A former president of Pembroke Rotary Club has been elected district governor for Rotary district 7230 in the United States. Barbara Harris Edwards told The Royal Gazette she was the first woman from Bermuda to be given the position.

“I’m very honoured and proud,” the retired day spa owner said, adding that she would help guide the 43 Rotary clubs in her district, including four in Bermuda and the rest in the state of New York. Ms Harris Edwards was installed at a ceremony at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, NY on May 20.

A former Mount Saint Agnes Academy student, she was joined by fellow Rotarians from Bermuda and the US at the event.

Ms Harris Edwards ran Wavelength spa on Lovers Lane in Paget before selling the business in 2013.

She has been involved for decades in voluntary work on the island, including for Pals Cancer Care and the Women’s Auxiliary team at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. She has also served on the Parole Board and the Road Safety Council.