Paul Allan is officially Club Taree's new chief executive officer (CEO).
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Paul is no stranger to club members after fulfilling the role of interim CEO for the past five months. He's also worked at the club for more than 10 years, most recently as the brand and communications manager.
"I'm very humbled by everyone's support," Paul said.
"I think they like the fact I'm a local who is here to stay."
Paul was born and bred in Taree attending St Joseph's Primary School and later St Clare's Catholic High School.
After leaving town to gain a Bachelor of Business with a major in Hotel and Catering Management, Paul lived and worked in Ayres Rock for three years followed by 18 months in New Zealand.
He gained a wealth of knowledge and experience working as the food and business manager at the prestigious Stamford Plaza in Auckland and was an events manager during the 2003 America's Cup.
A stint at one of the Hunter Valley's best 4-star hotels, the Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort, brought him closer to home but it was his marriage to wife Jill that saw him settle back in the Manning Valley for good.
He filled his time as general manager at the Australis Diamond Beach Resort and Spa before joining the senior management team at Club Taree.
Just over ten years on and the father of three "very active" boys, Paul appears to have settled into the top job nicely.
Boasting 8,500 members and a product of the 2001 amalgamation of Taree RSL Club and Taree Golf Club, Club Taree is now the largest club in the Manning.
"It's a large responsibility," said Paul.
But it's a responsibility he doesn't take lightly and one of Paul's main goals is to foster more community partnerships with the club.
The club proved its worth during the 2019 bushfires, becoming a well used evacuation centre, and staff have worked hard to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic following a nine week shutdown.
Paul has no grand plans for big changes - the club is already looking modern and inviting - he simply wants to concentrate on better utilising the club's assets for the benefit of the community.
In his previous role as brand and communication manager, Paul initiated the successful Club Taree Community Team which provides an outlet of community engagement for Club Taree employees.
To date the team has raised close to $500,000 and staff have volunteered more than 7000 hours of their own time.
It's an initiative Paul is proud of and it is this sense of community he hopes to expand on at the club.