Eckhart Goette (Goette Interconsult, Inc.) introduced our speaker - Richard Gottleib -  in his typically classy manner. Richard is Director of Immigration/Naturalization Service for North Carolina.

Ralph Strayhorn (Park Meridian Bank), Mary Rinehart (Rinehart & Associates) and Bill Underwood (Underwood, Kinsey, Warren & Tucker) comprised one-half of our head table, lending a note of quality to our meeting.

Rotary District Lieutenant Governor David Hodgkins stopped by our meeting enroute to the airport and a well-deserved vacation. David presented a special international award to our club for our work with literacy in Peru. The placque was presented to Mike Hawley (Kennedy, Covington, Lobdell & Hickman) as our World Community Service chairman.

Bill Wilson, executive vice president of Belk Stores Services joined us as a guest of Ray Killian, Sr. Bill is interested in becoming a member of Charlotte Rotary and we anticipate his participation with great delight.

Eckart Goette, Richard Gottlieb and Ronnie Pruett (Ronnie A.Pruett, Attorney at Law and specialist in international law) form an awesome "international triumvirate par excellence!"

Richard Gottleib and Dr. Eugene Kozhevnikov speak the international language of friendship and good business practices.

Sadler Barnhardt (Barnhardt/Jenrette Properties, Inc.) and Mary-Stuart Brooks (Mecklenburg Ministries) lend their time and hardwork to a stunning number of worthwhile civic and charity causes in Charlotte. Heroes, both.

Tom Hutchins, Larry Sagehorn (Sagehorn & Company) and Ronnie Pruett chat about our ever-increasing --- and most welcome --- ethnic diversity in this great city. Diversity is, indeed, the stepping stone to our coveted "world class city" category.

Thomas Moore --- our talented and gregarious musician who has enlivened our meetings and brought us smiles galore --- chats with the truly wonderful Byron Bullard (president emeritus of Presbyterian Hospital).

Peggy Wesp (Sister Cities) brought a guest to our meeting as she so frequently does; making each of her guests feel warmly welcome to Charlotte is Peggy's talent and specialty.

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