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2026 State of the City

The annual 2026 State of the City Address, coordinated by the Rotary Club of Aurora, was held on May 12, 2026.

Mayor Mike Coffman described Aurora as “strong as ever and getting stronger.” His address focused on the city’s continued efforts to strengthen public safety, address homelessness, and drive economic development through key infrastructure projects.

You can watch the full address here:
https://www.auroratv.org/.../aurora-now-special-state...

Key Highlights from the 2026 Address:

Homelessness & the Regional Navigation Campus
Mayor Coffman highlighted the success of the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus, a “one-stop shop” for services. He also emphasized his personal commitment to the program, sharing that he sleeps at the low-barrier shelter every Friday to help ensure the campus is meeting its goals.

Public Safety
Public safety remains a top priority, with a continued focus on reducing crime, addressing dangerous driving, and responding to the pressures created by rising living costs.

Infrastructure & Development — “Build Up Aurora”
The city is prioritizing long-term infrastructure improvements, including the $35 million replacement of the 60-year-old Peoria Street bridge.

Colfax Corridor Revitalization
The creation of a Downtown Development Authority is central to the city’s efforts to revitalize the East Colfax corridor.

Economic Development & Community Support
Key initiatives include a rental licensing and inspection program, a youth empowerment center, and a low-interest loan program designed to support immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs.

Budget Management
Aurora is managing a projected general fund shortfall of more than $21 million. The city is addressing this in part through 2026 employee furlough days while continuing to prioritize core services.

Key 2026 Projects & Upcoming Events:

East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit
Construction from Yosemite to I-225 begins in May 2026.

South Parker Road Intersection Project
Construction on the Parker/Quincy/Smoky Hill intersection begins in February 2026.

Aurora Fest 2026
This year’s annual festival will be part of the America 250–Colorado 150 celebrations and will feature a drone show.

The city also emphasized its continued commitment to protecting Home Rule authority against unfunded state mandates.

To view all photos from the event, please visit the Photo Album section located in the right-side column.

“College Beyond Walls" luncheon

The Rotary Club of Aurora attended and supported the CCA Foundation annual event “College Beyond Walls" luncheon on April 30. The "College Beyond Walls" Spring Luncheon is a major fundraising initiative that helps directly fund student scholarships, parenting initiatives, and emergency assistance to remove barriers to education. Led for the past 10 years by Executive Director John Wolfkill and supported by a board of directors, the event is always fun, informative and productive.
 

Epic Day of Serve & Fire Safety Field Day

Mark your calendars for a fun and educational community event on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the City of Aurora Public Safety Training Center, 25950 E. Quincy Ave., near the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds.

Presented by the Rotary Clubs of Aurora and hosted by Aurora Fire Rescue and the Aurora Police Department, this special event will bring families together for an exciting day of hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and opportunities to meet local first responders.

Guests will enjoy a variety of interactive experiences, including fire suppression demonstrations, CPR demonstrations, SWAT and K9 demonstrations, ambulance and fire engine tours, and a kid’s first responder race designed especially for younger attendees.

Bring the whole family and join us for a meaningful event that highlights the dedication of Aurora’s first responders while supporting a safer future for our community.

Food Bank of the Rockies Tour
For our March Club social, members toured the new Food Bank of the Rockies facility, an impressive property that will help expand the organization’s reach and programs. During the visit, we learned about their volunteer opportunities, sustainability efforts, food sourcing, culinary kitchen, and future plans. The tour gave us a deeper appreciation for the many ways Food Bank of the Rockies serves our community beyond food distribution. To see all the photos from the tour, please visit the Album section.

Phil Washington Shares DIA’s Vision

The Rotary Club of Aurora was honored to welcome Phil Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport (DIA), for an engaging presentation about one of Colorado’s most important economic engines. Phil shared fascinating facts about DIA, including that it is the 4th busiest airport in North America and the 10th busiest airport in the world based on 2025 passenger traffic. He also highlighted the airport’s remarkable size—DIA is the 2nd largest airport in the world, spanning 53 square miles.

Members learned more about the airport’s impressive infrastructure, which currently includes 6 runways with the ability to expand to 12, as well as 173 gates. DIA also serves as a major hub for United, Southwest, and Frontier Airlines. In addition to discussing where the airport stands today, Phil spoke about DIA’s long-term future and shared its vision for 2025 to 2045, offering insight into the airport’s growth, innovation, and continued impact on the region.

To view all of the slides from Phil Washington’s presentation, please visit the Albums section.

Eagle Award Presented to Fire Medic Shane Brown

The Rotary Club of Aurora proud to recognize Fire Medic Shane Brown as the recipient of the Eagle Award for his outstanding dedication and creativity.

In fall 2025, Aurora Fire Rescue’s Recruit Training Division asked Brown to help develop a comprehensive instructional manual for the Fire Academy. To make the material more engaging and easier for recruits to understand, he created comic strip-style illustrations that help break up dense training content and bring essential firefighter skills to life. Brown volunteered countless off-duty hours to this project, using his artistic talent to create a training resource that will benefit Aurora Fire Rescue recruits for years to come.

His willingness to go above and beyond his role as a Firefighter/Paramedic reflects exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to excellence. Brown’s contributions will have a lasting impact on firefighter training and public safety in Aurora.

New Member: Gracie Ahn

Gracie lives in Aurora and grew up in both California and Florida after immigrating with her family from South Korea in 1970. She brings more than 25 years of experience in real estate, including commercial medical real estate, and has spent the last five years working in senior living and care, where she combines her professional background with her heart for advocacy. Gracie was inspired to join Rotary because of the opportunity to serve alongside others who care deeply about their community and to help mentor the next generation in service and collaboration. She is especially passionate about supporting vulnerable populations, including girls in foster care, survivors of sex trafficking, and older adults living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. She also cares deeply about supporting caregivers.

When asked how she hopes to serve Aurora, Gracie shared her vision of promoting unity in diversity and advocating for proper care for older adults, especially those with dementia. Her dream project is to create a welcoming community space where those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, along with their caregivers, can enjoy beauty, activities, respite, and connection.

In her spare time, Gracie enjoys spending time with friends, hiking, working out, enjoying nature, serving at her church, and co-leading a women’s group focused on faith and vocation. She also has a dog named Lucy. A few fun facts about Gracie: she appeared in Disney commercials and a Jimmy Buffett video, has gone skydiving twice, and once climbed to Abuna Yemata Guh Church in Ethiopia—one of the world’s most dangerous climbs.

We are delighted to welcome Gracie to the Rotary Club of Aurora.

February Social: Bunco & Bowls
 
A few weeks ago, Deborah and Steve Burcham opened their home for our Club’s February Social—Bunco & Bowls—and it was the perfect mid-winter dose of fun and fellowship. More than 20 Rotarians and guests joined in for an evening filled with laughter, friendly competition, and plenty of “Bunco!” moments. The food was just as memorable as the games: a cozy lineup of delicious chilis and hearty soups, along with fresh salads and a table of desserts that made it hard to choose just one.
 

Events like this remind us that Rotary isn’t only about the work we do in the community—it’s also about the relationships that make the work meaningful. Thank you to Deborah and Steve for their warm hospitality and for creating a space where members could relax, connect, and strengthen the friendships that keep our club thriving.

Rotary friendships truly can last a lifetime.

63 Classrooms. 315 Books. One Big Rotary Heart.
The Rotary Club of Aurora just delivered 5 brand-new books to each of 63 classrooms across 23 Aurora Public Schools elementary schools! 
 
This annual tradition is one our members truly look forward to every year. A few Rotarians even got to spend time in the classrooms and share a little about what our Club does—and why we love serving our community. Service Above Self in action! To see all the photos, please visit the Photo Albums.

New Member: Ray Cassel

 

Raymond Cassel is a new member of the Rotary Club of Aurora and calls Aurora, Colorado home. Originally born in Waukegan, Illinois, he grew up in Round Lake Park before heading to college, where he earned a B.S. in Chemistry. Raymond spent an impressive 50 years in the industrial chemical cleaning industry—working his way through roles including supervisor, sales, project manager, and division manager with several companies in the same specialty.

Raymond also proudly served two years of active duty with the U.S. Naval Reserve during the naval blockade along the Vietnam coastline (1972–1974). Now retired, he continues to stay engaged through consulting work in chemical cleaning services. With more time in this season of life, Raymond is excited to give back to the community—especially by working with youth and helping get them interested in the outdoors. His favorite passions include fishing, hunting, archery, sporting clays, and wildlife photography.

Fun fact: Raymond is bald (and owns it!). He’s also a proud dad to two daughters and a grandpa to three grandsons and one granddaughter—and he shares his home with two spirited pups: a Scottish Terrier and a West Highland Terrier.

Welcome Tod Cavey

Tod Cavey is a proud Colorado native who grew up in Southeast Denver with his five brothers. He currently serves as Director of Marketing and Donor Relations at Aurora Mental Health & Recovery, bringing a strong background in storytelling, community engagement, and mission-driven outreach.

Earlier in his career, Tod worked with several performing arts organizations, including the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Colorado Symphony, Opera, and Ballet. Prior to joining Aurora Mental Health & Recovery, he was part of the team at Colorado Public Radio.

Tod and his wife, Kim, live and work in the world of helping others—Kim works in Health Benefits. They’re a blended family with Tod’s step-son, Blake, and his son, Quinn, who is an engineering student at Southern Utah University.

Welcome to The Rotary Club of Aurora!

Welcome John Sinning!

The Rotary Club of Aurora is pleased to welcome our newest member, John Sinning!

John recently joined our club, but he’s not new to Rotary—he was a Rotarian for nearly 12 years in Northfield, Michigan. John currently works part-time for a community foundation and lives in Heather Gardens with his wife, Susan. He is also President of the Woodworking Workshop at Heather Gardens

They have two children and two grandchildren, with one more on the way. Please join us in giving John a warm Rotary welcome! 🎉

A Picture Perfect Partnership
 
Deborah Burcham (Rotarian + owner of Doodles & Hues) had the honor of hosting a joyful paint party at CASA (Advocates for Children)—a special, family-friendly event for CASA’s volunteer advocates and their kids. 

Laughter filled the room as everyone picked up their brushes, chose their colors, and created something uniquely their own—side-by-side with the people who show up every day to support children in our community. These advocates do hard, heart-led work, and it’s a privilege to celebrate them with a little creativity, connection, and fun.

As part of her ongoing commitment, Deborah provides one FREE paint party each quarter for CASA to thank and uplift these incredible volunteers. A huge shout-out to fellow Rotarians Ryan Turbyfill and Linda Witulski for donating their time to help with set-up, paint pouring, encouragement, and all the behind-the-scenes support that makes events like this run smoothly! To see all the photos, please visit the Photo Albums.

Volunteering with Arapahoe County Public Health
 
The Rotary Club of Aurora recently partnered with volunteers from Rangeview High School’s Interact Club to support Arapahoe County Public Health’s Shots for Tots & Teens (SFTT) immunization clinics in Aurora. This service effort was organized by Rotarian Chuck Cluster, who coordinated volunteer support alongside the dedicated student leaders from Rangeview High School’s Interact Club. Shots for Tots & Teens provides free or low-cost vaccines through community-based clinics for uninsured, underinsured, and low-income children, teens, and adults. Offered in collaboration with organizations such as Immunize Colorado and other community partners, SFTT helps remove barriers to essential healthcare and strengthens public health across Arapahoe County. We’re proud to serve alongside these community partners and Interact volunteers to help improve access to preventive care for families in our area.
Louis Wright Inspires All!
 
The Rotary Club of Aurora was treated to a special presentation from Louis Wright—former Denver Broncos cornerback and Ring of Fame member. Wright played with the Denver Broncos from 1975 to 1986 and was an integral part of the legendary Orange Crush defense. In addition, Wright shared highlights from his football career, his life after the NFL, and his passion for working with kids during his extensive time as a teacher and football coach in Aurora Public Schools and Denver Public Schools. To see more photos of the meeting, please visit the Photo Album section.
Our First Meeting of the NEW Year
 
We kicked off the year with great fellowship, club updates, and some truly dynamic speakers who reminded us why service matters. 💛

🔔 Salvation Army Update
A big thank-you to Phil Gibson and Carl Esquivel for sharing the impact of our Club’s Ringing the Bell volunteer efforts—because of our community’s generosity (and lots of bell-ringing!), our Club raised $15,906 through the Red Kettle Campaign! 🙌

👧🩺 Supporting Children in Need
We were also honored to hear from Bird Gilmartin, MD, Angela Turbyfill, LCSW from the KICS (Kids in Care Setting) Clinic, along with Jon Kruljac, CEO of the Kempe Foundation. They shared inspiring updates on the incredible work happening through the KICS Clinic to support children in care.

Service, impact, and community—what a powerful start to the year! 💙💛

 

Rotary Mourns the Passing of Doug Evans
With heavy hearts, we share that Rotarian Doug Evans passed away on January 5, 2026, surrounded by family. For 50 years, Doug lived the spirit of Rotary—showing up, serving others, and building friendships that mattered. We extend our deepest condolences and prayers to Doug’s family during this difficult time. 
Rotary Club of Aurora Proudly Supports the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign

Each holiday season, the familiar sound of a bell outside local stores becomes a reminder that small moments of generosity can create big change. This year, the Rotary Club of Aurora was honored to support the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign by stepping up in a meaningful way—showing up, ringing bells, and inviting our community to give.

The Rotary Club of Aurora “adopted” two Aurora King Soopers locations, committing to cover bell-ringing shifts every Saturday and Sunday throughout the season, plus Christmas Eve, to help raise crucial funds that directly support Salvation Army programs and services. That’s a lot of hours standing in the cold, greeting neighbors with a smile, and spreading encouragement one donation at a time—and our Rotarians showed up with heart.

Rangeview High School’s Interact Club has something BIG to celebrate!
At a recent recognition event, the Interact officers proudly accepted an award from Past District Governor Tammie Fennell, honoring Rangeview as one of the best Interact Clubs in our zone. This recognition isn’t just a trophy moment — it’s a reflection of the students’ consistent dedication to service, leadership, and showing up for our community in meaningful ways. This outstanding group of young leaders pours their time and energy into projects that make a real difference. Throughout the year, the club hosts fun, high-impact fundraisers like their Annual Fall Festival, seasonal pancake breakfasts, and other creative events — all with one goal: raising money and support for important causes and local nonprofits.
 
We are incredibly proud of the Rangeview Interact officers and members for leading with heart, teamwork, and purpose. Congratulations, Rangeview Interact! We can’t wait to see what you take on next — because your impact is already inspiring.This is the template with image at the left side and floating text on the right side.
  
2025 Community Spirit Award
The Rotary Club of Aurora was thrilled to receive a 2025 Community Spirit Award from the City of Aurora as a community nonprofit agency. A special thank you to Rotarian Patti Bateman for accepting the award on our behalf—we’re honored to serve this amazing community!
 
Members of the Rotary Club of Aurora have volunteered hundreds of hours, with projects such as the Aurora Fire Rescue Fire Safety Trailer, Aurora State of the City, Shots for Tots, Salvation Army holiday Bell Ringing, Flower Power (delivering flowers from the Garden Show to nursing homes), providing & delivering Kindles or books to 3rd graders in Aurora schools, just to name a few.
 
The Rotary Club of Aurora has a long history of dynamic members who have lived up to our motto, “Service Above Self” and have been part of the many projects and accomplishments of the club.
Miles with Mordecai
 
A huge 🎉 CONGRATULATIONS 🎉 to Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, President of the Community College of Aurora (CCA), for completing his Miles with Mordecai event last week! Dr. Brownlee, along with friends, families, and community partners, walked all 71 miles of the High Line Canal in just three days to raise awareness and support for CCA students. 
 
Every mile represents the determination of our students—balancing classes, jobs, and family while striving for a better future. Their grit and perseverance inspire us every day. 💪🎓This is the template with image at the left side and floating text on the right side.

Spotlight on Club Project: Fire Safety Trailer Fundraising Project

The Aurora Rotary Foundation is excited to announce a fundraising initiative with the goal of raising $200,000 to support the development of a state-of-the-art Educational Fire Safety Trailer for Aurora Fire Department. This vital community project will provide an interactive platform for fire safety education. The trailer will visit Aurora’s elementary schools, offering young students essential fire safety lessons and skills. By making fire safety education more accessible to local schools and community events, the Aurora Fire Rescue Department and Rotary Clubs aim to significantly reduce the risk of fire-related incidents. This project aligns with the comprehensive Community Risk Reduction (CRR) framework and will directly contribute to the safety and well-being of Aurora’s residents.
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Speakers
Club Business Meeting
May 27, 2026
Club business
Corkey Kyle
Jun 03, 2026
He will present on important legislation topics dominating this legislative cycle,
Diana Simard
Jun 10, 2026
Mental Health training through DU for medical professionals and first responders
No meeting
Jun 17, 2026
Club Business
Jun 24, 2026
Arok Arang j Seeds of Sudan
Jul 01, 2026
One of the Lost Boys from Sudan will be speaking about his mission in South Sudan.
Austin Hill
Jul 08, 2026
The Wild Animal Sanctuary
No meeting
Jul 15, 2026
Club Meeting
Jul 22, 2026
5th Wed- no meeting
Jul 29, 2026
Deacon Bob Uphoff Friends on Colfax Soup Kitchen
Aug 05, 2026
Soup Kitchen- share their story
Kyle Speller
Aug 12, 2026
Public Address Announcer for the Denver Nuggets- Voice of the Nuggets Basketball
No meeting
Aug 19, 2026
Club Business
Aug 26, 2026
TBD
Sep 02, 2026
TBD
Sep 09, 2026
No meeting
Sep 16, 2026
Business Meeting
Sep 23, 2026
5th Wed- No meeting
Sep 30, 2026
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Club Executives & Directors
President
Ryan Turbyfill
President Elect
Kelly Goebel
Treasurer
Paul Christensen
Secretary
Debra Neeley
Membership
Paul Suss
Public Relation
Brad Pierce
International Service
Rob McGregor
Rotary Foundation
Rick Richard
Community Service
Thomas Klein
Club Administration
Linda Witulski
New Generations
Nubia Madrid
Club Service Director
Kelly Goebel
Past President
Linda Witulski
Sargent at Arms
George Peck
Club Young Leaders Contact
Linda Witulski
Rotary Links
Rotarian of the Year - Paul Suss
 

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Rotary International
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