Thirty Rotarians including Bangor Rotary President Ian WIlson and Rtn Barbara Boyle, met with Rotary International Director Dr Harriette Verwey in June.This is first time a Director has come to meet Rotarians directly and District Governor Michael Fleming was delighted we could meet her and ask questions after her speech,
Dr Harriette Verwey was born in Suriname as a Dutch citizen. She earned a PhD from Leiden University, Netherlands and dedicated her 34 years to cardiology at Leiden Medical Centre. She pioneered the use of the left ventricular assist device as an alternative treatment for chronic heart failure when transplant was not feasible.
She joined Rotary in 2002, following numerous invitations by one of her patients. Her early involvement included organising a national music concert for deaf children.
Verwey was the first Black district governor in The Netherlands and is the first female director coming from her zone. As governor of District 1600, she prioritised youth engagement and Rotaract. She also served as regional Rotary Foundation coordinator from 2019 to 2022 and she volunteered to support the Rotary-IDE Delft institute for Water Education international student scholarship programme.
Verwey also participated in a National Immunization Day in India, which further exposed her to Rotary’s vast global reach.