Meet Our Speakers

The Rotary Club of Washington, DC is strategically located to gather the most prestigious group of speakers our nation’s Capital can generate.  From Ambassadors, Business Executives, and Tribal Chiefs to an endless array of Champions of Change.  Our Club Members, and visitors to our weekly meetings, receive an impressive amount of intellectually-stimulating, heart-warming presentations each week.   Further, on this page, is a sample of speakers whom have recently spoken at our Club…

Upcoming Speakers

October 22nd 2025 at 12:30 pm
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Luncheon
Speaker: Tiffany Ervin
The CART Fund - The Power of One

Tiffany Ervin is an award-winning keynote speaker, commercial spokesperson, sideline reporter and television personality who resides in Spartanburg, SC. She accepted the position of Executive Director for The CART Fund in May 2022, after serving on the board as VP of Public Image for 4 years.
 
She is past president of the Four Seasons Rotary Club in Hendersonville, NC, and a Paul Harris Fellow +4. She has served Rotary District 7670 (WNC) as District Governor in 2019-20, and previously as District Secretary, Public Image Chair, Membership Chair, District Conference Chair (six times), and Assistant Governor.  She was selected to represent her district at the RI Council on Legislation 2023-2026. She has served on various Zone 33/34 committees, including Chair of the Emerging Leaders program in 2021 and as an Innovative Clubs Advocate. She was recently appointed to the newly-created Rotary International Social Media Influencers Team.

Tiffany was selected to lead breakout sessions at the 2015 and 2017 Rotary International Conventions in Brazil and Atlanta, and has presented training sessions and keynotes to more than 300 Rotary clubs, district conferences, PETS, trainings and seminars around the US.

She and her husband, Bill Boroff, reside in both SC and GA, and enjoy attending football games at their alma maters, the University of SC (hers) and Furman University (his). Tiffany is a member of the board of directors for Spartanburg County Gamecock Club, Media Women of SC, Disaster Aid USA, and Four Seasons Rotary.
 

Missed the meeting? Watch the speaker’s presentation.

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Angela Franco is President and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC). Prior to joining MCCC, Franco was President and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce from 2020 to 2024. Her commitment to support and advocate for Chamber members demonstrates passion and vision to grow the organization. Franco joined the DC Chamber of Commerce during civic unrest and a global pandemic and continues to move the organization forward. By working with its executive team and board of directors, Franco creates programs and services that position the Chamber as a valuable resource and leading advocate for businesses throughout DC. Franco is an experienced business leader who has strengthened and revitalized organizations, including the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority and the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Before relocating to the US, Franco held management positions in Bogotá, Colombia. Franco has received many prestigious honors. Most recently, she was recognized with the 2023 and 2022 Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 list. In addition, she is a Board Member at Large for the United Way of the National Capital Area, a Board Member of the Cherry Blossom Festival, DC Policy Center and Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and an appointee to the DC Workforce Investment Council (by the DC Mayor). Franco is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and Leadership Greater Washington. She holds a Master of Science degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.

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Angela Franco | Role of Chambers of Commerce in the New Era | August 20, 2025

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Najiba Hlemi joined the rotary club in the fall of 2024. A seasoned nonprofit executive, Najiba brings nearly a decade of leadership experience in unions, associations, and charitable organizations. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Foster and Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center (FAPAC), where she champions the voices of families and youth involved in the child welfare system. Originally from the Ivory Coast and a former foster youth herself, Najiba is deeply committed to uplifting the most vulnerable in our communities. Her lived experience fuels her passion for service and drives her lifelong dedication to public impact—professionally, personally, and now through Rotary. In her free time, Najiba enjoys exploring Washington, DC and its surrounding areas, reading, and Latin dancing.

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Najiba Hlemi, Exec. Dir. FAPAC | Foster Care in Washington DC | August 13, 2025

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Lars Benson is the Managing Director at Insitor, an impact investment firm based in Singapore with investments across India, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Insitor backs businesses that drive positive societal impact in infrastructure, the environment, and entrepreneurship. Previously, Benson spent two decades working at the intersection of business, government, and civil society to advance policy and regulatory reforms across Africa. His work began in Angola as Country Director, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises serving the oil sector. He later led a private enterprise development program in Azerbaijan and contributed to numerous World Bank, USAID, and U.S. State Department initiatives in Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Throughout his career, Benson has championed international development efforts with a strong focus on supporting women-led businesses. He has advised a broad range of enterprises—from micro-scale farmers in Nigeria to large-scale manufacturing exporters—emphasizing that women are essential to economic growth and transformation in emerging markets. He holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University.

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Lars Benson, Insitor | How Women in Business are Changing the World in Africa | August 6, 2025

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“There’s no problem in our community that doesn’t have an entrepreneurial solution.” That’s not just a belief for Carl J. Gray III—it’s the mission. Carl is a Business Solutions Architect, speaker, 2x Best Selling author and founder of the Raising Founders Foundation, a national youth entrepreneurship movement known as the “AAU of Entrepreneurship.” Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, he’s a proud graduate of Hampton University, where his passion for culture, creativity, and community was shaped. With over 20 years of experience in consulting, assurance and entrepreneurial systems, Carl launched Raising Founders to solve a deeper issue: too many young people have vision but no structure. Through camps, incubators, in-school programs, and pitch competitions, the foundation equips students ages 12–20 to launch real businesses with real tools—websites, branding, AI training, funding, and mentorship. The flagship incubator, hosted at Jacob’s Ladder in Fort Washington, MD, is backed by community leaders, business partners, and a growing national footprint. Whether they’re launching merch brands or tech services, these students leave with ownership, confidence, and a strategy to sustain it. From school districts to CEOs, Carl teaches with faith, structure, and soul. No fluff. Just implementation. We’re not raising employees. We’re raising founders. Be blessed by building. Be blessed by selling. That’s the mission.

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Carl Gray III | Youth Entrepreneurship: Not the future, the NOW | July 30, 2025

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Iryna Lujan is the Executive Director of Universal Aid for Children, Inc. (UAC, Inc.), a charity dedicated to addressing the medical, educational, and emotional needs of orphans, orphanage graduates, displaced children, children with disabilities, and refugee children in the Odesa region of Ukraine. Since its founding in 1977, UAC, Inc. has worked tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of these deserving children. During Ukraine's defense against the ongoing war of aggression, UAC, Inc. has shifted its focus to urgent humanitarian aid, ensuring survival and support for children in crisis. The organization is recognized as a 2020–2025 Top-Rated Great Non-Profit and received the "Best Foreign Charity Angel of Goodness" Award in 2017 from the National Association of Philanthropists of Ukraine. Iryna was born and raised in Ukraine, is a proud mother of two children, and is married to Eliseo Lujan.

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Iryna Lujan, Exec. Dir., Universal Aid for Children | Ukraine Children Need Peace | July 23, 2025

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Jane Meyers is a professional librarian with over 45 years’ experience in consulting, teaching and working with scores of African libraries, including participation in UNESCO workshops to formulate National Library/Information Policies of Malawi and Zambia. She developed a network of research libraries for Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture on a World Bank project and pioneered technology applications for Africa in the mid- to late-1980s. She was instrumental in establishing the first positions for professional librarians in Malawi’s civil service and has consulted in Africa for FAO, Unicef and other international agencies. She worked at the U.S. National Agricultural Library and USAID and later developed agricultural information services at the World Bank which led to the establishment of the World Bank Library. She earned a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Maryland. Meyers established a library and reading program for street children in Lusaka, Zambia in 2001, and subsequently developed the concept, approach and organization of Lubuto Library Partners, established in 2005. She and the organization she founded have received numerous awards for this work.

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Jane Meyers | Public Libraries Carrying on Innovation and Development in Zambia | July 16, 2025

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Eugene “Gene” A. Procknow is an independent researcher and author focusing on American Revolutionary history. His research interests include politics among military and civilian leaders, revolutionary activities in Vermont, and events interpreted from British, Native American, and underrepresented perspectives. Procknow holds master’s degrees in history and business from Norwich University and the University of Michigan. He is the author of William Hunter—Finding Free Speech, A British Soldier’s Son Who Became an Early American (Oxford Southern, 2022). Procknow writes for peer-reviewed publications, including the Journal of Military History, the British Journal of Military History, and the Journal of the American Revolution. Additionally, ten of his articles have been re-published in book form. Procknow is a frequent media contributor, including RealClearHistory, RealClearDefense, Rand Corporation, and dozens of TV and podcast interviews. Gene lives in DC with his wife and two adult sons.

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Eugene "Gene" Procknow | Independent American Revolution Researcher and Author | July 9, 2025

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Guillermo Christensen is a partner and a former CIA intelligence officer and diplomat with the Department of State. He is a national security law practitioner, focusing on cybersecurity, export controls and sanctions and national security reviews of mergers, acquisitions, and investments. Prior to joining K&L Gates, Guillermo was the office managing partner in Washington, D.C., for another national law firm. Guillermo combines his experience as a former CIA officer, a diplomat with the US Mission to the OECD in France, and an attorney to shape and inform the advice he provides to clients on enterprise risks involving cybersecurity, national security, and complex international business matters, better practical approaches to cybersecurity, including the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence. In the international trade area, Guillermo draws on his extensive international and government experience to counsel clients on economic sanctions and embargoes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and export controls via the Commerce Department, including complex technology matters involving China. Guillermo has also represented clients in complying with complex international investigations around the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Foreign Agents and Registration Act (FARA), and OFAC. His investigations work is reinforced by his international network, his practical experience in intelligence collection and analysis, and technical knowledge of complex systems, data collection and analytics.

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Guillermo Christensen | National Security Law with Focus on Cybersecurity | June 25, 2025

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President Bob recognizes Rotarians who have gone above and beyond for the Rotary Year 2024-2025 for the Rotary Club of Washington, DC.

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President Bob's Recognitions | June 18th, 2025

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Sampling of Our Past Speakers

The Rotary Club of Washington, DC would like to thank our past speakers for the engaging and motivational and informative presentations.

Bob Cusack

Editor in Chief, The Hill/TheHill.com

Reporting on politics and policy in the nation’s capital since 1995, Mr. Cusack joined The Hill as Business and Lobbying Editor in 2003 and is now the newspaper’s Managing Editor.  Mr. Cusack regularly appears on ABC, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC as a political analyst.

Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana

Ambassador of Rwanda to the United States

Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana was a tenured Professor of History at Cosumnes River College (CRC) in Sacramento, California from 1994 to 2013. She is also Co-Founder and President of Friends of Rwanda Association (F.O.R.A).

Manny Mandel

Holocaust Survivor

Emanuel “Manny” Mandel was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1936, the year in which his parents returned to their native Hungary. Manny’s father had been selected to become one of the Chief Cantors…

Juan Williams

Fox Political Analyst and Author

Juan Williams is one of America’s leading political writers and thinkers. Mr. Williams is a top political analyst for Fox Television, co-host of the daily talk show ‘The Five’ and a regular panelist for Fox News Sunday and Special Report.

James Chen

Institute for Global Engagement

James Chen is the Vice President of Global Operations at the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE). James first joined IGE in 2011, serving as both a Program Officer and the Executive Director…

Anne Midgette

Classical Music Critic, The Washington Post

Anne Midgette is a graduate of Yale University. She lived in Munich, Germany, reviewing opera, music, and art throughout Europe for The Wall Street Journal, Opera News, and other publications.  In 2008, she took over as the chief classical music critic for The Washington Post.