For Tom Robbins, this is his time to serve.
“This became the springboard for me to do my give back,” he said of the Lions Club. “Being in leadership roles for large companies doesn’t necessarily afford you the time to be as good a civic giver as you’d like to be.”
Robbins, a retired executive for different supermarket chains, became involved in Zionsville Lions Club leadership more than five years ago.
The Zionsville resident became the second person from the Zionsville Lions Club to be named a district governor. He began his term July 1.
“It’s like a full-time job,” he said.
Except it’s completely on a volunteer basis, as are all leadership positions in Lions Clubs.
Robbins said he is passionate about the Zionsville club and Lions Park.
“We are very active with our vision screening for the schools,” he said. “I’m very passion about our vision program because it’s not just about screening the kids. We have an eye bank that is one of the most progressive in the country.”
The Lions Club’s Leader Dog program for the visually impaired is one Robbins and his wife, Gail, embrace.
Robbins’ main responsibility is to represent to 57 clubs in 19 counties, primarily central and western Indiana.
“I have six zone chairs and they are each responsible for a group of clubs,” he said. “My job is to provide the leadership for the clubs and to inform them of the things that we as an organization from Lions Clubs International want to accomplish.”
Robbins went through five years of leadership training before taking the district governor position. He also previously served as Zionsville Lions Club president. Gail has also served in that role.
“My wife was a Lion before I was, and I used to come down to Lions Park and volunteer at the events,” he said. “She said to be me one day ‘if you are going to volunteer at the events, why don’t you become a Lion?’ And I did, and there were leadership roles within the club. I’ve had the time of my life doing it.”
The couple has three children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Their sons, Chad and Scott, live in Zionsville and daughter, Stacey, lives in Arizona.
