bret Johnson gave a more extensive introduction of his friend and colleague Simon Cawley from Thermo Fisher Scientific, whose topic was “Decoding Cancer: How Next-Generation Sequencing Is Revolutionizing Treatment and Hope.” The presentation was detailed and interesting. In brief: Simon explained how cancer is caused by the genetic mutations of cells and gave a history of the development of clinical next-generation sequencing. He explained how next-generation sequencing technology in precision oncology has enabled more comprehensive genetic testing for cancer patients, allowing for better matching of patients to targeted therapies.
The technology his company is developing can look at a lot of mutations in a small sample quickly, which helps patients get access to individualized targeted therapy faster. He also noted current challenges in cancer research.
More information about the increasing role of genetics-based technology – this time in the context of forensics and criminal justice – will be presented at our next meeting.
From DNA to Justice: The Promise of Human Identification Technology
Sheri Olson will present on Human Identification (HID) technology and its transformative role in modern forensic science. Her talk will explore how HID innovations empower law enforcement, crime laboratories, and the legal system to generate accurate, timely DNA evidence—helping solve crimes, exonerate the innocent, and bring justice to victims and their families.
