Luncheon Meetings 

General Information

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Previous Meeting - Summary

General information

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RPA luncheons usually occur on the first Saturday of February, August, and November, and the first or second Saturday of May, at rotating locations. Upcoming dates will appear below when announced. Online reservations become available approximately one month prior to the event. If you have questions or comments about the luncheons, please direct them to Bryan Fong - <bryfong@gmail.com>.

  • Saturday, May 6, 2023

  • Saturday, August 5, 2023

  • Saturday, November 4, 2023

Next Meeting Information:

Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023

  • Arrival: 11:30 am

  • Lunch served: 12:15 pm

  • Lecture begins: 1:00 pm

Topic: “ What Happens to Our Trash”

Location: Crow Canyon Country Club, 711 Silver Lake Drive, Danville

Presenter: Talia Wise, Director of Communications for WM

Summary: Please join us on May 6, 2023, at Crow Canyon Country Club for the RPA Spring Luncheon. Our speaker will be Talia Wise, Director of Communications for Waste Management Northern California-Nevada, who will talk about what happens to our recycled trash and compost materials. To learn more about Stop Waste, go to < https://www.stopwaste.org/>. To learn more about the work WM NCN does, please access their area website: <www.wmncn.com>.

Talia Wise

Ms. Wise is a 26-year resident of Oakland, parent of a first grader, and recycling/composting champion. Before joining WM (Waste Management of Northern California/Northern Nevada) in 2021, Talia worked in marketing for educational publishing organizations, either on-staff or as a consultant.

Her son’s non-stop obsession with garbage trucks brought Talia to her current position. After years of watching the drivers pick up her trash, Talia asked them how they liked their jobs. Their enthusiasm for their work encouraged Talia to look for a position with Waste Management, and when the role of Director of Communications opened, she applied immediately and joined the organization in August 2021. Changing industries is challenging, but entering a new industry that affects everyone, and has a considerable sustainable mission to it, has been the most professionally satisfying experience in Talia’s career. Though a relative newbie to the business, Talia dove in and has already joined Stop Waste’s Recycling Board (effective 12/07/21).

We encourage all attendees either to be fully vaccinated for Covid or have a negative at-home test the morning of the event. Given the recent surge in cases due to the BA.5 subvariant, fully vaccinated attendees may want to consider performing an at-home test as well. If there is no requirement for wearing masks indoors, we still welcome anyone who has concerns to wear a mask. Finally, we strongly urge anyone who feels ill on the day of the event to stay home.

MENU:
Choice of:

  1. MUSTARD HERB CRUSTED SALMON Chardonnay Cream

  2. GRILLED FLAT IRON STEAK Garlic Herb Butter

  3. MUSHROOM RAVIOLI Truffle Cream Sauce + Tomato Ragu

Choose your menu option by clicking the down-pointing triangle in the PayPal dropdown list below.

Order luncheon selections / pay dues here:
First-ever RPA luncheon?:
Name of all attendees
Special diet need if any

We encourage all attendees either to be fully vaccinated for Covid or have a negative at-home test prior to the event. If there is no requirement for wearing masks indoors, we still welcome anyone who has concerns to wear a mask. Finally, we strongly urge anyone who feels ill on the day of the event to stay home.

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To use a card, click on the "Don't have a PayPal account?" link at the check-out page to bring up the credit card or debit card options, as well as a link to set up a PayPal account if you wish. 

If you pay dues here and use a credit card or PayPal account that is not in the name of the retiree, please enter the retiree's name in an unused box on the payment screen, or else email us the information - steensmaka@aol.com - so we apply it correctly.

If you don't have enough room for your answers, please email Kris Steensma <steensmaka@aol.com> with the additional information.

If you encounter any problems using these features, please try another browser OR email <ken.berniker@gmail.com>. If you wish to pay by check, please make it payable to RPA and send it with a note containing the meal selections, names of attendees, and other info requested above, to: 

RPA
c/o K. Steensma, MD
2245 Oregon St
Berkeley, CA 94705-1023

But if it's just a few days before the luncheon, don't use postal mail - we may not get it in time. Instead, contact Ed Martin directly regarding availability by email: <pattiandedmartin@att.net> or phone: 707-853-1217.

Map and directions: Click on marker in interactive map below for more detail and directions:

Previous Meeting Summary

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Previous Meeting Summary 〰️

Summary

A link to the presentation is available on our ‘Members Only’ page.

Importance of Air Traffic Control

Brian Fisher

Air Traffic Manager SFO

Summary: Mr. Fisher has had a lifelong interest in all things mechanical, especially cars, planes, and tractors (making him feel like a mislocated farmer). He started with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1990 by attending their academy in Oklahoma City. After graduation, he was sent to San Carlos Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) for initial on-the-job training. After certifying there, he went to San Jose and San Francisco as a controller. In 2003, he was promoted to Operations Supervisor at Palo Alto ATCT, then to SFO as an Operations Supervisor. In 2012, he was again promoted to Air Traffic Manager at Palo Alto, and most recently, to SFO as the Air Traffic Manager in August 2022. Additionally, he has worked at air shows, temporary towers for special events, and numerous other events. While not a pilot he has, like many of us, spent a lot of time in all sizes of aircraft, including helicopters. He has lived in the Bay Area since 1983, after graduating from Washington State University.

For the first time, we have a recording of an in-person RPA Luncheon Presentation. The video is of Mr. Fisher's slide presentation as it appeared on the laptop. You can find a link to the recording on our Members Only page.