Club Board 2022/23

Anthony Bloome is the Founder and Executive Director of the Mobiles for Education (mEducation) Alliance, a non-profit focused on strengthening global collaboration and catalyzing knowledge exchange and evidence-informed investments for strengthening education in developing countries, particularly through innovative uses of technology. He has specialized in the field of international development and technology for over 25 years.

From 2009 to 2020, he was USAID’s Senior Education Technology Specialist. While working at USAID, Tony founded the mEducation Alliance and the All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development, an open innovation competition and partnership with World Vision and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to catalyze tech-based innovations to advance early grade reading. 

From 2006-2009, Tony was Peace Corps’ technology for development specialist. From 1995-2006, he served as a distance education specialist for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. and Zimbabwe where he focused on various applications of technology for education, health, and youth and workforce development. Tony serves on multiple advisory boards including, the Rotary International Action Group in Basic Education and Literacy and Benetech. He has a M.A. in Telecommunications from George Mason University and a B.A. in English Literature from UCLA.

Dr. Rose Cardarelli is the CEO & Founder of the international NGO, Education for All Coalition. She is acclaimed for her work in strategy, global education, and sustainable development, and is a veteran of the U.S. Department of Defense and former professor of human security. As a humanitarian, she is driven by her passion to develop equitable, accessible, and sustainable solutions for displaced children worldwide. The Education for All Coalition serves to improve the lives and social development of children, with a focus on early childhood development, social emotional learning, digital technology, and inclusive education. The mission of the Education for All Coalition is to help children become thriving global citizens with unlimited potential and opportunities. Dr. Cardarelli serves as an NGO representative to the UN, UNHCR, and UNICEF, and is a member of the Board of Directors for both Childhood Education International and Fitchburg State University. She earned her Ed.D. from The College of William and Mary, an MHA from Baylor University, and an M.Ed. from Boston University. She is also a graduate of the University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Center on Forced Migration.

Ademar Bechtold earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the State University of New York, the same university he had attended as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar a few years earlier. During his College years in Brazil, Ademar was an active member of the Rotaract Club of Itajai, District 4652, elected to various leadership positions, including the Rotaract District Representative. Ademar is a professor of economics at Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore. His primary interest is in international trade and monetary policy. At Notre Dame, Ademar has inspired faculty and students to create a more prosperous and "just" world by thinking globally and learning how people in other countries think before judging them for not thinking like us.

Lara Bersano Calot is the Director of Marketing Communications and Digital Transformation of Trust for the Americas an NGO affiliated to the Organization of American States. Before joining the Trust, Lara was responsible for the communications strategy of the Infrastructure Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington DC. During her professional career she also oversaw international public relations and communications at the University of Central Arkansas; was an advisor of the communications team of the Chief of Staff of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires in Argentina; served as Chief International Editor of ADN Magazine and Competencia Magazine in Latin America and the US; oversaw public policy and communications in public programs in Argentina, Ecuador and Venezuela, and worked in senior positions in NGO´s and private corporations in Latin American institutions.

Gustavo is Country Manager of Klimber Corp in Mexico, an Insurtech company with business in Latin America. He is also an advisor on digital technologies for non-profit organizations. He has experience in State Modernization, having developed the implementation of management dashboards, the identification of indicators, and the development of project monitoring systems for Argentina's national government. He was a consultant for the World Bank in Argentina and Paraguay on information systems and management. Likewise, he was a consultant for CorpBanca in Chile, for the development of a commercial management board for the private banking division. Gustavo is a Civil Engineer from the Metropolitan University of Caracas and has an MBA from Adam Smith Open University. In addition, he has certifications in systems and project management. He is a guest speaker at George Washington University.

Manuela is a professional with over 15 years of experience in international organizations, public, private, and non-profit sectors, with policy expertise in energy, climate, urban and social development. A Consultant with the World Bank, Manuela has been focusing on sustainable solutions in energy/climate/urban development in developing countries. Her work covers more than 15 countries from different regions, and she has co-authored several World Bank reports.

A former journalist, Manuela had reported on political and foreign policy issues for media outlets in Romania, including the National Public Television, then she had transitioned as a communications expert for a government agency. Subsequently, Manuela joined a private consulting firm where she was responsible for corporate affairs, while in parallel she managed a non-profit organization.

Manuela holds three Master’s degrees  -  in Political Science, Russian & East European Studies, and National Security) - from universities in Romania, India and United States. She was a Peace Fellow at Duke-UNC Rotary Center (2009-2011)

Ms. Nadiv is the Senior Business Development Strategist at WestEd and Chief Executive Officer at Global Health and Education Strategies, LLC (GHES) a bespoke consulting firm focused on developing education, health and wellness solutions. In addition to her strategic business development activities, Sarah has led multidisciplinary teams, managed large, complex multi-million dollar proposals and projects, and developed both in-person and online professional development materials for practitioners, policymakers, and families around the world. Trained in infant and early childhood mental health, her work focuses on providing mental health, trauma, and social and emotional learning. 

Patrick McCabe works at the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance as a program assistant for the Levant region. He has dedicated his work and studies to issues of peacebuilding, global migration, and forced displacement. Previously, Patrick was a postgraduate fellow with the International Organization for Migration in Morocco, working on the FORSATY youth development program. He was also a youth ambassador at the U.S. Pavilion to the World Expo in Dubai. Patrick graduated from the University of Notre Dame, where he studied Political Science, Arabic, and Peace Studies. He speaks Arabic and Spanish, having lived extensively in the Middle East and Latin America. As a Rotarian, he looks forward to supporting youth engagement and leadership.

Ify Bozimo is a consultant for the World Bank Group where she has worked in various capacities, including, as an attorney, representing IFC, the private sector arm of the institution in drafting and reviewing of transaction documents for infrastructure projects across emerging markets. She has represented numerous private investors and governments in project financing and has been invited as a speaker to numerous trade and investment events.
Ify holds a Master's degree in International Business and Economic Law (with Distinction) from Georgetown University Law Centre, with several years post qualification experience in law with dual jurisdiction in Nigeria and New York. She was recently appointed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser as Commissioner for African Affairs.