John Simpson - Citizen of the Year

Jan and John Simpson.

MALBINA resident John Simpson has been named the Derwent Valley's Citizen of the Year for 2014. John has had a 45-year career in the forest industries of New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia, primarily in operational management and marketing, Now semi-retired, he has had a long association with Norske Skog Boyer.

"John Simpson, or 'Simmo' as he is known by many, exemplifies the notion of community spirit," mayor Martyn Evans said yesterday. "John set up the 'Log A Load for Kids' charity in 1999 to assist rural children in need of medical, educational or social assistance. He persuaded forestry contractors, suppliers and employees to support this charity and it has never looked back, assisting many families as well as invigorating his local community," Councillor Evans said.

In 2002 John took things to a new level when he cemented a relationship with the Variety Club, entering the now famous "dragon car" in the Tasmanian Variety Bash.  Following the success of the dragon car, in 2004 an additional car was purchased and restored as a bumble bee, with John’s wife Jan and close friends crewing the second vehicle.

In a period spanning more than a decade John has contributed more than $100,000 to Variety funds through his combined TasBash entries. In 2010 he joined the Variety Board and in 2013 he received the Variety Tasmania Chairman’s Citation Award.

Congratulations Simmo.