Emergency runway key element

Fred Telling, CEO and Board chairman of the group that produces the National Championship Air Races, said an important key is being turned for the Roswell event.

Speaking to the Roswell Rotary Club, Telling said the Brown Brothers Ranch, over which race pilots fly, “is allowing us to build an emergency runway on their ranch property.”

The lack of an emergency runway had resulted in two popular classes of air racers — the Sport Class and the Unlimited Class — failing to compete in the 2025 Air Races.

The Sport Class is composed of aircraft currently being manufactured, while the Unlimited Class is made up of World War II aircraft.

“Right now, we probably have 80 aircraft participating, but I believe we will have over 100 aircraft for races this year,” Telling said, adding, “I’m optimistic we’ll have at least 12 in the Unlimited Class.”

A big draw at this year’s Air Races on Sept. 16-20 will be the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team.

 

The team will be visible on Sept. 17 and 18 when they do “full big holiday practice flights, and then on Sept. 19 and 20 when they repeat their show.”

Telling said that one of the days, the Thunderbird crews will be given a police escort “down Main Street from their hotel to the airfield.”

He said one of the bigger challenges for the Air Races is hotel space. In addition to Roswell hotels and motels to house the estimated 75,000-80,000 people expected at the races, RV sites will be available at the airport and in the community.

Telling said Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell will be showing movies for RV campers on several nights at its campus near the airport, as well as making its swimming pool and gymnasium available.

He complimented Artesia, 40 miles south of Roswell, “for organizing a band and other activities nearly every night. They had things going on in the street for the people who were staying down there. The town was very welcoming, and it was great.”

The National Championship Air Races are produced every September by the Reno Air Racing Association. The event was founded in Northern Nevada, where it became an institution and the pinnacle of air racing before moving to Roswell.

Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

The Roswell Rotary Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. on July 2 at the Backdraft Barbeque at Third Street Station, 301 N. Railroad Ave.

This dinner meeting, at which club officers and directors will be installed, replaces the regular meeting on that date.

The cost of meals for Rotary Club members and guests will be covered.

Members have been asked to let the incoming club President, Steve Smith, know their meal selection in advance.

NMSU athletics chief to speak

Fields

Joe Fields, athletics director at New Mexico State University, will speak to the Roswell Rotary Club on June 25.

He has served as athletics director since Oct. 8, bringing more than 20 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics as a student-athlete and administrator.

Before taking over at NMSU, Fields spent one year at the University of Tulsa, where he served as the deputy athletics director and chief operating officer.

Martin honored as Harris Fellow

Martin Padillo, the club’s Rotary Exchange student from Spain for the past year, was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by Betty Young on behalf of the Roswell Rotary Club. In addition, Martin was given a handmade quilt signed by club members and a U.S. jersey from the current FIFA World Cup championship. The presentations were made on June 11.

Air Races CEO to speak

Fred Telling, chairman and CEO of the National Championship Air Races, will speak at the June 18 Rotary Club meeting.

He has been the CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) since February 2018 and has served on the board since October 2017.

The National Championship Air Races in Roswell are produced each September by RARA, a 501(c)(3) corporation. This year’s races will run Sept. 16-20.

Fred has also been the president of the T-6 Racing Association since 2007.

He is type-rated in Citation jets and the DC-3, fixed-wing (Commercial) and rotorcraft (Private) rated, and has a collection of North American Aviation aircraft — “Lady B,” a P-51D, “Almost Perfect,” a stock T-6G, and “Baby Boomer,” a T-6 racer.

Bill Williams to address Rotary

Chaves County Manager Bill Williams will speak at the June 11 Roswell Rotary Club meeting.

He began working for Chaves County in January 2015 as director of facilities. In June 2016, he was promoted to public services director, and in December 2020, he was appointed county manager. 

Before joining the county, Williams worked in agriculture and as a building contractor, later working for the federal government until 2014.

He graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in agricultural mechanization. 

City manager to address club

City Manager Hess Yntema will speak to the Roswell Rotary Club on June 4.

Yntema, a former Roswell Rotary Club member, served more than three years as city attorney before being appointed city manager early this year.

He graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in earth and planetary sciences before earning his law degree at the University of Michigan Law School.

Thompson to speak to club

Thompson

Bobbi Thompson, a Board member of the group that produces the National Championship Air Races in Roswell, will speak at the May 28 Rotary Club meeting.

She also serves as the airport director and assistant city manager of Roswell.

Bobbi’s aviation career spans more than 40 years. She is a 4,500-hour pilot, rated in single- and multi-engine fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and has more than 35 years of experience producing air shows.

Additionally, she has managed eight airports, is an FBO owner and manager, air racer, and aviation consultant for more than 1,400 airports/FBOs.

She currently serves as the Reno Air Racing Association’s vice president of strategic planning.

The National Championship Air Races are produced every September by the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA), a 501(c)(3). The event was founded in Northern Nevada, where it became an institution and the pinnacle of air racing before moving to Roswell in 2025.

This year’s Air Races will run Sept. 16-20 in Roswell.

Four-Way Test essay winners

Members of the New Mexico Military Institute Intermediate Preparatory Academy’s initial graduating class won the first three places in the Roswell Rotary Club’s 4-Way Test essay contest.

Recipients are (from left): Dew Deemum, third place; Miriam Yehl, second place; Amy Everitt, eighth-grade academic advisor; and Tristan Tew, first place.

Each student read his/her essay to Rotarians at the club’s May 21 meeting.

Club President Nicole Wieser presented a check to each student.

Statuary garden update on agenda

Rotarian Steve Smith will give a brief update on the “Lest We Forget Historical Statuary Garden” at the May 21 Rotary Club meeting.

Also on the meeting agenda will be honoring the Four-Way Test winners from New Mexico Military Institute.

Time set to sort bottle caps

I have scheduled a time for members to help sort and weigh bottle caps that are made into the benches we’ve purchased for the parks.

Saturday, May 16, 2026,  from 9 a.m. to noon

Hawk's Automotive, address is on S. Lincoln — ENTER FROM WALNUT, just east of the tracks, through the gate.

This project has been uploaded to the EPICDAYOFSERVICE website.

THANK YOU. I hope people can make it, even if for an hour, on such short notice.

Bianca Cheney

District Youth Exchange Team

Assistant Governor, East 

(575) 637-8811

Police chief to speak at Rotary

Police Chief Alberto Aldana will be the guest speaker at the May 14 Roswell Rotary Club meeting.

Aldana became Roswell police chief on March 1, succeeding Lance Bateman.

Kelly Pigott to speak at Rotary

Dr. Kelly Pigott, minister of First Presbyterian Church in Roswell, will speak at the May 7 Rotary Club meeting.

During the past 30 years, Pigott has served as pastor of various churches.

He formerly served as the Cook-Derrick Professor of Church History at Hardin-Simmons University, where, in addition to church history, he taught courses in Bible, ministry, and spiritual formation for undergraduate and seminary students.

He has published numerous popular and scholarly articles and has contributed to and written several books, including “From Eden to Heaven: Spiritual Formation for the Adventurous” (Smyth and Helwys).

He has two children in graduate school, Nathaniel and Eliana. His wife, Susan, is the rector at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Roswell.

Wealth managers to address club

John Farrell and Joel East with UBS Private Wealth Management in Fort Worth will speak at the April 30 Rotary Club meeting.

Farrell joined UBS in 2021 as a senior vice president, responsible for managing the financial affairs of high-net-worth families in Fort Worth, West Texas, and southeast New Mexico, most with a large concentration in oil and gas assets.

Before joining UBS, he spent 10 years at J.P.Morgan.

East joined UBS in 2021, after departing J.P.Morgan’s private bank as an executive director specializing in investments and portfolio management.

He spent nearly 15 years with J.P.Morgan, where he most recently worked in the Fort Worth Private Bank advising high-net-worth clients.

Club receives award

Rotary Club President Nicole Wieser receives a Rotary District 5520 award for Membership Growth from Bianca Cheney, assistant/area district governor. The award, in the large club category, was announced at the recent District Conference in Santa Fe.

Rotarians gather fugitive trash

The Roswell Rotary Club had a great morning on April 18, removing fugitive trash from our two-mile stretch along both sides of U.S. 285.

We collected 26 bags of trash, one tire tread, one tire, and an area rug (very heavy!).

The coffee, doughnuts, and colaches were all consumed!

Rotarians Marc Reischman, Bianca Cheney, JP Cheney, Kezia Pieratt, Jeremy Pieratt, Frank Sturges, Charles Currier, Dan Whitfield, Steve Smith, Nicole Wieser, and I participated in the cleanup. A big THANKS TO ALL!

— Gordon Patton

Roswell Rotary Club trash crew

Financial advisors to speak

Two Albuquerque financial advisors will speak to the Roswell Rotary Club on April 23.

The meeting will be at the Backdraft Barbeque@Third Street Station, 301 N. Railroad Ave.

Speaking at the meeting will be Thomas Parr and Benjamin Alaimo-Monson of Morgan Stanley in Albuquerque.

Parr is the managing director of the Horizon Wealth Management Group at the Morgan Stanley office.

He focuses on advising business owners and their families about the intersection of their personal and professional wealth, including the transfer of ownership to the next generation and the pre-, during, and post-sale stages of an exit.

Alaimo-Monson focuses on working with individuals and families to serve their wealth management needs.

Parr earned a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Alaimo-Monson earned a B.A. in financial management from the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico.

Cheney to discuss conference

Rotarian Bianca Cheney will discuss the recent District 5520 Annual Conference during the April 16 Roswell Rotary Club meeting.

The conference was held earlier this month in Santa Fe.

Young to address canine question

Rotarian Betty Young will speak to the Roswell Rotary Club on April 9 about: “How do you know if the service dog is for real?” Betty is shown speaking at an earlier club meeting.

Highway cleanup on April 18

The Roswell Rotary Club will conduct its highway cleanup project on Saturday, April 18.

Members will meet at Mile Marker 116.3, about 1 mile north of the overpass over U.S. 285, at 8 a.m.

Coffee and doughnuts — as well as gloves, trash bags, and safety vests — will be provided, said Gordon Patton, Rotary Highway Cleanup chair. 

“It takes an ideal group of 12 people about an hour and a half to clean our mile on both sides of the highway,” Patton said. “Your participation is encouraged to keep our mile from being trashy.”

National birthday chair to speak

City Councilor Juliana Schaffer Halvorson will speak to the Roswell Rotary Club on April 2 about how the community will be celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday.

Juliana is chair of the Roswell 250 Committee, overseeing this year’s national birthday celebration in the community.

NMOGA president to speak

Currier

Missi Currier, president and CEO of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, will speak at the March 26 Roswell Rotary Club meeting.

As a veteran government affairs, community development, and strategic communications professional, Missi’s understanding of the state’s political climate has allowed her to champion energy, tax, regulatory, and economic diversification issues throughout the state.

A native of Carlsbad, she earned a Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science in agricultural communications from Texas Tech University.

Hospital officers to discuss post

Two Lovelace Hospital officers will discuss Explorer Post 124, a Scouting America post that focuses on medical careers, at the March 19 Rotary Club meeting.

Rotarian Christy Escandon, chief nursing officer at Lovelace Hospital, and Marlys Folly, clinical educator, will share the post’s 2025 successes and discuss its future.

Escandon and Folly serve as the post’s adult leaders.

Attending PELS training

Steve Smith joins fellow Roswell Rotary Club members Bianca and J.P. Cheney for a thumbs up at Steve’s President-Elect Learning Seminar training in Albuquerque. Bianca attended as an assistant district governor, and J.P. as assistant district audio-visual person.

Superintendent to discuss schools

Brian Luck, Roswell Independent School District superintendent, will speak at the March 12 Rotary Club meeting.

His topics include an update on Roswell schools.