The 2017 Lone Star PETS speakers are presented in the order of their presentations.
Click on the speakers name to see their presentation. 
 

Retired Pastor, Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Rev. Dr. Mouzon Biggs, Jr. has been Senior Minister at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, since September 1980. A graduate of Centenary College in Louisiana, he earned the Master of Theology degree from Perkins School of Theology in 1965. Biggs subsequently was awarded two honorary degrees: a Doctor of Divinity from Texas Wesleyan University; and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Oklahoma City University. The Dr. Mouzon Biggs, Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund was established at SMU in 1975 by Mr. and Mrs. Morris Cloninger of Beaumont, Texas. In 2008, the Mouzon Biggs, Jr. Chair of United Methodist Studies was established at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa.

In Biggs’ 33 years at Boston Avenue UMC, the church has received more than 8,500 new members, with endowments growing from $200,000 to more than $26 million. The 11 a.m. worship service, broadcast live on Tulsa’s Channel 8, is the most highly-watched program in its time slot.
Biggs has addressed churches, colleges, conventions, and Chambers of Commerce across a 30-state area and has traveled in 41 countries. He is author of “Moments to Hold Close,” and co-author of the best-selling book “When you Graduate” with Dr. Charles Allen of Houston.

In addition to his responsibilities at the Boston Avenue Church, Biggs’ interfaith and interracial work have resulted in numerous awards and honors, including the Tulsa Interfaith Award; National Conference of Community and Justice Award; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Keeping the Dream Alive Award”; the Tulsa Jewish Community’s “Righteous Gentile” Award; and Tulsa Rotary’s “Spirit of Will Rogers Award.” He is past president of the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice and past president of Tulsa’s Downtown Rotary Club.

His service to Perkins School of Theology and SMU includes mentoring 20 Perkins students in one-year internships and representing Perkins School of Theology and the Oklahoma Annual Conference on SMU’s “Time to Lead” Capital Campaign Executive Steering Committee for five years. Additionally, Biggs has been elected by the Oklahoma Annual Conference to serve The United Methodist Church as a delegate to General Conference and Jurisdictional Conference every four years for 28 years.

He and his wife, Gayle, have two sons, Trey and Jason, and six young grandchildren.
 
 

President of Rotary International, 2001-2002, Rotary Club of Niles, Fremont, CA

Richard D. King is a past world president of Rotary International, and the senior partner in the California law firm King, King & King. He earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California at Berkeley where he is a member of the California Club and the Order of the Golden Bear. He taught law at Brigham Young University. He is a distinguished military graduate of the University of California and served as captain in the U.S. Military Intelligence. He received an Honorary Doctorate in Law from Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.

A trial lawyer, Mr. King belongs to several legal associations including the American Association of Trial Lawyers. He is admitted to practice in both Utah and California and before the Supreme Court of the U.S. He served on the board of directors of the Eden Hospital Foundation, the Woodminster Performing Arts, and Oakland Ballet. He is a trustee of the City of Hope, and received the City of Hope “Spirit of Life” Award. He has been knighted by the Republic of Italy and is a holder of the Great Official Order of Merit. He is a recipient of the State of Rio de Janeiro’s highest award, the “Medalha Tiradentes.” He belongs to the Commonwealth Club and Actor’s Equity. He is an elder and officer of the Mormon Church and an active fund-raiser for the Boy Scouts of America. He holds the Chevalier Degree, the Legion of Honor and is a member of the Hall of Fame of the Order of DeMolay. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Citizen Award from the United Portuguese of California and is a recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Brigham Young University Management Society. He has been honored by some 50 associations, by the President of the U.S., and by many countries across the globe for his community and charitable service. He served as the Executive Director of The Wheelchair Foundation.

A Rotarian since 1968, he is a member of the Rotary Club of Niles-Fremont, California USA. He has served as a trustee of The Rotary Foundation, director and as chairman of the executive committee of Rotary International’s board of directors. He has also served Rotary as a club president, district governor, an international assembly instructor and an official representative of the president of R.I. He has chaired and served on many Rotary International committees, task forces and special assignments. Mr. King has received the Rotary Citation for Meritorious Service and the Distinguished Service Award for his support of humanitarian and educational programs of the Rotary Foundation. He is a recipient of the PolioPlus Pioneer Award.

One of Rotary’s most popular speakers, Mr. King has addressed Rotary International Conventions, Assemblies, Institutes, Seminars, Conferences and Rotary Clubs in every state in the USA and some 100 countries. As President, he led Rotary International to its greatest one-year growth record in its 100-year history, with 75,000 New Members Net, a global membership of 1,243,431 and 1,158 New Rotary Clubs in 2001-2002, more than one new club every 8 hours. In the same year, Rotarians contributed the highest amount of money ever raised for the Annual Fund of the Rotary Foundation.

Mr. King is married to Cherie Kay King. They have two grown sons and reside in the Mission San Jose area of the San Francisco, California Bay Area.
 
 

Rotary International Vice President, 2016-2017

Jennifer is the President and CEO of Media Street Productions Inc., an award winning television production company in Windsor, ON. She is proud member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland and is a Past District Governor of
District 6400.

In Rotary, she has served as the Chair of the Strengthening Rotary’s Advisory Group, Moderator of the 2013 RC/RPIC Institute, Vice Chair of the RI Communication Committee, North American RPIC Coordinator, the Advisory Board for Rotary Canada and the RI Promotions Committee’s for Lisbon and New Orleans. She served three terms as Seminar Leader at the International Assembly and has been a featured speaker at this event on four occasions.

One of Rotary International’s most recognized communicators, Jennifer has presented keynote addresses and training workshops at more than 100 conferences across North America and most recently in St Petersburg – Russia, Panama City, Bangkok, Lisbon, Finland, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia and Germany.

Jennifer also contributes much of her energy to local organizations. She is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Governors at the University of Windsor and the past Chair of the Board of Directors at the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce.

She has been recognized with many awards and recognitions including Rotary’s Service above Self Award and the Citation for Meritorious Service, the YMCA Peace Medallion, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and Wayne State University’s Peacemaker of the Year Award – a first for a Canadian.

Jennifer is happily married to Nick Krayacich a local family physician. They share a love for many things including travel, cycling, golf and relaxing at their family cottage. They share a thirst for adventure and reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa in January 2009.

As champions of The Rotary Foundation, they are members of the Arch C. Klumph Society, the Paul Harris Society and are charter members of the Bequest Society.
 
 
 
First female president of a Rotary club, Rotary Club of Duarte
 
Sylvia Whitlock was born in New York City but was educated, through high school, in Kingston, Jamaica. After returning to New York City she earned a B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College. Sylvia worked for the United Nations, as a Statistical Clerk, at the Secretariat Building in New York, before moving to California to start a career in Education. In California she went on to earn a Masters Degree, cum laude, in Education from Cal Poly, Pomona, and a Ph.D., cum laude, in Education, from Claremont Graduate School. Subsequently, she earned another Masters Degree, in Marriage and Family Therapy, from Azusa Pacific University, and began a second career as a therapist. She is licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California.
 
In 1982, while an Elementary School Principal in Duarte, CA., she was invited to join the history-making Ex-Rotary Club of Duarte. Sylvia became President of that club in 1987, the year the United States Supreme Court ruled that the club be reinstated, thus making her the first woman in the Rotary World to head a club as President. She has served as President twice, Secretary, Treasurer, and Foundation Representative. At district level, she chaired the Four Way Test Speech committee for six years, the Ambassadorial Scholarship Committee for six years, receiving a Service Award from DG Don Aikin, and Simplified Grants for two years. She has been an assistant governor, presenter in Governors Institutes, and speaker in Rotary Clubs conventions and meetings, here and overseas, including South Africa, Jamaica, Washington and Texas.
 
Sylvia considers Rotary to be the best vehicle she knows for humanitarian ventures in service to mankind. Some favorite club projects, while in Duarte, have included sinking water wells in Nigeria, setting up an AIDS Center in Jamaica and supporting an orphanage in Mexico. She continues to be inspired by the many Rotarians who have taken the organization to the edge of tomorrow and is committed to using the opportunity she has been given to further the cause of Rotary, in her community, in her country, and in the world.
Sylvia is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and benefactor. She has three adult children - Meredith - a Paul Harris Fellow, BG is a deputy county counsel in San Mateo County, and Arlan. She considers raising her children the most satisfying and enjoyable job she has ever had.
 
 
 
Rotary International President, 2017-18
 
Ian is a member of the Rotary Club of Sandringham, Victoria Australia. He is a practicing chartered accountant and principal of Ian Riseley and Co. Riseley received an Australian government’s Peacebuilder award in 2002 in recognition of his work in East Timor. He also received the Order of Australia medal in 2006 for services to the Australian community. A Rotarian since 1978, Riseley has served RI as treasurer, director, task force member, RI Board Executive Committee member, committee member and vice chair, and district governor. Riseley is a former member of the Australian Polio Eradication Private Sector Campaign and a recipient of The Rotary Foundation’s Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World. He and his wife, Juliet, are Major Donors and Bequest Society members of The Rotary Foundation.
 
Juliet Risely became a Rotarian in 1995 as the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Hampton, although her association with Rotary started much earlier as a host mum to a number of Exchange Students and as editor of OZlines the District’s YE newsletter. She has held many positions in the club including Club Secretary for a number of years, International and Foundation Director, eNews and web blog editor and club Treasurer. She has served the District on a number of New Generations, Vocational and Marketing Committees, was District webmaster from 2002–2005 and has served as a District Governor’s Representative 1996-97 and as a District Governor’s Special Representative in 2003-04. (Juliet was also a District Governor of District 9810 in 2011-2012. This is the first time that a PDG will be the spouse of a sitting RI President.)
 
As a passionate advocate of ‘Literacy for all’ Juliet co-ordinated Literacy Resources for the District in 2006-09. Juliet admits that her professional life as a Librarian was a true delight as it brought together 3 of her favourite things: people, beautiful books and information. With a Master’s degree in Information Management, Juliet has directed, developed and consulted to library and information services across the Corporate, Research and Educational sectors. She has lectured at tertiary level and currently works as an Information Consultant through Riseley Consulting and as a director of the family business Peninsula Organics.
 
Juliet is married to Ian, a Past Rotary International Director and Treasurer. They are both multiple Paul Harris Fellows, members of the Paul Harris and Bequest Societies and joint Major Donors. Ian and Juliet have 2 children, and 3 grandchildren. When not writing and illustrating small books for the smaller members of her family; Juliet is a gardener and actively involved in local environmental groups. Ian and Juliet live on 7 hectares at Moorooduc where they practise their personal philosophy of sustainable and organic living.
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