Henley wins Rotarian of the Year

July 26, 2011

Dave Henley

HOPKINTON - While the waiting room at Wood River Health Services in Hope Valley is crowded with people seeking a wide range of different medical services, Dave Henley scurries about the building putting up flyers for an upcoming blood drive.

Henley is always looking for ways he can help. The South Kingstown High School and URI graduate, who is the development coordinator at Wood River Health, recently received an award that commemorates him for his unrivaled love of serving his community.

On June 28, he was named Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of Chariho. The award is given to the club member who most accurately personifies the club’s motto, “service over self.” According to the club’s outgoing president, D. Scott McLeod, who presented Henley with the award, Henley “lives the motto in both his club and career dealings and his personal life.”

“I was flabbergasted, I couldn’t believe it,” said Henley about receiving the award. “It’s hard to describe, but at the same time I don’t know why they picked me,” he said laughingly.

Henley’s love for community service runs deep. Once the former journalist got a taste of non-profit work and community service, he said he was dissatisfied with doing anything else.

He started at Wood River Health, a non-profit full-service community health center located on Main Street in Hope Valley, four years ago, and immediately began to seek more ways to give back.

“I knew that community involvement was something I wanted to do more of,” he said. “I do it on a purely selfish basis, I want to feel good.”
He joined the Rotary Club of Chariho not long after he started working at Wood River Health.

“As I got to know them I really loved what they were doing,” he said.

For more information pick up a copy The Chariho Times.