Rotary International District 5170

Ron is a member of the Rotary Club of Scotts Valley. He first became aware of Rotary when he was a college student and his father asked him to be the program at his Rotary Club meeting. Several years later Ron joined the Rotary Club of Cambria Pines and has been an active, enthusiastic Rotarian since 1977. Ron has been a member of five Rotary Clubs: Cambria Pines, 1977-1979; Santa Cruz, 1981-1982; Cambrian Park (San Jose Willow Glen), Charter Member, 1982-1985; San Lorenzo Valley, Charter Member, 1985-1999; and Scotts Valley, 1999-Present.

He has been the Community Service Chair for District 5170 from 2000-2003, was the Assistant District Governor for Area 7 in 1999-2000, and since 1999 has been actively involved with Project Share Life, which is the District's Bone Marrow Registry Project. He was President of the Rotary Club of San Lorenzo Valley in 1986-1987, and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.

Ron was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1959 at the age of 13. He graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1969 with a BA in Anthropology and a commission as a Supply Corps Officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He served as a Supply Officer on the USS CAMDEN (AOE-2), which replenished most of the ships in the Tonkin Gulf. A returning Viet Nam veteran, he attended California State University at Long Beach and earned a Master's of Science in Industrial Psychology. Through his educational career he was admitted to three honor societies. While at Cal State Long Beach, Ron met Cindy Taylor in a Motivation and Emotion class. After first meeting with the question, "Would you like to study together for midterms?" they married six months later. Cindy and Ron have been a team since 1973; Cindy joined Ron in his business in 1989. She is also a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.

Ron started his tax preparation business in 1979 and in 1986 became an Enrolled Agent which gave him the ability to represent clients before the Internal Revenue Service. He served two terms as President of the Felton Business Association, 1984 and 1985. In 1990 he became a Fellow of the National Tax Practice Institute. In 1991 he became a charter member of the Win-Win-Rap-Pack and served as a member until 1996. This group had the goal of identifying and solving systemic problems in the audit process, in order to enhance customer service and to reduce burdens for taxpayers, Enrolled Agents and the IRS.

Ron has been involved in many other volunteer activities in the communities where he has lived, in his professional associations, and in Rotary.