Leadership Team Bios
Al Jubitz
Chair Emeritus
District 5100
Rotary Club of Portland, Oregon
United States
Al Jubitz, a third-generation Rotarian, joined Rotary in 1977 and served as the Past President of the Rotary Club of Portland in 2002/2003. He passionately believes that Rotary can lead the way in promoting nonviolent conflict resolution, aiming for a world beyond war. To further this vision, he initiated the Rotarian Action Group for Peace, focusing on empowering Rotarians globally to start peace service projects, engage in nonviolent conflict resolution training, and monitor potential conflict hotspots. Al envisions Rotary International adopting a goal to prevent all wars by 2030, involving Rotary Peace Fellows to actively promote these objectives.
A native Oregonian, Al earned his BS from Yale University and an MBA from the University of Oregon. He retired from the Jubitz Corporation after a 34-year career and founded the Jubitz Family Foundation, which supports peacebuilding, environmental stewardship, and early childhood education initiatives. Recognized nationally by United Way USA in 2010 with the Tocqueville Society Award, Al is also a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum of Oregon. He serves on various leadership councils and boards, including the Yale School of Forestry and the Environmental Defense Fund. Married for 49 years to Nancy, they have three daughters and four grandchildren, and Al enjoys hiking, squash, and golf.
Tijana Ristić
Immediate Past Chair
District 2483
Rotary Club Belgrade International
Serbia
Tijana Ristić is an architect, naval architect and marine engineer whose service journey spans Rotaract and Rotary. During her years in Rotaract, she served as Country Representative of Serbia in Rotaract Europe and as District Rotaract Secretary. She was the first Rotaractor appointed as an Assistant Governor in District 2483, later serving as District New Generations Service Exchange Chair and District Peace Chair.
Within the Rotary Action Group for Peace, Tijana became the first Rotaractor to serve on the Board of Directors. At the time of her election as Chair, she was still a Rotaractor, becoming the first person with a Rotaract background and the youngest person to lead RAGFP. After serving as Chair during 2025-26, she now serves as Immediate Past Chair, Director, RAGFP Officer and Chair of the Public Image Committee.
Tijana is President of the Rotary Club Belgrade International for 2026-27 and serves as District 2483 DEI Chair for 2026-29. She is also a Positive Peace Activator. Her work focuses on strengthening peacebuilding networks, improving organisational communication, expanding opportunities for young leaders and connecting Rotary service with practical, inclusive approaches to peace.
Dirk Lustig
Chair
District 2232
Rotary Club Sloviansk
Ukraine
Dirk Lustig was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and graduated from the University of Geneva. With 25 years of entrepreneurial experience in Ukraine, he has dedicated himself to fostering peace and dialogue in the region. Dirk served as an Associate Board Member of the World Economic Forum and has been actively involved in Rotary, currently chairing the Peacebuilding Committee for District 2232-Ukraine from 2019 to 2024. He drafted the “Rotary Peacebuilding Initiative for Ukraine” and organized the first Ukrainian Rotary Peacebuilding Roundtable in Kyiv, highlighting his commitment to conflict resolution and community engagement.
In addition to these initiatives, Dirk launched the project “Let’s Talk Again!”, which focuses on building bridges across conflict-divided communities by engaging young people in meaningful dialogue. He also facilitated the first “Peace Education and Action for Impact” program in collaboration with Russian and Ukrainian Rotaractors through World Beyond War and the Rotary Action Group for Peace. His humanitarian efforts include creating the “Mine Free Ukraine” initiative, aimed at addressing the critical issue of landmines in the country. As an IEP Ambassador for the Institute for Economics & Peace and a member of Mediators Beyond Borders International, Dirk continues to work towards sustainable peace and cooperation.
Smita Vikhankar
Chair Elect
District 3131
Rotary Club of Pune Hillside
India
Smita Vikhankar is an engineer, ICF Associate Certified Coach and Emotional Intelligence practitioner with a passion for developing people and building peaceful communities. Her work integrates leadership development, emotional intelligence and coaching to help individuals, families and organisations strengthen resilience, self-awareness and meaningful relationships.
Within Rotary, Smita has served as District Peace Co-Director and District Peace Director in District 3131, championing peace through education, collaboration and community engagement. She founded the Rotary Action Group for Peace India Chapter in 2024 and currently serves as its Chair, bringing together peacebuilders from across India to promote peace education, strengthen partnerships and encourage practical peacebuilding initiatives.
As Chair Elect of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, Smita is committed to strengthening RAGFP’s global network by supporting chapter development, expanding international collaboration and empowering Rotarians to integrate Positive Peace into humanitarian service. She believes that lasting peace begins with emotionally aware individuals, compassionate leadership and stronger communities.
Dr. Maria Vittoria Gargiulo
Chair Nominee
District 2101
Rotary Club Global ROOTS
Italy
Dr. Maria Vittoria Gargiulo is a scientist, educator, mediator, public speaker and peacebuilder working at the intersection of research and service. She holds a Doctor Europaeus in Physics and has contributed to leading European projects focused on disaster-resilient societies and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Her work transforms complex risk analysis into practical, people-centred solutions for policymakers, professionals and communities.
As an IMI-qualified mediator, Maria Vittoria brings together scientific understanding, dialogue and conflict-sensitive communication. She regularly delivers talks, keynotes and training sessions at professional, educational and Rotary events, including the 2026 Rotary International Assembly.
Rotary has been part of her life since 2005, first through Interact and Rotaract and now as a Rotarian. She has held leadership roles within the European Rotaract Information Centre, Mediterranean Rotaract MDIO and Rotaract Oceania MDIO, contributing to membership growth, international conferences and cross-border collaboration.
Maria Vittoria became a Positive Peace Activator in 2021. In 2025, she founded the Rotary Club Global ROOTS, an international club designed to connect service-minded people across borders. She serves as a Director of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, advancing resilience, accessible education and collaborative peacebuilding.
Michael Hayes
Secretary
District 5160
Rotary Club of Westlake
United States
Michael has been an active member of the Rotary Action Group for Peace since 2015 and joined the Board of Directors in 2020, contributing to the Education and Business Plan Committees. He became a member of the Rotary Club of Westlake in 2000 and has held the position of Club President twice, in 2002/2003 and 2012/2013. His leadership roles within District 6200 include serving as Assistant District Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and District Governor in 2015/2016. Additionally, he founded three Rotary Clubs as the Chair of the District Extension Committee and has been involved in membership initiatives as the Zone 31 Assistant Rotary Coordinator. Since 2005, he has also been the RYLA Program Chair, where he developed a Peace Curriculum for RYLA and Interact Clubs.
In his professional career, Michael has held various management roles, including Environmental Manager and Governmental Affairs Manager, successfully collaborating with Members of Congress, the Louisiana Governor’s office, and the EPA. His experience also encompasses work with South African Ambassadors to the U.S. and a focus on minority community empowerment and conflict resolution. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the board for the New Legacy Foundation, which aims to relocate at-risk minority communities.
Gabe Hau
Treasurer
District 9800
Rotary E-Club of Melbourne
Australia
Gabe has been a dedicated Rotarian for 25 years, with a background in accounting and law. While he has held various roles at both club and district levels, his true passion for peace emerged in 2018 after attending the Peace Summit at the Toronto Rotary Convention. Shortly after, he became President of the E-Club of Melbourne, leading it to become the first Peacebuilder Club in Oceania.
Since then, Gabe has actively promoted Peacebuilder Clubs in the region, viewing them as a crucial way to emphasize peace within Rotary. He has presented to numerous Rotary clubs about the RAGFP and the importance of Peacebuilder Clubs, which he believes connect like-minded Rotarians committed to peace. In his role as an IEP Ambassador, Gabe continues to introduce the concepts of peace and the RAGFP to various clubs, furthering his mission to inspire a culture of peace within Rotary.
Arzu Alpagut
Director
District 2420
Rotary Club of Findikli
Türkiye
Arzu joined the Rotary Action Group for Peace in 2016 and currently serves as a Director for Europe on the Board of Directors. Her commitment to peace is evident through her extensive involvement with the Rotary Club of Fındıklı, Istanbul, where she has held various leadership roles since joining in 2011, including Treasurer, Secretary, and President. In 2021, she established the Peace Committee, guiding her club to become a RAGFP Peacebuilder Club. Her work extends to founding a Peace Club in her District and coordinating key initiatives like the joint youth program with World Beyond War, “Peace Education and Action For Impact,” which welcomed 40 Rotaractors into RAGFP.
Professionally, Arzu has held multiple roles in international telecommunications, including Design Engineer and Executive Mobile Marketing Director, showcasing her project management skills and team leadership. Since July 2020, she has collaborated on various peace projects under RAGFP Turkey Hour, including the “Empathy and Resilience Türkiye Hour” and the “Wellbeing Türkiye Hour.” In addition, since 2021, she has taken on the role of Chief Operations Coordinator for the “RAGFP DEI and Language of Peace” training programs, which have been requested by regions globally. Her belief in project-based management and collaborative peacebuilding continues to drive her impactful work.
Alison Sutherland
Director
District 1150
Rotary Club of Cardiff Bay
Wales
Alison Sutherland is a distinguished Rotary leader with extensive experience at both the club and district levels. Her leadership roles include serving as Secretary, President, and Youth Chair at the club level, and holding numerous district positions such as Rotaract Chair, Assistant Governor, District Governor, and Peace & Scholar Officer. Alison’s dedication extends to her roles as Mediation Officer, DEI Chair, District Conference Chair, and Trainer Facilitator. She was also a Director at Large and Education Chair for the Rotary Action Group for Peace. Her impactful contributions are recognized through her service as a RI Cadre Technical Advisor and her involvement with the Welsh Peace Academy and the Cardiff Council-led Cohesion Group for Wales.
Alison has been instrumental in founding three Rotaract Clubs and four Rotakids, and has developed and delivered significant programs for prisoners and individuals seeking sanctuary. She has organized the Link Weekend for Global Scholars entering the UK, bi-yearly District Peace Conferences, and has been pivotal in the growth of Peacebuilder Clubs and Chapters since 2018. Her international outreach includes founding weekly Zoom meetings with Turkiye, Africa, and Peacebuilders. An author of a program on Domestic Abuse, Alison has earned accolades such as the Champion of Change by RGB&I in 2016 and two Paul Harris Sapphire awards for her exemplary service and work in Africa.
Mitzi Leung
Director
District 3450
Rotary Club of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Mitzi Leung was born in Peking (Beijing). She graduated from the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and furthered her studies in the UK and Australia. With 33 years of professional and entrepreneurial education and training experience in Hong Kong, she is a strong advocate of business education partnerships and enterprising skills development for young people.
She retired from the Vocational Training Council as Principal of an Institute of Vocational Education. She serves on various leadership councils, boards, and community organisations, and is the Co-Founder of the Glocal Peace Centre for the UNESCO Hong Kong Association.
Mitzi joined Rotary in 2004 and has held leadership roles at club and district levels, including Past President of the Rotary Club of Hong Kong and Past Assistant Governor of District 3450. After returning from the Hamburg RI Convention, she promoted and championed the RAGFP chapter initiative in Hong Kong.
In 2020, she became Founding Chair of the Hong Kong and Macao Chapter. She was elected RAGFP Director in 2023, and has been supporting the development of the Peacebuilder Club movement in East and Southeast Asia, and assisting capacity building for the District and the region. She is currently a member of the TRF Cadre of Technical Advisors and an IEP Ambassador.
Anu Narula
Director
District 6910
Rotary Club of Canton
United States
Dr. Anu Narula is a retired Associate Professor of English and was a Fulbright Doctoral Fellow at Yale University in U.S.A.
Anu first joined Rotary in 1995 in India, and has served grassroots communities in D3054 and D3080 in India and D6910 in United States in youth and girls’ empowerment, polio vaccination, character education, health, literacy, and peace building.
Anu has written and published 50 stories as a content writer in the D6910 Public Image team (2021-25) on the mission of Rotary including Peace Building.
Anu has worked on Peace Pole initiatives in her home district, interactive programs on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution in elementary schools with her club, and dialog-based district level events that promote communal harmony and peace among diverse communities. Anu has worked with teams to support disaster relief grant for war ravaged schools in Ukraine and with the pioneer of an education grant for Digital Interactive Classrooms in Panama, besides Global Grant projects in India. Anu is currently serving as a founding member and Chair of the Peace Builder Committee of her club and a member of D6910 Peace Building Committee. In her role as an active RAGFP member and IEP Ambassador, Anu has presented webinars on Positive Peace at Rotary Conferences and Rotary clubs in India and Africa. As a member of the BELRAG Board of Directors and Chair of the Girls’ Education Team of Experts, Anu has led team efforts for organizing a BELRAG Webinar on “Gender Equity and Social Inclusion.” Here is Anu’s personal mission statement on Peace:
“As Rotarians, we all have a sacred duty to Practice Peace in our thoughts, words, and actions, as we build bridges of friendship through service across local and global communities.”
Marsha Hunt
Director
District 6110
Rotary Club of Fort Smith
United States
Marsha Hunt is a member of the Rotary Club of Fort Smith in District 6110 and a Past President of the Rotary Club of Westwood Village in Los Angeles. She serves as a Director of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, Peace Chair for District 6110 and USA President of the Rotary Ukraine-USA Intercountry Committee. Her work has included support for emergency grants, demining initiatives and the delivery of prosthetic hands for children through the Rotary warehouse in Lviv, Ukraine.
For more than 18 years, Marsha has supported education, healthcare and economic opportunity in Uganda, helping to build schools, assist teachers and develop the Kataate Medical Center. Nkumba University recognised this service with an honorary Doctorate of Letters in 2018.
Marsha is also a member of Mediators Beyond Borders International and has supported peaceful dialogue between police departments and local communities. She has promoted the Four-Way Test as a practical tool to address bullying in schools, including through a Rotary International Convention breakout session.
Professionally, Marsha is an Emmy Award-winning creative writer and producer whose work spans animation, special effects, live-action production and international sports and entertainment media.
Marlene Dorfeuille
Director
District 2203
Rotary Club of L’Alfàs del Pi International
Spain
Marlene Dorfeuille is an international humanitarian, peacebuilding and human rights professional with more than three decades of experience in conflict prevention, refugee protection, mediation, democratic governance and community resilience. Her work has spanned the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, Europe and the United States.
As an independent consultant, Marlene has led and supported partnerships involving governments, international organisations and civil society. Her work has included humanitarian response, refugee resettlement, women’s empowerment, psychosocial support and capacity building, with a consistent focus on dignity, inclusion and sustainable peace.
Her multidisciplinary education includes graduate study in ethnology, congressional studies, women in politics and public policy, labour and workforce development, and human rights. She has also completed legislative fellowships with the United States Congress and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and has trained through the Institute for Economics & Peace.
A Rotarian for nearly 30 years, Marlene served with the Rotary Club of Herndon Reston before moving to Spain in 2022. She was subsequently part of the Rotary Club of Alicante before transferring to the Rotary Club of L’Alfàs del Pi International. She founded and previously chaired the Iberia Chapter of RAGFP and now serves on the RAGFP Board of Directors. Fluent in English, French and Spanish, she builds bridges across cultures through dialogue, inclusive leadership and collaboration.
Dr. Vicki Radel
Director
District 5280
Rotary Club of Redondo Beach
United States
Dr. Vicki Radel, PDG, is a psychologist, mediator, peace educator and Rotary leader based in Palos Verdes, California, where she leads Peaceful Resolutions & Harmonious Relations. She holds degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, postgraduate certificates in nonviolence and peace studies through the Metta Center and in religion and peace through Harvard University, and is the author of Peace Language.
A Past District Governor of District 5280 and member of the Rotary Club of Redondo Beach, Vicki has developed and supported peace-focused Rotary initiatives, including Shoot Cameras Not Guns, which encouraged at-risk young people to explore photojournalism, and an Anti-Gang Violence Forum. Her community leadership has been recognised through honours including Redondo Beach Woman of the Year, South Bay Volunteer Woman of the Year and Los Angeles County Humanitarian of the Year.
Vicki co-created the Rotary District 5280 and Mediators Beyond Borders International Peace Conversation Facilitator Program. She also serves as President of the USA–Türkiye Intercountry Committee. As a Director of RAGFP, she is Founder and Lead Trainer of Facilitating Peace, RAGFP’s international facilitation programme for 2026–27. She believes sustainable peace requires civil dialogue, empathetic listening and respect for human dignity.