Bob joined the Rotary Club of Blairstown, NJ in 2015 following retirement from a 45-year career in consumer electronics and technology. During his career he held many ownership and management positions. From 2003 to 2015 he was a Corporate Senior Vice President and General Manager, responsible for the activities of 2,000 people located in ten countries across the disciplines of Product Management, Engineering,Production, Quality Control, Marketing and Sales.That position reinforced the need for teamwork and the importance of understanding and engaging with different cultures and customs to accomplish your goals.Bob and his wife Jeanne have been married for 46 years and have been together since high school. Jeanne is also a Rotarian. They have a daughter, son and two granddaughters.
After retirement,Bob was looking for a way to get involved in the community. What sold him on Rotary was Service Above Self, The Four Way Test,and the global reach of the organization. He quickly learned how important an active club can be to the community, especially in a small town like Blairstown. He was fortunate that the club had many active and committed members, including two PDG’s, to teach him about the ways of Rotary.
Bob became Club Secretary and Trustee in 2016, President-Elect in 2019 and served as President from 2020–2022. Blairstown is an active club and Bob has participated in all service and fundraising projects. He was the Youth Exchange Coordinator, and he spearheaded the club’s largest project to date, an over $50,000 Community Center renovation project.
At the District level, Bob is currently serving as PolioPlus Subcommittee Chair and on the Youth Exchange committee. Bob and his wife are major donors. Bob is a member of the Paul Harris Society, the PolioPlus Society and has completed RLI Level 3 training.
While relatively new to Rotary, Bob has been involved long enough to learn the system,but not so long as to become tied to the “this is the way we’ve always done it”attitude that hampers the ability to change and adapt as the world around us changes.He believes that a balance between tradition and progress is critical if Rotary is going to thrive. Active and successful clubs are the key, and the district must provide the clubs with the information and tools they need to prepare for the future.