In Gear | Rotary in Southern New Zealand Issue 2 | Page 60

Trevor Cochran
Assistant governor 2016-17
Rotary clubs of Aparima, Fiorldland, Gore and Winton.

PROFILES

It was in Stewart Island bush that the power of
Rotary really struck Trevor Cochran.
A Rotarian for two years at the time, he’d
joined some of his fellow Rotary Club of Winton
members on the island at the request of
Department of Conservation staff. They’d put
out the call to Rotary for a hand cutting tracks to
and from a new hut, ‘Long Harry’, on the NorthWest Circuit Track, that was under construction.
The level of camaraderie that grew as the tracks
took shape in 2003 laid robust foundations not
only for that particular project, but for the future
of the Rotary Club of Winton. For Trevor, the time
on Stewart Island left such a lasting impression,
it still remains his defining ‘Rotary moment’, and
the bonds forged among the club members
involved in the project are as strong today.
In terms of highlights, pretty close second
comes the Winton Rotary Trail project, a major
feather in his club’s cap that saw it named joint
winner in the ‘Achiever’ section at the recent
Environment Southland Community Awards.

The accolade followed the club’s tireless efforts
constructing and enhancing the 9km track,
including extensive plantings of native trees and
shrubs.
Together with his project-based Rotary
contributions, Trevor took on governance roles
from early-on in his membership. He served as
president of the Rotary Club of Winton in 200708, and has also been a club director for both
International and Membership.
As assistant governor, Trevor provides support
and guidance to the Rotary clubs of Aparima,
Fiorldland, Gore and Winton. His key aims are to
provide a constructive ear for club leaders, and
to provide practical help wherever possible.
Trevor’s a strong proponent of the need for
presidents and their teams to have fun in
their roles, and considers if he can help make
the leadership journey of those under his
mentorship more enjoyable and rewarding then
he’s achieved something worthwhile.

Paul Checketts
Assistant governor 2016-17
Rotary clubs of Alexandra (including Teviot Valley satellite club),
Cromwell, Queenstown, Queenstown Next Rotary Generation (NRG),
and Wanaka

New District 9980 assistant governor Paul Checketts
is big on collaboration, and he’s making the sharing
of information and ideas between the Lakes District
and Central Otago clubs he watches over and
supports a priority.
A member of the Rotary Club of Alexandra since
moving to Central Otago from Invercargill in 2006,
Paul’s oversight as assistant governor covers the
Rotary clubs of Alexandra (including Teviot Valley
satellite club), Cromwell, Queenstown, Queenstown
Next Rotary Generation (NRG) and Wanaka.
During his tenure, he’s keen to ensure his clubs’
presidents are well supported, and that there is a
strong flow of communication, particularly around

passing on good ideas and encouraging clubs to
band together to tackle projects collectively.
As well as a term as Rotary Club of Alexandra
president in the 2013-14 year, he has served as club
secretary, treasurer, and Youth director.
Paul still draws inspiration from his ‘Rotary moment’
– joining thousands of fellow Rotarians at the 2014
Rotary Convention, in Sydney. An experience he
describes as amazing, it was there that he saw
just how many humanitarian projects Rotary is
committed to around the globe, and the level of
passion shared by Rotarians at the convention for
both our organisation and its causes.

Page 60 | In Gear - Rotary in southern New Zealand - District 9980 | www.rotarydistrict9980.org