Events

Heath Rath

Executive Director, PACE KC

Heath Rath has spent his professional career working to build and expand evidence-based programs that improve the lives of older adults. Over the last six years, he has focused his efforts on the development of programs that aim to allow older adults to age gracefully in the communities they call home, specifically PACE Programs. PACE – Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly – is a model of care that provides a full range of person-centered health and wellness services that empower individuals age 55+ to age in place rather than be institutionalized. PACE KC is a newly formed non-profit, championed by Swope Health, to bring the PACE model of care to the residents of Kansas City for the first time.

Heath worked with Swope Health to successfully lobby members of the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives as well as the Missouri Department of Social Services, MO Health Net Division, to support and appropriate PACE funding.

Prior to his work with Swope Health, Heath served as Director of Midland Care Connection’s Ann Street PACE Center in Kansas City, Kansas. During his time at Midland, he oversaw the development and successful launch of Midland’s third Center and the first PACE Program in the Kansas City metro area.

Heath earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and secondary major in Gerontology from Kansas State University. He went on to complete a Master of Science in Gerontology with an emphasis in long-term care administration. While earning his M.S. at Kansas State he worked in the College of Health and Human Sciences Center on Aging as a project specialist for the PEAK 2.0 program. Heath is a licensed long-term care administrator in the state of Kansas.

Zoom host Karyn Eppler

Nominations for the 2024 RISE Business Awards Are Open

Kansas City Plaza Rotarians are asked to nominate businesses for the 2024 RISE Business Awards.  The awards recognize minority—and women-owned businesses in the KC Metro area whose owners adhere to the principles of the Four Way Test in operating the businesses.

Nominations are free and easy, and business owners may nominate their own businesses.  Nominees complete the entry form, and independent judges review entries to select the top three businesses.  Kansas City Plaza Rotary Club members vote on the winner.  The winner receives a free one-year membership in Plaza Rotary and a custom promotional video.  Nominations are due July 31, 2024.

Save the Date – for the second annual awards ceremony, 6 p.m. Thursday, November 21, at The American Jazz Museum.

RISE stands for Rotary Investing and Supporting Equity.

Rwanda Nurses Saving Lives is a Rotary vocational training team global grant being conducted in Rwanda in 2024-2025.  The purpose of the project is to train front-line, health center nurses who operate in remote areas without physician support in the early detection of strep throat to prevent the development of rheumatic heart disease.  The project has been piloted in Rwanda and a three-person team is now engaged in implementation through five district. hospitals that whose catchment area covers about 10% of the country.  The instructional team includes two doctoral level nurse practitioners who are advanced practice cardiology nurses and Venters who serves as the grant direction and co-evaluator for the project.  This team will move this project to Zambi in 2026.

Dr. Cassy Venter's professional career was with the University of Missouri Extension Service Small Busienss Development Centers where she served in business and leadership develpment roles.  During that time, she served for thirteen years and director of a leadership exchange program with the Ministry of the Interior of the Royal Thai government.  In Rotary, she has served as a District Governor, District Rotary Foundation Chair, Youth Exchange Outbound Coordinator, Rotary Youth Leadership Coordinator, Group Study Exchange Leader, Kansas City Plaza Rotary Club president and she currently serves as District 6040 Peace and Conflice Resolution Chair and the communications chair of the Kansas City Plaza Rotary Club and grants chair of the Lander Wyoming Rotary Club.  

Allan Gray is a former Lee’s Summit city councilman and a longtime arts advocate in Kansas City.

He is a graduate of Paseo High School and then went away to Morehouse College, returning to Kansas City in 1976 with a political science degree.

He is active in the community, involved in community service organizations including the Black Economic Union, the Missouri Arts Council and Cultural Trust, and the Missouri Council on Economic Education. He is the founder of the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey.

Now, he serves as a partner at Zhou Brothers Art Center in Kansas City, the new $20-plus million art center in the historic 18^th and Vine district.

GIFT Hosts Holiday Business Market: Join Kansas City G.I.F.T for its Holiday Business Market on December 14th at 11:00 a.m. at GIFT offices, 5008 Prospect Ave., Kansas City, MO 64130

Enjoy a day of shopping and support Black-owned businesses. Admission is free.  (GIFT is Generating Income for Tomorrow, a RISE Microloan partner.) 

Justice Committee December 2024 meeting will be held via Zoom: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88600300160?pwd=2isOa9rSkZhK9b1u4DqWOMolk0fEMf.1

Meeting ID: 886 0030 0160
Passcode: 387948

Discussion topics: 

• Post mortem on 2nd Annual RISE Business Awards
• RISE Microloan program promotion 2025
• Feb. 2025 Lock It for Love promotion
• Other topics as brought by committee members!

Zoom Host Karyn Eppler

Zoom Host Karyn Eppler

Zoom Host Karyn Eppler