Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG)

Ron Denham will talk to our club today about the Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG).  He was the founding chair of the WASRAG, A group of over 1800 Rotarians helping people in the developing world improve life and livelihood through the provision of safe water and sanitation. In that capacity he has fostered many water and sanitation projects in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, and in many states in India. 

Dr Denham received his education in England where he obtained a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

In 1961, after obtaining an MBA in Business Administration, he entered the management consulting profession, becoming Senior Partner and Vice Chairman of KPMG Management Consulting. In this capacity he directed the international consulting practice and played a major role in development projects in Peru, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Senegal and Cuba.

Throughout his busy career he has been active in the community and his profession.  He   was appointed Professor in the Faculty of Administrative Studies, York University, Toronto.  He was elected Trustee of the North York Board of Education, Chairman of the Ontario Region of the Engineering Institute of Canada and President of the Institute of Management Consultants of Ontario. 

A Rotarian for 62 years, he first joined the Welland club in 1957 and transferred to his present club—Toronto-Eglinton—in 1964.  He was elected President in 1973-74 and District Governor for the year 1993-94.  He was elected Paul Harris Fellow in 1988, is a Benefactor and Major Donor to The Rotary Foundation and a member of the Arch Klumph Society. In recognition of his contribution to Rotary, his vocation and to the world community he was presented with the “Service above Self” award in 2005 and the “Citation for Meritorious Service” by The Rotary Foundation..

He was a member of the R.I. Task Force on Community Concerns in 1994-95 and Zone Coordinator for Family and Community Concerns in 1995-96.  The following year he was Coordinator of the New Generations program.  He was Discussion Group Leader at the 1995 and 1996 International Assemblies for incoming District Governors. He was Rotary International Membership Coordinator Zone 22 (Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Alaska and Siberia) for the Rotary years 2001-04. He was also Canadian Chairman for the global Polio Eradication Private Sector Initiative.

He is currently a member of the US AID/Rotary Steering Committee overseeing WASH programs in Ghana, Uganda and Madagascar and of the WAS*MGI (Water & Sanitation Major Gifts Initiative).

He was General Coordinator of the Water Resources Task Force from 2004 to 2008. More recently he was elected chair of the Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG). In this role he has supported a range of water and sanitation projects in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Peru and in many states in India.

His current mission is to encourage all 1.2 million Rotarians to become familiar with world  water issues and all clubs to commit to a WASH project.