Jerry Munson delivers craft talk at Rotary

Provided.

To thank Jerry Munson for his presentation, Past President Paul Kaminski presented him with a certificate, and a donation was made to the Rotary Foundation in his honor.

The speaker for the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi on July 18 was Jerry Munson. Jerry joined the Rotary Club of Tehachapi after transferring from the Santa Clarita Rotary in December 2023.

Jerry delivered a presentation known as a "Rotary Craft Talk," in which a Rotarian shares the essential elements of their approach to the craft of living, including their life stories and experiences that have shaped their character.

Jerry grew up in the San Fernando Valley in typical Southern California fashion, enjoying surfing, playing tennis and other such pastimes. He even tried hang-gliding once, although he said the attempt "was not very successful." He was a senior in high school when the devastating 6.6 magnitude San Fernando Earthquake struck about 6 miles from his home. There were a number of people injured and killed, as well as significant destruction to buildings and property, but he and his family lived through it. He began collecting bricks from the rubble left behind by the earthquake and selling them to make a little extra money. He credits that experience with helping him get his start in business. He graduated from Sylmar High School in 1971, just a few months after the earthquake.

Jerry went on to attend college at CSU Northridge, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree with dual majors in economics and geography. This opportunity for the dual major was a new concept at the time, and he was intrigued by the intersections that occur between the two fields. After college, he took the first steps in what would be a long career in the banking and finance industry.

His career in banking covered many different fields, including mortgage finance and international banking. One of the jobs he found most fulfilling was with Los Angeles Housing Services as the Chief Lending Officer. He helped first time homebuyers, who had previously never even dreamed of home ownership, be able to buy their first home. One of his favorite responsibilities was holding classes for potential and new home buyers, which he found very rewarding. He worked at a number of different banking institutions over the years and along the way, also obtained a real estate license. He is very proud that he was able to execute over 1,200 mortgage loans during his career, many to first time home buyers.

Although he attended high school with his wife, Karen, he said they moved in different social circles, so they did not really know one another well. However, they met up at their 10-year high school reunion, and the rest, as they say, is history. The were married in 1983 and celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary last September. They have two daughters and six grandchildren, so they enjoy having their family close by. Their oldest daughter lives in Santa Clarita, and their younger daughter lives in Tehachapi. After living in Santa Clarita for many years, they decided that moving to Tehachapi was the right place for them to enjoy their retirement.

Jerry said that he gained so much joy personally over the years by serving others, especially the fulfillment of helping families to achieve their goal of home ownership. Rotary gives him a way to give back to the community. He enjoys the camaraderie of Rotary, especially in a club which has a number of other members who enjoy using their retirement years in service of others. In his spare time, he also enjoys fishing, is passionate about sailing and always looks forward to spending time with his family.

The Tehachapi Rotary Club meets at noon every Thursday at Kelcy's. Rotary is committed to "Service Above Self," and devotes time and resources to projects in the local community, scholarships for college-bound high school seniors, and supporting global efforts for polio eradication. For more information about the Rotary Club, you can visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubofTehachapi/.