Leigh Higinbotham
1994-1995
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Personal
Leigh was born in Vancouver and moved to Powell River with his family in 1950 returning to Vancouver in 1954. In 1961 he moved to Victoria attending Oak Bay High School. During the 1970s and into the mid-1980s Leigh was enrolled in BCIT ‘s continuing education program receiving a Business Certificate in Administrative Management and a Senior Management Certificate focused on strategic planning and organizational behaviour (Change Management).
Filomena was born in Italy and emigrated with her family, at the age of 12, to Vancouver. Leigh and Filomena have two sons and four grandchildren.
 
Career
Thirty-three years with BC Tel/Telus. Hired in Victoria and served a 4-year apprenticeship as a lineman, transferred to Powell River for a year and then to Prince George in the mid-1960s as a lineman in-charge and subsequently as a switchboard repairman. While in Prince George, he spent his weekends at the airport obtaining a pilot’s license with float and multi engine ratings. During 1970, Leigh was promoted and transferred to Vancouver and was engaged in several managerial positions until retiring in 1995. He was active in the company’s transition from a monopoly to a competitive entity. After retirement, he started a consulting practice, in the field of Change Management, working with large organizations.
 
Rotary
  • Joined the Vancouver Arbutus Rotary Club, April 1984.
  • President Rotary Club of Vancouver Arbutus - 89/90. (Club received Rotary Citation)
  • Home hosted 6 Rotary Youth Exchange students - 1986/94
  • District Secretary 91/92
  • Training Leader PNW PETS - 1991/94
  • Governor, District 5040 - 94/95
  • Sessions Provost PNW PETS - 1995/98
  • Representative to Council on Legislation, India - 1998
  • Participated in India’s National Immunization Day for Polio, in Agra City, 17 January 1998
  • RI Training Leader for the International Assembly 1998 & 1999
  • Governors Elect Training Seminar (GETS) Leader at Zone Institutes (3 years)
  • Trained the RI Training Leaders for the International Assembly, Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinators and RI Membership Coordinators (3 years).
  • Recipient - Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service (2000)
  • RI Environmental Concerns Task Force - Member 2000/01
  • Chair, PNW Presidents Elect Training Seminar - 2002
  • Interview on the training of Rotary leaders is the subject of a feature story in the June 2002 issue of The Rotarian magazine.
  • RI Education and Training Taskforce - Member 2001/02
  • RI Education and Training Executive Steering Committee - Member 2001/02
  • Vice Chair, RI Leadership Education & Training Committee 2002/04
  • Chair, RI Club Leadership Development Committee - 2004/05 (Developed the Club Leadership Plan)
  • Speaker, Rotary International Convention - topic “Club Leadership” - Chicago 2005
  • RI Strategic Planning Committee - Member 2006/07
  • RI President’s Representative to District Conferences at: Sacramento, CA (1997); Boston, MA (1999); Thunder Bay, ON (2000); Brandenburg, Germany (2001); Jefferson City, MO (2003); Dallas, TX (2005); Chapel Hill, NC (2007).
  • Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator - 2005-08
  • Director, Rotary Foundation Canada - 2005-08
  • Plenary Speaker, Rotary International Assembly - topic “Adapt or Perish” - San Diego 2008
  • Recipient- Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award (2009)
  • District 5040 Governance Committee Chair - 2020-23
  • District 5040 Finance Committee Chair - 2023-25
  • District 5040 Governance Committee member - 2023 - 24
  • Leigh and Filomena are Paul Harris Fellows and Rotary Foundation Benefactors 
District Governor Year
The Rotary International President for 1994/95 was Bill Huntley and the theme was “Be A Friend”. The District Conference was held in Whistler with 406 attendees. Our BC Lieutenant Governor, David Lam, was a keynote speaker and stayed for the full conference. At the end of the Rotary year the district had 2159 members in 45 clubs.
Leigh and Filomena enjoyed their club visits and the opportunity to see and hear about club projects. It was a most memorable experience. They made an another visit to most of the clubs during the second half of the year.
 
Other Community Involvement
CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) - Director and Vice Chair of BC & Yukon Board 1995 - 2002
Dunbar Community Centre - Director 1999 - 2014
Junior Achievement of BC - Director 1975 - 1977