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

February 19th 2025 at 12:30 pm
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting

Lessons Learned From the Building and Evolution of a Movement

Rev. David Bowers is vice president, Mid-Atlantic market and senior advisor, Enterprise Faith-Based Development InitiativeSM for Enterprise Community Partners. David’s work includes facilitating affordable housing and community development transactions, and policy implementation in collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. David leads a team that provides access to financing, capacity building and technical assistance to local developers, and participates with local coalitions advocating for increased resources for affordable housing and community development.

Throughout David’s tenure, his team co-initiated and co-convened the Housing Leaders Group of Greater Washington, lead the Purple Line Corridor Coalition, initiated several efforts, including the Enterprise Faith-Based Development InitiativeSM, as well as a transit-oriented preservation and resident displacement prevention initiative (GreenPATH), and the D.C. Green Communities Initiative.

Prior to joining Enterprise, David was a program manager for a single-family housing program at the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. Before joining the trust, David was a financial and programs advisor at the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. Before that, he worked in the office of U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, at the time the ranking member of the Senate VA-HUD Appropriations Committee.

David earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and his Master of Divinity degree from Howard University. He is an ordained minister and the founder of the all-volunteer NO MURDERS DC movement, launched in 2000.


February 26th 2025 at 12:30 pm
In-Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
A Time for ALL: Moving Beyond DEI to True Liberation

Grace Virtue, Ph.D. 

Grace Virtue is a social scientist and public affairs practitioner from Silver Spring, Maryland, and Manchester, Jamaica. She earned her doctorate and master's degree from Howard University and her bachelor's in journalism and social science from the University of the West Indies, Mona. She also holds an executive leadership certificate from Yale School of Management and a Diploma in Secondary Education from Church Teacher’s College, Jamaica. A former fellow of the Inter-American Press Association, and a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, her career has spanned non-profits, including higher education and global health, and the US government as a public affairs strategist and leadership development facilitator. 

Grace is the author of Old House and Red Neckties: A Memoir of Race, Resilience, and Selfhood, published in July 2024 for which she received a Congressional Citation declaring it an outstanding analysis of the issues of the day and an outstanding contribution to public affairs.  Across disciplines and professional endeavors, the thread that binds her work and aspirations is the quest for dignity and justice for vulnerable and marginalized peoples. 

 

Missed the meeting? Watch the speaker’s presentation.

YouTube

Julia Roig, Founder | HorizonsProject | Block, Bridge, Build Our Pluralistic Future | Dec. 11, 2024

Rotary Club Washington DC 7 views January 16, 2025 8:03 am

Shannon Hader, MD, MPH | Trends in Global Disease Eradication | December 4, 2024

Rotary Club Washington DC 78 views December 30, 2024 8:03 am

Diana Parsell | DC's Cherry Tree Legacy of Eliza Scidmore | November 27, 2024

Rotary Club Washington DC 18 views December 13, 2024 8:03 am

Astrid de Vries | Transforming lives in Haiti throughout the current humanitarian crisis | 11/20/24

Rotary Club Washington DC 5 views December 10, 2024 8:03 am

Bri Franklin | Started With Them But Ends With Us: Defeating Debt to Take Back Your Power | 11/13/24

Rotary Club Washington DC 20 views December 9, 2024 8:03 am

Jennifer (Jenn) Wisdahl is the driving force behind strategy and operations at FASD United, the national organization dedicated to supporting individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and promoting healthy pregnancies.  With FASD affecting 1 in 20 Americans, Jenn plays a pivotal role in shaping the national legislative and policy agenda to address this under-recognized yet widespread disability. Her leadership approach is data-driven but always centered on people’s needs, contributing to significant organizational growth at FASD United.  Under Jenn’s guidance, FASD United has successfully expanded key initiatives, including the Family Navigator Program, National FASD Impact Week, and the International FASD Research Conferences, which have now found a permanent home in the United States.  Jenn’s efforts have been instrumental in elevating
FASD awareness and ensuring that those diagnosed receive the support they deserve.

Before joining FASD United, Jenn accumulated over 20 years of experience in human resources, recruitment, and operations, serving on international boards and advisory panels. She is also the executive producer of the award-winning short film *The FASD Project*, which highlights the realities of living with FASD.  Beyond her professional achievements, Jenn is a passionate advocate as the mother of three young adults with
FASD, which fuels her dedication to the cause.

Jennifer (Jenn) Wisdahl is the driving force behind strategy and operations at FASD United, the national organization dedicated to supporting individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and promoting healthy pregnancies. With FASD affecting 1 in 20 Americans, Jenn plays a pivotal role in shaping the national legislative and policy agenda to address this under-recognized yet widespread disability. Her leadership approach is data-driven but always centered on people’s needs, contributing to significant organizational growth at FASD United. Under Jenn’s guidance, FASD United has successfully expanded key initiatives, including the Family Navigator Program, National FASD Impact Week, and the International FASD Research Conferences, which have now found a permanent home in the United States. Jenn’s efforts have been instrumental in elevating
FASD awareness and ensuring that those diagnosed receive the support they deserve.

Before joining FASD United, Jenn accumulated over 20 years of experience in human resources, recruitment, and operations, serving on international boards and advisory panels. She is also the executive producer of the award-winning short film *The FASD Project*, which highlights the realities of living with FASD. Beyond her professional achievements, Jenn is a passionate advocate as the mother of three young adults with
FASD, which fuels her dedication to the cause.

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YouTube Video UExJdHZDNlFoRVI5bHJDYUJMemN4bjd2dFZpcEVJRFFKZy5BNTRGQTE1QjY2NUE5NTAz

Jennifer Wisdahl | FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders): Prevalence, Awareness & Stigma | 11/6/24

Rotary Club Washington DC 24 views December 6, 2024 4:46 pm

Kenyatta Smith | Outreach & Engagement/ Make All Votes Count DC | Yes on 83 | October 23, 2024

Rotary Club Washington DC 3 views December 4, 2024 8:03 am

Alpaslan Özerdem | Peace and Conflict Resolution: Challenges and Opportunities | October 16, 2024

Rotary Club Washington DC 9 views December 3, 2024 8:03 am

Bettie Baca | Natl Hispanic Heritage Month: History, Struggles & Contributions of Latinos | 10/9/24

Rotary Club Washington DC 20 views December 2, 2024 8:03 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.