The visit of our District Governor is a highlight for Rotary clubs every year. This year is no exception. 

A little bit about Stephen and Jackie

Stephen was a career Artillery officer, specialising in Field Artillery and Target Acquisition, and an instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Graduating from the Army Staff College in 1987 he worked in a NATO Headquarters devising systems and processes with 3 (US) Corps. He commanded a British close support artillery group in the first Gulf war and was awarded the US Bronze Star; he instructed on artillery tactics at the Royal School of Artillery and modernised British Artillery officer training.

He worked in the Ministry of Defence Department of Land Warfare and his final tour was with Defence Export Services. He was headhunted from the Army in 2001 by BAE Systems Avionics and spent 10 years in industry before buying The Hideaway and moving to South Africa where he joined the Swellendam Rotary Club in 2011.

Stephen has served at District level as an Assistant Governor from 2018 to 2021. He chaired the District RFE Committee from 2020 to 2023and sits on the District Finance committee and District Food Gardens committee.

Jackie was a career civil servant with the UK Ministry of Defence, starting at Woolwich Arsenal in 1976 and working in Equipment Procurement, Contractor Assessment, Financial Management, Personnel Management, Army Resources and Programmes, Honours and Awards and Defence Export Services, where she met Stephen in 1999. Jackie and Stephen married in Malaysia in 2004 and their hobbies include travel, skiing, rugby, Formula 1, yoga and people; Stephen enjoys cooking and Jackie is a wonderful baker. Stephen has two daughters from his first marriage and one grandson.