Speakers

2019 President
Miramar International – Mill Rock
Athena Collup is a proud REALTOR® that has spent her professional career in Kern County assisting buyers, sellers,
and investors for over 25 years, specializing in residential and relocation real estate transactions.
Throughout her professional career, Athena has served on multiple levels of organized real estate as a Director for the
National Association of REALTORS®, California Association of REALTORS®, Bakersfield Association of REALTORS®,
Golden Empire Multiple Listing Service (GEMLS). She believes continuing education is critical to the service she
provides her clients. As part of that commitment, she received her Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation in
2014. She has also been the recipient of awards for excellence in the real estate industry, including the 2015
Salesperson of the Year. She is currently serving as the President for the Bakersfield Association of REALTORS®.
Athena is strongly invested in the REALTOR® Party and mission. As a long-time advocate, she works toward policies
that promote home ownership and inspire REALTORS® to serve their industry and community. In addition to her
volunteer work in organized real estate, she is also a community leader that has contributed her time and efforts to
various local organizations including Alliance Against Family Violence, Bakersfield Homeless Center, Relay for Life,
Gleaners, Habitat for Humanity, Families of Fallen Warriors, Wounded Heroes Fund of Kern County, and has served on
the Board of the Bakersfield Breakfast Club Rotary’s Foundation.
A native of Bakersfield, Athena and her husband Steven have raised 3 sons and have 8 grandchildren. They are both
very proud that their children “all own a home of their own and didn’t borrow any money from Mom and Dad.”

801 Hosking Ave., Bakersfield, 93307

Rotary became a better organization when Jim joined on December 5, 2001. Since then he has been a member of Simi Sunrise, Conejo Valley, and currently is a member of the Rotary Club of Moorpark. He has also served the District in many functions since 2005 including Assistant Governor. He is currently on the Rose Parade Committee as Float Director in addition to his on-going role as the District Rotary Foundation Polio Plus Chair.

Jim has personally helped combat polio through participating in eight National Immunization Days in India and been a speaker/trainer on the topic at assemblies and conferences for many districts. He recently chaired the Polio Survivor Summit held in Kolkata India.

Jim has been recognized within the District with the Sam Greene "Service Above Self" and the Dr. Otto Austel Polio Plus Award. He has also received the RI Five Avenues of Service Award and, in 2017, the prestigious “International Service Award for a Polio-Free World” from The Rotary Foundation.

In his professional life Jim was a High School Teacher, a Coach, and an Administrator.

Jim knows well the toll polio takes as he is a survivor who became paralyzed in 1948.

In summary, Jim is well-respected and sought after as a speaker, grant writer, and champion for the eradication of polio in the world.

 

Keith Brice is the President/CEO of Mid State Development Corporation. Headquartered in Bakersfield Mid State is an SBA authorized Certified Development company serving Kem County. Mid State partners with commercial lenders to finance owner-occupied commercial/Industrial real estate and equipment. The company was established in 1980 to assist in creating economic growth through projects that help businesses become more competitive in the marketplace.

Since its inception, Mid State Development has funded over $450 million in loans. These projects have created or retained over 12,000 jobs in Kern County.

Keith came to Mid State with over 20 years of Commercial Banking experience, having held Vice President Positions at Community First Bank, California Republic Bank and Sanwa Bank (now Bank of the West).  An active member in the community for over 34 years, he has served on various boards and committees. Keith is a past chair of: the Board for the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Kern County and the Kern Community Foundation. He is also Past President of Kiwanis clubs of South and Southeast Bakersfield, past board member of: Westminster Presbyterian Church Foundation, Kern Economic Development Corporation, Kern County Special Olympics, Junior Achievement of Bakersfield and Mid State Development Corporation.

He currently serves Chair of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee. He is a member of the CSUB Executive Advisory Council and Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society for the Collegiate School of Business. He has received numerous awards including SBA Central California Financial Service Advocate of the Year and Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce Businessman of the Year.

A native of Washington, D.C., Keith earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Dayton. He is also a graduate of California Intermediate Banking School and Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle. He and Betsy Brice have been married for over 37 years. Betsy is a math teacher at Rosedale Middle School. The couple have two adult kids and one grandchild.

Rohrer began his federal career in 1994 as the Public Participation Manager under the agency’s Office of Environmental Management, responsible for interpreting and implementing DOE Headquarters public participation policy and serving as Community Advisory Board coordinator.

From 1992 to 1994 Rohrer was a community relations specialist with IT Corporation, providing public participation support for environmental cleanup activities. Rohrer also participated in educational outreach programs, and assisted in the creation of informational material. Prior to this, he was an information specialist at Science Applications International Corporation for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project, responsible for scheduling exhibit showings at various public events.

Rohrer earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1986 and a master’s degree in business and organizational communication in 1989, both from New Mexico State University.

 

The Public Safety Professionals Retreat (PSPR), or ProSPeR, is a six-day intensive retreat that provides emergency responders the opportunity to learn and practice new coping skills while improving personal and professional relationships.  The focus of PSPR is the use of  prevention and early-intervention models to effectively address issues including substance abuse, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, sleep disturbances, and other stress- and trauma-related symptoms.  The goal of the ProSPeR is to enable professionals in public safety roles to restore and resume work or retirement in a positive, productive manner and avoid negative outcomes such as family dissolution, chemical dependence, or suicide.

assie Fernandez is the executive director for Habitat for Humanity Golden Empire. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Bakersfield-based nonprofit affiliate and works closely with the organization’s local board of directors.

Fernandez assumed the lead executive position of the Habitat affiliate in May 2019. She came to Habitat with a wealth of experience and background in the nonprofit arena — most recently as director of the Sherriff’s Activities League at the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, a program dedicated to helping improve the lives of children in underserved areas. She also has mortgage-lending expertise and experience in mental health recovery services.

A civic-minded community member, Fernandez has been honored with several awards, including the 2016 “Woman of the Year” by the Lamont Chamber of Commerce.

Fernandez says her life and career have always been guided by faith and seeking to put God’s love into action… and that faith folds perfectly into Habitat’s mission of building homes, communities and hope. She adds: “God is our center, not our border.”

A wife and mother of four children, she is married to a deputy in the Kern County Sheriff’s Department; she met her husband when the two worked together as deputies. As if four children aren’t enough to keep the couple busy, they also have three dogs and a cat. (Fun fact: As a sheriff’s deputy, Fernandez rescued and rehomed 8 kittens in one year.)

When she’s not busy with her children’s sports activities, Fernandez enjoys gardening, thrift and estate-sale shopping, as well as photography. She is also an advocate for children with special needs