Last Friday, we had the opportunity to learn more about Ardy Bastien, our President-Elect.

Ardy was born in New York City. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He continued on to obtained his Juris Doctorate (JD) and Masters of Laws (LLM) in Transnational Business Practice. Ardy has studied in various places of the globe, including the University of Madrid; the University of Avignon; Salzburg, Austria, and Cuernavaca Mexico. He has worked in Barcelona, Spain at the prestigious firm known as Bufete Mullerat & Roca.

Ardy talked about his childhood visits to Haiti. "I have a vivid memory of being in Haiti and seeing a House down the street from where I stayed which was labeled with the Rotary Wheel. That organization - which I would later learn in life was Rotary - was known for providing service to others and getting things done. It was in a neighborhood called Carenage in Cap Haitian."

Ardy moved to Atlanta in 2008 where he opened up his own practice in collaboration with other attorneys. He mainly represents individuals who are injured or died as a result of the negligence and malpractice of individuals or corporations. He also represents individuals facing criminal charges and/or infractions. Ardy began his exposure to criminal law at the Queens County District Attorney’s office. Additionally, his Masters of Laws in business practice enables him to counsel on transactional matters.

When Ardy is not busy practicing law or serving the community, he enjoys spending time with his family. He mostly enjoys the outdoors, running (the photo here is from July 4 when Ardy joined us in Dunwoody after running the Peachtree), sailing, cycling and golfing. Ardy has a passion for listening and playing music with friends. But most of all, he loves to get to know new people and new places.

Why Rotary? "Rotary to me brings people that are like minded to grow and do good." He's looking for all ideas about ways we can grow and do good in our community this coming year.