OUR SPEAKERS

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

July 29th 2026 at 12:30 pm
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Eli Lev
Songs, Stories and Service - The Importance of Family, Identity and History While Serving Our Communities

Eli Lev is an award-winning singer-songwriter, storyteller, educator, and community builder whose work is rooted in the belief that songs and stories have the power to bring people together. Based in the Washington, DC area, Eli has spent more than a decade touring throughout North America and internationally, performing in listening rooms, theatres, house concerts, schools, libraries, faith communities, and festivals.

His latest album, Past Lives, reached #3 on the Folk Alliance International chart and earned three 2026 Wammie Awards, recognizing his contributions to the contemporary folk and Americana community. Before becoming a full-time musician, Eli taught eighth-grade English on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, an experience that deeply shaped his understanding of service, community, and the importance of listening. He has also lived in Israel, Australia, and Europe, experiences that continue to influence both his music and his worldview.

In his presentation, Songs, Stories and Service "The Importance of Family, Identity and History While Serving Our Communities," Eli combines original music with personal storytelling to explore how the stories we inherit from our families and communities shape our values, relationships, and desire to serve others. Through songs, reflection, and conversation, he invites audiences to consider how listening deeply to one another can strengthen communities and inspire meaningful service.

Whether performing a concert or speaking to civic organizations like Rotary clubs, Eli believes that meaningful service begins by hearing another person's story. His programs leave audiences encouraged to build deeper connections, celebrate our shared humanity, and recognize the extraordinary impact that compassion and curiosity can have in service and everyday life.

August 5th 2026 at 12:30 pm
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Rachel Marcus
Chagas disease in the DC Metro Area and USA

Dr. Rachel Marcus was raised in the Washington DC area, where she first started volunteering in health clinics in Adams Morgan. After getting her degree in Political Science from Stanford University, she attended Stanford Medical School, during which time she went to Latin America to learn about tropical diseases. She completed her residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Stanford Hospital and then returned to Brazil to learn more about Chagas disease. After 10 years in private practice on K St downtown, she helped launch and became the Medical Director of the Latin American Society of Chagas in 2012. This 501c3 nonprofit has an all-volunteer staff, and provides free testing, treatment, and cardiac exams for the at-risk community for Chagas disease, a potentially deadly parasitic infection of the heart. Over the past 13 years, she has developed an international reputation as an expert in this condition, speaking frequently to medical audiences and publishing in the medical literature about Chagas cardiomyopathy. Most recently, she joined the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute at NIH to develop a Chagas disease research program, but her first love remains the work of LASOCHA.

August 19th 2026 at 12:30 pm
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Sarah Thompson
CARE's U.S. Programs - Helping low-income women and families be safe, healthy and thrive

Sarah Thompson is the Associate Vice President of U.S. Programs at CARE, where she leads strategy, programs, and partnerships to help low-income women and families stay safe, healthy, and empowered to thrive. Previously at Save the Children, Sarah held several leadership roles including spearheading a $100M corporate partnerships portfolio and leading large-scale U.S. emergency preparedness and response programs reaching up to 1 million people annually. A recognized leader in disaster readiness and child-focused programming, she has designed FEMA and U.S. Chamber award-winning initiatives and holds a master’s in health communications from Johns Hopkins University.

Missed the meeting? Watch the speaker’s presentation.

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Speaker Series | RI President, Gordon McInally

Rotary Club Washington DC 44 views February 22, 2024 2:44 am

Rasheem Rooke is the Assistant Vice President of Program Management at United Negro College Fund, where he oversees more than 400 scholarship programs supporting thousands of students each year. With over two decades of experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership, he has dedicated his career to expanding access, retention, and success for underrepresented students. Beyond his professional work, Rasheem is also an author of two suspense novels and a creative entrepreneur, using his writing and storytelling to inspire others.
He is passionate about service, mentorship, and creating opportunities that change lives.

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Rasheem Rooke, Asst. VP, Prgm Mgt., United Negro College Fund | Finding Purpose in Service | 9/10/25

Rotary Club Washington DC 18 views November 6, 2025 9:03 am

Barrington D. Scott served as a Trustee of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) for a decade, applying his expertise in higher education and community service. As both an alumnus and board member of the UDC Foundation, Inc., Scott contributed to fundraising and the university’s development, helping UDC rise from 77th to 23rd among HBCUs nationally.

Scott led a campaign honoring 1904 alumnus Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson, raising $300,000 for a statue at the Sports Complex bearing Dr. Henderson’s name. Beyond UDC, Scott is an engaged parent, grandparent, and co-founder of the Calvin Coolidge Association, which has provided over $4 million in scholarships to graduating seniors. In 2018, he established the Academic Excellence Awards to support high-achieving HBCU students.

Currently, Barrington D. Scott is President of the Pigskin Club of Washington, Inc., and serves as a Deacon and Intercessor at City of Praise Family Ministries in Landover, Maryland. His ongoing commitment to education, leadership, and community uplift continues to inspire those around him.

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Barrington D. Scott | Dr. E.B. Henderson–The Grandfather of Black Basketball | August 27, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 48 views August 28, 2025 8:03 am

Anas "Andy" Shallal is an artist, activist, social entrepreneur, and founder/CEO of Busboys and Poets, a restaurant group in the Washington Metropolitan area. He opened the first location in 2005 as part restaurant, part agent for social change. All Busboys and Poets’ locations continue to operate as a community gathering space where art, culture, and politics intentionally collide over mindfully sourced food, drinks, books, and event programming. With eight locations in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia, Busboys and Poets has become a home for progressives, artists, creatives, and intellectuals. Over the past 20 years, Busboys and Poets have hosted many social and political activists including Howard Zinn, Harry Belafonte, Angela Davis, Alice Walker, Nikki Giovanni, Mehdi Hasan, Norman Finkelstein, Barack Obama, Amy Goodman, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, Bernie Sanders and a host of others.

Busboys and Poets focuses on sustainable business initiatives and employment practices. Busboys locations are 100% wind-powered and have been recognized locally and nationally for their innovative, conscious cuisine. Under Shallal’s leadership, Busboys has received numerous awards including the Mayor’s Arts Award, Employer of the Year from the Employment Justice Center, Washingtonian of the Year, and the Mayor’s Environmental Award, among others.

Shallal is a 2018 Frederick Douglass 200 award winner for those who best embody Douglass’ spirit, TedX speaker, and founder of several peace and justice organizations. He is on the board of trustees for the Institute for Policy Studies, Palestine House of Freedom, DAWN, the Anacostia Coordinating Council, and a founding member of Think Local First DC, a local business association serving in advisory and leadership roles to advance progressive business and labor practices. Shallal has chaired DC’s Workforce Investment Council and ran for Mayor of Washington DC in 2014. He continues to strive to make his hometown of Washington DC a more livable community.

His memoir, A Seat At The Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets is set to be released late summer 2025.

Shallal received his B.S. in biology from Catholic University of American and an MBA from The Robert Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland School in College Park.

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Anas "Andy" Shallal | CEO and Founder Busboys and Poets | November 5, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 47 views November 20, 2025 9:03 am

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.

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Tiffany Ervin | The CART fund | The Power of One | October 22, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 3 views November 19, 2025 9:03 am

Patty Medina is the Associate Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Development and Inclusive Excellence at American University, where she leads initiatives that combine leadership development, career readiness, mental health awareness, and diversity, equity, and inclusion for over 300 student-athletes. A first-generation Latina and proud Mexican immigrant, Patty has dedicated her career to empowering underrepresented communities in athletics and higher education.

She is the founder of the Hooper Mentality Foundation and Latinx En Athletics, two organizations focused on promoting career development, empowerment, and mental health awareness for athletes, particularly in the Latinx community. Her work has been recognized nationally, earning her multiple awards and a feature in Forbes for her DEI leadership.

Patty is passionate about creating pathways for others, drawing from her own journey to inspire students and professionals alike to dream boldly, work relentlessly, and stay rooted in their identity.

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Patty Medina | From Salsa to Strategy: Leading with Culture, Purpose, and Heart | October 15, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 8 views November 13, 2025 9:03 am

Peace of Mind grew out of the work of Linda Ryden, the Peace Teacher at Lafayette Elementary, the largest public elementary school in Washington, D.C. In 2003, Linda began teaching a weekly conflict resolution class to Lafayette students. While her first through fifth graders seemed to be mastering conflict resolution techniques in class, there were still fights on the playground. Why? Linda’s inquiry led her to mindfulness and brain science.

Once she integrated these topics into her lessons, students were finally able to transfer their skills onto the playground! They became aware of and learned how to manage their feelings to resolve conflicts before they escalated. The culture of the school began to change and educators from other schools began to notice. Linda began writing curriculum and children’s books to share this knowledge.

Peace of Mind (teachpeaceofmind.org) was organized as a non-profit to share the curriculum and train teachers how to use it. Today, over 10,000 students receive PoM instruction every year in 45 states/DC/Puerto Rico and in other countries around the globe. Over 1,250 teachers have been trained and supported since 2019.

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Linda Ryden | Teaching Children to Resolve Conflicts | October 8, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 11 views November 12, 2025 9:03 am

Georg Sparber is Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United States of America since 2021. He also serves as Liechtenstein’s
Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States.

Before assuming his current duties, he held the position of Deputy Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the United Nations in New York since January 2017. His portfolio included disarmament, peace and security and political issues.

From 2014 to 2016, Ambassador Sparber served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Liechtenstein Embassy in Vienna with accreditation to Austria and the Czech Republic. During that time, he was also Deputy Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the UN and other international organizations in Vienna, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

From 2010-2014 Ambassador Sparber was posted to the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein in New York and was responsible for development, human rights, global governance and elections. He joined the Office of Foreign Affairs in Vaduz in 2009.

Ambassador Sparber holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, where he also finished his graduate studies. During his studies he spent time at Sorbonne University in Paris and at Rutgers University, New Jersey. He grew up in Liechtenstein where he received his primary and secondary education.

Ambassador Sparber is married to Yvonne Sparber. They have five children.

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H.E. Georg Sparber | Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the US | October 1, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 57 views November 11, 2025 9:03 am

Aviva Lund discovered OptimalWork as a neuroscience major at the University of Notre Dame, where it transformed her academic and professional development, unlocking new levels of productivity and meaning in work. Inspired to bring applied behavioral neuroscience to the corporate world, she joined OptimalWork after graduation to help others experience the same life-changing benefits.

As part of the OptimalWork team, Aviva guides organizational clients in applying the platform’s principles through workshops and coaching. She also supports organizations in integrating OptimalWork internally for maximum impact.

Aviva holds a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience and Behavior from the University of Notre Dame and is a member of the Nu Rho Psi National Honors Society. She is also an alum of the Yale Medical School Discovery to Cure Program and NYU’s Summer Undergraduate ResearchProgram (SURP), where she conducted brain surgeries on mice to advance research on neurodegenerative diseases. Now based in Washington, D.C., she collaborates with international peacebuilding scholars and practitioners to apply OptimalWork’s neuroscience-based methods to reducing affective polarization and advancing global conflict resolution.

Outside of work, she enjoys running, skiing, volleyball, vocal performance, musical theater, and piano.

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Aviva Lund | The Neuroscience of Resilience and Empathy | September 24, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 28 views November 10, 2025 9:03 am

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.