Former Indiana First Lady Judy O'Bannon
Visits My Rotary Club July 11, 2007

Judy O'Bannon was the first guest speaker today of our Rotary Club's 2007-2008 year. What a lady she is!  She is a magnetic person who speaks with passion and conviction about building communities.  She is host of the Communities Building Communities series on PBS that airs Sunday nights on WFYI at 7:30 PM.  Today she talked again respecting diversity of culture, tearing down walls and building bridges.   She spoke of her travels to various places around the world including Russia in 1999 where I helped her with translation.

Former First Lady Judy O'Bannon has been a very special person for Bev and me. I first met her in August 1999 when Dr. Vasyl Pasechnyk from Ukraine  visited Indianapolis.  My good friend Mike Snyder arranged a visit for Dr. Pasechnyk and me with the First Lady at the Governor's Mansion in Indianapolis, Indiana.  What was to be a strict 20 minute courtesy call turned out to be more than a two hour exciting discussion where Dr. Pasechnyk spoke about the plight of Chernobyl's children and Judy O'Bannon took a special interest in his work. 

At the end of the meeting Judy O'Bannon asked me if I would accompany her on a delegation to Russia the next month.  It so happened that I was going to be in Estonia anyway about the same time and it worked out that I could be on the mission.  I met some wonderful people who are community leaders in Indiana, some of whom helped get LifeNets started later that year.  We have become friends ever since. 

You can see some photos of our Russia visit at http://www.lifenets.org/russia99/

Our relationship developed to where we were involved in caring for an orphan child from Moldova who came to Indianapolis with her pediatrician for major surgery for a congenital heart condition and other complications.  This is story is told at http://lifenets.org/natasha/

It was so good to talk to her today. She would like to travel together to Moldova.  Maybe it can happen.  Here are some photos from her visit to the Indianapolis NE Rotary Club that meets at the Hillcrest Country Club Wednesday's at noon.

Always an animated speaker who holds your attention In discussion with our Rotarians.  Bev Kubik on left.

From left, Rotarian Sedonia Craciun, President Dottie Hancock (former Carmel mayor), Sedonia's relative visiting from Romania and Judy O'Bannon. Judy O'Bannon is currently hosting a long-standing PBS series "Communities Building Community."  On May 8, 2003 her program featured the work of LifeNets.  You can see clips here:      Streaming or      Download The LifeNets story is about one and half minutes into the seven and a half minute clip.