Monthly Archives: January 2010

(Community Matters) Just reviewing traffic stats – grr, drop off, though climbing back, since moved to WordPress platform (must have something to do with search).  I’m floored one of my most popular postings of all times is the First Kiss story.  Warmed my belly to go back and read.  And, btw, folks sure search for Amanda on here 🙂

(Community Matters)

Happy Birthday, Ben

Ben’s our, now, 17-yo godson

(Community Matters)

1/18/10

@ConcernWorld: aidwkr twittering from Haiti that they’ve raised their water distribution plan to assist 50,000; he’s looking for more tanks.  Following up on the rapid needs assessment they conducted immediately after the earthquake.  They had 10 health centers in Haiti prior.  Distributing critical medical supplies, plumpy nut, food, water, pick axes, surgical masks, tents and they are purifying water.  Still setting up camps for those left homeless.

@PIH_org– Yesterday, PIH got 5 flights into Port au Prince, including a PIH team of 25 medical professionals (surgical teams, anesthesiologists, emergency room physicians and nurses).  They arrived and were operating and caring for patients within hours after they touched down. Many of the patients they are seeing are very serious cases (mostly amputations). There remains a great need for additional medicines (anesthesia and narcotics), medical equipment (anesthesia machines and x-rays), medical supplies (IV’s, tubing, irrigating saline), and water.  PIH will be sending additional planes with medical teams and supplies into Haiti in the course of the next 48 hours

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1/17/10

According to their tweets:

@PIH_org: designated by WHO to serve as the coordinators of the public hospital alongside Haitian Ministry of Health.  14 hours ago a plane from Montreal arrived with orthopedic surgeons and medical supplies. Thousands in need of surgery.  Paul Farmer on his way into Haiti, was expected to arrive late yesterday.

@ConcernWorld: their worldwide head of emergency services, Dominic Crowley arrived in Port au Prince yesterday with SecState Clinton.  Working with Haitian government to set up camps for those who have lost their homes.  Distributing supplies, setting up water purification

Austin Startup

HelpHaiti- give here

(Community Matters) An intimate group of friends gathered at Mark Salmanson’s to welcome his 6th decade.

Mark w/ the extraordinary glutten-free cake baked by the Freedman’s daughter, Jessica Binder

Mark’s been a very close friend for nearly 20 years.   He’s chaired everything in the Jewish community – from the Jewish Community Center to his current congregation, Temple Beth Shalom.  I love him like  a brother, even if he has recruited me into a lot of work over the years!

Cathy Scholl, Helen Salmanson (mom) & Sandi Aitken (dream gf)

Three main women in Mark’s life.

Irwin Salmanson (dad), Rabbi Freedman, Jay Kirtley & John Pflueger

and certainly three main men

Lori Freedman, Jay, Mark & Lisa Kirtley

I hadn’t met Lori Freedman before, she’s the wife of Rabbi Freedman.  What a dynamite woman.  Loved sitting next to her during the Eddie Bernal catered dinner – yum.  Jay & Lisa long time, closest friends of Mark’s.  They are saving a late 1800s victorian in Flatonia – amazing how much sweat they’ve poured into the project.

foreground:  John Pflueger, Christina Bulman & Shari Pflueger; background: Kara & Irwin Salmanson

First time I’d met John & Shari – also enjoyable dinner companions and great mixed-faith marriage.  Christina a longtime friend/work colleague who I’ve also known and adored.  Mark’s baby sister Kara – out without the 8 and 10-yo boys for a night.  Irwin (b/k/a Wink) an old friend and mentor.

me & Steven (me learning to tweet)    photo: Sandi

(Community Matters) Tons of fun hosting Nico Selby’s 11th birthday party

(Community Matters) HelpHaiti –

We wired $250k to Partners in Health (PIH_org) and Concern Worldwide (@Concern & @ ConcernWorld) – they were already making a huge difference in Haiti search & rescue.  They’ve been in Haiti for years.  LAF and Radio Shack together $250k to PIH too.

@PIH_org: designated by WHO to serve as the coordinators of the public hospital alongside Haitian Ministry of Health.  14 hours ago a plane from Montreal arrived with orthopedic surgeons and medical supplies.  Thousands in need of surgery.  Founder, Paul Farmer on his way into Haiti, was expected to arrive yesterday.

@ConcernWorld:  their worldwide head of emergency services, Dominic Crowley arrived in PaP yesterday with SecState Clinton.  Working with Haitian gov’t to set up camps for those who have lost homes. Distributing supplies, setting up water purification

HelpHaiti matches donations 1:1 at http://GiveToAustin.org/HelpHaiti

(Community Matters) An incredibly important race taking place in Massachusetts on Tuesday.  Please consider supporting Martha Coakley for US Senate, she’s a strong, qualified candidate and our 60th vote.  more here

(Community Matters) Okay, time to get up and moving.  Hosting an 11-yo’s birthday swim and picnic party today

(Community Matters) For the last several month’s, I’ve been working on the Anti-Defamation League’s Torch of Liberty dinner committee.  ADL stands for fairness and equality for people everywhere in the world and against anti-semitism everywhere.  It doesn’t escape me that the American Jewish community was the primary source of financial and legal support for the civil rights movement in the 50s & 60s and are strong supporters of LGBT equality today.

Amy & Kirk Rudy are being honored as this year’s Torch of Liberty recipients – two of our best friends, they do great things for Austin and  nationally.  James Armstrong & Larry Connelly are also being honored for their gifts to Austin in arts, education, LGBT equality and a list of other philanthropic activities.

Mark Salmanson first invited me to participate in ADL (thank you, Mark).  Ever since, Steven and I have made a group of super friends.  Most of the people on the executive committee are now dear friends who we dine with, laugh with and learn from.

Wednesday evening, Endeavor Real Estate Group and Whole Foods hosted the Torch of Liberty Dinner’s VIP reception (TOL dinner on Jan 28th – info here, though it is sold out).   Our table sponsors joined us:  Endeavor and Yigal & Lily Saad extraordinary in their support for the event.  Steve Adler & Diane Land, the Austin Post , Austin Ventures, Julie & John Thorton and Jeanne & Mickey Klein immensely generous too.  Lots and lots of other very generous sponsors – we’ve broken all Austin records in this economy, a testament to our honorees, the largess of our sponsors and the committee’s hard work – especially Jeff Newberg & Marcia Levy.

Judy Waxman & Lily Saad planned the evening.  Marcia Levy is our fundraising maven

Three women who know how to make things happen – in business, community and all over the world

Richard & Judy Berkowitz – Judy the third of the evening’s organizers

Maybe the couple I know less well among this tribe of friends, who we ought to know better.  All my intuition is that they are smart and a whole lot of fun.

Kim Hughes, Amy & Kirk Rudy, State Rep Mark Strama

A fierce foursome, all very good friends and important confidants.  Amy & Kirk don’t only give money, they give lots of time and elbow grease, and the benefit of two great minds.  Very close with Amy for several years; Kirk & I especially so since the presidential primary.  I enjoy nothing more than torturing this man who women call Kirkcules, though I’ve never found his Achilles heel.  Despite best efforts, he gives back at least as well as I give.  With Steven and Amy, we’ve enjoyed great days/weeks together with these two.  And, we’re looking forward to even more.

Larry Connelly & James Armstrong

James has been an important philanthropist in Texas for so many years.  He and Larry two of Austin’s most generous philanthropists to the arts and arts education – plus too many other organizations to list.  Good gosh, also great times with these two over the years – especially one Halloween , one Fredericksburg July 4th party.

Diane Land & Liz McDaniel Watson

Speaking of fierce and fun friends . . .  I think Diane needs to join me, Liz and Amy in our pilates sessions; she’d fit right in.  It’s way fun.

Yigal Saad & Steve Adler

Steve is our Austin ADL board chair and too has become a very close friend.  He is one of a handful of people responsible for the outstanding ballet we have today (Ballet Austin).  He (with Diane Land) is bringing that same magic to Austin ADL – we see it in motion everyday.  I predict we’ll have one of the nation’s strongest performing, most impactful offices within the next two years. Yigal, Lily’s husband, and a favorite dinner friend & story teller.  These two – hubba hubba is all I can say!

Amy Grace Tharp, Doug Ulman, Judy Waxman & Steve Adler

Amy Grace a new friend from St. James and Doug’s SO.  Doug, a good friend and Pres/CEO, Lance Armstrong Foundation.  It’s been terrific engaging Doug on our committee.  Together with Dave Shaw and Michael Feferman (both also new members involved) they’ve added a lot of energy, ideas & gifts, not to mention bringing down the average age.

Martin Cominksy & Shelley Zausmer

Martin is the regional director for ADL in Texas and has really built up the franchise.  Shelley the person I’ve gotten to know best through this effort and the woman who’s keeping everything on track, on time and on budget – not an easy feat given so many moving parts, completely new  programming and me (sometimes I’m not the easiest collaborator).

Pete & Tomi Winstead

Rachel & Michael Feferman and Peter Cesaro

Michael has come onto the committee and – along with Dave Shaw – has agreed to take on much of the evening’s production.  Can’t say enough about their contributions to Jan 28th and preparations.  Michael leads social media at 3C Presents; Dave his PR/Branding firm, Russell Shaw.

w/ Shelley

State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez & Chief Art Acevedo

We were filming for the event earlier in the day.  I arrived between the sessions for Eddie & Chief Acevedo.

My bad I didn’t get pics of other members of the event committee.  The full committee includes: Steve Adler & Diane Land, Judy Berkowitz, Michael Feferman, Marcia Levy, Audrey & Ray Maislin, Lynn Meredith, Jeff Newberg, Amy & Kirk Rudy, Lily Saad, Mark Salmanson, moi, Dave Shaw, Jan Soifer, Robny Sperling, Doug Ulman, Judy Waxman & Shelley Zausmer – one of the best and most fun I’ve ever worked on.  thank all

wow, tons of $10k, $5k and $3k sponsors too

(Community Matters) President Obama and Vice President Biden launch a campaign to recover every dime loaned and otherwise advanced to the financial services industry – nice. more information at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/banks?source=20100115_ia_test

Even the Financial Times agrees

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) It’s been a fast last 36 hours.  Since yesterday morning a group of us have been in constant contact by email, brainstorming what’s going on in Haiti and what we can do to help.  With Austin Ventures and quickly joined by a group of close friends, we’ve just launched a High-Tech HelpHaiti Fund.  We’ve raised commitments for $600,000 in funding which will be used to match individual donations.  Employees of high-tech companies, supporters and our friends in Austin can contribute at http://www.GiveToAustin.org/HelpHaiti and your contributions will be matched.

Contributors to the match funds include Austin Ventures, Philip & Donna Berber, Isabel & Dave Welland, MFI Foundation (Lynn & Tommie Meredith), the Garber Family (Ross & Laurie), Silicon Labs and the Entrepreneurs Foundation (plus Steven & Eugene, admittedly at a much more modest level).  Philip Berber, the founder (along with Donna Berber) of Glimmer of Hope Foundation is serving with many of us on the grants committee.  He’s been on the phone with several organizations with people on the ground, already doing search & rescue work.  In light of existing circumstances and even before match monies are received, we’ve wired $250,000 to Concern Worldwide US and Partners in Health.

Philip forwarded the following statements:

Having spoken to people directly in touch with the situation in Haiti, I’m told the first stage is “Save the Living and Bury the Dead”. The airport is partially open and communications are difficult. “You can’t just pick up the phone” I was told. There will be many stages and phases to this relief and rehabilitation effort, and many international and domestic organizations will be engaged in the relief efforts.

The first stage started two days ago and over the next 48 –72 hours people will live or die  depending on whether they get immediate medical disaster relief and treatment. Two such groups already on the ground are Partners in Health (PIH), Paul Farmers group who have been in Haiti for years, and Doctors without Borders (Medicine Sans Frontier – MSF) who have already deployed medics and inflatable hospitals in Port au Prince. Military medical personal from overseas will also be actively engaged.

The second stage will be short and medium term humanitarian aid and relief – such as water, food, shelter, health clinics and medical supplies. The plan would be for a large number of major international and indigenous NGOs to coordinate their efforts, which will be challenging yet necessary – and will start will planning and coordination meetings this week in Port au Prince.

People can help at this stage by sending money – so that the necessary items can be purchased and delivered to the people in need on the front lines urgently. Some organizations are able to deliver food and medical items, yet this is currently logistically more challenging.

(Community Matters) Wow, I’ve been so out of the loop.  So much worse than I’d imagined just hearing from the sidelines.  Thank gosh Amanda ahead of me on this and got something out to our EF member companies on opportunities to give.  We’re gonna jump in on this – too important a need not to help.