Presidents
Profile of Ian Thomson
President of RIBI 2008-2009.
The
Rotary Club of Cheltenham
Ian was born and bred in Dunfermline, Fife. After carrying out his engineering training in the Royal Naval Dockyard, Rosyth, he went on to complete his management training with Philips Electrical before moving to London to join Wall’s Ice Cream where he stayed for 34 years, transferring in the late sixties to their head office in Gloucester and then into the biggest ice cream factory in the World.
Ian joined Rotary in 1981 and served as Club President in 1988-89. Over the last 26 years he has served on the District 1100 team as Secretary, Polio Partners Officer,
Foundation Committee Secretary, Trainer, Conference Chairman, District Vice Chairman and Governor from 1993-94. His district presented him with a Paul Harris Fellowship in 1998.
At RIBI, he has served on the Executive Committee, the Rotaract Committee, (chairing in 1996-97), and the Conference Committee as Chief SAA. For Mike Webb, he co-ordinated the “Hearing Dogs for Deaf People” project. He has also been a discussion group moderator at four RIBI Assemblies.
For Rotary International, he was a member of the Rotaract Committee for three years and chaired the committee in 1999-2000. He also chaired the Rotaract pre-convention meetings in Glasgow and Buenos Aires. Ian has served both on the Literacy Task Force and as a Foundation Permanent Fund Advisor.
Both he and Joan are involved with the United Reformed Churches in Cheltenham. Joan is a serving Elder and Ian chairs the meetings of the Tuesday Forum. Joan is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Cheltenham Sunrise. Ian is a local and national trustee of Life Education Centres and has, for the last two years, organised their National Conference.
In the little spare time he now has, Ian enjoys sailing, gardening, and travelling. He and Joan have three married children and seven grandchildren strategically placed in various parts of England to look after their border collie, Jess, when they are on their travels.
President of Rotary International 2008-2009
Dong-Kurn Lee
The Rotary Club of Seoul-Hangang
This year's annual theme: ""
President-nominee, Rotary International 2006-07
Trustee, The Rotary Foundation 2003-2007
Director, Rotary International 2001-2003
Chairman, Presidential Celebration Committee - Community Concerns 2004-05
District Governor 1995-96
Dong-Kurn Lee is president of Busan Textile Company, Ltd., and Bubang Techron Co., Ltd. A graduate of Yonsei University with a degree in political science and diplomacy, Lee is the president of his college alumni association. He is honorary consul of Italy in Korea.
Rotarian Lee joined the Rotary Club of Seoul-Hangang in 1971 and has served RI as director, district governor and International Assembly training leader. He also has served as regional Rotary Foundation coordinator and area coordinator of membership development. He is chairman of the Polio Eradication Private Sector Initiative in Korea.
Lee won the Calgary Challenge for increasing membership in 1996. He is a recipient of The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service.
Lee lives in Seoul, Korea with his wife Young Ja.
