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District Governor 2022-2023
Mina Howard (Larry)
Rotary Club of Blackheath
0419 629 407
Email: minahow@bigpond.net.au                                      
Mina joined the Blackheath Rotary Club in 2006 and became its first female president in 2011 serving a two-year term after three years as secretary. She was Assistant Governor for two terms, is a facilitator on the RLI team and is the District Vocational Chair 2020-2021. Mina is a PHF+5 and is committed to supporting The Rotary Foundation.
 
Early years were spent in the natural beauty of Warragamba Dam before her family moved to the western suburbs of Sydney. Mina attended Seven Hills High School then won a scholarship to Bathurst Teachers College. She spent forty-three years as a public school primary teacher. Along with her husband Larry, Mina joined the Australian Army Reserve in 1976 where she served for six years with the Royal Australian Engineers.
 
In 1991 Mina and Larry moved with their three children to the cooler climes of beautiful Blackheath and now reside in the equally beautiful Mount Victoria. They have three young grandchildren.
 
As a member of Blackheath/Mount Victoria RFS Brigade (where Larry is the longest serving Captain) and as the brigade’s Community Engagement Officer, Mina is responsible for the HUFF (Heads Up For Fire) project, a grassroots neighbourhood strategy that encourages people to connect and look out for each other, especially those who are more vulnerable. The project won a highly commended in the 2013 Resilient Australia Awards. It had its first real test in the recent Black Summer fires! Mina was state finalist in the 2017 RESCA (Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards) awards and a finalist in the 2019 Western Sydney Zest Awards.
 
Mina is the immediate past president of the Mount Victoria Community Association, having held the position for five years and is the convenor of the Mount Victoria Great Train Weekend event. She volunteers at the Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre and the Blackheath Rhododendron Gardens.
 
A love of world travel began in 1977 when Mina and Larry embarked on the ‘hippy trail’ travelling from Kathmandu to London overland, visiting countries such as India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. Fast forward to 2015 when travelling resumed with a trip to Cambodia to help build houses for the Tabitha Foundation. They have since travelled throughout Asia, attended the Bangkok Convention and have visited Turkey, Greece, Spain and Portugal declaring Istanbul their favourite city. Mina is also a Camino tragic having completed the Camino de Santiago Compostela in 2016 followed by the Aussie Camino, the Camino Portuguese and the Epiphany Pilgrimage, a local walk stretching from Emu Plains to Bell. Mina will walk part of the Larapinta Trail near Alice Springs in July to raise money for ShelterBox.
 
Mina and Larry look forward to their Rotary journey over the next several years and are focused on encouraging clubs to be relevant, fun, reflective of their community and committed to supporting the Rotary Foundation and achieving the end of polio.