When Susan DeQuattro Arrand was asked to be president of the Ogunquit Rotary Club, she knew there would be some challenges and a lot to learn, but she could never have anticipated a year like 2020.
The club could not have found a better leader for these trying times. Susan dove into the job with a clear vision for what the club could achieve; she leads with enthusiasm and boundless energy; and luckily for the club, she is a person who thinks on her feet and can adjust well to changing circumstances.
Susan attended a multi-day training class for Rotary presidents right before the pandemic lockdown and she began to understand the incredible breadth and depth of Rotary. Rotary appeals to Susan because of the theme of “service above self” which is her North Star when recommending speakers for the club, activities to participate in, and using her time and energy to continue to learn about what Rotary has to offer.
Going into the presidency, Susan didn’t have a lot of expectations about what the job would be like. When the club could no longer meet in person, she transitioned to zoom meetings and just went with it. Although she misses the social aspects of the lunch meetings, she knew she had to step up and do the job to keep the club engaged and active. In addition to championing safe activities and bringing in interesting speakers, Susan sends personalized emails to older members to keep them engaged and ensure they are comfortable with the technology used to join the virtual meetings.
With 2021 now underway, and the potential to resume in-person meetings again at some point this year, Susan has been asked to take on another year of the presidency and she can’t wait to get back to in-person meetings and hug everyone. Susan’s contributions are widely recognized in the club and she has now been formally recognized with the honor of a Paul Harris Fellow recognition. As Dr. Joe Boyle, foundation chair of the Ogunquit Rotary Club, said in his remarks during the presentation of the award, “You have provided all of us with remarkable leadership through an amazingly challenging and unique year. We have continued to thrive as a club and we have benefitted the world, our nation, and our community through phone calls to seniors, providing free masks to anyone who needed them, gathering food for food pantries, buying books for our schools, providing grant money to Colombia for COVID-19 relief, and for resources to educate women and children on health issues.
Susan shared the honor of the Paul Harris Fellow recognition with Vickie Russell, a spouse of a club member, who was honored for her active involvement in club projects and activities. In addition to local club activity participation, Vickie was part of a group of Ogunquit Rotary members who travelled to the Dominican Republic (pre-pandemic) to build and install water filters on sugar plantation communities in La Romana.
Following the ceremony, where the Paul Harris Fellow medallions were presented to Susan and Vickie by Dr. Boyle, Susan said that she was “really touched by Joe’s generosity and his example is inspiring.” The club has a lot to be thankful for this year and congratulates Vickie and Susan on this recognition for their service.
