Join us on Friday Mornings at Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel
Debunking of Leif Erickson, PAUR President ('24-'25)
On a sunny Friday evening, the Viking ship of PAUR gathered at port, ready to sail one last ceremonial voyage — this time to toast, roast, and lovingly debunk our outgoing Club President, Leif Erickson.
Stepping in for Immediate Past President Larry Christenson, Past President Mary Chigos emceed the evening with her signature mix of warmth, wit, and grace.
The celebration included heartfelt toasts from Past Presidents Katie Cooney and Noe Lozano, as well as incoming President Richard Hackmann — all recognizing Leif’s tireless leadership and “mostly” perfect tenure.
​And then came the roast. With a brilliantly scripted piece by Larry, Mary delivered an Ode to Leif: a poetic tribute to his legendary 292 days of presidential perfection… before Good Friday disrupted the streak. Here's the beginning and the link to rest:
The Midnight Ride of President Leif
An Ode to Leif Erickson
By IPP Larry Christenson & his assistant
All was smooth sailing for our fearless President Leif…
For 292 days, he’d steered the Friday Morning Mavericks
through calm seas and stormy budgets.
Only 73 days left in his command…
Then came Good Friday, April 18th —
the 250th Anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride.
But beneath the humor and hats, the room held deep appreciation for a remarkable year of leadership. Under President Leif’s guidance, PAUR expanded its impact and deepened its community roots. Highlights from the 2024–25 Rotary Year include:
Serious Impact
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Focus & Execute launched — Leif’s leadership (with Ken & Jo’s magic) brought us dashboards, goal-tracking, and just enough acronyms to sound impressive.
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$350,000+ raised — Endowment gifts, catering kitchen funds, and over 25 courtyard bricks now support our Signature Project: the Palo Alto History Museum.
Fun & Fabulous
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Eight New Mavericks joined — a team recruiting effort.
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Rotary Energizer Bunny — Leif somehow attended every Rotary and community event. Does he sleep? We’re not convinced.
Following the roast, the evening took a musical turn with a melodious tribute to Leif: The YCS Guy — set to the tune of YMCA — written and performed by Judy Deggeller. She was joined by Katie Cooney, Nanci Kaufmann, Gina Craig, and Debra Cen, with enthusiastic participation from club members and guests alike. The lyrics are included below. Enjoy!
No debunking at PAUR would be complete without the magically crafted Cooney Hat — Katie Cooney’s annual creation. Each year’s hat is a whimsical, symbolic tribute to the outgoing president, with every item representing a meaningful moment or quality from their term.
“The old order changeth, yielding place to new…”
With the roast, the ode, the hat, and the harmonies complete, it was time for the traditional passing of the baton — or in our case, the garlands and chains — to incoming President Richard Hackmann.
The changing of the guard followed:
The 2024–25 banner, The Magic of Rotary, was ceremonially replaced by the new 2025–26 banner: “Unite for Good.” And just like that, we stepped confidently into a new Rotary year.
A Vote of Thanks
From outgoing President Leif Erickson
on behalf of himself & PAUR
"Thank you to Georgie Gleim for lending her beautiful Backyard and to Nanci Kauffman and Linda Lenoir for their work to organize this event and for all who helped them, and particular thanks to the members of the Strategic Planning Team who met with me every week online for the whole year."
Some Clicks from the Day
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