THE Kiwanis Club of New Kingston (KCNK) is set to host its Celebration of Excellence Luncheon on June 17 under the theme ‘Extraordinary Women: Making a Difference’.

The highlight of the event, set to take place at Jamaica Pegasus hotel, will be a keynote address by Dr Rosemary Moodie, who was recently named among the 25 Canadian Women of Influence.

Dr Moodie, who is Jamaican by birth, spent 25 years as a neonatologist and clinical teacher at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and is an assistant professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto, and a former Corporate Chief of Paediatrics and Medical Director of the Rouge Valley Health System’s regional maternal child programme.

In addition to her medical practice and research, Dr Moodie’s contribution to volunteerism, philanthropy, and advocacy has been outstanding. She is a past president of YWCA Toronto, Advisory Board of Food for the Poor Canada, and board director of P.A.C.E. (Canada). She currently serves as board director at St Joseph Health Centre Toronto and Scotiabank Jamaica Foundation.

She has received many awards and community recognitions over the years, including the recent African Canadian Achievement Awards of Excellence.