Past Rotary International Vice-President Valarie K. Wafer

 
Valarie Wafer joined Rotary in 2005 in order to fuel her passion for making an impact that matters. Prior to serving as Rotary International Director 2020-22 and Rotary International Vice-President 2021-22, Valarie was District Governor of RI district 7070 covering the Greater Toronto Area in 2013/14. Now residing in Burlington, her home club is the Rotary Club of Burlington-Lakeshore, in District 7080.
 
Valarie has served Rotary in a number of international roles. She was an International Trainer, a member of the Host Organizing Convention Committee Toronto 2018, Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, representative of the Rotary International President, and chair of Rotary International's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force.
 
During Valarie’s tenure as a Rotarian she has participated and led many initiatives including a recent mission to Kosovo with Gift of Life International. She has also served as the Vocational Training Team leader to Australia in 2010 focusing on youth mental health, a National Immunization Day in India in 2012, and has traveled to Kenya and Tanzania to audit long-term Rotary Foundation grant activity.
 
In her non-Rotary life, Valarie had a 27-year career as a restaurant owner in Toronto. The brand, Tim Horton's, is the most recognized and iconic franchise in Canada. The Wafer’s operation was best known for its inclusive hiring practices and accessibility, especially in the area of employment.
 
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.