Diversity, a core value of Rotary, is one of our great strengths. We should be proud that Rotary reflects so many cultures, generations, and lived experiences and offers leaders the opportunities to use those experiences to make a difference.
As a sign of our commitment to creating an organization that sets the standard for valuing and living the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the Rotary International Board established the DEI Advisory Council in 2020. It guides and provides recommendations and counsel to our senior leadership about what Rotary can do to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture.
We tapped into the expertise of Rotary participants around the globe to serve on this council. They are responsible for developing and implementing a long-term, comprehensive plan with achievable, measurable, and meaningful outcomes for Rotary. And as key decisions are made and we make progress towards implementing our plan, we will continue to share information with you at rotary.org/DEI.
Rotary's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Council
Valarie Wafer (Chair)
RI Director and Rotarian
Canada
Valarie K. Wafer had a 27-year career as a Tim Hortons restaurant owner, one of Canada's iconic restaurant brands, where her restaurant operations were widely recognized for their inclusive hiring practices, particularly the employment of people with disabilities.
Valarie joined Rotary in 2005. She has served as an RI trainer, 2018 Toronto Convention Host Organization Committee member, assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, and RI president's representative. She has led a vocational training team focused on youth suicide and depression, audited Rotary Foundation grant projects in Tanzania and Kenya, and volunteered during a 2012 National Immunization Day in India.
Valarie and her husband, Mark — who became a Rotarian after Valarie recruited him during her year as club president — are Paul Harris Fellows, Bequest Society members, and Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation. In 2012, Wafer received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, in recognition of her leadership with the Economic Case for Inclusion in Canada, an inclusive hiring initiative that was adopted by provincial and federal governments.
Sigrid Solomon (Vice Chair)
Rotarian
USA
Sigrid is chair of the District 6670 PDG Council and DEI Chair. She is also vice chair of the Joint DEI Advisory Council Committee for RI. A past district governor, she has served as DGE lead trainer in Zones 30/31, a 2022 International Assembly learning facilitator, co-chair of Zones 30/31 Diversity Advisory Circle, and DGN lead trainer in Zones 30/31. She was also a member of the 2021-22 RI Director Nominating Committee for Zone 30.
Sigrid is the Vice President, Chief Student Affairs Officer, and Dean of Students at Wilmington College, and has over 30 years of higher education experience. Sigrid governs the entire student body and manages a multifaceted staff of student affairs professionals whose responsibilities include health and wellness, judicial affairs, civic engagement, and survivor advocacy. She has a passion for community affairs and is heavily involved in her local community.
Sigrid joined Rotary in 2003 and is now a member of the Rotary Club of Wilmington, Ohio, USA. Throughout her 20-year Rotary journey, she has served in a variety of capacities at the local, district, and zone levels. Sigrid was recognized in 2016 as one of the Outstanding Women of Clinton County. She is also an independent diversity consultant and a frequent presenter at conferences on the topic of diversity leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, earned her Master of Education from East Carolina University, and is currently working on her doctorate through Ashland University. She has two sons ages 26 and 34 and many former foster children.
Ijeoma Pearl Okoro (Trustee Liaison)
Rotarian
Nigeria
Ijeoma Pearl Okoro has 30 years of experience leading transformation and change in the Insurance Industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a post-graduate degree in management from the Lagos Business School. She founded the Romanus Emeanuru Foundation for Empowerment and Education Development, dedicated to empowerment of women, in memory of her late father. She volunteers for the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation and is a member of the Knights of St. John International, a Catholic Fraternal organization.
Pearl joined the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt in 1999 and served as district governor in 2015-16. She has served as RI learning facilitator, assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, Endowment and Major Gifts Adviser, and End Polio Now coordinator. She has also served on the Countdown to History Campaign Committee and International Polio Plus Committee.
While Pearl served as End Polio Now Zone coordinator, the World Health Organization certified Nigeria as polio-free, and she considers the day a defining moment in her Rotary experience.
She was named as one of the five women in Rotary leading the fight to end polio in 2019 and received a certificate of appreciation from the Foundation for her efforts. She has received Rotary's Distinguished Service Award and the 2016-17 Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World. She enjoys travel, singing, dancing, and gardening. She and her husband Kingsley are Level 3 Major Donors, Bequest Society members and Benefactors, and Paul Harris Fellows. They have two children.
Daniel Tanase (Board Liaison)
RI Director and Rotarian
Romania
Daniel Tanase is managing partner of Assist Software SRL, a research and software development company with 380 employees he co-founded in 1992. The company specializes in outsourced projects, including developing mobile and web-based custom business applications for e-commerce, security, health, and gaming. The Romanian Chamber of Commerce ranked Assist Software as the top information technology research and development firm in the country.
Daniel earned a Master of Science in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Bucharest. He holds a master's degree in Business Administration from The Open University, Milton Keynes, England.
Daniel joined Rotary in 2002 as a charter member of the Rotary Club of Suceava Bucovina, Romania. He has served RI as district governor, assistant Rotary Coordinator, Rotary Coordinator, Chair of the 2023 Rotary Institute in Bucharest, and seven times as an RI president’s representative. He has served as a learning facilitator at DGE training seminars, Rotary Institutes, and the International Assembly. He is also a member of RI’s Participant Experience Committee.
Daniel co-founded the Assist Humanitarian Foundation, an NGO dedicated to humanitarian causes. The organization has collaborated with Rotary on disease prevention projects and received a certificate of appreciation from The Rotary Foundation. He previously served on the board of the Blijdorp Romania Association, a daycare facility for children with severe disabilities.
He has authored books about management, a collection of short inspirational stories, and a Rotary Pocket Handbook.
Daniel is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award. He and his spouse, Marlena, support The Foundation as Major Donors.
Ariana Andrews (member)
Rotarian and Rotaractor
New Zealand
Ariana Andrews is passionate about eliminating inequities and supporting Indigenous health and well-being. While studying medicine at the University of Auckland, she learned about the structural factors shaping differential health outcomes. Ariana is now studying towards a Master of Public Health to strengthen her understanding of how to disrupt systems and structures that perpetuate inequity.
Ariana was introduced to Rotary in 2011 when she was awarded a scholarship by the Newmarket Rotary Club. She is now a member of that club, as well as the Auckland City Rotaract Club, and the Rotaract Oceania MDIO. Ariana has been actively involved in committees at club, district, and zone levels to promote equity and leadership development within Rotary and Rotaract. She also acted as a secondary school liaison for District 9920, where she worked to increase Māori and Pasifika involvement in Rotary youth programs.
Born and raised in Auckland, Ariana is of Māori (Te Whakatōhea, Waikato) and African American descent. She has been a recipient of a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America and spent time volunteering with the Peace Corps in Vanuatu. Ariana is currently a Kindness Collective Board member, a member of the Indigenous Working Group for the World Federation of Public Health Associations, and a Professional Teaching Fellow for Te Kupenga Hauora Māori at the University of Auckland.
Maricler Botelho de Oliveira (member)
Rotarian
Brazil
Maricler Botelho de Oliveira serves as both the DEI district chair and the district president of the DEI Committee for District 4510. She previously served as assistant governor and is a founding member of the DEI Brazil Committee.
Maricler volunteers with Project Semear Marília, which offers children and adolescents in vulnerable situations opportunities for personal growth; Alimento Sim Fome Não, which helps needy families with economic development projects and offers training and employment opportunities to facilitate access to institutions and companies; and the Association of Parents and Friends of Children with Disabilities (APAE), where she was once director. She also works with Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Marília, where she supports work to prevent and combat childhood and youth cancer and is a counselor at the Municipal Council for People with Disabilities. She has worked with multiple Rotary Action Groups, including the Women in Rotary and the Rotary Action Group for Peace.
In her professional work as a lawyer, Maricler is a member and coordinator of some Commissions of the of the Order of Attorneys of Brazil. She often advocates for women's rights, gender equality, children and adolescents, people with disabilities, the elderly, peace, and promoting inclusion.
Maricler is committed to creating a listening environment that allows members to act authentically and be respected and valued. Rotary members inspired her by making her feel heard and helping her share her ideas – even beyond language barriers.
She looks forward to working with Rotary leaders to raise awareness of the importance of DEI across the organization.
Ignacio Gonzalez Mendez (member)
Rotarian
Chile
Ignacio Gonzalez Mendez is a Law graduate with professional experience in corporate communications and foreign languages. He holds a diploma in Leadership and Social Innovation.
A Rotary member for more than a decade, he is a member of the Rotary Club of Marta Colvin-Chillán Viejo, Chile, and previously belonged to the Rotaract Club of Oriente de Talca. He has served on various RI committees and has been recognized for his contribution on the Elevate Rotaract Task Force. He has also served as an RI president’s representative.
Ignacio was one of the youngest people to receive the Service Above Self Award.
He is passionate about advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He created a Spanish podcast about DEI with an audience in several Spanish-speaking countries. He contributed regularly on the subject of DEI for various club and district newsletters and magazines. He has attended and organized seminars, panels, and workshops on DEI at both the district and regional level. He has also served as a motivational and inspirational speaker at RI events.
Yuiko Miyasato (member)
Rotarian
Japan
Yuiko Miyasato is a CEO, a Rotarian with decades of service, and an advocate for DEI and the inclusion of Rotaractors.
Yuiko is the CEO of Nihon Hoken Eisei Kyoukai Co., Ltd., which specializes in analysis and proposals to improve worksites that handle chemicals and other substances.
As a member of the Rotary Club of Ibaraki West in District 2600, Yuiko served for nearly 20 years as her district’s international ervice chair, Foundation chair, and district secretary. She was also the district’s first female governor.
As part of her vision to make DEI a reality in Rotary in Japan, she ensured that Rotaract clubs could actively engage in Foundation grant funds, which enabled Rotaractors to engage in humanitarian service projects.
She believes a strong organization is built on diversity and sees Rotary’s commitment to DEI as a chance to be recognized worldwide, attract more members, and further our sustainable humanitarian goals. She envisions a Rotary in which members need not hesitate to explore who they are and still feel welcomed.
While DEI is essential for Rotary as a whole, Yuiko knows that DEI might be understood differently in various regions and countries. She believes working with individual districts based on their needs can bring Rotary’s commitment to DEI to new heights.
Yuiko is a major donor, benefactor, Paul Harris Society member, and recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of The Rotary Foundation.
Jeremy Opperman (member)
Rotarian
South Africa
Jeremy was born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a deteriorating eye condition which results in total blindness.
After graduating from the University of Cape Town in 1987, Jeremy worked as a marketer of cutting-edge people development and training services and products.
Since starting his own HR marketing consultancy in 1999, he started focusing increasingly on diversity and disability issues and is particularly passionate about the unhesitant and natural integration of people with disabilities into mainstream society.
Jeremy created the Meeting Disability suite of programs and has conducted hundreds of disability awareness workshops for both public and private sector organizations. In addition, he and his associates provided extensive access-auditing and consulting services to major stakeholders.
Jeremy is a committed advocate of centralized disability service facilities within organizations. He believes in promoting a strong culture of disability confidence in all operational functions of a business, including corporate social investment, customer service, sales, marketing, and built and online infrastructure.
In 2015 he was asked to create a unique Disability Desk facility within the Western Cape Provincial Government. This provided, for the first time, a centralized resource for both internal and external stakeholders.
Jeremy speaks, writes, and consults widely on topics including achieving disability confidence in organizations; making a business case for universal access; taking a strategic approach to disability inclusion; and the benefits of a Disability Desk.
Jeremy is involved with several disability institutions and has served on the board of directors for Western Cape Disability network. He currently serves on the board of the South African Guide Dog Association, as well as St. Dunstan’s Institute for War Blinded Veterans. St. Dunstan’s incorporates the Ian Fraser Bursary Fund, which provides bursaries to blind students, and the John & Esther Ellerman Memorial Trust, which provides funding for orientation and mobility instructors.
Jeremy joined Rotary in 2020. He is a member of Rotary Club Newlands in Cape Town South Africa District 9350 and is currently the chair for the vocational portfolio in his club.
Jeremy lives in Cape Town with his wife, Jackie, and his third guide dog, Ronnie.
Brian Rusch (member)
Rotarian
USA
Brian has managed organizations for Nobel laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, taking the knowledge they have imparted to him to create programs to inspire youth on their own explorations of ethics and reshape conversations on peace, equality, and forgiveness.
He currently strategizes with nonprofits, governments, corporations, and celebrities to help optimize their platforms to be change makers for good. He currently serves as a strategic advisor on projects with Indian Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satayarthi and sits on the board of Leymah Gbowee's U.S. organization. A passionate advocate for human rights, Brian regularly delivers keynote addresses and speaks on panels about peace, economic equality, modern slavery, and LGBTQIA+ issues.
Brian was a Rotary Youth Exchange Student to Brazil and became a Rotarian in his 20s when he joined the Rotary Club of Hollywood, California. He helped create the Rotary Club of San Francisco - Castro, Rotary's first LGBT-cultured club. He is also the past president of the Rotary Club for Global Action, an e-club based in District 5150 with membership from 22 countries around the world, including some countries where Rotary is not currently allowed to establish an in-country presence.