RI President

RI President Elect

Director/
Institute Convenor

Institute Chairman

Management & Operations Chairman

Zone Training Coordinator

People - Management & Operations Chairman PDG Bob Aitken

Born at Parkes, NSW, Bob is a journalist by profession and enjoyed 21 years with Western Newspapers in country NSW before joining the staff of Rotary Down Under just prior to the retirement of founding Editor, Paul Henningham, in 1984.

Bob joined Rotary in 1975 and was President of the Rotary Club of Parkes (D9700) in 1980-81. Since then he has enjoyed extensive service in all aspects of Rotary Club and District administration.

During his 21 years as Editor of RDU he has served on many special Rotary project committees. Similarly, in his vocational life, Bob has enjoyed long associations with the New South Wales Country Press Association, and Pacific Area Newspaper Association.

Since completing his term as Governor of District 9690 in 1996-97, Bob has served as the RI President's representative at District Conferences, and has served on the Literacy and Numeracy Task Force for several years. His many international appointments include the Organising Committee for the San Antonio Convention in 2001, the Sponsorship Committee and South Pacific Affairs Committee, The Rotary Foundation's Public Information Awareness Group, the Avoidable Blindness Task Force, the 2005 Chicago Convention Promotion Committee and the Communications Committee. Bob is currently chairman of the Communications Committee and Assistant General Co-ordinator of the Public Image Resource Group.

At the time of his move to RDU in 1984, Bob and his wife, Ann - and children David and Corinna - settled at Lapstone in the Blue Mountains . Bob joined the Rotary Club of Lower Blue Mountains, where he has continued diligent Rotary service at Club, District and International levels.

Bob has a history of involvement and support for various community organisations. A former President of the Parkes Advancement Corporation, he enjoyed long stints as President of Parents and Citizens Groups in Parkes and the Lower Blue Mountains and was subsequently honoured with Life Membership of the NSW P&C Association. He was also a volunteer manager at the Sydney Olympic Games Hockey Tournament in 2000.

In his rather limited spare time, he enjoys music, the theatre and quality time with his family - especially grandchildren Jordan, Annie and Max. He has a keen interest in sport and distinguished himself in cricket and hockey, latterly with the International Fellowship of Cricketing Rotarians.