Team Leader Tom Rummell

 I thank you for being so gracious and hosting our USA GSE team.  It is an honor and privilege to be the team leader with 3 outstanding young professionals.  We look forward to learning more about the Cuiaba area, Brazil Rotary, and your business culture.

I am married to Paula and have 3 grown children, Chad, Jennifer and Jeff.  I was born in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area and have lived in Los Angeles, California, Dallas, Texas, Cincinnati, Ohio and now back in Pittsburgh.

I have been a Rotarian for 18 years and am currently President of our Rich-Mar Rotary Club, which has 70 members and am an Assistant District Governor.

My business career started with IBM Corporation through Marketing to Branch Manager, then Real Estate sales and development, and working for the Untied Way – a large non-profit.

I enjoy sports, theater, music, good food and great conversation. 

I look forward to learning about the Mato Grosso area, the country and their people while watching our GSE Team develop.  Thank you again for hosting and allowing us to experience your warm and beautiful country, Brazil.

Eu falo muito pequeno Portugues, igracias!

Email address:  trummell@consolidated.net

Team Member Ed Biller

I am a newspaper reporter living and working in Butler, Pennsylvania in the northeastern United States. My work focuses on the city itself - which has about 15,000 residents - and the surrounding townships, as well as transportation, police actions and agriculture.  Food production is the largest part of Butler County's economy and readers of my paper, The Butler Eagle, expect quality coverage of their livelihood in the mostly rural county.  My job is fascinating, as I have the opportunity to meet varied and intriguing individuals regularly, one day I might be covering a house fire, the next interviewing a musician and the next, covering a livestock auction.

I was born and raised in the rural community of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, about 85 kilometers south of my current home.  During grade school, I was involved in numerous activities, from playing the trombone in the marching band to playing soccer (futbol) and running track.  By high school, I began to focus solely on ice hockey as an athletic pursuit. It is one of my passions and something I have continued to do since graduating high school in 1998.

Following high school, lack of academic enthusiasm and a desire to become more worldly led to my enlistment in the U.S. Air Force. I served on bases in the United States during my enlistment, repairing electronic equipment and getting my first taste of life away from home, while being fortunate enough to never see combat.  Following the terrorist attacks in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, I was transferred to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where I served the remainder of my enlistment.

After my four-year military service, I enrolled at the Pennsylvania State University, where I majored in Journalism.  College, like the military, exposed me to individuals from around the world and further taught me that walking in another individual’s shoes is the best, and perhaps only, way to understand the culture they come from.  I graduated college in 2007 and was hired by the Butler Eagle less than a month later.

I am a voracious reader, with tastes ranging from Victorian classics to the Harry Potter series and the work of Neil Gaiman.  I also play guitar and bass in my free time.  However, my greatest joy comes from my fiancé, Alicia, whom I will wed later this year. We recently learned our first child, a boy, will be born this summer.

What makes this trip so special for me is that it is an extension of my daily life and work: meeting varied and intriguing individuals and, at the same time, learning about culture, business, and industry in a society foreign to me until now.  Considering the varied nature of my assignments at work and my personal interests, there is no venture we can undertake in Brazil that would be unproductive.  I think, as an American, it is almost impossible to cultivate an open view of the world solely through media, without experiencing it firsthand; Learning another language, hearing local legends and seeing with one's own eyes the majesty of another country is imperative to understanding both our differences and the innate human traits that make us the same.

I am grateful to Rotary International for the opportunity to discover these things, and even more so to the Rotarians who have welcomed us into their homes and lives, responding our countless questions with patience and wisdom.

Email address:  ebiller@butlereagle.com

Team Member Margherita Emanuele

I am from Oil City, Pennsylvania, a small city located in the north eastern part of the United States..  I am the only girl out of 4 children.  I have two older brothers and one younger brother.  I grew up in a Sicilian and American home living and experiencing both cultures and languages.  I am glad that I was raised this way because it has allowed me to be open and interested in other cultures and languages.

I was always a busy kid with a creative imagination.  I enjoyed playing outside and also creating new games for me and my friends to play.  I am an extrovert and easy to get along with.  I was always ready to be a friend.  I was busy, that’s for sure, because I was involved with dance, gymnastics and piano.  I valued my education and worked hard to maintain good grades while participating in school sports, band, chorus and musicals.

I attended Edinboro University as a Graphic Design major, but eventually changed my major to painting after my first painting class.  I was able to study along the Chesapeake Bay and in Firenze, Italia during my college career.  While in Italia I studied the ancient painting technique of Fresco.  I graduated Summa Cum Laude and also received the painting award.  I also got certified to teach while at Edinboro.

I have taught at Oil City High School for the past 4 years and will continue to do so because I find it to be a rewarding experience.  Many of my students have gone on to study art. This year I started to teach at the college level and I am very happy to have been given this opportunity.  Eventually, I would like to become a college professor.  When I am not working I continue my education online with Academy of Arts University in San Francisco, California. I am involved with my community's Art's Revitalization program and have obtained my own studio in a historical building in our downtown.  I also teach at my studio.

When I am not busy with my jobs or continuing my education, I am spending time with those I love and care about.  My family is very important to me and they are very supportive in every thing I do.  My boyfriend, Adam, is very supportive of what I do even though he will be missing me while I am here in Brazil.  I love and will also miss them, but I am very fortunate to have been chosen for this great opportunity.

I really enjoy eating, but can't eat fish or seafood.  I drink water and enjoy the outdoors.  I am looking forward to seeing the art of Brazil and also how the education system differs from that of the United States.  I am interested in how technology may or may not be playing a role in the schools.  I look forward to improving my language skills and creating new friendships with the people I will meet.

Thank you for your hospitality and the opportunity to experience your culture.  I look forward to learning a lot which I can share with many people when I return to the United States.

Email address:  memanuele@mail.ocasd.org

Team Member Celanie Polanick

I was born in San Francisco, California and moved to Pennsylvania when I was two. When I was five, my mother married my stepfather, who raised me and my two half-brothers.  I grew up in the city of Pittsburgh and attended Catholic school there.

I attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, studying to become a director of theatre and opera. I studied directing, acting, movement and dance and design for the stage. It was very interesting, but it soon became clear that it wasn’t the right course of study for me.  I missed writing and didn’t think I would like the lifestyle.  After my second year I started taking night classes in writing and literature at the University of Pittsburgh. During the day, I worked as a drama teacher and teacher's aide at a public charter school in downtown Pittsburgh.  I returned to school at Carnegie Mellon, joined the school newspaper, and completed several journalism internships. At that point, I knew communications was the career path for me. I loved the excitement of writing on deadline, as well as the opportunity to write every day.

After I graduated, my first job was as a reporter for the McKeesport Daily News, a tiny newspaper in the small, poor city a few miles outside Pittsburgh.  The next year, I went to graduate school in Ohio for a one-year Masters program and was able to work as a research assistant.  The program taught me to analyze media and culture. I enjoyed it very much, and loved the small town.  After graduate school, I moved to New Jersey for a short time and worked at a newspaper owned by the Gannett newspaper chain.

I moved back into my family’s home in the suburbs and took a job in the city at a newspaper there called the Valley News Dispatch, where I was responsible for writing about rural areas, which I have always enjoyed.

I became worried that the newspaper industry was not stable anymore because of the Internet.  I decided to leave the newspaper and go to work for the Girl Scouts – much like the Federação de Bandeirantes do Brasil. For the Girl Scouts in Pennsylvania, I managed and designed a magazine for girls. It told girls about camps and events as well as fun games, recipes, crafts and other activities. Creating a publication for children is very creative, and we had a lot of fun doing it.  I loved it and plan to continue working on similar projects when I return home.

In my free time, I love to read, do different kinds of arts and crafts, hike in the woods, and I especially love to cook! If you’re interested in sharing a favorite Brazilian recipe with me, please let me know!

I would like to thank all of you for this opportunity – one that I hope will bring great enjoyment and understanding between us. As I explore Brazil, I’m very excited to take notes on Brazilian culture and media, and compare them to those back home. I have always been interested in analyzing popular culture from around the world, especially how different cultures deal with women and nature. I believe that how we see ourselves greatly affects how we live our lives.

Email address celanie@gmail.com

Team Leader Eduardo Soares De Sá

Born in Londrina, has taken a degree in Accounting with emphasis in Management Accounting at UNOPAR - University of Northern Parana. After a quick passage through Mato Grosso visiting Varzea Grande, from 1987 to 1989, he returned after ten years. Married for 16 years to Sibele, a daughter of a Rotarian in Parana and he who had Rotary in spirit, joined Rotary Club on 1997, on Varzea Grande Great Center. In his early years of Rotary, voted Secretary of the Club and Sibele joined ASR at the beginning. After a few years they had their daughter Nicole, who is a strong candidate for Rotakids. In Mato Grosso he attended his first post-graduate MBA 2000 - Advanced Strategic Management and his second in 2004, MBA - Marketing Strategy, both on IEL / UFMS / FGV. In 2009 he got back to the academics seats to complete one more step in his life: Law School. He has participated on several courses and seminars in Brazil and abroad, and some are highlighted here:

Course: Distribution Logistics - Miami / Florida - USA, Retail & Wholesale - Madrid, Spain; Distribution Logistics - Barcelona / Spain; Reducing Costs and Increasing Profits - Top Events / SP; Participation on Company Income - Top Events / SP; Cash Flow & Budget Planning - Top Events / SP; Financial Management - SEBRAE / MT; State Tax Legislation - IOB / MT. Federal Tax Legislation - IOB / SP; Labor Legislation - IOB / SP. Legislation Applied IRPF - IOB / SP. Applied Corporate Income Tax Legislation - IOB / SP. Legislation of Applied Social Security - IOB / SP. Lecture Reinventing Work - Tom Peters - HSM / SP. Speech Contest - Michael E. Porter. Lecture Leisure Time - Domenico D'masi - SEBRAE / Curitiba / PR. Seminar: International Seminary Expo Management Brazil - HSM / SP; Latin American Empretec - SEBRAE / Curitiba / PR, Reason and Emotion Entrepreneur - GREEN STAR / RJ; Building a new you for New Century - GREEN STAR / RJ; Customer Relationship -- ABAD / ABPL - SP.

He is a partner of Business Consult - Consultoria de Negócios Ltda., with offices in Santos - SP, São Paulo and Cuiabá / MT, providing legal advice in the following areas: Fiscal and Tax, Employer Labor also operating in administrative and financial consulting, pre and post sales, Marketing, HR Management, Accounting management, Taxation and auditions.

He is a lecturer and talks about various segments and areas, the highlighted topics are the following: Financial Management, Customer Service - Internal and External; Integration of Persons on Work Environment, Leadership, Motivational, Marketing, Sales, Standards & Methods; Family budget, Planning Strategic, After Sales, Human Relations and Sales.

When he first got to Mato Grosso, held important positions in large and well-known companies in the segments of General Wholesale, Logistics, Transport and Distribution segment of tires, and Manager Administration and Finance Company Wholesale Mendonça MT, Executive Director of the CED - Distributor in DF, MS, MT, RO and AC, Managing Director and HR Director at the company TRLOG Logistics & Distribution in DF, MS, MT, RO and AC, Business Manager Rodar Pneus - Pirelli.

For over 10 years has been a member of Rotary International District 4440 in the State of Mato Grosso; has held various positions in Rotary Club Varzea Grande Center, and its president on 2003. Has been District Secretary in 2004, District Treasurer in 2007 and is it’s currently Governor Assistant on Region 2, which includes the cities of Varzea Grande and Poconé. Has been a lecturer several times in Rotary events as PETS, RYLA and district conferences.

Email address: bconsult@terra.com.br   

Team Member Sheila Cristina Ferreira Leite

She was born on October 17th, 1978 in the city of São Paulo, State of São Paulo. On 1997 she moved to State of Minas Gerais to get her economics degree at the Federal University of São João Del Rey (2002), and after that, her Master degree  in Applied Economics at Federal University of Viçosa (2003). On 2004 she returned to State of São Paulo to start your PhD in Applied Economics at ”Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture" University of Sao Paulo (2008). During the doctorate course she spent time as Visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute of Economics, entrepreneurship, public policy and growth group in Germany at 2007. She is currently professor of economics at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, in Cuiabá, the capital city of Mato Grosso State. She lectures on Development Economics and Agricultural Economics in the Economics undergraduate course and Technical Research in the Masters in Agribusiness and Regional Development. Her main fields of research interest are development economics and agricultural economics. So, during the Group Study Exchange in Pennsylvania, she will look forward to learn about these fields and she would appreciate the opportunity to visit some Schools of Economics, and if possible, visit the Center for International Comparisons of Production, Income and Prices at University of Pennsylvania. This opportunity would be great because they are very important in the development economics field. She would like to visit some farms, industries, agricultural policy makers and agricultural institutions.

In free time, she loves to walking, reading, listening to music, watching TV and travelling. Regarding about food, she likes every kind of meals, as meat, chicken, bread, vegetables, fruits, cakes, cookies, etc.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Email address: Sheila_leite@hotmail.com

Team Member Euder Oliveira Ribeiro

Euder Oliveira Ribeiro is 37 years old of age, lives and works in Primavera do Leste, Mato Grosso. Where the population is around 53.000 and is famous for its farms of cotton and soy bean. He is married to Ariane Tanara and has one child, Guilherme, who’s 1 year old.

Euder graduated in Law School in Cuiabá University. He is post-graduated in Civil Procedure Law and Labor Procedural Law by Estácio de Sá University.

Euder has been a lawyer for 8 years. His career started in Cuiabá, the capital city of Mato Grosso State

During the Group Study Exchange in Pennsylvania, Euder looks forward to learn about law practice in the United States and would appreciate the opportunity to visit some law firms and related institutions.

Euder’s main hobbies include: listening to music, reading books and he also enjoys socialising with friends.

Email address: euderribeiro@terra.com.br

Team Member Bruno Narezzi de Oliveira

He was born on October 1st, 1977 in the city of Presidente Epitácio, State of São Paulo. Graduated in Civil Engineering in 2003 at UNILINS (Lins-SP), he worked for two years into the works, as a project engineer and today he is a business executive in construction. He is one of the co-owners of N2 Engenharia, a company which acts in the construction of enterprises for generation of electric energy, such as Hydroelectric Power Plants and Small Hydro.

He was the president of the Association of the Engineers and Architects of Tangará da Serra - AEATS, during biennium 2007/2008. In that occasion, under the invitation of the president of the CREA-MT he represented the State of Mato Grosso in the Sixth NCP - National Congress of Professionals (of Engineering and Architecture) in the year of 2007.  He was also the main chairman of the Municipal Council of the Rights of the Disabled Ones, in 2006.

Even though he was born in São Paulo, he is very fond of the State of Mato Grosso, because of its cultural diversity and natural richness.

His hobbies are music, photograph and mountain bike. He likes traveling and knowing people. He sings and plays acoustic and electric guitar. Although, he thinks that he have been much better in old times than nowadays. He participated in competitions and musical festivals, where, in some of them, he got awards.

Email address: brunonarezzi@hotmail.com

Team Member Bruna Ergang Da Silva

Born in Alegrete/RS, has lived in Sorriso since 1989. After high school (1999), went to College in the South of Brazil, where she graduated in Law School in the end of 2004 at Instituto de Ensino Superior de Santo Ângelo - IESA.  After her graduation, she got bak to Sorriso, where she works as a Civil Law Lawyer in a private office. During college, from March 2001 to December of 2001 worked as an intern at the Criminal County in Santo Ângelo / RS where developed some function such as assessment process, the dispatch of letters and orders, gathering documents, certifications and customer service, among others. After that, from March/2002, until graduation worked at a Civil Judge’s Office, assisting on judgments, working on sentences, researches and helping during the hearings. She has participated on several courses and seminars in Brazil and some are highlighted here:

Courses: - Legal Symposium "New Times, Old Dilemmas" - IESA - 2000 - Santo Ângelo / RS; - VIII Law School Academic Week - IESA - 2001 - Santo Ângelo / RS; - Intensive Economic Integration and Vulnerable Subjects: Perspectives on Brazilian Law, North American and Argentine - by professors from the University of Texas-Austin and the Graduate Studies at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, under the coordination Master of Comparative Law Claudia Lima Marques - 2002 - Porto Alegre / RS; - V Symposium of Legal Studies / First Meeting of Alumni / I Run Regional Legal Work. 2002 - Santo Ângelo / RS; - IX Law School Academic Week / 2nd State Symposium. 2002 - Santo Ângelo / RS; - 10 Law School Academic Week / 3 State Symposium. 2003 - Santo Ângelo / RS; - I Regional Congress of Law - I Day of International Law - I Opening of International Law - URI - 02/2003 - Santo Ângelo / RS; - International Seminar "The Youth in Conflict with the Law." 2003 - Santo Ângelo / RS.; - V Symposium Law (Simpart). 2004. Santo Ângelo / RS. - 11 Law School Academic Week. 2004 - Santo Ângelo / RS; - OAB Course – Rede de Ensino Luiz Flávio Gomes - LFG NETWORK - 2005 - Sorriso / MT; - Specialized in Procedural Law: Great Transformations - Universidade da Amazônia - UNAMA - Education Network Luiz Flávio Gomes - Sorriso / MT; - Extensive Annual Course to attend to Legal Careers - Center for Legal Studies (CEJUR) - 2006/2008 - Sorriso / MT.

Work completion for graduation: The benefit of gratuity and the problems of the needy. 2004. Conclusion Course (Law Degree) – Santo Ângelo’s Law School.

Email address:e_bruna@hotmail.com

District 7280's Japanese GSE Team Pictured in Front of the WWI Era Japanese Battleship Mikasa

District 7280's French GSE Team Pictured in Nantes, France

 

governor@district7280.org 

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