District Governor Ramesh Ferris

Ramesh Ferris is a Canadian polio survivor, global health advocate, and the 2025–2026 Governor of Rotary District 5370, which includes Northern Alberta, parts of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Yukon. 

Born in Coimbatore, India, and adopted into a loving family in Whitehorse, Yukon, he was the first international adoption in the Yukon Territory, arriving September 27, 1982. Ramesh contracted polio at six months of age. After undergoing multiple surgeries and years of rehabilitation in Canada, he regained mobility using leg braces and crutches.

A dedicated Rotarian since 2009, Ramesh is best known for his 2008 “Cycle to Walk” campaign, where he hand-cycled 7,140 kilometres across Canada (Victoria, BC, to Cape Spear, NL) to raise awareness and funds for Rotary International’s PolioPlus campaign for polio eradication, as well as for rehabilitation and education.

He has delivered hundreds of speeches across Canada and internationally, sharing the stage with global leaders and advocating for a polio-free world. Ramesh has represented Rotary International on National Immunization Days in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and spoken at the United Nations, Rotary International Conventions, Zone Institutes, District Conferences, and numerous government and health forums. His partnerships include the Gates Foundation, Global Citizen, United Nations Foundation, and the World Health Organization.

Within Rotary, Ramesh has served as Club President of the Rotary Club of Whitehorse Rendezvous, Assistant District Governor, and an End Polio Now Coordinator (EPNC) for Rotary Zone 28. He is a Major Donor of The Rotary Foundation, and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Yukon Commissioner’s Award for Volunteer Public Service, Rotary International’s Service Award for a Polio-Free World, and he has been inducted into Canada’s Disability Hall of Fame.

Ramesh works in the field of social work, is married to fellow Rotarian Dagmar Ferris, who is a high school mathematics teacher, and they live in Whitehorse, Yukon.

As District Governor, Ramesh leads with the Rotary theme “Unite for Good,” encouraging Rotarians and Rotaractors to build stronger clubs, champion local and global service projects, and remain focused on the promise of a polio-free world.