Kate's Blog

Hello I am Kate Secker, Group Study Exchange Team Leader to Southern Illinois from 16^th April to 14^th May 2011.  I am a member of the friendly and active Norwich St Edmund Rotary Club which meets in the Maids Head Hotel on a Tuesday evening.  I am looking forward to representing Rotary District 1080 and pleased to be working with such a friendly and organised team.  Each team member is supported by a Rotary Club from District 1080, which covers the whole of East Anglia, England.  In addition to club level support we have had advice and guidance from district officers, Rodney Howell District Governor, Hugh Davies, Foundation Officer and Steve Munn GSE coordinator. 

The exchange is a vocationally linked experience aimed at developing the young team members as both individuals and as professionals.  Many former participants have described the opportunity as a life changing experience and I see my role as ensuring that my team will feel the same upon their return.

I am a Director of Human Resources for Norwich University College of the Arts and a member of the Senior Management Team.  My responsibilities include developing the HR strategy, training and development for all staff.  NUCA is a specialist Art and Design University College offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Art and Design.  It has a history that goes back to 1845 with a unique campus site which includes heritage buildings that are over 700 years old, but housing the most up to date industry related technology. The academic portfolio includes Fine Art, sculpture, illustration, graphic design, games art and design, film and moving image, fashion.  NUCA is a dynamic and creative educational environment with direct links to industry and I look forward to learning about the HR practice in Southern Illinois.

The GSE team have visited the district’s current preferred project which is ‘Aid to Hospitals’ based in Bury St Edmunds.  The charity recycles medical and dental equipment; old computers and educational items for use in the developing world which hitherto would have gone into land fill. It is working with Rotary Clubs internationally and we hope to promote its work in Southern Illinois. The exchange will similarly give the team an opportunity to learn about projects in Southern Illinois and share these with our district when we return, thereby hopefully identifying collaborative opportunities for the future.

I have two children Eloise and Niall and my interests include the theatre, concerts, visiting museums and art galleries, golf, swimming, tennis and zumba and travel.