THE Rotary Club of Gawler’s new president Mark Smeaton will bring decades of business experience to the role he has accepted with a clear vision.

Mark was officially welcomed to the top position last week during the club’s annual changeover dinner, taking the reins from outgoing president Steve Barilla.

“Steve was a great leader and he has done some fantastic things for our club and reintroduced things changed by previous presidents,” Mark said.

“He had a vision to try and pull back some of the older culture of Rotary and he did that really well, while giving our members confidence that we haven’t forgotten where we come from.

“He remains on the board in our club administration position.”

Entering his fourth year of Rotary membership, Mark fast saw success within the organisation during his first year when he received a Paul Harris Fellow Award.

After lobbying for government funding to provide the Willo’s Mens Shed with a new facility, Mark was invited to take the board position of vocational director, and he has climbed the ranks since, with numerous members encouraging him to take on the president’s position.

He said his 35 years of business experience – including 22 years with the Ahrens group working as a construction director – would help him contribute to Rotary’s growth.

“What I can do is bring to Rotary what I have learnt in business,” Mark said.

“The three important things for me is our people, the projects that we do, and the community.

“Our club is 66-years-old and we have some long-standing members and we are an ageing club. For me, one of my goals is to increase our membership with younger people from all areas who can add value.

“I want to retain our history and culture steeped in traditions while moving forward.

“We are proud of our past, but we’ve got to be focussed on our future.”

Mark will have the support of his wife, Julie, and two children Ben and Emily.

He said the “timing was right” to take on the local presidency.

“I travel a lot as part of my job, however, COVID has made me think differently and has restricted my travelling,” Mark said.

“Because I am home a lot more I thought, ‘If I’m going to do it, now is the time’.

“I’m not concerned by the challenges COVID is sure to bring. I believe from this pandemic it’s going to bring people closer together and communities are going to rely on each other a lot more, and I really do believe now it the time clubs like Gawler Rotary can benefit from that.

“People have been in isolation for a long time and getting people to get out where they can when it is well managed and being part of the community again, that’s the upside, and that’s what I want to try and promote through our club.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Rotary Club of Gawler is encouraged to get in contact with Brian Burt (bburt@aapt.net.au).