Directors
The Board of Directors establishes policy for Rotary International and provides guidance that helps our clubs thrive. Clubs elect the members of the Board every year at the Rotary International Convention, and each director serves for two years.
Read the latest Board decisions and minutes
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Francesco Arezzo
President 2025-26
Rotary Club of Ragusa
ItalyFrancesco Arezzo is an orthodontist in private practice. He is active internationally as a member of the Italian, European, and American orthodontics associations. He is vice president of the National Association of Italian Dentists for the province of Ragusa and was the founder and head for seven years of the delegation for Ragusa of the National Trust for Italy. He is a Knight of Honor and Devotion in Obedience within the Sovereign Order of Malta.
A Rotary member for more than 30 years, Arezzo has served as vice chair of the Joint Strategic Planning Committee and as RI director, learning facilitator, and as district conference presidential representative.
Arezzo is a Major Donor and Benefactor of The Rotary Foundation. He is married to Anna Maria Criscione, an entrepreneur in the tourism field. They have two children.
Read the president’s full biography
Read the president’s monthly message
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Sangkoo Yun
President-elect 2025-26
Rotary Club of Sae Hanyang
Seoul, KoreaSangkoo Yun grew up in Seoul, Korea, where his father, a prominent political activist, served as the country’s president in the early 1960s. Instead of entering politics like his father, Yun traveled to the United States to pursue his interest in architecture. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from Syracuse University in New York.
When he returned to Korea in the late 1980s, Yun founded Dongsuh Corp., which engineers and markets architectural materials. His business flourished during the construction boom before the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Later, he started the Youngan Corp., a real estate and investment venture.
Yun joined Rotary in 1987, helping to start the Rotary Club of Sae Hanyang. From the beginning, he worked to promote Rotary Youth Exchange and served on his district’s scholarship committee. These interests evolved into a lifelong passion for community service, especially international service.
For eight years, Yun served as co-chair of the Keep Mongolia Green initiative. This project planted windbreak forests in the Gobi Desert to combat dust storms. The initiative’s success helped inspire the Mongolian government to plant a 2,700-kilometer (1,680-mile) “Great Green Wall” to counter desertification. Yun received a Friendship Medal from the president of Mongolia.
Yun was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The president and prime minister of Korea presented him with an award for distinguished services.
Yun has served Rotary as a director, trustee, committee chair, and learning facilitator. He has also served as moderator of the International Assembly, chair of the Foundation’s Executive and Programs Committees, member of the Strategic Planning Committee, and member of the nominating committee for RI president. In support of polio eradication, Yun is regional vice chair of the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee and a PolioPlus national advocacy adviser. He has also represented the Rotary International president at 17 Rotary events around the world.
Yun chaired the Host Organization Committee for the Rotary Convention in Seoul and received The Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award. He and his spouse, Eunsun Yang Yun, are Rotary Foundation Benefactors, Major Donors, and members of the Arch Klumph Society, the Paul Harris Society, and the Bequest Society.
Yun is a trustee of the Yun Posun Memorial Foundation, chair of the Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, and a director of the United Nations Association of the Republic of Korea.
Read the president-elect’s full biography
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Alain Van de Poel
Vice President 2025-26
Rotary Club of Wezembeek-Kraainem
Brabant, BelgiumAlain Van de Poel is the owner of Cocoonpoel SRL, a distributor of bathroom supplies and fixtures. He established the company in 2005. His previous experience includes management positions in banking, publishing, and human resources. He also ran a consultancy focused on management programs within the European Commission.
Van de Poel holds a degree in commercial management and marketing from Institut Supérieur de Commerce Saint-Louis in Brussels. He completed management courses and earned a certificate in manager coaching at the Institut Catholique des Hautes Études Commerciales (ICHEC) in Brussels. During the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020, Van de Poel resumed law school studies. He is a former member of the general assembly of Collège Saint-Michel, a Jesuit secondary school in Etterbeek, and a member of the Export Commission of the Brussels Chamber of Commerce.
In 1992, Van de Poel chartered the club where he is still a member. He is proud of club projects that include hosting Christmas dinner for elderly people who are alone and raising more than 100,000 euros in less than 48 hours to help purchase respirators for a Brussels hospital during the COVID pandemic.
Van de Poel has chaired district membership and Rotary Foundation committees and has been active in regional Rotary groups, serving as director of the Coordination Center for French-speaking Governors and as honorary chair of Rotary BeLux Services, the publisher of Rotary Contact, Rotary’s official regional magazine in Belgium and Luxembourg. He also served as a Council on Legislation representative and co-chair of the Rotary Leadership Institute in Europe.
As a reserve officer in the Belgian armed forces, Van de Poel helped teach recruits how to read and write, an act that taught him the power of humility. “If everyone were more humble, the world would be much better,” Van de Poel says. “Just because I am an RI director does not mean I know Rotary better than anyone else, so I must always learn from the members of Rotary.”
Van de Poel says he is passionate about three things in Rotary: regional adaptability, Rotary’s core values, and The Four-Way Test, which was always on display in his offices.
For years, he was active as a scout leader in Belgium’s scouting association. He enjoys golf, Alpine skiing, reading philosophy and history books, and listening to classical music.
A recipient of the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World and The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service, he supports the Foundation as a Paul Harris Fellow.
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Patrick Eakes
Treasurer 2025-26
Rotary Club of Crescent (Greensboro)
North Carolina, USAPatrick Eakes, a professional engineer, is the owner of C.P. Eakes Co., a custom metal fabricator he formed in 1996 that supplies metalwork in construction and manufacturing. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, having earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering.
Eakes joined Rotary in 1998, on Rotary’s anniversary. He says he was initially drawn to Rotary for the service opportunities and stayed in part because of Rotary’s impact on him and his family. He has served Rotary as International Assembly learning facilitator, Rotary coordinator, assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, leadership seminar chair, innovative club advocate, and vice chair of the Carolinas’ Presidents-elect Training Seminar.
Eakes has also led membership development and success initiatives with the Membership Action Plan Committee for Zones 33 and 34, which hosts monthly peer-to-peer webinars and has developed web tools that use real-time data and predictive analysis to assist clubs in setting goals and gauging overall club health.
One of Eakes’ favorite roles was assistant governor, when he first experienced the power of Rotary beyond his club. “I saw Rotary in all its forms and made incredible friendships outside my club,” Eakes says. “To this day — and it’s been 20 years — if I walk into any of those clubs, I am greeted as if I were a member there.”
Eakes is proud of his club’s strong Rotary Foundation support. With his leadership, at one time, each of its 125 members was a Benefactor, a Sustaining Member, and a Paul Harris Fellow.
Eakes and his wife, Kristen, support Children of Vietnam, a local organization that provides education, nutritious meals, clean water, and medical support for thousands of children in Vietnam.
Eakes enjoys golf and served for two years as president of Sedgefield Country Club, where he helped move a PGA Tour event back to the course. His other hobbies include travel and appreciating wine.
Eakes has received RI’s Service Above Self Award and belongs to the Membership Society. He has also earned The Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award and Citation for Meritorious Service. He and Kristen are Major Donors and members of the Bequest Society and Paul Harris Society.
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Christine Buering
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Altenburg
GermanyFostering international connections and increasing opportunities for women are central to the work Christine Buering has been doing for nearly three decades. She believes that Rotary is the most amazing platform. “In Rotary, you can bring together people who have never spoken before, and a fruitful conversation begins.”
Born in southern Germany, Buering pursued tourism studies at the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland, followed by additional studies in Mexico and Spain. She worked in public relations and marketing in London and Paris before returning to the newly reunified Germany in the early 1990s. Moving to Altenburg, a 1,000-year-old city in former East Germany, she fell in love with both the region and her husband, Alexander, a lawyer.
In 1994, Buering founded Altenburger Tourismus GmbH, helping to build and promote regional tourism in eastern Germany after decades of closed borders. Her company offers immersive tours showcasing Altenburg’s rich history, culture, and traditions, with a focus on local people, foods, start-ups, and card games.
Buering joined Rotary in 1995 when she co-founded her club with her husband and others. “We were a young club, most of us in our early 30s, who wanted to bring the East and West together,” she says. “Rotary, for us, was a link to the world.”
Passionate about gender equality, Buering helped found the Rotary Action Group for Menstrual Health and Hygiene and was a member of the group that started the Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award in 2017. The award, adopted by Rotary International in 2021, honors one Rotary member each year who has actively worked to advance women in Rotary. “I’ve been the first woman in a lot of things I have worked on,” Buering says. “In East Germany, if you wanted leaders, they were often women, so it felt natural to have women join Rotary.”
Buering has served as a learning facilitator, Council on Legislation representative, and RI president’s representative, among other roles. She is the first woman from a German-speaking country to be elected to the RI Board and hopes to help shape the perception of Rotary in society. “I am a woman from the east, from a small town, who owns a small business,” she says with pride.
Outside Rotary, Buering serves as vice president of the regional chamber of commerce. She chaired the tourism council of the German chambers of commerce, breaking barriers as its first female chair.
An avid reader, especially on historical topics, Buering enjoys walking through cities while traveling.
She supports The Rotary Foundation as a Major Donor.
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Christine Etienne
Director 2024-26
Rotary Club of Petoskey
Michigan, USAChris Etienne is an associate broker with Harbor Sotheby’s International Realty and director of leasing for the Village at Bay Harbor. With her husband, Dennis Lindeman, she also owns a retail business, Linde Furniture.
Etienne graduated from the University of Maryland after studying at its campus in Heidelberg, Germany, and earned her master’s degree in business administration from Lake Superior State University. She worked in the banking industry for 15 years before transitioning into real estate.
A recipient of the Realtor of the Year Award from the Emmet Association of Realtors, Etienne is a past president of the organization and serves on its board. She also serves as vice chair of the North Central Michigan College board of trustees and on the board of the North Central Michigan College Foundation. While chairing the Michigan Women’s Commission, she worked on projects that support female veterans and victims of human trafficking. Etienne received an Athena Award in 2007.
Etienne joined Rotary in 1990, when she relocated to a new community for work. “Most of my best friends today are people I met through Rotary,” Etienne says. “A lot of people like me join for the networking but end up staying because of the relationships and service.”
About three years into her membership, Etienne was invited to a district conference where she became aware of the international reach of Rotary and its Foundation. She championed the sponsorship of her district’s first inbound Ambassadorial Scholar from Afghanistan, who she says became a part of her family. That scholar later earned a master’s degree from Grand Valley State University, returned home to teach at Nangarhār University, and joined a Rotary club.
Etienne has volunteered during National Immunization Days in India and Nigeria, which she found to be life-changing experiences. She says, “It’s so rewarding to see what you accomplish by being part of an organization like Rotary.”
Etienne has served Rotary as a training leader, president’s representative, Rotary coordinator, regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, and Convention Promotion Committee member. She has moderated the Global Support Seminar and Global Philanthropy Seminar. Etienne currently serves on the board of directors of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Rotary Action Group as well as on the steering committee of the Haiti National Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Initiative, through which her district has a partnership with the Rotary Club of Memorial des Gonaives, Artibonite, Haiti.
Etienne has received The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and the Distinguished Service Award. She and her husband are Major Donors. When they’re not working, they enjoy sailing on the Great Lakes.
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Brian Hall
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Covington
Louisiana, USABrian Hall is director of development at Attivo ERP, where he specializes in integrating business systems. After earning his accounting degree from Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, he initially set out to become a certified public accountant (CPA) but later transitioned into computer programming and enterprise resource planning, eventually co-founding AIM Technologies in 2000.
Following a personal health scare, Hall was driven by a desire to make a greater impact. After a trip to Russia, where he volunteered in orphanages, he returned home with a deepened commitment to service. It was while he was establishing a nonprofit to support humanitarian efforts that he connected with members of the Rotary Club of Covington, and he joined the club in 2007.
His first leadership role in Rotary was chairing a circus fundraiser. Since then, Hall has participated in and helped lead numerous initiatives. One of the most notable projects of his club is an annual holiday meal program that provides fully cooked turkey dinners to thousands of families. Working with partners, the club has expanded the project to serve more than 6,000 people each Christmas, helping bridge food insecurity during school breaks.
Hall has been an active leader in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Rotary Action Group for more than eight years, currently serving as chair-elect. "Bringing clean water to a village is something that creates generational change,” he says. “If you do the project correctly so that the project is sustainable, you affect the trajectory of that village for generations."
Since serving as governor of District 6840 in 2014-15, Hall has taken on multiple leadership roles, including as an RI president’s representative, a training leader at the International Assembly, and a member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers. One of his favorite assignments was serving as sergeant-at-arms at five Rotary International Conventions.
"That’s one of the hardest, most physically demanding jobs because it is from morning to night,” he says. “But you get to help people have an amazing convention."
With a background in business and technology, Hall brings a unique perspective to Rotary’s Board of Directors. As chair of the Joint Technology Committee of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation, he is focused on strengthening Rotary’s information technology infrastructure and digital strategy.
"The real story of your time as a leader is not told during your time when you’re in that position,” he says. “The story is told afterwards, in the results, and it’s told in the people that follow you who say, 'You inspired me.'"
Hall is a recipient of Rotary’s Service Above Self Award. He has also received The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service, and he and his wife Lynn are Major Donors.
In his spare time, he enjoys gaming and outdoor grilling with Lynn.
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Jung-Hyun Lee
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Hwasung Taean
KoreaJung-Hyun Lee has dedicated his life to education, beginning his career as a high school teacher. He went on to become an instructor at prestigious preparatory schools for college entrance exams, playing a pivotal role in shaping Seoul’s renowned Noryangjin school district.
As part of this effort, Lee founded his own institution, the Hwaseong Hanssem Academy, where he continues to serve as chairman of the board. His passion for empowering youth and expanding educational access led him to establish California University of Management and Sciences in San Diego, California, USA. This institution, designed with affordability in mind, offers scholarships and low tuition to provide opportunities for students from developing regions, including Central and South America, the Middle East, and Africa.
Lee has been a Rotary member since 2003. An avid supporter of and fundraiser for The Rotary Foundation, he has served as assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinator. During his tenure as governor of District 3750 in 2014-15, he led a fundraising campaign, setting a record with more than US$1.5 million in contributions, nearly doubling the prior record. That campaign started a powerful philanthropic tradition for the district. Each year since then, its total giving has never fallen below US$1.2 million.
Lee is also a champion of digital literacy. Recognizing the need to bridge the digital divide, he initiated scholarships and launched free computer education programs for underserved populations. He has also extended digital literacy to his volunteering in Rotary. As chair of Rotary Korea’s committee on information technology, he spearheaded digitalization efforts that significantly increased member registrations on My Rotary, growing participation from 15% to 70%, to enhance engagement while improving technological integration and strengthen member communication and networking opportunities.
Another interest of Lee’s is Rotary’s area of focus on the environment. Through Rotary, he has organized tree-planting campaigns, river cleanups, and seminars to promote awareness of sustainability and ecological responsibility.
His wife, Young-Ran Won, is a survivor of ovarian cancer, and they lead a support group for cancer patients and their families to provide guidance and hope to others navigating similar challenges.
Lee further expresses his commitment to The Rotary Foundation through his membership in the Arch Klumph Society, which he joined in 2020.
“To me, Rotary is a blessing and a mission,” says Lee. “It’s also been the greatest reward of my life.”
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Naomi Luan-Fong Lin
Director 2024-26
Rotary Club of Taipei Lily
TaiwanNaomi Luan-Fong Lin is general manager of Lite-Puter Enterprise Co. Ltd., a leading brand of energy-saving lighting control systems she established in 1978. The company manufactures and distributes products such as dimmers for hotels, shopping malls, and museums in more than 60 countries. It has earned numerous awards, including the Good Design Award and the PLASA Award for Product Excellence.
A speaker of four languages (Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, English, and Japanese), Lin holds bachelor’s degrees in Japanese literature and international trade from Chinese Culture University in Taipei. She also earned academic credits in the master’s program in business administration at National Taipei University and has served as president of the alumni association of its Department of Business Administration. Lin served as president of the Northern District Fellowship for the Council for Industrial and Commercial Development. Her professional recognition includes the Model of Chinese Youth Entrepreneurs Award and the Taiwan Excellence Award.
Lin joined Rotary in 2004 as the first president of the Rotary Club of Taipei Lily. She enjoys mentoring new members and clubs as well as organizing fundraisers for Rotary. Working with seven districts, she helped organize an End Polio Cycling Tour in Taiwan that raised more than US$271,000 for The Rotary Foundation and the PolioPlus Fund. As district governor, Lin helped establish 17 Rotary clubs and 16 satellite clubs, welcoming 565 new members. That year, she also led her district in raising US$1.5 million for The Rotary Foundation.
She has served in senior leadership roles in the Taiwan Rotary Clubs Association and the Taiwan Rotary Council of Past Governors. She has also been active in Rotary internationally in numerous roles, including as RI president’s representative, assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, assistant Rotary coordinator, Peace Major Gifts Initiative Committee member, and endowment/major gifts adviser. She was also a Rotary institute vice chair and co-convener of the 2024 Taipei Rotary Institute.
Lin says one of her most fulfilling assignments in Rotary so far was serving as endowment/major gifts adviser for Zone 9. “This role allowed me to contribute to Rotary’s global initiatives and work closely with leaders from diverse backgrounds,” she says.
In her leisure time, Lin is an avid reader and walker.
Lin has received the Service Above Self Award. She and her husband, Louis Hsu Kun-Pai, a past district governor, support The Rotary Foundation as Arch Klumph Society members and Major Donors.
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Isao “Mick” Mizuno
Director 2024-26
Rotary Club of Tokyo Tobihino
Tokyo, JapanIsao “Mick” Mizuno is president of Chiyoda Unyu, which supplies parts to the automobile and trucking industries with branches throughout Japan. He assumed leadership of the company in 1986. His father had founded it in 1953.
After graduating from Keio University in 1975, Mizuno earned his master’s degree in business administration from the same institution. He worked for three years in the planning division at Seven & i Holdings, the largest retail company in Japan and the operator of 7-Eleven stores in the U.S. He then worked as secretary for the company’s founder, Masatoshi Ito, for two years. “Ito-san taught me so many things,” Mizuno says.
At age 44, Mizuo chaired the Japan Automobile Transporters Association, making him the youngest chair in the association’s history at that time. He currently serves as vice chair of the Tokyo Trucking Association. Previous roles with professional associations have included chair of both the Japan Trucking Association and the Japan Automobile Transport Technology Association, where he helped initiate a nationwide education and accreditation system under the sponsorship of the Japanese government for the development of skilled drivers. Mizuno received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, decoration from the emperor of Japan in recognition of his contributions to the transportation industry.
Mizuno joined Rotary in 1989 as a charter member of his club, which was sponsored by his father’s club. He has served RI as assistant Rotary coordinator, Rotary coordinator, training leader, regional membership plan project leader, and RI president’s representative (nine times). Since 2018, he has served as the host area coordinator for the Rotary Peace Center at International Christian University in Tokyo.
Mizuno says that he strongly believes in the power of making connections in Rotary. “There are so many people doing good all over the world — it makes me happy,” he says. “That is part of the magic of Rotary.”
He was asked by Hino’s mayor to lead a spring cherry blossom festival in the city, and he enlisted his club to support the event as volunteers. Mizuno is also a donor and past vice chair of the Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship for Overseas Candidates, a large scholarship program for international students in Japan. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, playing golf, and food crawls.
Mizuno supports The Rotary Foundation as a Major Donor and Paul Harris Society member.
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M. Muruganandam (MMM)
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Bhel City Tiruchirapalli
Tamil Nadu, IndiaM. Muruganandam, widely known as “MMM” or “Triple M,” is an entrepreneur and philanthropist with more than 30 years of expertise in supply chain management. As the founder and chair of Excel Maritime, he has expanded operations across 18 cities in India and internationally in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Today, the Excel Group of Companies spans various markets, including logistics, human resources, renewable energy, health care, and agriculture.
MMM holds degrees from the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering (IIIE) in Mumbai and is a chartered engineer. He also holds a Master of Science from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) in Pilani, India; a Master of Business Administration in finance from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU); and a Master of Foreign Trade from Pondicherry University.
His Rotary journey began at 16 in Rotaract. One of his first service projects was administering drops of polio vaccine in remote villages, including a river community not far from his home. “Whenever I pass by that community, I still get goosebumps thinking of what we did there,” he says.
MMM became a Major Donor to The Rotary Foundation while still a Rotaractor. In 2016-17, as one of the youngest governors of RI District 3000, he spearheaded record-breaking initiatives, securing eight marks recognized by the Guinness World Records to commemorate the Foundation’s centennial. These initiatives focused on raising awareness about literacy, road safety, blood and organ donation, and self-defense training for girls. He also played a pivotal role in establishing 99 Rotaract clubs, 250 Interact clubs, and 100 Rotary Community Corps in his district. Throughout his Rotary leadership, he has led and supported numerous service projects dedicated to literacy, health care, youth, and women.
He and his company have been recognized in numerous business magazines, including The Leaders Globe, Daily Shipping Times, and Silicon India. He was featured on the cover of The CEO Magazine as one of India’s top 20 most inspiring business leaders in the logistics and supply chain industry.
Outside of Rotary, MMM leads the Excel Foundation, which champions education, health care, sports programs, and skill development for marginalized communities. Its cornerstone project, a 75-bed comprehensive cancer hospital set to open in 2026, will make basic health care treatment accessible to rural communities.
He has served in numerous Rotary positions, including as Rotary public image coordinator for Zone 5 and RI president’s representative. He is the recipient of RI’s Vocational Service Leadership Award and The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service.
MMM and his wife, Sumathi, a member of the same Rotary club, support The Rotary Foundation as members of the Arch Klumph Society.
His personal motto is “Say yes to Rotary!” reflecting his core belief that Rotary transforms lives. “In Rotary, an ordinary person can become an extraordinary leader with the leadership opportunities we offer,” he says.
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K.P. Nagesh
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Bangalore Highgrounds
Karnataka, IndiaK.P. Nagesh is an entrepreneur and founder of UNIQ Security Solutions, a company that employs more than 10,000 individuals and serves over 500 clients across southern India. He has also established Uniq Skill Development Academy in Ramanagara district, which provides vocational training to rural youths, helping them secure employment in the uniformed services and the corporate sector.
After earning a degree in mechanical engineering at PES College of Engineering in Mandya, Karnataka, Nagesh served as a short service commissioned officer in the Indian Air Force, gaining valuable experience in leadership, discipline, and time management.
Nagesh joined Rotary in 1995. While serving as governor of District 3190 in 2015-16, he led initiatives that resulted in the addition of about 2,000 members and 52 new clubs while increasing the representation of women. Under his leadership as governor, the district also achieved the highest total contribution to The Rotary Foundation worldwide that year.
He has served Rotary in various leadership roles, including assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, endowment/major gifts adviser, and member of the executive committee of Rotary India Water Mission.
Nagesh is passionate about fundraising for The Rotary Foundation. His goal is for India to become a US$100 million-giving country, with every district giving at least US$1 million.
“Rotary made a huge difference to me in my life, and now I want to give back to Rotary and take it to more and more people,” Nagesh says.
Among the numerous national awards and recognitions Nagesh has received are the President’s Medal for Meritorious Service as commandant for Home Guards, the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service as commanding officer and chief warden of civil defense, the Chief Minister’s Medal for Meritorious Service in civil defense, and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Central Association of Private Security Industry. He was also honored with the Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya Global Leadership Award for excellence in environmental work, social service, and education by the Power Development and Energy Research Institute.
Nagesh is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award. He and his wife, Uma, a computer science engineer, are active supporters of The Rotary Foundation as members of the Arch Klumph Society Chair’s Circle.
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Salvador Rizzo Tavares
Director 2024-26
Rotary Club of Monterrey Carlos Canseco
Nuevo León, MexicoSalvador Rizzo Tavares is CEO of Grupo Rizzo, which he established in 1987 as an office equipment wholesaler. The group now has four companies and specializes in supplying hardware and software for private companies, educational institutions, and governments. Among his professional accomplishments is the creation of Aula Inteligente technology that has been used to equip more than 120,000 classrooms in public elementary schools in Mexico and, in collaboration with Intel, the development of the Classmate student laptop, more than 200,000 of which have been sold in Latin America.
Rizzo Tavares joined Rotary in 1989 at age 27. His mentor was past RI President Carlos Canseco, who imparted extensive knowledge about Rotary during their travels throughout Mexico and the region. Rizzo Tavares has focused on connecting Rotary members, engaging young professionals, and enhancing members’ understanding of the organization. He has served RI as a Rotary coordinator, member of the New Generations Committee, and training leader. He also established Rotary Leadership Institute in 11 countries and led them for 10 years, training more than 5,000 Rotary members.
He is also dedicated to helping strengthen Rotary in his region. “I want to promote the growth and development of Rotary in Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries,” he says.
Rizzo Tavares has also led global grant projects to address eating disorders, resolve environmental problems, and provide equipment to detect prostate cancer, among others.
He has also served his community in the metropolitan area of Monterrey as a member of an arts organization that combats pediatric cancer. He volunteered for Acciones en Cadena (“Chain Reactions”), which runs programs to protect at-risk youth from alcoholism, tobacco, drugs, and eating disorders.
An avid sports fan, Rizzo Tavares is a former golf and soccer player, and multiple marathon runner.
He and his partner, Esmeralda, are Rotary Foundation Major Donors, Benefactors, Paul Harris Fellows, and Bequest Society members.
Rizzo Tavares has three children, Anna María, Salvador, and Paulina, and three grandchildren, Enrique, Regina, and Santiago.
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César Luis Scherer
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Marechal Cândido Rondon-Beira Lago
Paraná, BrazilCésar Luis Scherer is an entrepreneur and accountant with extensive experience in financial management, strategic planning, and administration. He is the founder and director of a thriving accounting firm and served as a professor of accounting for 29 years at the State University of Western Paraná (UNIOESTE) in Brazil. While at UNIOESTE, he also served as vice rector of administration and development and on the board of trustees.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Faculty of Human Sciences of Marechal Cândido Rondon (FACIMAR) in Paraná, Brazil, and completed postgraduate and doctoral studies in auditing and financial management at UNIOESTE and Universidad Del Museo Social Argentino in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
A Rotarian since 2003, Scherer learned the true meaning of Rotary early in his career when he lost his checkbook during a move. While seeking help at a local bank, he discovered the manager was a Rotarian who, upon hearing his situation, not only assisted but also offered his home for Scherer to stay in while he looked for an apartment.
“This selflessness deeply moved me and shaped my Rotary journey,” Scherer says.
As governor of District 4640 in 2009-10, Scherer led a membership expansion strategy that resulted in the formation of a number of new clubs. His efforts helped the district become the largest Rotary district in Latin America, with approximately 3,200 members as of early 2025. Scherer is also dedicated to leadership development, having served as a training leader at the International Assembly and lead instructor at governors-elect learning seminars. He has also served as Rotary coordinator and chair of the Rotary Institute of Brazil.
As an accountant, Scherer brings an analytical and strategic approach to the RI Board, as he has done with membership development. He firmly believes that successful clubs thrive on purpose and mission. “If there is no purpose, there is no reason to meet,” he says. “Clubs that function well are those that have a clear goal and are actively working toward it.”
Outside of Rotary, Scherer enjoys traveling with his family and spending time at the beach. His two daughters have both participated in Rotary Youth Exchange, reflecting his family’s strong connection to Rotary’s mission.
Scherer is a recipient of a Citation of Meritorious Service from The Rotary Foundation. He and his wife, Sônia, support The Rotary Foundation as Major Donors.
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Jennifer A. Scott
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Central Blue Mountains
New South Wales, AustraliaJennifer A. Scott is a lawyer, mediator, and conflict resolution specialist with experience in environmental law. She holds a law degree and a Master of Laws in environmental law from Macquarie University, as well as a Master of Dispute Resolution from Western Sydney University, where she was recently named a Community Fellow.
A Rotarian since 1996, Scott has held numerous leadership roles following her term as governor of District 9685 in 2007-08. She has served as a training leader, seminar trainer, and moderator at the 2022 International Assembly, a challenging event held both in person and virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also been a member of Rotary’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Election Review Committee, and 2019 Hamburg Convention Committee. Scott chaired the 2024 Singapore Convention Committee and currently serves as regional vice chair of the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee. She is also a member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers.
Scott became more deeply connected to Rotary’s humanitarian efforts during a National Immunization Day in Chandigarh, India, where she witnessed firsthand the impact of polio eradication efforts. “There were thousands of us out there, immunizing millions of children under the age of five within those couple of weeks, and I was part of it.”
She and her husband, Ian, have also been active in Sustainable Cambodia, both in Cambodia and through Sustainable Cambodia Australia. This Rotary-led initiative empowers communities in rural Cambodia through an integrated approach of education, access to clean water, and sustainable agriculture. The project has so far helped 56 communities to become self-sustaining with a pathway to future growth and assisted with the education of 2,400 students in the six project schools, with 460 of the students heading to university. “We support the teachers, support the students and their families, and work with the villagers, and the project just keeps expanding,” Scott says.
Scott has also played a key role in advancing legal frameworks in Mongolia, leading a vocational training team to train judges and social workers in family mediation. Her collaboration with Mongolian members of Rotary contributed to the development of a national Family Law Act, now progressing through Mongolia’s parliament.
In both her professional life and Rotary service, Scott advocates for fostering open dialogue and addressing conflicts before they escalate. “Imagine a world without conflict — there’d be no change,” Scott says. “You need to be able to disagree in a healthy way, listen to other ideas, and have difficult conversations when they matter.”
In 2023, Scott was recognized as a Member of the Order of Australia, an honor her husband, a retired air commodore of the Royal Australian Air Force, also received in 1996.
Beyond her professional and Rotary commitments, Scott is an avid hiker, trail runner, and gardener. She has completed pilgrimage routes in Europe to the tomb of St. James in Spain.
She and her husband, Ian, also a Rotarian and past district governor (2014-15), are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation and members of the Bequest Society. She has been recognized with The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service.
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Wyn Spiller
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Grass Valley
California, USAA Louisiana native and daughter of a Rotarian, Wyn Spiller earned a psychology degree from Louisiana State University. She began her career teaching. After moving to California, USA, with her husband, she co-owned a children’s clothing store before transitioning into a local winery business founded in part by her family.
As chief executive officer and board chair of Nevada City Winery in Nevada City, California, she led a major transformation, overseeing its consolidation and incorporation, along with a historic restoration and expansion of the winery’s production facility. The project earned the award for best new construction in the historic downtown. She retired in 2014.
A dedicated Rotarian and proud member of the Rotary Club of Grass Valley since 1994, Spiller has held numerous leadership roles, including endowment/major gifts adviser, regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, RI president’s representative, facilitator for the International Assembly, and 2022 Council on Legislation learning leader. She brings expertise in governance, strategic planning, and team building to her Rotary service and believes the best leadership provides opportunities to others and empowers them to flourish.
Traveling to India to participate in National Immunization Days, meeting global partners, and administering life-saving drops of polio vaccine have deepened her commitment to ending polio forever. Drawn to international service, she has supported grant development and training, and she participated in hospital-related projects in Mexico and Uganda. In 2005, she and her husband traveled to a remote area of Uganda near the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to support a small hospital that began with IV bags hanging from trees. A lasting memory for Spiller is experiencing the exact moment that a critically ill child’s life changed for the better.
Spiller’s commitment to peacebuilding includes supporting the Rotary Peace Centers, connecting with Rotary Peace Fellows, and helping build an endowed fund for peace. A strong advocate for Rotary Youth Exchange, she has chaired her district Youth Exchange committee and enjoyed being a host mom. “Peace is up to each one of us. Together, I truly believe we can transform our world.”
Spiller is active in her community outside of Rotary as treasurer of the North Star Historic Conservancy, which manages and restores the historic North Star House, one of the earliest designs by Julia Morgan, California’s first licensed female architect. Spiller also enjoys traveling and spending time with her three grown children and two grandchildren.
Spiller is a recipient of The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service. She and her husband, Steve, are Major Donors and members of the Bequest Society, Paul Harris Society, and PolioPlus Society.
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Suzan Stenberg
Director 2024-26
Rotary Club of Östersund Åre
SwedenSuzan Stenberg owns a consulting business dedicated to business development and management training for university students. She also runs summer school programs for teenagers and teaches them entrepreneurship, innovation, economics, and business law.
A former Rotary Youth Exchange student in Manhattan, Kansas, USA, Stenberg took sales and marketing courses at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., before returning to Sweden to work in information technology. At Microsoft, she worked in business development before moving into learning and training, where she helped start the Microsoft University program and establish the certification industry for IT professionals in Sweden. She ended her 20 years at Microsoft serving on the company’s leadership team in Sweden and overseeing small-business marketing as well as education and certification programs in the Nordic countries.
Stenberg developed a business incubator in Åre in conjunction with Swedish universities as well as a science park that coaches startups and drives innovation in local companies. She has served on the boards of many Swedish startups and publicly listed technology companies. “I want to help build a culture of innovation to revitalize Rotary,” Stenberg says.
A member of Rotary since 2009, Stenberg has served Rotary as a representative to the Council on Legislation, district trainer, Rotary coordinator, learning facilitator for a governors-elect training seminar, and regional Rotary Foundation coordinator.
Stenberg organizes the annual Åre Rotary Wild Camp, which invites all of the Rotary Youth Exchange students in Sweden to enjoy Jämtland County’s natural beauty. “These are the things that make me proud of Rotary because I know we change lives, one person at a time,” she says.
Stenberg is also a part of Women in Action, a group of female Rotary members from the Nordic region who meet and work on projects together and have helped supply incubators to hospitals in Lithuania. Her mascot teddy bear, Benny, has his own Instagram account and helps her raise funds for End Polio Now.
Outside of Rotary, Stenberg is active in scouting and volunteers to help refugees find jobs. She loves skiing, kayaking, and biking.
She and her husband, Göran Stenberg, support The Rotary Foundation as Major Donors and members of the Paul Harris Society, District 2230’s PolioPlus Society, and the Bequest Society.
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Daniel V. Tanase
Director 2024-26
Rotary Club of Suceava Bucovina
RomaniaDaniel V. Tanase is managing partner of Assist Software SRL, a software research and development company that he co-founded in 1992 and now has 360 employees. The company specializes in outsourced projects, including developing mobile and web-based custom business applications for e-commerce, security, health, and gaming. In 2016, the Romanian Chamber of Commerce ranked Assist Software as the top information technology research and development firm in Romania.
A graduate of the University of Bucharest, Tanase earned his Master of Science in physics and nuclear reactor engineering. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Open University in the UK.
Tanase joined Rotary in 2002 as a charter member of his club. He has served as assistant Rotary coordinator, Rotary coordinator, chair of the Rotary institute in Bucharest, and several times as an RI president’s representative. Passionate about training, he has served as learning facilitator at the International Assembly, governors-elect learning seminar, and Rotary institute. He is also a member of Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Council and Participant Experience Committee.
As club president, he led the club’s first community service project helping at-risk children and orphans, which grew to be a district initiative that has helped more than 3,000 children across Romania. His club sponsors Autumn Symphonies, an annual open-air concert of classical music in downtown Suceava that attracts about 10,000 attendees. At intermission, the club screens a video that showcases Rotary’s community projects while volunteers in Rotary vests collect donations. “In seven or eight minutes, we usually raise between 12,000 and 15,000 euros,” Tanase says. “It’s also a great opportunity to show the city what Rotary is all about.”
Tanase says that as he has grown in Rotary, so has his humility. “When you visit the clubs and see so many people who are more generous than you, you see their dedication and motivation, and you are amazed,” he says.
Tanase co-founded the Assist Humanitarian Foundation, an organization that has collaborated with Rotary on disease prevention projects and received a certificate of appreciation from The Rotary Foundation. He also served on the board of the Blijdorp Romania Association, a day care facility for children with severe disabilities.
Tanase enjoys climbing, hiking, and skiing in the Carpathian Mountains and playing the board game Go. He has written books about management, a collection of short stories, and a Rotary pocket handbook that he distributes at events.
Tanase has received the Service Above Self Award. He and his spouse, Marlena P. Tanase, support The Rotary Foundation as Major Donors.
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Harriette Florence Verwey
Director 2025-27
Rotary Club of Leiden-AM
The NetherlandsHarriette Florence Verwey, born in Suriname as a Dutch citizen, immigrated to the Netherlands at age 18 to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. She graduated from Leiden University in Leiden, Netherlands, with a medical degree, later earning a PhD, and dedicated her 34-year career to cardiology at Leiden University Medical Center.
Verwey pioneered the use of the left ventricular assist device as an alternative treatment for chronic heart failure when transplant is not feasible. The protocol she wrote for the treatment has been incorporated internationally, and her work in cardiology was recognized by the king of the Netherlands when she was appointed Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2017.
Verwey joined Rotary in 2002, following numerous invitations by one of her patients. Her early involvement included organizing a national music concert for deaf children, a transformative event for her.
“They experienced music for the first time in their life by gently pressing an air-filled balloon close to their belly” to feel the vibrations of the music, Verwey says. “The joy and excitement was something I could never forget — I became a Rotarian for life.”
Verwey was the first Black district governor in the Netherlands and is the first female director coming from her zone. As governor of District 1600, she prioritized youth engagement and Rotaract. She also served as regional Rotary Foundation coordinator from 2019 to 2022, and she has volunteered to support the Rotary-IHE Delft Institute for Water Education international student scholarship program.
Verwey has also participated in a National Immunization Day in India, which further exposed her to Rotary’s vast global reach.
“One of my goals is to get members involved beyond their clubs,” she says. “Rotary is one of the largest NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] in the world, and when people feel they belong, they realize their immense potential to contribute.”
She says nonmembers can find a sense of belonging in Rotary, too, as she has done while volunteering for organizations such as the advisory board of the Dutch Association of Black Female Entrepreneurs and Professionals in Leiden.
“Some think because of their background and skin color that they don’t belong in Rotary, but they do,” Verwey says. “They have a lot of abilities to bring to the table and make Rotary much more than they can ever imagine. I urge people of color to join Rotary because everyone is of value in Rotary.”
Outside of Rotary, Verwey led a campaign for better diagnosis and treatment for women with suspected heart disease. She also serves on several boards, including the board of the Leiden University Fund and the advisory board of the BuZz Foundation, which mentors immigrants in Leiden.
In her free time, Verwey enjoys cooking, gardening, walking, and exploring historic cities. She is devoted to her family and to her faith as a member of De Rots Ministries, a Christian church.
Verwey supports The Rotary Foundation as a member of the PolioPlus Society, a Major Donor, and a Bequest Society member.
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John Hewko
General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer
Rotary Club of Kyiv
UkraineJohn Hewko is the general secretary and chief executive officer of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.
From 2004 to 2009, Hewko was vice president for operations and compact development for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government agency established in 2004 to deliver foreign assistance to the world’s poorest countries. At MCC, he was the principal negotiator for foreign assistance agreements to 26 countries in Africa, Asia, South America, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Union. During his tenure, he completed the negotiation of assistance agreements totaling $6.3 billion to 18 countries for infrastructure, agriculture, water and sanitation, health, and education projects.
Prior to joining MCC, Hewko was an international partner with the law firm Baker & McKenzie, specializing in international corporate transactions in emerging markets. He helped establish the firm’s Moscow office and was the managing partner of its offices in Kyiv and Prague.
While working in Ukraine in the early 1990s, Hewko assisted the working group that prepared the initial draft of the new Ukrainian post-Soviet constitution and was a charter member of the first Rotary club in Kyiv.
Hewko has been a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University, and a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He has published papers and articles in leading U.S. and international publications, and he has spoken extensively on political and business issues dealing with the former Soviet Union, Central Europe, Africa, and Latin America. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Hewko holds a law degree from Harvard University, a master’s in modern history from Oxford University (where he studied as a Marshall Scholar), and a bachelor’s in government and Soviet studies from Hamilton College in New York.
As general secretary, Hewko leads a diverse staff of 800 at Rotary International’s World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, and seven international offices. He and his partner, Marga, are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation. They live in Evanston.
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2025-26 RI Board Committees
Executive Committee
Acts on behalf of the Board according to established policy, advises the Board with respect to governance and other significant issues, and reviews recommendations for report to the Board from the RI Finance Committee.
Chair
Daniel C. Tanase
Members
Mário César Martins de Camargo
Sangkoo Yun
Alain Van de Poel
Patrick Eakes
Salvador Rizzo Tavares
Christine Etienne
Liaison
Ann-Britt Asebol
Administration Committee
Reviews recommendations for report to the Board from the following committees: Election Review Committee, Districting Committee, Council Operations Committee, and Constitution and Bylaws Committee.
Chair
Trichur Narayan Subramanian
Vice Chair
Charles Patrick Eakes
Members
Ghim Bok Chew
Christine Etienne
Luan Fong Lin
Salvador Rizzo Tavares
Suzan Stenberg
Programs (Participant Experience) Committee
Reviews recommendations for report to the Board from the Membership Growth, RI Programs, Convention, Joint Technology, Joint Communications and Joint Learning Committees and the Joint DEI Task Force.
Chair
Henrique Vasconcelos
Vice Chair
Alain Van de Poel
Members
Anirudha Roy Chowdhury
Eve S. Conway-Ghazi
Isao Mizuno
Daniel V. Tanase
Yeong Ho Yun
Board Council Legislation Advisory Committee
Advises the Board with respect to Council on Resolution and Council on Legislation matters.
Chair
Trichur “Raju” Narayan Subramanian
Vice Chair
Daniel C. Himelspach
Members
Salvador Rizzo Tavares
Suzan Stenberg
Rhonda E. Stubbs