Page 48 - Greet HWY 68 Loop Magazine September 2025

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE ROTARY ROUNDUP
Giving Back Through The grants through their private
After 12 years of making
Community Foundation foundation, they tired of the many
fiduciary responsibilities and legal
requirements. Mike spoke to the
For Monterey County Community Foundation for Monterey
County (CFMC) at the suggestion of
long-time friend (and former CFMC
board member) Jim Gattis. The family
Mike Haynes and The Haynes Charitable Foundation decided to easily transition their
foundation into the Haynes Charitable
BY AMANDA HOLDER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Foundation Fund, a donor advised
FOR MONTEREY COUNTY fund of the CFMC in 2022, to simplify
their giving.
Donor advised funds at the CFMC
can be created with a gift of $5,000 or
more. Donors receive an immediate tax
deduction and recommend grants from
their fund with the support of the CFMC
Philanthropic Services team. Donors
can contribute cash, stock or other
assets, add to their fund over time, add
family as advisors and include their
fund in a legacy gift through their
estate. A donor advised fund is simpler,
more flexible and less costly than a
private or family foundation.
“It just made sense. It was great
to take the management off our plate
and focus on giving. It’s been seamless.
Removing the burden and knowing it’s
done right gives me peace of mind,”
shares Mike.
Mike’s giving philosophy
continues to focus on supporting
local organizations with “boots on the
ground.” He and his family like to see
the measurable impact, such as securing
children’s medical equipment through
Natividad Medical Foundation, or
Mike Haynes, like his parents before supported their business, he established getting produce into people’s hands by
him, was born and raised in Salinas. the Haynes Charitable Foundation. supporting the WIC Farmer’s Market
His father, Stanley, bought a flooring The foundation focused on through Everyone’s Harvest.
store in the late 1960s. Mike started supporting local causes, especially youth “Giving back to the community that
working there during the summers in under 12. In 2010, Mike, along with his supported us just feels good. Now we
high school and the family business brother Mark Haynes, sister Michele can focus on giving and know it’s done
became his lifelong career after Herforth and daughter Shara Yoshamura, right,” says Mike.
graduating from Salinas High in 1980. assumed stewardship of the foundation. Mike, who works with CFMC
(Fun fact: As a senior, he was cast in a After a close call with a serious Director of Donor Services Briant Thayer
small part in the locally filmed East of illness in 2015, Mike sold the family to direct his giving, remains committed
Eden movie remake starring business and retired later that year. to honoring his father’s legacy. “I want to
Jayne Seymour). Though he and his wife, Gina, together continue the legacy of my father,” Mike
Mike’s father came from humble with their dog Cammi, are on the road said. “It just feels good.”
beginnings and saw local needs for more than half the year traveling
firsthand. In 1999, inspired by a desire in their RV, their commitment to local Let’s celebrate the great things happening in our
community! Email Laurie, laurie.martin@n2co.com to
to give back to the community that philanthropy remains strong. share your good news!
48 September 2025
Congratulations Brinet and Bob
to Brinet Greenlee,
Rotary District
#5260’s Newest
Governor
BRINET GREW UP AS an “Air Force Brat,” spending her
childhood traveling across the United States and England. Her
family eventually settled in Salinas, California, after her father
retired from the Air Force at Fort Ord when she was in eighth
grade. Since then, Brinet has called the Salinas area home.
A proud graduate of North Salinas High School and
Hartnell College, Brinet went on to earn her Bachelor of
Arts and Master of Arts degrees, along with teaching and
administration credentials, from San José State University.
She dedicated over 30 years to the field of education, serving
as both an elementary school teacher and administrator
before retiring. Today, she channels her passion for service
into Rotary.
Brinet joined Rotary in 2014 as a member of the Santa
Lucia Rotary Club. On February 23, 2019, she became the
charter president of the Rotary Club of Salinas Valley. During
her presidency, she was instrumental in launching an Interact
Club at Rancho San Juan High School—one of her proudest
achievements—which continues to thrive and grow. She is
currently a member of the Salinas Valley Passport Rotary Club.
Brinet’s dedication to service was shaped by her parents,
who modeled selfless community involvement and instilled
in her the value of “Service Above Self.” Within Rotary, Brinet
has held nearly every club-level leadership role and has
been honored as “Rotarian of the Year” multiple times. At the
district level, she has served as Assistant Governor, a member
of the District Board of Directors, District Interact Chair, and
is an active member of both the Paul Harris Society and Polio
Plus Society.
A defining Rotary experience for Brinet was her trip to
Tanzania with the Santa Lucia club, where she participated in
a global grant project with Save the Rain. That journey affirmed
her belief that Rotary is a lifelong passion and commitment. Brent Eastman Insurance Services Inc
Brinet and her husband Bob, also a retired school 51 Katherine Avenue | Salinas, CA 93901
administrator, are proud parents to three adult children and www.brenteastman.com
eight grandchildren. (831) 751-0700 | License #: 0E72648
After more than three decades in
education, Brinet believes continuing a life SPECIALIZING IN
of service is simply a natural extension
of who she is. She is honored to serve as Group Health Insurance • Medicare Products
District Governor for Rotary District 5230 Life Insurance • Dental & Vision Plans
in 2025–2026.
Greet HWY 68 Loop 49