The Cromwell and Districts Promotions Group's new chairman is no stranger to the area, its community, and its goings-on.
On Tuesday night, Terry Davis, of Lowburn, chaired his first meeting with the group, his new role adding to a list of duties he performs, such as secretary of the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust, the trust's memory bank project leader, cavalcade co-ordinator, Highland Events Ltd co-owner, member of at least two committees, and junior football coach.
Mr Davis said he was excited about the future of the Cromwell district, and during his first address to the group, said he would be talking to the community, seeking feedback and ideas.
''I'm not going to jump in and try to change everything, however, I would like to point out that I do quite like change. It keeps our lives interesting, and it's actually really important to keep up with the changing economic and social environment we are a part of.''
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, he said he suspected at age 42, he was the youngest member of the committee by about 10 years.
''I plan on being really inclusive. I'm not going to dismiss the old ways. I think one of my strengths is my ability to get on with a diverse range of people. I expect to have good working relationships with everyone on the committee and the wider community.''
Mr Davis replaced Adrian Somerville, who had been on the committee since 1998, and chairman since 2003.
In his chairman's report at the group's annual general meeting last week, Mr Somerville said he was moving to Mosgiel.
During his time with the group, he had seen the town develop into a ''vibrant small town with big-town facilities'' and a great future.
The group's aim was to attract people to Cromwell, and it had achieved that, he said.
Now was the time to ensure the town was sustainable in the future. Mr Davis said he was approached to become the chairman recently and was ''really interested''.
Initially, he had concerns about the amount of time the position would require, although he was assured he would just need to chair the meetings.
''I have a real passion for Central Otago in general and Cromwell in particular, and now that I have had a few days for it to sink in I'm really excited.''
It was positive time for the Cromwell area, which was experiencing an increase in growth and exposure, and had a wealth of facilities and resources which made it attractive, he said.
Originally having moved to the region aged 4, Mr Davis left the area aged 16, before returning to Lowburn about seven years ago, where he now lives with his wife and four children.
