PDG David Ker (Lis)
District Governor 1996-1997

Dave was born in Victoria, BC, where he received his early education. He received a BA (Economics) degree from UBC, an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Dave and his wife, Lis, were married in 1960 in Denmark, where Lis was born. They have made their home in Vancouver. They have two sons, Robert who is married and lives in Denmark, and John, who lives in Vancouver.

CAREER & COMMUNITY SERVICES

Dave held several executive positions in the accounting department during nineteen years with CP Air. Then he became a partner in a lumber export business, followed by ten years operating a public accounting practice. Dave has also been an instructor for the Vancouver School Board Continuing Education Program.

Before joining Rotary, Dave was active in community service with the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC and with the Boy Scouts of Canada.

ROTARY

Dave joined the Rotary Club of Vancouver South in 1977. After several years as Treasurer, Dave served as President in 1987-88 as Secretary in 1991-92 and as a Director in other years. At the District level, he was Treasurer in 1980-81, and Chair of the Scholarship Selection Subcommittee from 1990-93. He was Special Representative for the Governor District 5010 (Alaska, Siberia, Yukon) to charter the Rotary Clubs of Novosibirsk and Barnaul in Russia.

Lis and Dave have both been made Honorary Paul Harris Fellows by their Club for their Rotary work. Lis carried out probably the most successful individual fund-raising project in District 5040 for Polio-Plus in making and selling dried-flower cards.

Dave served as Governor for District 5040 in 1996-97. Major accomplishments during the year included:

• Raising in excess of $100,000 for The Rotary Foundation.
• Hosting Rl President Luis Giay and his wife, Celia, in July when they visited Vancouver for an International AIDS Conference, and in August for a New Generations Conference.
• Hosting a GSE Team from District 2700, Fukuoka, Japan
• Raising nearly $50,000 to host sii1eeil Russian Rotarians and spouses who came as a Team to visit District 5040 for a month from Rotary clubs in Siberia and Russia Far East, organized by Lis and spouses of members of the Rotary Club of Vancouver South, who carried out the Spouses Program for Siberia.
• Hosting a District Conference at Harrison Hot Springs Hotel, with pt)G Steve and Noko Yoshida from District 5010 as President's Representative, DG Homna and wife from District 2700 in Japan, International' Exchange Students, the GSE Team from Japan and the SPS Team from Russia and celebrating the 50th Anniversaries for Burnaby and Vancouver South Clubs of Rotary International.

Other memorable events during the year included:

• Working with Rotarian Gord Leighton of the Prince George Yel1owhead Club to apply for the award to publicize AIDS prevention.
• The leadership of President Tom Calkin of the Vancouver Club in organizing the Rotary Conference for New-Generations and introducing the Caring for Kids program.
• The appointment of Neil King as the first Northern Group Representative and his help in completing his Governor's Visitations to northern clubs, after the car accident in September 1996 on the highway west of Terrace.

Lis and Dave have founded the David and Lis Ker Scholarship Endowment Fund with The Rotary Foundation, to provide scholarships for students from Siberia to attend an introductory business program at BCIT in Burnaby, BC. Since 1994, they have been visiting Siberia on almost an annual basis to work for Rotary in Russia.

( Rotary Club of Vancouver South. Contact PDG David by Email )