Governor

Rotary District 1390

District Governor Olli Nummelin

My wife Tuula and I are both native residents of Turku. Through a few twists and turns in life, we eventually settled in Valkeakoski. Our summer cottage in Taivassalo, in the Turku Archipelago, helps us maintain strong ties to our hometown. In addition to my wife, my family includes three grown daughters, who together have five sons.

I have been a Rotarian for so long that the Rotary history books have already lost track of when my membership began. I was invited to join the Oulainen Rotary Club in the early 1980s. When I moved to Valkeakoski for work in 1987, I transferred my membership to the Valkeakoski-Tohka Rotary Club.

Until now, my Rotary responsibilities have mainly involved serving within my own club. During my membership in Tohka, I have held every available role, including serving as club president from 1994 to 1995 and again during the 2023–2024 Rotary year. I will spare you the long list of my other assignments. During my second term as president, I actively participated in district events as Tohka representative and realized that Rotary has changed tremendously since my first term as president.

In the spring of 2025, I was first offered the opportunity to serve as Assistant Governor (AG) for a three-year term beginning on July 1, 2025. Soon afterward, I was given the opportunity to become District Governor Nominee (DGN). Later that same year, circumstances led me to the position of District Governor Elect (DGE). After all these developments, I began my term as District Governor on July 1, 2026.

I graduated from Tampere University of Technology in 1973 with a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. My active professional career came to an end when I retired in the summer of 2014. I was fortunate to spend my career in the constantly evolving energy sector, where I gained extensive experience in energy production, energy use, automation of energy systems, and energy markets. I worked for three different employers representing a broad spectrum of the industry. The first was a supplier of energy systems, the second a regional energy company, and the third a major international company in the forest products industry. My work was not limited to Finland or even Europe; it enabled me to become familiar with many parts of the world.

Rotary has been such a long-standing hobby that it has become more of a way of life. Even so, serving as District Governor has already opened new perspectives and opportunities within Rotary.

For years, Finland and many other long-established Rotary countries have faced a decline in membership, a trend visible in many types of organizations. According to Rotary International rules, a district must have at least 1,200 members, and we are currently about 60 members short of that number. Our district consists of approximately 40 clubs. If every club recruits one new member and every second club recruits a second member, our district will once again meet Rotary International’s membership requirement. Together, we can achieve this goal!

Finland’s first Rotary club was founded in Helsinki on December 1, 1926, which means it will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. The centennial celebrations will continue into 2027 in many ways, including a relay-style message that will travel through all Rotary clubs in Finland. More details will be shared as the plans are finalized.

From my first term as president of the Tohka club in the 1990s, one of my sayings has lived on: “If it isn’t enjoyable, it doesn’t belong in Tohka.” Let us continue to develop the activities of District 1390 in this same spirit, enjoying both Rotary service and each other’s company.

Doing good together is twice as rewarding!

Olli Nummelin