Women in Rotary

Women in Rotary
Women currently account for 22% of Rotary International's worldwide membership.  The growth of women in Rotary officially began on 4 May 1987, when the United States Supreme Court confirmed the California Court's decision supporting women in the case Board of Directors, Rotary International v. Rotary Club of Duarte and the Council on Legislation, in 1989 confirmed the decision. 
 
 
 
 
That same year Sylvia Whitlock of the Rotary Club of Duarte, California became the first ever female Club President.  Eight years later, in 1995 eight women - Mimi Altman, Gilda Chirafisi, Janet W. Holland, Reba F. Lovrien, Virginia B. Nordby, Donna J. Rapp, Anne Robertson, and Olive P. Scott became the first district female governors.
 
It then took another 13 years for the first woman to be elected to the Rotary International Board of Directors. The Rotary year was 2008-09, the woman was Catherine Noyer-Riveau of the Rotary Club of Paris. 
 
By 2022 we will have had seventeen women serve on the Rotary International Board of Directors.
2008-2009
Catherine Noyer-Riveau (gynaecology) L’Isle Adam, France (Rotary Club of Paris) First woman to sit on the Board of Directors
 
 2009-2010
Catherine Noyer-Riveau (gynaecology) L’Isle Adam, France (Rotary Club of Paris)
 
 
2010-2011
No Women on the Board
 
2011-12
Elizabeth S. Demaray 
(commercial real estate)
St. Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783, USA
(Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie)
 
2012-13
TREASURER Elizabeth S. Demaray 
(commercial real estate)
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783, USA (Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie) 
First woman to serve as RI treasurer.
 
Ann-Britt Åsebol 
(admin. sec. educ.)
Falun, Sweden
(Rotary Club of Falun Kopparvågen)
 
 
Anne L. Matthews 
(education management)
Columbia, SC 29209, USA
(Rotary Club of Columbia East)
 
2013-14
VICE PRESIDENT Anne L. Matthews 
(education management)
King’s Grant, 31 Braddock Point, Columbia, SC 29209, USA
(Rotary Club of Columbia East) 
First woman to serve as Vice President
 
Celia Elena Cruz de Giay
(journalism/educ.)
Arrecifes, Bs. As.,
Argentina
(Rotary club of Arrecifes)
 
Mary Beth Growney Selene 
(exterior signs)
Madison, WI 53713, USA
(Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton)
 
2014-15
Celia Elena Cruz de Giay
(journalism/educ.) Arrecifes, Bs. As.,
Argentina
(Rotary Club of Arrecifes)
 
Mary Beth Growney Selene
(exterior signs)
Madison, WI 53713, USA
(Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton)
 
Julia D. Phelps 
(education admin.)
Greenland, NH, 03840, USA
(Rotary Club of Malden)
 
2015-16
Julia D. Phelps 
(education admin.)
Greenland, NH, 03840, USA
(Rotary Club of Malden)
 
Jennifer E. Jones
 LaSalle ON N9J 3C5, Canada
(Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland)
 
Karen K. Wentz (higher education admin.)
Knoxville TN 37923 USA
(Rotary Club of Maryville-Alcoa)
 
Saowalak Rattanavich (language educ.)
Bangkok 10250 Thailand
(Rotary Club of Bangrak)
 
2016-17
VICE PRESIDENT Jennifer E. Jones
LaSalle ON N9J 3C5, Canada
(Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland)
 
 
Saowalak Rattanavich (language educ.)
Bangkok 10250 Thailand
(Rotary Club of Bangrak)
 
 
Dean Rohrs 
Surrey, BC, V4N 6K4, Canada
(Rotary Club of Langley Central)
 
 
Karen Wentz 
Knoxville TN 37923 USA
(Rotary Club of Maryville-Alcoa)
 
 
2017-18
VICE PRESIDENT Dean Rohrs 
Surrey, BC, Canada
(Rotary Club of Langley Central)
 
2018-19
No Women
 
2019-2020
Director-nominee: 
Stephanie A. Urchick 
Rotary club: Canonsburg Houston Southpointe, Pennsylvania, USA
 
Director-nominee: 
Johrita Solari
Rotary club: Anaheim, California, USA
 
2020-2022
Director-nominee: 
Susan C. Howe
Rotary club: Space Center (Houston), Texas, USA
 
Director-nominee: 
Valarie K. Wafer 
Rotary club: Collingwood and South Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
 
Director-nominee: 
Virpi Honkala  
Rotary club: Raahe, Finland
 
Director-nominee: 
Aikaterini Kotsali-Papadimitriou 
Rotary club: Pendeli, Greece
 
 
             https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/481/537 on Board of Directors, Rotary International v. Rotary Club of Duarte