Meet the Board

Marcel holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Liège Business School in Belgium and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University – Kennedy School of Government. He was Ambassador of the European Union in the Republic of Haiti and the Congo. He has been an official of the European Commission in various positions related to the political, economic, commercial and development cooperation of the European Union in Belize, Bangladesh, Guinea, Kenya, Ghana, Burundi and at Brussels headquarters.

He is an active member of the Rotary Club Bogotá Centenario in Colombia, since December 2018 and president in the year 2021-2022. Active member of the Rotary Club of Belize City from 1997 to 2002, president of the Organizing Committee of District 4250 Conference in 2000, in Belize. He was a friend of the Rotary Clubs of Porto Principe in Haiti (2002-2006) and Brazzaville in Congo (2010-2014). Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention TRF CADRE Technical Coordinator, CADRE Expert in the area of Economic Development of the Communities”. Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of RAG4Clubfoot. President of the Board of Directors of Fundación Rofé, “Touch a life” in Colombia. He was a professor at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá and at the Universidad del Cauca in Popayan – Colombia.

Jorge is:
– Doctor of Law and Legal Sciences from the Free University of Colombia.
-Specialist in Customs Law – Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et de la Privatisation – Les Centres de renseignements Paris France.
– International Business Management Specialist. Jorge Tadeo Lozano University Bogotá, Colombia.
– Master in Sports Management. International Olympic Committee.
– Internal Auditor Iso 9001:2015.
As a Rotarian,
– Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator Zone 23B
-President of the Public Image CADRE Latin America
– District Governor D 4400
– District Paul Harris Society Coordinator
– District Membership Chair
– Assistant Governor
– District New Club Development Chair
– Ambassador WASRAG –Wash Action Group
– Member The Rotary Action Group for Clubfoot (RAG4Clubfoot)
– All positions in my Rotary club.
Jorge is a Senior Partner of a security company in physical locations. I am also Senior Partner of an international airport.
security company. Moreover, he is the General Attorney of the largest women’s clothing chain in Ecuador.

Lesley has been a member of the evening Rotary Club of Boone, Iowa since 2019, the year of Boone Rotary’s Centennial Celebration.

Before retiring in 2010 Lesley taught special education for 30 years in Sioux City, Minnesota, Ames, and Des Moines.

Her hobbies included:  traveling, gardening, and quilting.  Most days she walks three miles with her dog.  She is currently the secretary for the Rotary Club of Boone.

Mark Ruggeberg is the Past President of the Rotary Club of Iowa City Downtown and is currently serving as an Assistant District Governor, Assistant Treasurer for the Rotary District 6000 Humanitarian and Educational Foundation, Board Chair of Open Heartland and Treasurer and Team Member of the Iowa Miles of Smiles Team.

Mark has a degree from the University of Iowa where he received his BBA in Accounting. He spent his career in the real estate and hospitality industries.

Octavio is a Dental Surgeon Specialist in Orthodontics and Maxilla-Facial Orthopedics
He joined Rotary International in July 2000, and is an active member of CR Coyoacan in Mexico. He served as club president in 2002-2003 and 2013-2014 collaborating in different committees. He is a Paul Harris Fellow +5.

Octavio’s Rotary experience includes:
• Coordinator of Dental Days District 4170 (2003-2009) carrying out more than 70 days
• 2005 recognized with PHF for his work in more than 90 Dental Conferences
• Advised several clubs to install dental offices (5 pieces of equipment donated by him)
• Member of the PHF society
• Member of the End Polio Now society
• Assistant Governor 2003 to 2007
• District Prosecretary 2007-2008
• Sergeant at Arms of District 4170 from 2007 to 2010
• General Coordinator of Assistant Governors 2010-11
• President of the Committee to form Satellite clubs in the District 2016-18 at the National and International level.
• Has participated as an instructor in PETS and Assemblies in multiple districts
• International Instructor in the Dominican Republic D-4060
• Participate in various Rotary groups
• Has been part of the organization and speaker at training seminars in different districts
• Participation in seminars of the Rotary coordination zone 25th topic attention for clubs under 15 members
• Facilitator in training for District Membership presidents of the 14 Districts of zone 25A
• Advisor to sergeants-at-arms at the Latin American Public Image Summit
• ILR certified instructor and facilitator
• District president of the 2018-2021 membership committee advising 14 traditional clubs on their formation
• Rotaract Abya Yala club mentor
• Member of the district training committee 2018-2020
• Speaker at District Conferences in several Districts in zone 25A
• Advisor in the Rotary coordination of zone 25 A from 2019-2021
• Unanimously appointed governor D-4170 for the year 2021-2022
• President of the executive council of governors 2021-22
• Host of the Second Latin American Symposium “Somos Paz” Year 2022
• Promoter and founder of the Mentoring committee in the year 2021-2022
• First Generation Certified Mentor
• As Governor he was distinguished with the presidential mention (91 of 540 governors)
• CADRE Advisor 2019-2023 ratified until 2027 Maternal and Child Health and Disease Prevention Area
• PRI Representative Gordon McInally appointed to the 10th conference D-4281in 2024

I am a Rotarian and international cooperation specialist with extensive experience in global health, humanitarian programs, and strategic governance. I served as District International Service Committee Chair (DISC) for District 4400 during the 2024–2025 Rotary year and have been proposed to serve again for the 2026–2029 period.

I have worked with international organizations including USAID, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, WFP, UNIDO, and the World Bank, contributing to the design, management, and evaluation of programs focused on public health, child well-being, gender equity, environmental sustainability, and community development across Latin America.

Within Rotary, I have led and supported cross-border initiatives centered on medical brigades, access to specialized healthcare, and sustainable development, with a strong emphasis on technical quality, accountability, and long-term impact.

As a member of the Board of RAG4Clubfoot, I am deeply committed to advancing timely and high-quality Ponseti Method treatment, strengthening partnerships, and supporting the mission to create a world free of clubfoot.

Astrid is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon with special training and experience in treatment of congenital deformities in children. She was trained at the Clubfoot Treatment Center at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Astrid is the past president of the Latin-American Ponseti International Association (2019-2021) and current president of the Colombian Pediatric Orthopedic Society  (2021-2023).

Since 2018,  Astrid has been involved in training programs of the Ponseti method for clubfoot in Colombia an other Latin-American countries such as Peru and Ecuador. She is coordinating the Global Grant 1860348 for Ponseti method training in Colombia as well. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Club Bogotá Centenario, Bogotá Colombia in District 4281.

Brock Earnhardt is a retired utility company president. He is a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Davenport, Iowa and recently retired from long service as Rotary District 6000 Grants Subcommittee Chair.

Brock has traveled extensively in developing countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, primarily to visit Rotary clubs and global grant projects. He is a recipient of Rotary’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award.

Brock is a graduate of Brown University. He resides in Bettendorf, Iowa with his wife Carol.

A Rotarian since 2019, Dr. Michael is an orthopaedic surgeon at the city of Bremen in northern Germany. He specialised in paediatric orthopaedics and is a former member of the German society for paediatric orthopaedics VKO. He studied medicine and anthropology at the University of Tuebingen/Germany.

As volunteer, he has been treating clubfeet in a yearly rhythm during short term visits to various countries in East and West Africa, India and Indonesia since 15 years. He introduced The Ponseti Method clubfoot treatment in southern Tanzania in cooperation with the Tanzanian Clubfoot Care Organisation (TCCO) in 2018.

Jeff Hassman has been a Rotarian since 2008. He is the Past District Governor for Rotary District 5970 in Iowa and currently serves as the chair for the Rotary Youth Exchange program in the same district.

Jeff is an entrepreneur that invests in real estate and companies. He and his wife Maripili have four adult children.

Jeff has an undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

John Lichter was born in Harrisburg, PA in 1958 with a clubfoot which was successfully treated using the Ponseti Method. As a result of the treatment, John has enjoyed a career of entrepreneurial experiences and accomplishments as well as an active life playing many sports.

John is a graduate of WVU School of Business and Economics (1981) with a degree in Business Administration and a focus on Entrepreneurship. He currently works as a business broker helping others to buy and sell businesses as a member of The Sunbelt Network. His Company’s motto is: “Businesses in WV, should never die of old age.”

An active Rotarian since 2016. John is currently promoting a program called: “Rotary Pristine River Initiatives”. A scalable program with a mission to eradicate litter from the waterways of West Virginia and beyond.

John resides in Morgantown, WV with his wife: Ann Lawson. His outside interests include ice hockey, kayaking, tennis, pickleball, and visiting his daughter, Veronica and granddaughter, Mazzy in Truckee, CA. John speaks some Spanish and loves to travel.

Bill Palmer is an executive coach, philanthropic leader, and founder of The Clubfoot Fund, Inc. Born with clubfoot, his life and work have been shaped by firsthand experience with a condition that can limit mobility and opportunity when untreated. Rather than being defined by this challenge, Bill transformed it into a lifelong commitment to leadership, empathy, and global service.

Growing up at a time when clubfoot treatment was less advanced, Bill developed resilience, adaptability, and deep empathy for children with physical differences. Living with the long-term effects of clubfoot has given him a practical understanding of mobility, pain management, and lifelong adaptation.

Professionally, Bill built a distinguished career as an executive coach and organizational development consultant, using Gestalt-based frameworks to help leaders strengthen awareness, presence, and relational effectiveness. His work reflects a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is known for balancing challenge with compassion.

Bill’s most visible legacy is The Clubfoot Fund, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to effective clubfoot treatment and professional training in underserved regions. Through partnerships with Rotary networks, global medical initiatives, and local providers, his work supports sustainable treatment systems and clinician education worldwide. He also speaks and develops training materials on delayed-presenting clubfoot, drawing on both research and lived experience.

A committed member of Rotary Club of Oakland #3, Bill integrates service, leadership development, and global health advocacy into a unified mission: ensuring that children born with clubfoot today have far better outcomes than in past generations.

Bill is also a father and grandfather, and especially proud of his two grandchildren, both high-level soccer players in high school and college.

Dr. Morcuende is the Director of the Ponseti International Association. Originally from Madrid, Spain, he studied Medicine at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain, where he also did his PhD. He moved to the United States in 1991.

He is Marvin and Rose Lee Chair and Professor at the University of Iowa Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and Pediatrics. His clinical practice is in Pediatric Orthopedics and Musculoskeletal Oncology. His research concentrates on the genetics of clubfoot, scoliosis and other children disorders, as well as clinical and global health issues related to these disorders. He has more than 120 publications and has spoken in many national and international meetings. He is former Chairman of the POSNA Bone and Joint Decade Committee, AAOS Bone and Joint Decade Committee and USBJD Board of Directors.