Caribbean Son Rises to Rotary’s Top Job

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: Members of Rotary Clubs throughout the Cayman Islands were delighted to learn on 1 September that their Past District 7020 Governor Barry Rassin will be President of Rotary International for 2018-19 and the first from this region. This means Rassin will preside over the 1.2-million member organization beginning 1 July 2018—bringing a dash of Caribbean flair to this international service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.

With family ties to the Cayman Islands through his sister-in-law Angie Freeland and her husband Nick, Rassin is a frequent visitor—even beyond the local fulfillment of his work for Rotary.

Among those offering congratulations is Jeremy Hurst, a fellow Past District 7020 Governor based here in the Cayman Islands. “It is a tremendous honour for our Rotary District 7020, which comprises 10 countries in the Northern Caribbean including the Bahamas and Cayman Islands to have one of our own Rotarians reach the pinnacle of the Rotary World. Barry is a passionate, caring Rotarian and a great leader whose contributions to Rotary’s humanitarian efforts are recognized globally. He has been personally responsible for achieving progress in the poorest regions of our District such as Haiti, where he took control of the Rotary’s programs there in the wake of the devastating 2012 earthquake, ensuring lives were saved and helping the country rebuild. We are very proud of him and wish him tremendous success as President of Rotary International.”

The presidents of all four Rotary Clubs in the Cayman Islands similarly offered heartfelt congratulations. President Justin Bodden stated, “The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman would like to congratulate Barry Rassin on his nomination for President of Rotary International in 2018-19. It is an incredible honour for Barry to represent the Caribbean region globally, and we support and wish him the very best during the upcoming year!”

President Deirdre McFarlane noted, “The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise is delighted that the 2018-2019 Rotary International President-elect, Barry Rassin, is from our own District 7020. We have close ties with Rotarian Barry who is a member of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas. We the members of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise are extremely proud of his accomplishments and are ready to serve together with him in accomplishing the Rotary International goals for the upcoming year.”

President Susie Bodden of Rotary Central Grand Cayman affirmed, “Rotary Central Grand Cayman is delighted to congratulate Rotarian Barry to his new position which is a great achievement and one in which we are sure he will excel. We wish him well.”

As President-Elect of Rotary International, Rassin is dedicated to strengthening the organization’s public image and asserts, “Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate. With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.”

Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation.

A Rotarian since 1980, Rassin has served Rotary as director and is vice chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. He was an RI training leader and the aide to 2015-16 RI President K.R. Ravindran.

Rassin received Rotary’s highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, as well as other humanitarian awards for his work leading Rotary’s relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. He and his wife, Esther, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation.

Photo Caption:
Rotary International President-Elect Barry Rassin and his wife Esther posed with then-District Governor Jeremy Hurst and his wife Michelle during the District 7020 Conference held in Grand Cayman in May 2014.