06/19/2026
Doug Martienson, our incoming Rotary president, shared his vision for the coming year, emphasizing community pride, hands-on service, and stronger collaboration.
Drawing on examples of local projects such as restoring gazebos and railings, he highlighted the importance of visible volunteer efforts that improve the community.
Doug connected his vision to Rotary International’s four strategic priorities: enhancing participant engagement, increasing impact, expanding reach, and improving adaptability.
From his professional background in strategic planning and organizational change, he noted that successful organizations depend more on culture than formal plans, citing the principle that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He praised the club’s strong culture and expressed a desire to preserve and strengthen it.
He shared experiences from his career, including working with an immigrant business partner from China and Taiwan, returning to university to study labour-management collaboration, and developing expertise in helping large groups work together to solve complex problems.
He believes Rotary’s commitment to “Service Above Self” is increasingly uncommon and represents an opportunity for Rotary to play a larger role in society.
Doug’s key proposal is to bring together the four Sunshine Coast Rotary clubs, Interact members, Rotary family members, and other community-minded residents to explore a single question: “How can we multiply the impact of Rotary on the Sunshine Coast?”
To facilitate this conversation, he proposes using Open Space Technology, a collaborative meeting format in which participants create the agenda, join discussions that interest them, and move freely among groups. He believes this approach can increase engagement, encourage innovation, and strengthen Rotary’s impact.
Doug concluded by suggesting that the Sunshine Coast possesses tremendous untapped volunteer talent and that greater collaboration could help address important community challenges while enabling Rotary to make an even greater difference.
