MONTEGO Bay hotelier Godfrey Dyer made history in Taipei, Thailand recently when he became the first non-American and the first black man elected to the presidency of the Kiwanis International Foundation (KIF).

Kiwanis International was incorporated the KIF in 1940 as a tax-exempt organisation set up specifically to administer the financial affairs of Kiwanis, and to raise and disburse funds for Kiwanis’ projects worldwide.

A board of 12 persons representing the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific runs the KIF.

The KIF just concluded a six-year fundraising drive, along with the over 600,000 members of the Kiwanis family across the hemisphere, and was successful in raising US$75 million to eradicate Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) in young children.

The dreaded disease causes goiter deformity and mental retardation, and affects nearly two billion people including 700 million children in several countries across the world.

“Kiwanis has raised the US$76 million and we have so far dispersed US$47 million resulting in several million children being born today without any longer fearing the threat of mental retardation or deformity,” Dyer said.

His ascension to the presidency of the KIF comes after a year in the treasurer’s seat, and took place during Kiwanis’ 85th annual convention.

“I am heartened, it’s really a good feeling, it will be a challenge, but being a seasoned Kiwanian I feel I will be able to do justice to the position,” he said.

An outstanding and dedicated member of the movement for the past 31 years, he already has a long list of achievements.

As Governor of the Eastern Canada and Caribbean District, Dyer made history in 1996 when he was given the award of Distinguished Governor. When he received the award, it had not been bestowed upon any other Kiwanian Governor in the past 17 years.

According to him, being ‘distinguished’ does not come easily.

“It was an accumulation of a number of things, including growth and performance of projects,” Dyer, a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Falmouth, which he was instrumental in forming in 1970, explained.

In addition to Jamaica, there are 75 other countries involved in the Kiwanis movement across the world.

In his capacity as International President, Dyer will oversee the fundraising activities and disbursements of funds worldwide, conduct board meetings and attend both the European Federation International and the Kiwanis International Conferences.