Welcome to the Rotary Club of Washington, DC
Upcoming Lunch Programs
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Lynsey Wood Jeffries and James Morgan
Celebrating 50 Years - Building A World Where Every Child's Promise and Potential Are Realized
Lynsey Wood Jeffries is the CEO of Higher Achievement, which serves middle school scholars in four states with year-round, research-proven expanded learning and mentoring. After five years as a Higher Achievement volunteer mentor, Ms. Jeffries joined the professional staff in 2005 and has served as CEO since 2012. Prior to joining Higher Achievement, Ms. Jeffries served as a program officer for the Fannie Mae Foundation, and a congressional liaison at NeighborWorks. Her commitment to equity extends from education to affordable housing and full communities.
Ms. Jeffries served as a National Fellow with the Kellogg Foundation, focused on racial equity and healing from 2014 – 2017. Ms. Jeffries is a founding board member and former board chair of Mundo Verde Public Charter School and a board member for the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a B.A. in English and Sociology from Wake Forest University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, with a concentration in nonprofit management.
James Morgan serves as the Executive Director of Higher Achievement’s DC-Metro office and has been in this role since June 2024. Higher Achievement is an out-of-school-time program that supports middle school students in Baltimore, MD, Washington, DC and Richmond, VA through academic support, enrichment, social emotional growth, and weekly high school readiness mentoring sessions. Prior to serving as the ED, he was the Managing Director of Programs at Higher Achievement where he was responsible for setting the strategic vision and implementation of the organization’s program model. He has worked with Higher Achievement for 15 years and during this time he has held numerous programmatic roles.
Prior to working at Higher Achievement, he was a program coordinator at United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP) in Capital Heights, MD where he taught math and life skills through the WANTO program (Women Apprenticeship’s in Non-Traditional Occupations) which focused on preparing previously incarcerated women to enter non-traditional apprenticeship programs in the Maryland and Washington DC area. From 2006-10, James coached lacrosse at Whittier College and was heavily involved in the growth of the sport on the west coast and coached numerous youth, middle and high school programs in Southern California.
James holds a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and master’s degree in education from Whittier College. He currently resides in Mount Rainier, MD, with his wife, Abby, and two kids, Jack (6) and Mae (3).
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Dr. Joe Swope
Increasing Sales with Applied Creativity
Dr. Joe Swope is a psychologist, educator, and inventor with a passion for helping professionals unlock creative solutions
to drive business growth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in teaching, and a doctorate in psychology.
Drawing on his background as a researcher, patent holder, and 5th-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Joe brings a
unique mix of discipline, insight, and innovation to every audience he works with. His presentations combine
behavioral science with real-world application, offering practical tools and interactive creativity exercises that help
people think differently—and more effectively—about their work.
Joe lives in Maryland with his wife and has spent more than 25 years empowering others to reach their full
potential through psychology, education, and applied creativity.
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Frank Smith, Jr.
History of USCT (United States Colored Troops) and the Making of American Democracy
Frank Smith, Jr.
Commentator, civil rights activist, politician, and speaker Frank Smith, Jr. was born on September 17, 1942, in Newnan, Georgia. His mother was a homemaker and his father was a farmer and truck driver. In 1959, Smith earned his high school diploma from Central High School, where he was a member of the New Farmers of America as well as the debate team, choir and drama club.
From 1959 until 1962, Smith attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he was a founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Smith left Morehouse during his senior year to play a role in the Civil Rights Movement. From 1962 until 1968, Smith worked with SNCC organizing and registering African Americans voters in Mississippi and Alabama. He is noted for his involvement and leadership role in planning and executing protests and marches in Greenwood, Mississippi, during the Freedom Summer of 1964.
In 1968, Smith moved to Washington, D.C., when he accepted a job as a researcher for the Institute for Policy Studies, focusing on education and planning issues. Smith became involved in local community issues and was elected to serve as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC). In 1978, Smith unsuccessfully ran for the District of Columbia City Council, but the following year he was elected to public office and served one term on the D.C. Board of Education. In 1980, Smith earned his Ph.D. degree from the Union Institute in Ohio.
In 1982, Smith was elected to the District of Columbia City Council where he represented one of the most racially, ethnically and economically diverse wards in the city. Smith was subsequently elected to serve four terms on the Council, remaining there until 1998. During his tenure on the Council, Smith supported legislation creating subsidies for housing down payments, a lottery system for disposing of condemned and surplus housing and establishing tax incentives for new business development.
In 1998, Smith became chairman of the board and chief executive officer for the organization which worked to establish the African American Civil War Memorial and an accompanying museum. It is the only national memorial to the colored troops who fought in the Civil War and one of the most unique memorials in Washington, D.C.
Smith has received numerous awards for his civic, community and political leadership
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Ninfa Amador-Hernandez
Immigrant-led service and advocacy -- CASA's example
Ninfa Amador-Hernandez is CASA’s Maryland Policy Manager, dedicated to advancing
immigrant rights, supporting working-class families, and leading Maryland campaigns with a
focus on healthcare expansion for immigrants and housing justice.
Originally from Honduras and raised in the DMV area, Ninfa’s experiences with
undocumented and Black communities fueled her passion for transformative, people-centered public policy.
Ninfa graduated summa cum laude from Randolph College in 2022 with
a degree in political science. She is a 2024 honoree of the Leading Women 40 under 40 award; 2023 awardee of the
Maryland Latino Caucus Rising Leader Award.
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Mohammed Soliman
The Future of the Middle East is Asia
Mohammed Soliman is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), where he focuses on the intersection of technology, geopolitics,
and business in the Middle East and other emerging markets. He is the author of the forthcoming book West Asia: A New American Grand
Strategy in the Middle East, to be published by Polity Press in
November 2025.
A trained engineer, Mr. Soliman currently serves on the board of advisors for Ideas Beyond Borders and the Advisory Council of the
Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law (ISAIL). He is also a member of the Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM) and the
Trilateral Commission.
Our Upcoming Events
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Lynsey Wood Jeffries and James Morgan
Topic: Celebrating 50 Years - Building A World Where Every Child's Promise and Potential Are Realized
More info
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Dr. Joe Swope
Topic: Increasing Sales with Applied Creativity
More info
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Frank Smith, Jr.
Topic: History of USCT (United States Colored Troops) and the Making of American Democracy
More info
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Ninfa Amador-Hernandez
Topic: Immigrant-led service and advocacy -- CASA's example
More info
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Mohammed Soliman
Topic: The Future of the Middle East is Asia
More info
Interested in the Rotary Club of Washington DC?
ATTEND LUNCH
Visitors are warmly invited to attend a weekly luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C. to experience our culture of service, leadership, and fellowship. The Club meets every Wednesday from 12:30–1:30 p.m. at the University Club of Washington, D.C. (1135 16th Street NW), with informal fellowship beginning at approximately 12:15 p.m. Guests are encouraged to register in advance using the link below and to introduce themselves at the registration table upon arrival. The cost of lunch is $42.
MEMBERSHIP INFO
We would also like to invite you to attend a New & Prospective Membership Orientation, which takes place on the 3rd Monday of every month from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Please register HERE.
It’s the best opportunity to meet Club leaders and learn more firsthand about why joining us is so rewarding personally and professionally.
APPLY TODAY
If you are looking for a place to serve, lead, and connect with others who care about making a difference, we invite you to apply for membership in the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C. Our members come from many professions and backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to “Service Above Self” and to building community in the nation’s capital. Simply complete the application using the link below, and a member of our team will reach out to welcome you and guide you through the next steps.
Impacting the Community
Our members take action to create lasting change in Washington, D.C. and around the world. Through service projects, partnerships, grants, and hands-on volunteerism, we work to address real needs in our community while building meaningful relationships with those we serve and with one another.
Rotary is where people come together to turn commitment into impact.
Our Impact
