Official visit by District Governor
John was born in England and moved to Australia in 1965.
In 1973 he established a North Queensland office for a level two major builder which he successfully ran for six years.Returning to Brisbane he was the Commercial Manager for another builder responsible for all marketing, procurement and commercial matters in addition to acting as the company's nominee to the Queensland Building and Construction Authority and representative to the Property Council.
Following their withdrawal from the Queensland Market in 2007, John commenced business as a consultant providing commercial advice and assistance to contractors and subcontractors. Invited to join Rotary at Port of Townsville Club in 1976 (their second youngest member at the time) he was a member until the family returned to Brisbane in 1979.
Due to family and work commitments he did not re-join Rotary until 1994 when he became a member of RC Ashgrove - The Gap (his current Club), filling most roles including President in 1999/2000. Being very active at District level his roles have included Club Service Chair in 2000/01, Rotaract Chair 2001/04, Assistant Governor North-West Brisbane 2006/09, Membership Chair 2010/13 and Rotary Australia World Community Service Chair 2014/16.
A long-time supporter of The Rotary Foundation John received Paul Harris recognition from Ashgrove-The Gap in 2003 and again in 2006. He is also a Charter Member of the District 9600 Paul Harris Society and a Major Donor.
John has three children Angela, Steven and Michael and four grandchildren Edward (Ned), Greta, Douglas and Georgina. Angela has a Master's In Education, teaches at St Paul's Bald Hills and is an avid triathlete. Steven is a Haematologist and Pathologist, working at Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghoffer, researching Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, whilst also acting as a consultant in the Oncology Department at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Michael is a Medical Registrar currently undertaking specialist training in Allergies.
John lost his first wife, Beryl, to Cancer in 2009, after being married for 40 years. But in 2012 at the Bangkok Convention John met Helene 'Bo' Morse, a Rotarian from Northern California (San Francisco) they became engaged in 2013 and were married in August 2015.
The Role of the District Governor
District governors provide leadership, motivation, and guidance to Rotary clubs under the general supervision of the RI Board of Directors. Governors act as officers of RI, fostering achievement in their district at the club level.
Districts nominate governors 24-36 months before the governors take office.
Governors-nominee are elected at the RI Convention and serve as governors-elect for 12 months prior to taking office.
Responsibilities
During their term of service, governors:
- Strengthen existing Rotary clubs, organize new clubs, and promote membership growth
- Issue a monthly letter to each club president and secretary in the district
- Support The Rotary Foundation and serve as a district and RI spokesperson, when appropriate
- Hold a district conference and other district meetings
- Ensure that district nominations and elections are conducted in accordance with the RI Constitution and Bylaws and established policies of RI