Janelle Kellman, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of California, is Sac Sem’s guest this Friday, December 6. A member of Sausalito’s City Council, Janelle, previously Sausalito’s mayor, holds an undergraduate degree in History from Yale, a master’s in environmental management from Oxford, and graduated from Stanford Law. She’s launched her own technology startup and served as a trusted advisor to technology entrepreneurs. She will be introduced by Seminarian and Sausalito mayor Ian Sobieski. See https://www.jamellekellman.com
At the start of this seminar, temporary president officer Dennis Wheatley will call for a moment of silence on behalf of our late chair, John Rubin.
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Here’s the story of Jon’ public life. It’s full of info unknown to many Seminarians.
“MTC mourns passing, toasts life of former Chairman Jon Rubin | The Bay Link”
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SACRAMENTO SEMINAR’s CIVIL WAR A.K.A. The War Between the States Battlefield Tour. As you may be aware, the Sacramento Seminar is organizing a 6-day tour of the Civil War Battlefields. The tour which will be led by a professional historian runs from Wednesday, April 9 thru Tuesday, April 15 next year. If you are interested in joining us, please send an email to Dennis Wheatley dennis@triticum.com and he will provide you with the details.
HOLIDAY GRATUITY FOR STAFF AT PERRY’S. It’s a Sac Sem tradition that members donate a small amount that’s presented to our valued lunch serving staff just before Christmas. The suggested donation this year is $100 per member. A sum a little more or a little less is also appropriate. Mail your check, payable to Sac Sem, to Dennis Wheatley (details below). It's now or never.
2025 Sac Sem Dues: It’s now time to mail in your $200.00 check payable to Sacramento Seminar, Inc. for your annual dues for 2025. Please mail the check to Dennis Wheatley, 72 Heritage Drive, San Rafael, CA 94901. If members have questions, Dennis’ e-mail address is dennis@triticum.com
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NEW SAC SEM CHAIR? Your board of directors will be mulling over suggested possible new chairs until at least the January 10th meeting. Suggestions for our 'El Supremo' are invited. Until then, Chair emeritus Dick Spotswood will serve as acting chair.
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UPCOMING SEMINARS:
Friday the 13th of December will be devoted to celebrating the life and times of our beloved chair, the late Jon Rubin. Sac Sem board member Dennis Wheatley will be at the gavel.
Sac Sem’s annual Holiday/Christmas/Hanukkah Lunch is at Noon on Friday, December 20 at Perry’s. Book your spot today by emailing Dennis Wheatley to indicate if you and a guest will attend at dennis@triticum.com . Your editor has the honor to preside at the festivities in his very temporary role as acting chair.
Sacramento Seminar will be dark, e.g. no meetings, between Friday, December 20 and Friday, January 10.
Bob Powers, the General Manager of BART, will be our speaker on Friday, January 10th. Bob will be introduced by Seminarian Steve Heminger. Bob’s extensive history in the public transit industry is detailed at https://www.bart.gov/about/gm
John W. Busterud will be our speaker on Friday, January 17. John will discuss his time as the Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Trump administration. He was appointed to the Trump administration in 2020. He’s a retired Senior Director and Managing Counsel, Environment and Real Estate, Law Department, Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Mr. Busterud is a retired U.S. Army Colonel with multiple Combined, Joint and Interagency assignments, including active-duty deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Combined Forces Command Korea.
Veteran Seminarians will recall that John's father, John A. Busterud, was the last Republican to represent the Haight Ashbury in the California Assembly, served as President of the Commonwealth Club of California and was President of the Committee to Save The Marin Headlands. In 1971, President Nixon appointed John A. Busterud to be the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environmental Quality, and he subsequently served as the Chairman of the President's Council on Environmental Quality under President Jerry Ford. Sac Sem speakers chair Mike Fitzgerald will have the introductory honors.
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OTHER THOUGHTS: “A new axiom of American politics: ‘It’s the culture, stupid.’”
Michael Baharaeen, “The Liberal Patriot”
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