Margaret Crisp (right) with Putnam President Rick Slater and President-Elect Mary Keely Alyson Webster with David Powell (right) and Dr. Jess Johnson Christopher Green with Amber Hoback (Vandalia Rotary) Alan Foster (right) with Chet Marshall Nicole Smith (right) with Michelle Painter (center) and Glenna Riggs

Putnam Rotary hosts team from 'Down Under'

March 7, 2006

Putnam Rotarians today met a team of young professionals from Victoria and New South Wales, Rotary District 9790, visitting southern West Virginia as part of a Group Study Exchange.

The GSE program, sponsored by the Rotary Foundation is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 and in the early years of their professional lives.

The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

The team from Australia each shared ideas and observations with Putnam club members and guests.

Margaret Crisp is the leader of the GSE team and has been a Past President of the Rotary Club of Wodonga. She joined Rotary in 1998 and is enjoying leading this team. Margaret has worked in education for 33 years, as a teacher and then business manager. She currently works with a cluster of 18 schools as an innovations and excellence educator working with teachers to improve their classroom practice and skills. As well as getting an overview of the education provision in West Virginia she is very interested in looking at the training and induction of teachers. She is also keen to explore strategic development within adult community education.

Alyson Webster is a 28 year old community pharmacist. She has a particular interest in visiting pharmacies that provide a diabetes program through Medicaid and would appreciate a few hours at the pharmacy to understand their system. She is interested in the business side of the pharmacy as she plans to own a pharmacy in the future. Alyson is a marathon runner and Ironman triathlete finishing the equivalent to the Hawaii Ironman triathlon in Australia.

Christopher Green is married with two children aged 6 and 4. He has just completed his Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA). He has had an extensive career in strategic management positions across a number of fields including the Courts, his own hotel and restaurant, a facilitator at the equivalent to a community college and most recently as an electoral official. His vocational interest is in strategic management and specifically in business consulting, business planning and exploring various business models. He intends to open a consulting practice upon his return to Australia. His leisure time is spent playing cricket, Australian Rules Football and gardening.

Green oversees the election process as part of his duties with the Courts. "Voting is compulsory," he told the group, "and turnout is usually about 92 percent."

"What if they don't vote?" someone asked.

"Then, said Green, "unless they have a legitimate excuse, they are fined." The investigation is part of his job.

As a team Leader of Youth Services at the City of Wodonga, a Local Government in Victoria (a combination of City and County jurisdiction), Alan Foster is a social worker whose focus is on prevention based programs for young people aged 12-24 years. His role is to plan and implement events and programs to support young people on their pathways to adulthood and effective citizenship. He is particularly interested in programs or professionals who work on prevention based programs. Alan's focus is prevention as opposed to the traditional focus of at risk clients. Alan is very involved in his local church and is very active in youth leadership. Alan loves to water ski, snow ski as well as other sports.

Nicole Smith is married to Marcus and has a passion for anything equestrian. She is the Corporate Services Coordinator for her local shire which roughly equates to the equivalent of a City and County jurisdiction. She is responsible for the provision of customer service, occupational health and safety, workcover, staff induction, records maintenance and customer relations. Her vocation is most closely aligned to human resource management and customer service models and systems. In her leisure time Nicole rides her two thoroughbred horses and instructs at the local equestrian club.

Profiles were provided by Keith Blankenship, Governor of District 7550 which is hosting the visiting team.

The group will return to Australia on March 18.