&nbsp;&nbsp;After a 53-year career as a building services assessor and designer, Gavin is in the process of phasing into retirement. This commenced 3 years ago when he changed to working 3 days a week. Next year, he will be fully retired from the workforce but will remain very active in the community.
He says:
<blockquote>“I identified that I needed to take a planned approach as I moved into retirement to ensure my own health and wellbeing. Through this change period, my work in both Rotary and the community is providing me with the extra satisfaction that comes from putting back and hence contributes to my sense of purpose.</blockquote>
<blockquote>Too often people don’t plan these transitions and don’t have the support in place that comes from being part of the Rotary Community. “</blockquote>
When Gavin talks about his work experiences you are left in no doubt that he has loved the roles he has held since he joined the Ministry of Works as a mechanical draughting cadet in Wellington in 1971. He has remained with the same employer for those 53 years as the business has been through ownership and name changes, initially to OPUS and then to WSP International. One of his two sons has also now followed in his footsteps and is working in WSP, taking over some of the responsibilities Gavin has relinquished. Within the company’s culture there remains a strong community focus aligned with Rotary’s Ethos and several of the company’s staff have belonged to Rotary over the years as an extension of that culture.
Having built on his initial training he completed the Technical Qualifications with an NZCE in Mechanical Engineering. His career also developed through design work, project management and later, as a specialist in building compliance. Some of the highlights were carrying out assignments on New Zealand’s remote islands in the Southern Ocean plus Raoul in the Kermadec Islands, to the North of New Zealand.
He noted:
<blockquote>“ Being a member of a task force of circa 100 to the Campbell Islands primarily mounted as a clean-up mission and initiative to eradicate predators was an incredible experience considering the diverse range of people and skills involved in this work and the environment, we had to work in. My role included building assessments for maintenance and investigations of materials used containing asbestos to ensure it was both documented and not an environmental threat.”</blockquote>
Despite a busy career which often took him away from Nelson around the country and from time to time to Australia. Gavin has been an important contributor to the community. As his children grew into teenagers, he supported their development as a Group Leader in Scouts and a Trustee of Nayland College for seven years, including 4.5 years as the Board Chair.
Gavin joined Rotary in 1999.
<blockquote>“My time in Rotary gave me the opportunity to again contribute using the skills learnt in my work career plus my time in governance roles in the community. Rotary opened a whole new world of networking opportunities, learning, friendships, and experiences.”</blockquote>
Two of Gavin’s key contributions to Rotary has been in the development of the award-winning club bulletin of which he has been editor for 6 years and as the Rotary Club of Nelson coordinator for Charitable distributions from the JR Mckenzie Trust, helping fund uniforms and expenses for the children of single parent families as they move into secondary schools.
<blockquote>He says “ It has been a privilege but also very humbling to carry out this work on behalf of the JR Mckenzie Trust which was set up as a Legacy by the late John and Mary McKenzie. John as both a successful businessman and Rotarian believed in putting back into the community as a way of sharing from his success in business. Their vision is continuing to play an important role in helping families at risk ensure their children have the opportunity of a fuller secondary education.”</blockquote>
JR Mckenzie was a great advocate for Rotary and committed to the Rotary principles that underlay his belief in “ethical “ business and that commitment is evidenced by the role played by Rotarians to this day in working with the Trust to deliver on his vision.
Gavin’s own commitment to community has also carried on in parallel with his Rotary service having spent 10 years as a local AA District Councilor (Automobile Association) including 3 years as Chair and a further 3 years on the AA National Council.
In all ways, Gavin is a team player and appreciates the power of that in making the contribution Rotary does in the Nelson/Tasman region, the Pacific and the World.

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Gavin Calder

Building Services Design

Local &amp; National Contributor

Reading through Ross’s work history, qualifications and his contributions to Rotary and the Community it is quickly apparent that his story is about ongoing personal development including using education and life lessons to create positive contributions and change.
Ross’s career commenced through his apprenticeship as a builder then developed his skills in both building and construction over the next 10 years moving through to becoming a Project Manager for some significant projects within the North Island. However, this was only a step towards his greater ambition to pursue a passion to become a Technical Teacher utilising the skills he had developed from his building and construction experience.
<blockquote>Ross says “This ambition arose from my own experience under my Highschool Technical Teacher, who helped instill the skills, the inspiration to learn and my ambition to do the same for other young people coming through the system. In this regard, he was both a role model and mentor.”</blockquote>
Having then qualified as a teacher, he spent the next 23 years in tertiary education at Nelson Polytech, first as a Lecturer and later in several roles as a Head of Department. Through his experience and contacts, he progressed into self-employment as an education and training consultant for the following 22 years including 6 years as a director of a Wellington based private training enterprise.
His potential was recognised early in his education career, when the then head of the Nelson Polytechnic, who was also a Rotarian encouraged Ross to apply to become part of a Rotary International Technical Training programme in 1975, with a year at Oregon State University in the USA.
<blockquote>“This was my first overseas travel and living experience outside New Zealand and broadened my horizons from the programme content, mixing with others on the programme and from people we met and interacted with whilst living in the United States.&nbsp;</blockquote>
<blockquote>This was also my first exposure to Rotary and was a catalyst to me subsequently joining as a member in 1980. I saw membership as an opportunity to put back for that privilege and the benefits I gained”,&nbsp;</blockquote>
Ross was active in the community outside of Rotary having taken an involvement across a wide range of organisations including around education, sport, Chamber of Commerce and a Nelson Employment Task Force. At a National level, he was appointed to the board of the Association for Continuing and Community Education.
<blockquote>” Qualifications at trade, technician and university level and affiliations with Rotary provided credibility in all those endeavours.” He said.</blockquote>
He was, later in his career, accepted under a New Zealand/Australian Government initiative to do a course of study at the University of New England in New South Wales, studying Tertiary Education Administration which again added to his toolkit of skills.
During his years at the Polytechnic, Ross experienced the challenges of becoming a solo parent and bringing up his two daughters, then aged 5 and 12.
He acknowledged this led to “some interesting times” as they grew up and into their teenage years.
This period also provided a direct understanding of many of the challenges facing solo parents and assisted with his later involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBS).
Rotary also played a strong part in maintaining balance through this time.
<blockquote>“Rotary was a vital, constant, friendly and supportive weekly refuge and included sharing time working on projects with others, talking about things other than business.” He said</blockquote>
<blockquote>“Rotary was equally important when I started my business. Often working by myself I got great benefit from the opportunities Rotary provided to share time away from work and to build networks and share projects with others. This included attending meetings and meeting members of other clubs when work took me to other centres around New Zealand “.&nbsp;</blockquote>
Ross’s contribution in Rotary continued to grow as family responsibilities reduced and then during his transition from a busy career as he moved into retirement. He utilised his skills in mentoring, strategy, planning and leadership to support Rotary on both a club and district level as well as through projects including support of Rotary International projects such as Polio Plus&nbsp;
Ross’s Rotary involvement resulted in his introduction to Big Brothers Big Sisters which started when, in 2011 he was asked by the then Rotary representative on the Board to help them &nbsp;prepare a new strategic plan. Subsequently, he spent 2 years on the Board of the Nelson/Tasman branch as a Trustee,9 years as Chair and after stepping down late last year has taken on a role as ambassador for the Nelson/Tasman region to support and promote its ongoing development. See the story on BBBS at https://www.rotarynelson.nz/stories/big-brothers-big-sisters-nelson-tasman
He also took on a role as Chair of Natureland Trust with another Rotarian Gavin Sendall also joining the Board to lead a review of all aspects of the organisation and implement a recovery plan. As part of this recovery, over the next 2years projects were completed by both the Nelson and Nelson West Rotary clubs to improve facilities.
His contribution to Rotary and the community is best measured by the respect people have for Ross and is evidenced in his appointment as the ambassador to BBBS and as a life member after stepping down s Chair.
In summing up his time in Rotary he acknowledged that:
<blockquote>“I am conscious that in my further contributions, over my 40 plus years of involvement, I have in return received a whole lot more from Rotary. The returns are in the satisfaction from helping others, the friendships and having fun, being part of the Rotary family brings. Being part of the internationality of Rotary also makes it possible contribute in a small way to help achieve big things around the world.”&nbsp;</blockquote>

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Ross Newman

Governance

Strategy &amp; Planning

Consultant

Community Leader

Campbell at 25 years of age was elected as a Nelson City Councilor representing the Stoke-Tahunanui Ward in the October 2022 local authority election.&nbsp;
He is an active sportsman playing both hockey and football and has been on the board of Nelson Hockey since 2018. In 2022, he was elected to &nbsp;the board of the Tahuna Football Club and became Vice President. He stood down from this role &nbsp;in late 2022 due to his election success and the time demands on him as a councilor.
His work in the community has also extended to Big Brothers Big Sisters(BBBS) where in 2020 he was accepted into the “Youth into Governance Programme” to understudy the BBBS board. The programme was established by BBBS as an extension to youth development in Nelson and was developed by Ross Newman, a Rotarian during his tenure as Chair of BBBS and rolled out through a selection process to place the successful candidates with other community boards in Nelson.
He says:&nbsp;
“ I was very lucky to be selected to do the programme through BBBS because it was a very well organised and effective board under Chairman Ross Newman so was an excellent learning experience. The programme, also designed by Ross has given me a very good grounding in governance and board process. It naturally gave me a real sense of achievement when a board vacancy opened up in BBBS in 2021 and the board approached me to become a Trustee.”
BBBS has had one and sometimes two members of the Rotary Club of Nelson on its Board for each of the last 24 years since its establishment in 1997 and with Campbell having now joined Rotary he is adding to that legacy. See story at <a href="https://www.rotarynelson.nz/stories/big-brothers-big-sisters-nelson-tasman">Big Brothers Big Sisters Nelson Tasman | Rotary Club of Nelson (rotarynelson.nz)</a>&nbsp;
The Rollo name is highly respected in Nelson business circles with a strong presence in the city over the last 50 years first through Rollo Locksmiths and later through their Camping and Outdoors shop together with supply operations they established to support the retail operations. It is testament to the customer loyalty generated that the new owners have continued to operate under the Rollo name since it was sold in 2018.
Campbells successes in recent times are no accident. Growing up in this family environment gave Campbell a good grounding in business and in particular taught him the importance of setting goals then developing strategies to achieve them.
“ I knew in the lead up to the elections that I needed to build on my community profile identifying the points of difference I could offer as a candidate. The setting of goals and strategies to achieve those was very much a part of the learnings from family around the kitchen table.”
Family ,and in particular his parents, also instilled a strong sense of community and the importance of putting back. As with many of the younger generation, Campbell has a strong focus on ensuring we protect our environment albeit it is with the same pragmatism with which he is approaching his role as a councilor.
This was evident whilst he was attending Garin College and set up the Environment in Schools programme which established recycling as a key component in dealing with and reducing overall school waste. Sport was also a strong feature of his school years and gave him his first leadership experience and this together with his &nbsp;involvement in later years in club management and governance has given him the confidence necessary in dealing with people across a wide range of backgrounds and ages.
Campbell has been a member of Rotary for just over 18 months. He is the youngest member of the club and is mixing with people, some of whom are up to 3 times his age. He brings a fresh perspective but also listens and learns from those around him.
“Rotary through its projects gives me the opportunity to broaden my community contribution as with the recent Tahunanui Beach cleanup which our club contributed to.
Rotary is a great place to learn about community activities through the guest speaker programme but also at meetings through talking with people over dinner who have been ‘there and done that’ across a wide range of different careers and community activities.”

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Campbell Rollo

City Council

Future Leader

When you get to know Richard you quickly realise that he is an accomplished person who has engaged in a wide range of interests and activities. He enjoyed a long career as a professional engineer, having graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) degree, from Canterbury University in 1969. &nbsp;He worked initially for the Nelson Harbour Board, and then joined Mike Worseldine’s consulting engineering practice, soon becoming a partner. The practice grew, becoming Cameron Gibson and Wells Ltd by the time of his retirement. He was made a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers in 1998, recognising his contribution to the profession in the top of the south. &nbsp;Now known as CGW, the practice has become a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy, with offices in several cities.
<blockquote>“My first design job at the Harbour Board was the design of Kingsford Quay, a new wharf for the log trade. Once completed, I was invited to join the harbour master on the bridge as the first logging ship was berthed. From that height my wharf looked to be made of cardboard and matchsticks, and I was very relieved when the fendering system worked perfectly, and the ship was safely tied up. 50 years on the wharf is still going strong.”</blockquote>
Richard joined Rotary in 1989, when he was invited by his partner Mike Worseldine.
<blockquote>“I wanted to meet more people from outside my usual sphere, and become more involved with the community. Rotary has certainly contributed strongly to that and the work life balance I was seeking.” &nbsp;</blockquote>
In addition to his participation in Rotary, he has served on the Nelson Diocesan Trust Board, as a committee member of the Nelson Amateur Swimming Club and The Nelson Ski Club, and on the Nelson School of Music Trust Board. Richard is also a keen violinist, having started learning the instrument at the age of six. He has been a committee member, chairman for many years, and remains Leader of the Nelson Symphony Orchestra, which he describes as a regional orchestra that would be the envy of most regional centres.
His passion for music, and long association with the School of Music resulted in him joining the fundraising team to allow completion of the recent upgrading of the school and it’s facilities, and it’s rebranding as The Nelson Centre of Musical Arts. &nbsp;(NCMA)
He remains an active skier, and says his passion for this sport grew from joining the Mt. Robert Ski Club in the 1960’s.
<blockquote>“We used to climb up Mt. Robert for summer work parties, and winter ski weekends, and especially the school holiday “ski weeks”. These were great family holidays where lifelong friendships were formed, that were available at a fraction of the cost now charged at commercial fields”</blockquote>
From that time he became involved in ski racing, and today is a member of the St. Arnaud Ski Racing Foundation, an organisation set up to encourage ski training and racing particularly among school age children. He still participates in Masters race events himself.
The day we met to discuss this story, he had just completed a 70km bike ride and was heading to his office where he retains an interest in his family’s development company.

New Zealand

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Richard Wells

Businessman

Musician

New to Nelson, Shalom and his wife Sally have recently been granted their Permanent Residency. They are not strangers to Nelson as they have been visiting their younger son and his family &nbsp;from their previous home in Hongkong for the 12 years leading up to their immigration here in 2017.
Shalom was born in Alexandria in Egypt but left there aged 17 after his family was expelled as a&nbsp;result of retaliatory action against British Citizens&nbsp;because of the 1956 Suez Crisis and despite his family having lived in Egypt for 3 generations as a tolerated minority. Accordingly, he embarked for England as part of the British commitment to resettle those affected.
<blockquote>“It was in a way a repeat of our family history, which traced back to Spain and the Spanish Inquisition when my family chose to leave there rather than convert to the Catholic religion”.</blockquote>
In England he embarked on his career as an electrical engineer. He then moved to Nassau in the Bahamas in 1964 where he met Sally, his wife who became a doctor and general practitioner. They have two sons .
Shalom has now lived in 7 countries, is fluent in 5 languages (Arabic, French, English, Spanish and Hebrew plus peaks moderate Italian and Cantonese) and through his extensive travels could aptly&nbsp;be described as being a “world citizen”.
In Hong Kong he set up a consulting business and was joined by his younger son. He also joined Rotary, was a member for 30 years and as International Service Director became involved in projects in Tibet and Nepal.
<blockquote>“My membership of Rotary, first in Hong Kong and now in Nelson has been a great way to learn to become part of the community and to build friendships. Rotary is like an extended family and through the meetings, speaker programme, and projects it has provided a better understanding of Nelson.&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote>
<blockquote>We love living in Nelson and it’s great to be able to give back as part of Rotary.</blockquote>
<blockquote>My older son worked with me on my property interests that I invested in and worked on in Spain where he remains living. Though he is a long way away from us now he does in a sense provide a link for the family back to its historic origin.”</blockquote>

Bahamas

Egypt

Great Britain

Hong Kong

Spain

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Shalom Levy

New Member

New to Nelson

World Citizen

Rex had a long and distinguished career with NZ Police and through promotions took on responsibilities including 25 years as Officer in Charge of the Armed Offenders Squad in both Nelson and Wanganui. He took on the role of Police Prosecutor for Wanganui and Nelson and then to Senior Sergeant responsible for co-coordinating Police Prosecution Services for Nelson, West Coast and Marlborough until he retired in 2006. During his time in the Police he and wife Jo brought up their family of one daughter and three sons and now have four grandchildren.
Rex was one of the initiators of the Restorative Justice programme &nbsp;in Nelson and is currently on the Board of the Restorative Justice Trust.
<blockquote>“I was approached to join Nelson Rotary in 1993 after speaking to the Rotary Club of Nelson on the role of the Armed Offenders squad.</blockquote>
<blockquote>Rotary was complementary to my police work, as whilst we, as police officers identified community gaps we needed others to help address them and Rotary was and is an ideal partner. I was also &nbsp;attracted by the values that Rotary stands for.</blockquote>
<blockquote>I was pleased that women started to join the club shortly after I became a member and brought new skills, experiences and perspectives into the club.</blockquote>
<blockquote>Rotary has had a balancing effect on my life as the meetings and activities were a sanctuary away from the confrontations that some police work entails but still brought the type of camaraderie that I enjoyed in the Police”</blockquote>
Interventionist programme examples include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rotoiti Lodge Outdoor Centre and&nbsp;the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness.
Once he retired he brought his skills to bear initially&nbsp;in the Role of District Governor then to further District and &nbsp;Regional training initiatives and in 2013 and 2016 was a representative to the Council of Legislation for Rotary International in Chicago. He and wife Jo also acted as liaison to two Rotary International World Presidents on visits to New Zealand.
<blockquote>“At my first Rotary World convention I was amazed by the people power of so many coming together who shared the same vision and values. My wife Jo has always been a huge support in my Rotary work.”</blockquote>
Together they participated in work in Rotary Institutes, District Conferences and 6 Rotary World conventions with the largest in Chicago attended by 42000 people.
The club recognized Jo’s contribution to Rotary through a Community PHF recognition in 2012.
Rex is the ‘go to’ person within the club for matters to do with Rotary both Nationally and Internationally

Rex Morris

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