After more than eight years of service to HHSC, Joan Keevill, has announced her intention to stand down as Chair at the end of the Club year in July.
Joan was co-opted onto the committee back in 2006 to revamp the Club’s website, took over as Chair in 2008 and has worked in this role ever since, despite the fact that her son Jamie stopped swimming over five years ago!
She has overseen many changes to the Club, working with three head coaches, Charles Dainton, Alan Doyle and now Justin, three Treasurers, two Club Secretaries and many new committee members. But above all Joan has taken pleasure in seeing swimmers develop and achieve their potential as they move through the Club, with many of them then going on to teach and coach.
Perhaps Joan’s greatest contribution to the Club has been to encourage an environment in which change is embraced and all can contribute new ideas. Her time at the helm has seen the introduction of training at the 50m pool in Luton, the expansion of Saturday morning training, new land training facilities, a new Club kit, the complete redevelopment of the Club website, a new professional Development Coach position, the introduction of the Spring Development Meet and the expansion of the Birthday Open. The Club is now well run, is in a strong financial position and has a large team of volunteers who ensure that all aspects of Club life run smoothly – coaching, membership, events, the training of officials, fundraising and so forth.
Joan’s contributions have often been behind the scenes where her leadership and facilitation skills were of enormous value but will have gone unremarked by most members. She was for example responsible for driving the need for the Club’s Swim21 accreditation, the ASA’s kite mark for a well-managed Club, and has represented the Club on county committees.
Joan is stepping down to give more time to ailing elderly parents and her learning and development business. She says: “I’ve enjoyed my time immensely at the Club but feel it’s time to hand over the baton. I wish my successor all the best and am confident the Club will continue to go from strength to strength.”