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WILFRID J. WILKINSON, C.M., F.C.A.
Rotary International President, 2007-08
Wilfrid J. (Wilf) Wilkinson, a retired chartered accountant was a founding partner of Wilkinson & Company, a public accounting firm. He is a past-president of the Province of Ontario Public Accountants Council –, and a past Treasurer of both the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Quebec and the Royal Canadian Military Institute and was elected a Fellow of the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants.
A Rotarian since 1962, Mr. Wilkinson is a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Trenton, Ontario. He served Rotary International President in 2007-08, the first Canadian to serve in that position in 55 years. Previously he served Rotary International as Vice-President, Director, Rotary Foundation Trustee, District Governor, International Assembly Chair and Chair of the Rotary International Centennial Convention in Chicago.
After retiring from accountancy, Mr. Wilkinson was the part-time executive director of the Quinte Ballet School of Canada. He has also been chair of the Trenton Memorial Hospital fundraising committee, founding chairman of the Belleville Cheshire Home for Physically Handicapped Adults, chairman of the Board for Loyalist College and president of the district council of the Boy Scouts of Canada.
As a member of the International PolioPlus Committee, Mr. Wilkinson has advanced the global effort to eradicate polio. He participated in National Immunization Days (NIDS) in Kenya, Tanzania, India and also administered polio drops to children of Afghan refugees in Pakistan. He has also been a Health, Hunger and Humanity Program volunteer to India. In addition, Mr. Wilkinson has had Rotary assignments in South African, Namibia, United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and many regions of the United States and Canada.
Mr. Wilkinson has been recognized for his humanitarian service by the Knights of Columbus, Province of Ontario, the government of Canada and was honoured by Pope John Paul II with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal. He is also the recipient of many Rotary honours, including the Citation for Meritorious Service, International Service Award for a Polio-free World, the Distinguished Service Award and Service Above Self Award. He became a Member of the Order of Canada on May 3, 2007 with a citation that read, in part, “Integrity, commitment and service are the hallmarks of Wilfrid Wilkinson’s contributions to his community”.
Mr. Wilkinson has been married to Joan since 1953 and they have four sons and eight grandchildren.
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