Professor William D Aiken, a urological surgeon and Head of the Department of Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, and Emergency Medicine at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, is set to be installed as District Governor for Rotary International District 7020.

The official ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 28 at 9:00 am, under the theme ‘Unite for good’ at The UWI Regional Headquarters located on Mona Road.

Rotary International District 7020 is comprised of ten countries and territories in the Northern Caribbean: Anguilla, The Bahamas, St. Barthelemy, The Cayman Islands, The British Virgin Islands, Haiti, Jamaica, The U.S. Virgin Islands, The Turks and Caicos Islands, and St. Martin/St Maarten. Maarten. District 7020 currently consists of 91 Rotary Clubs and 46 Rotaract Clubs with 2,666 members. Additionally, Interact Clubs in High Schools and Early Act Clubs in Primary and Preparatory Schools are part of the Rotary family.

As District Governor, Professor Aiken will be responsible for motivating, inspiring, supporting, and guiding all clubs in the attainment of Rotary International’s mission and strategic imperatives. These initiatives primarily focus on critical areas such as education, health, community development, and environmental protection and sustainability. His tenure will include visiting all Rotary Clubs within the District, ideally within the first six months of the Rotary year, to directly engage with members and support their local service projects.

Highlighting his immediate vision for growth and unity, Professor Aiken stated, “My immediate vision for fostering growth and unity among the Rotary and Rotaract Clubs in District 7020 is through partnerships, inter-clubbing, greater emphasis on interclub assembly, and the holding of more social events outside of regular club meetings. Rotary recognises that to increase its impact and expand its reach, it must grow its membership both numerically and in its members’ Rotary literacy knowledge.”

Partnerships are essential, he said, in achieving this, by pairing strong clubs with weaker ones, as well as partnerships between Rotary and Rotaract, and between Rotary and other service-oriented organisations, as well as corporate entities and government agencies.

Drawing on his extensive medical background, Professor Aiken is setting clear priorities for health initiatives within the District. “My background as a medical leader has significantly influenced what I have chosen to focus on during my year and the years to come. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and prostate cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths,” he explained. His plans involve recommending and incentivising clubs to undertake projects aimed at improving awareness of cardiovascular disease risk factors, training members and communities in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and strategically placing defibrillators in high-traffic public spaces such as schools, airports, churches, sporting venues, and large bus terminals. Clubs will also be encouraged to initiate projects that enhance men’s awareness of prostate cancer screening.

Emphasising the core philosophy of the organisation, Professor Aiken noted, “Our motto ‘Service Above Self’ is not just a nice sounding catchphrase but is a deeply held belief by Rotarians regarding the way we ought to live. Rotarians are people of action, and when we recognise needs in our communities, we as Rotarians come together with community members, corporate entities to plan and execute projects that will alleviate the needs and transform the communities in an impactful way.” He plans to task clubs to identify, plan, and execute at least five needed projects within their communities to meet these needs meaningfully and sustainably throughout the year and beyond.

Professor Aiken’s overarching message to Rotarians across District 7020 is a call to action. “We will continue to be judged by the impact we make in our communities and across the globe. Therefore, let us actively grow our membership so that we have more hands on deck to do humanitarian work; let us continue to innovate and be adaptable to the changing needs of our communities and the environment in which we operate; let us be sensitive to the needs in our communities so that we recognize and address them in an impactful and sustainable way,” he urged. “Let us recognise needs, transform lives as we Unite For Good through partnerships and collaborations within and outside of Rotary so that we continue to increase our impact and expand our reach in the Caribbean and beyond.”

The President of the Rotary, Dorett Campbell, expressed immense pride and confidence in Professor Aiken’s appointment. “We are absolutely thrilled and immensely proud to see ‘DG Bill’ serving in this prestigious role. He is a stalwart of Rotary, whose dedication to ‘Service Above Self’ is exemplary. His deep understanding of the Objects of Rotary, combined with a rare and powerful blend of professional excellence, quiet dignity, humility, cultural sensitivity, and servant leadership, makes him the ideal person to lead our district at this time,” stated Campbell. “His inclusive leadership style and deep respect for others make him uniquely suited to unite and inspire our beautifully diverse District 7020.”

Campbell also shared high hopes for District 7020 under Professor Aiken’s tenure. “I have immense hopes for the viability of District 7020 under DG Bill’s leadership, and I believe his vision will significantly advance Rotary’s mission. I envision a District that grows stronger in unity, becomes more impactful in service, and operates with greater strategic focus as he operationalises his theme: ‘Unite for Good.’ His leadership style, grounded in humility, respect, and integrity, will serve as a model for what is possible when service and purpose intersect. We are confident that District 7020 will continue to thrive as a formidable force, and who knows, we may have an RI president in the making!”

Professor Aiken follows a line of distinguished Jamaican Past District Governors, including Dr Michael Fennell, Alvaro Casserly, Dr Paul Brown, Dr Patrick Adizua, Errol Alberga, and Haresh Ramchandani, each having contributed significantly to Rotary’s legacy of service in the region.

Professor Akin is the father of seven children and is happily married to Ella.

Also, to be installed is Mikhail Raymore, a highly awarded Rotaractor and dedicated professional, who will serve as the District Rotaract Representative Elect for Rotaract District 7020, bringing significant expertise and a commitment to bridging Rotaract and Rotary for greater sustainability and impact.