Guest Speaker – Dr. Isabel Witvrouwen

Dr. Isabel Witvrouwen, a cardiologist from Antwerp, Belgium, shared how Rotary support enabled her two‑year fellowship in cardiac obstetrics and adult congenital heart disease at UBC / St. Paul’s Hospital. Thanks to a Rotary District Grant (Antwerp) and a Rotary Global Grant supported by our club, Isabel gained extensive clinical and research experience in Vancouver and will now return to Belgium to build and strengthen services for women with high‑risk pregnancies and adults with congenital heart disease, carrying Rotary’s impact forward internationally.

New Member Inductions

At this week's meeting, we were delighted to formally induct three new members into the Rotary Club of Vancouver:

• Erica Mundinger – Consultant, People & Culture / Human Resources
  Erika grew up in Rotary, learned the Four-Way Test as a child, and spent a year in Ecuador as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. She is passionate about creating inclusive environments where everyone feels seen, valued, and included.
   
• David Guo – Financial Advisor & Independent Financial Broker
  David works with Hub Financial and Investia and has a background in labour and market economics. He is a founding member and former co-chair of the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s D2D Dream Initiatives, with extensive experience in fundraising and community service. He also holds BA and MA degrees in English literature, with a special interest in manuscripts and special collections.
   
• Crystal Mirkazemi – Founder, Crystal Wealth Capital; Financial Advisor
  With nine years of experience in financial services and studies in criminology, business administration, and paralegal work, Crystal is especially passionate about financial literacy. She leads education initiatives for deaf and blind communities and volunteers with seniors in care homes, strongly reflecting Rotary’s value of Service Above Self.

President Navid emphasized that Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million members in over 22,000 clubs, and encouraged our new members to work closely with their mentors, join committees that match their passions, and involve their families and friends in club activities. The club warmly welcomed Erica, David, and Crystal as they begin their Rotary journey with us.
 

2026/27 Club Vision 

President Navid underlined this year’s vision for the Rotary Club of Vancouver as:

• Service Above Self at scale – Being part of a global network of 1.2 million members in over 22,000 clubs, using that scale to address major areas of need.
• Deep, diverse community impact – Continuing and expanding our work across numerous local and international projects, including:
  • Around 14+ ongoing activities through our club,
  • 8 international service projects, and
  • 16+ community service initiatives, including a major $6 million commitment to St. Paul’s Hospital for the hearing department.
     
• Engagement and leadership from every member – Encouraging members (especially new ones) to:
  • Work closely with their mentors,
  • Join committees that match their passions and skills, and
  • Offer regular feedback so the club remains innovative, flexible, and responsive.
• Family and fellowship – Inviting members to involve family and friends in Rotary activities, strengthening both our club culture and our community reach.

• Living Rotary’s guiding principles – Grounding all club activities in the Four-Way Test and the motto “Service Above Self”, with the reminder that:
   

  “Rotary is like everything else—you get out of it what you put into it.”

This vision sets the direction for our projects, committee work, and member engagement for the year ahead.