Healthcare is undergoing unprecedented change. Our speakers, the leaders of Montage Health and CHOMP, provided an inside look at the state of healthcare in our region, the factors shaping access to care, and the importance of attracting world-class physicians to Monterey County. They discussed Montage Health’s commitment to clinical excellence, innovation, and physician engagement in helping ensure that residents had access to exceptional care without leaving the community. There had been several major recent enhancements at CHOMP, new equipment, specialists, and a plan for new construction on Carmel Rancho Blvd. These were detailed.

Our speaker examined why the U.S. military had, at times, faced significant adversity and fallen short of achieving its strategic objectives in the decades since World War II. He discussed his concept of “swarm tactics,” in which network-organized groups operate without a traditional hierarchical structure and can disperse in ways similar to terrorist networks.

He argued that a network-structured military was better suited to confront such groups and also addressed cyber warfare, preemptive war, and NSA wiretapping as counterterrorism methods. The presentation was especially timely in light of U.S. experiences in Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Ted Balestreri, who co-founded the Sardine Factory Restaurant, Inns of Monterey, and Cannery Row Management Co. with Bert Cutino, shared insights from his six decades of experience in Monterey’s restaurant, hotel, and tourism industries. He also reflected on the growth and ongoing operations of Cannery Row.

A prominent national leader in the hospitality industry, Balestreri spoke about his extensive involvement with local charitable organizations and boards of trustees. Drawing on a lifetime of experience, he shared memorable stories, perspectives, and anecdotes in an engaging and colorful discussion.

The professor’s presentation delved into the US-Israel war on Iran that did not go as planned. The Islamic Republic had survived, its nuclear ambitions were intact, and its Arab neighbors were experiencing unprecedented levels of military and economic insecurity. America’s NATO allies were growingly concerned about their energy security and the future of their transatlantic alliance with the US, and the American public was increasingly worried about another “forever war” and gas prices at the pump. What began as an effort to resolve a longstanding regional threat had evolved into a protracted standoff with uncertain implications for regional stability and American strategic interests.

David Stivers, CEO Pebble Beach Company The CEO of Pebble Beach discussed all the recent renovations and changes at Pebble Beach. The current major project was a massive revamp, re-design of the Spanish Bay golf course over the next 12 months, and starting soon was the construction of a new conference center where the old equestrian center was once located. This and a lot more was detailed.

At our March meeting, we were joined by Dr. James Newman. Dr. Newman is a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions and has logged more than 43 days in space, traveling over 17 million miles. While most of us struggle to fix a minor faucet leak, Dr. Newman’s “do it yourself” projects included tasks such as performing spacewalks to repair the Hubble Telescope. He shared stories from his six spacewalks and his experiences assembling the International Space Station. It was a rare opportunity to hear from someone who has seen the globe from a perspective few ever will. It truly was an out-of-this-world presentation—space suits optional.

Juvenile Crime and Founding of Rancho Cielo

Superior Court Judge John Phillips

The Judge discussed his experiences in the Superior Court with repeat juvenile offenders, and the requirement after three convictions to sentence them to prison (Three Strikes). He detailed his exasperation, which led him to spearhead the effort to develop the most successful vocational school on the Central Coast, Rancho Cielo.

"The Cuban Missile Crisis Revisited"

Prof. James J. Wirtz, Ph.D. Naval Post Graduate School

Based on newly released archival evidence and the memoirs of Cuban, Russian and U.S. participants, this talk highlighted little known facts about the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was sparked by the 1962 Soviet decision to place nuclear-tipped missiles just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Some of us remembered this perilous, scary, and near war with Russia. It was dramatic and tense. This presentation reviewed that confrontation, blow by blow, with graphic depiction. Relived President Kennedy’s greatest foreign policy achievement and pondered the continued impact of the crisis and nuclear proliferation on world politics.

A Partnership in Crime

Michael Connelly & Rick Jackson

Our holiday luncheon in the Main Ballroom at the Inn at Spanish Bay featured Michael Connelly and Rick Jackson. Michael Connelly was a master of crime and mystery writing, a renowned author who had written a slew of best sellers, 41 novels, and sold over 90 million books. He and his consultant, the retired LAPD homicide detective Rick Jackson, conducted a fireside chat covering several areas of their relationship. They touched on their history, how Jackson advised Connelly on his plots and assisted in the vetting process, personal and humorous anecdotes, the inspiration for Connelly’s novels, and several other aspects of their work. They also teased an upcoming project to be announced publicly a few days after the lunch, mindful of their non-disclosure agreement.

"Solved! Unmasking the Golden State Killer"

Barbara Rae-Venter, J.D., Ph.D

Our speaker will share how she used Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) in assisting the FBI and the Sacramento DA’s office to identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer. IGG is the use of crime scene DNA to identify a suspect by building family trees of people who share DNA with the suspect. The Golden State Killer was responsible for over 100 home invasions, 50 rapes and 13 murders in California between 1974 and 1986. 

Barbara Rae-Venter is the President and a Co-Founder of Firebird Forensics Group that focuses on assisting law enforcement with identifying suspects in violent crimes and identifying unidentified human remains. She is a retired intellectual property attorney who specialized in the patenting of biotechnology inventions. Barbara identified the mother of Lisa Jensen, abducted in infancy and then abandoned by her abductor as a 5 year old. This was the first use of IGG in a criminal case, and led to the NH State Police solving the murder of the Allenstown Four. She and her team have solved about 75 cases.

Venter earned a J.D. from the University of Texas and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of California at San Diego. She was recognized by the journal Nature as one of “10 people Who Mattered In Science In 2018,” and was one of Time100’s Most Influential People of 2019. Her book, I Know Who You Are, about the early cases that she assisted in solving, was published by Penguin Ransom House in 2023.