Speakers

 

 

It is an achievable goal to eradicate polio throughout the world, said Wayne Staton, a member and past president of the Sharpstown Rotary Club in Houston. Rotary International began its PolioPlus campaign in 1985 and in 1988 joined the World Health Organization as a partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Wednesday marks Rotary International's annual World Polio Day, a day to bring awareness to the campaign and raise money to help reach the goal of eliminating the disease worldwide.

The push to eradicate polio is personal for Staton as a polio survivor. His diagnosis came when he was 8 months old, growing up in Lynchburg, Virginia. He contracted the virus in 1952, three years before the polio vaccine was first distributed throughout the United States.

Since the World Health Organization started its initiative 30 years ago, Staton said, 16 million people who contracted polio are walking today that otherwise would not have been able to because of the effects of the virus.

To see the progress made by Rotary in our monumental efforts to eradicate polio worldwide, visit www.EndPolioNow.org. 

 

Senator Charles Schwertner is a physician, family man, business owner, and a life-long conservative. In 2010, Schwertner was first elected to serve the people of House District 20 as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. There, he quickly earned a reputation as a measured and effective legislator, working with his colleagues to pass one of the most conservative legislative agendas in Texas history.

In 2012, Schwertner won the Republican Primary for the Texas Senate (District 5) with nearly 75 percent of the vote. Senate District 5 is a ten-county region of Central and East Texas that includes Brazos, Freestone, Grimes, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Walker and Williamson Counties.

Throughout his time in the Texas Senate, Senator Schwertner has fought for the families in his district by supporting retired teachers, working to make higher education more affordable, and protecting children from abuse and neglect by reforming the Department of Family and Protective Services. Schwertner has also worked to protect our seniors by authoring legislation to improve nursing homes and punish bad actors in the industry. In the Senate, Dr. Schwertner serves on the Senate Committees on Business and Commerce, Veteran Affairs & Border Security, Agriculture, and Transportation, as well as serving as the Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations.

For his leadership in the Texas Legislature, Senator Schwertner has been named a "Taxpayer Advocate" by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, a "Fighter for Free Enterprise" by the Texas Association of Business, a "Courageous Conservative" by the Texas Conservative Coalition, a "Lone Star Conservative Leader" by the Texas Conservative Roundtable, and "Senate Freshman of the Year" by Texas Monthly magazine. Additionally, Senator Schwertner has been named a CASA Champion for Texas Children, YMCA Champion, and Legislator of the Year by the Texas Assisted Living Association.

Charles comes from six generations of farming and ranching in Texas. In addition to his role in the Texas Legislature, Dr. Schwertner also works as a practicing orthopedic surgeon, treating thousands of patients each year. He and his wife Belinda (an obstetrician/gynecologist) reside in Georgetown with their three sons: Carson, Zachary, and Matthew.

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LTG Ricardo S. Sanchez retired from the U.S. Army in November 2006 after 33 years of service.

His career began as an Armor platoon leader in the 82^nd Airborne Division. Other assignments included tours in the United States, Korea, Panama, Germany and the Middle East. He served as a tank battalion commander during Operation Desert Storm; was promoted to Colonel and commanded an armor brigade in the 1^st Infantry Division. After promotion to Brigadier General in 1997, he served as the Director of Operations and Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans for U. S. Southern Command. His following assignment was as the Assistant Division Commander, Support, 1^st Infantry Division in Germany. During this period, he commanded Multinational Brigade East (TF Falcon) in Kosovo from December 1999 to June 2000. He returned to Germany as the Director of Operations, U.S. Army Europe. In 2001, he assumed command of the 1^st Armored Division in Weisbaden Germany and deployed the Division to combat in Iraq in April 2003. In June 2003, he assumed command of V Corps and Combined Joint Task Force 7 with the responsibility to support the Coalition Provisional Authority and lead all Combined military operations in the Iraq theater of war during the U.S. – led occupation of Iraq. He was the longest serving V Corps Commanding General. 

After retirement, General Sanchez provided independent security consulting in Africa, Central America, Mexico and the United States. Since 2012, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of OES (Optech Enterprise Solutions) in San Antonio. 

General Sanchez graduated from Texas A&I University in 1973 and the Naval Post Graduate School in 1983.

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