Sue Avison (Rotary Club of Hutt City): PHF + 2 Sapphire Pin
Sue, now an Area Governor, has played a pivitol role in the Innovative Young Minds programme and is the current IYM Trustee and Programme Manager.
In 2016, Rotary Hutt City identified that there was a need for greater diversity in the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, maths and high-tech manufacturing) sector where women are underrepresented. Hutt City Rotary partnered with Hutt City Council and Innovative Young Minds, a local programme for 40 young women in year 11 and 12 at school, was established. The success of IYM in the first two years led Rotary Hutt City to expand the programme. In 2019, IYM was extended nationwide and Rotary Clubs across New Zealand were encouraged to sponsor students to attend. The Innovative Young Minds Charitable Trust was established, Sue became a Trustee and their alumnae programme grew to include a trip to Silicon Valley. Plans for further expansion of IYM continue under the leadership and governance of the IYM Trust Board.
Marilyn Stevens (Rotary Club of Kapiti): PHF + 1 Sapphire
Marilyn has been a passionate Rotarian since 1993. She has had long and broad involvement in District Committees and was an Assistant Governor from 2014-16.
She has always had a passion for youth and her District roles have included that of Youth Service Coordinator/Chair since 2018. She is also the key Rotaract and Interact contact for our District. She and Wayne have been host to around 30 International students overtime.
Marilyn has also been on the Vocational Training Committee and was the first woman to lead a Group Study Exchange team overseas in our District, including to Sweden. She was also team leader for two friendship exchanges.
PDG Mitchell Brown (Rotary Club of Takaro): PHF + 1 Sapphire
Mitchell has held many District roles. He was the Trees for Survival District contact from 2012-17. He was on the District Vocational Training Team in 2016-17 and prior to that on the Vocational Exchange Committee from 2011 to 2016, and on a Vocational Exchange Team during 2012 -13 and 2014-15. He had previously led the District 9920 Group Study Exchange Team to Florida in 1997.
More recently Mitchell has brough his passion and energy to the role of Learning and Development Chair, holding this from 2018 to this year, when he is stepping down, having made a strong contribution. His role has been to lead and facilitate District Learning and Development programme. This has included local District training through District Assemblies, President Elect and Leadership Training and wider National South Pacific President Elect Development.
With the onset of COVID Mitchell has demonstrated flexibility and initiative in readily adapting programmes to online offerings, often at short notice.
Richard Stephen (Rotary Club of Hutt River Valley): PHF + 3 Sapphire Pin
Richard has held many District roles, including the role of District ClubRunner Website Manager in 2016 as Rotary District 9940 moved to a new website and electronic management system. He continued, in the role of District ICT Chair, to ensure our website was relevant and fit for purpose and provide Clubrunner advice and training to our District leaders and Clubs to ensure the system is understood and implemented within each Club, making himself readily available to share his expertise.
This last year Richard has relinquished his ICT Chair role to take on a broader role- that of Operations Manager for ROZops – Rotary’s national administrative body. Richard has continued to bring commitment, perseverance and attention to detail to this often very complex and challenging role. He has demonstrated his ability to tirelessly absorb new topics and work with challenging technical information often in difficult circumstances, showing continuing commitment to Rotary in our District and nationally.
Nick Hurley (Rotary Club of Wellington): PHF
Nick Hurley has made a considerable contribution in his role of International Service Chair, starting his involvement in this committee in 2017 when he was Vice Chair.
Nick brings significant experience and credibility to his Rotary roles through his experience with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade since 1974. He has had extensive experience in the Pacific and Europe including as New Zealand High Commissioner to several Pacific Islands spanning a number of years. Nick has provided invaluable support for many Pacific Island Rotary projects including the Rarotonga mobile health clinic project initiated by the Masterton South Club three years ago. Most recently your support was needed in sending masks to Fiji.
Nick has been the District representative for Emergency Response Kits since 2018. Nick has also been D9940’s representative for Rotary New Zealand World Community Service which was established to facilitate the international aid and development work undertaken by New Zealand Rotarians and their partners.
Marion Eades (Rotary Club of Wellington): PHF + 2 Sapphire Pin
Marion has been on the District Rotary Foundation Scholarships and Fellowships Committee since 2011 and has chaired this committee since 2015, standing down after the 2020-21 year. She has committed many hours to her work in administering Global Grants Scholarships and Peace Fellowship applications in our District and has facilitated a number of young people in gaining opportunities for international study.
Marion agreed to take the role of Chair for our District Conference this year, bringing her expertise in governance, finance and risk management to this role. She demonstrated strong leadership, giving us confidence that we were able to deliver a conference that provided quality and value to our Rotarians.
Freya Kerr (Rotary Club of Masterton South): PHF +1 Sapphire Pin
Freya’s District involvement began in 2011 when she participated on the Rotary Youth Exchange Committee. This continued until 2013. In that year Freya accepted the role of Assistant Governor for the Wairarapa and ably supported the Wairarapa Clubs for two years.
In 2016 Freya spent a year on the District Club Development Committee. She then joined the Public Image and Communications Committee and accepted the role of District Bulletin Editor in 2018 and held that role for 2.5 years, stepping back from it during this Rotary year due to ill health. Freya had a knack of identifying interesting stories from around the District and ensured they were told in the Bulletin.
Freya has been hugely involved with Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) in our District, holding the role of Co-Chair from 2016 to the present day. This last Rotary year RYDA itself is acknowledged Freya’s huge contribution by awarding the BOC Community Award for RYDA 2021 – the only person in NZ to receive it this year.
Joy Durrant (Rotary Club of Port Nicholson): PHF + 3 Sapphire Pin
Joy’s major District contribution has been her work as District Literacy Coordinator from 2012 to the present day. Even with the impact of COVID this last year, Joy has still encouraged Clubs to support schools and other institutions in their literary efforts. Joy reports “Literacy orders have hardly taken a blip and thousands of Usborne dictionaries have been ordered, along with increasing numbers of Rotary Rhyming Around the Alphabet books for our younger audiences of early learning. Sometimes a child just needs their own special book.”
Joy led the recent successful attaining of a District Grant for Rotary Rhyming Around the Alphabet Books. The application was on behalf of the Rotary Clubs of Port Nicholson; Wellington; Mt Victoria; Wellington North and Porirua. The books will support children, pre-school and potentially up to Year 8 or 9, at three Wellington area schools; children, families and communities in Samoa and Rarotonga, and young patients at Wellington Children’s Hospital. This will contribute some 400 books into those communities.
Laura Sommer (Rotary Club of Tawa): PHF + 1 Sapphire Pin
As a member of the District 9940 Public Image team, Laura brings her experience and knowledge to Rotary through holding the role of Social media co-ordinator for Rotary District 9940 for over 10 years. This role involves educating clubs on how to use social media in projects and fundraising ventures, and communicate effectively with local and international communities. Laura has always provided advice willingly, tapping in to her professional background.
Laura is effectively the link between the public and the District as she answers all inquiries on that come through our District 9940 website and has done for years. There is a range of diverse inquiries which means contacting Rotarians to find an answer and/or answerer.
Laura has done many presentations in our District over the years at District Training events and also some Clubs.
Brent Gerrard (Rotary Club of Port Nicholson): PHF + 1 Sapphire Pin
Brent brings his professional skill set to benefit Rotary. He has 30 years of experience in the information technology business with experience in sales, software, infrastructure and operations.
Brent’s District contribution includes his role as District Information and Communications Technology Chair and District Webmaster.
He holds a leadership role as part of Rotary Oceania Zone Operations – ROZops - ROZtech Standing Committee D9940 Rep. Brent is also an advisor re Charitable Trusts.
Brent played a key role leading up to and during SPPETS 2019 in Auckland and South Pacific President Elect Training Seminar in 2020 in Christchurch as on the Management Committee as D9940 representative and Treasurer / Audio Visual guru.
He then played a similar role on the SPPEDS 2021 Management Committee, again as Treasurer and with responsibility for Audio Visual and Social Media. This time the training was conducted virtually, benefiting from Brent’s expertise
