Page 176 - WHO'S WHO OF DUDLEY ROTARY

580 David John WILKES (1959- ) (Inducted 22.7.2013; still a member at 2022) Manufacturing -
Aerospace. When inducted he was a Director of Federal Resistance
Welding Limited based at Pensnett Trading Estate, Kingswinford and
Worldwide Sales Director of British Federal, specialists in advanced
welding equipment and successor to the celebrated firm that operated
from Castle Mill Works, Dudley. Born and raised in Dudley, he started work
in 1976 as a technical apprentice at British Federal and progressed through
various levels, joining Production/ Operations Management in 1986,
gaining an IOM Diploma in Business Management in 1999 and becoming
Operations Director in 2003. In 2004/5 he also became a director of other
British Federal-related companies: BF Manufacturing Ltd, BF Welding Technology Ltd, BF
Holdings Ltd, and BF Munslow Ltd. In 2008 British Federal was sold to a leading US company
MTI Welding Technologies but the name was retained as an operating division. At the same
time David formed his own project management company Weldcon DT, which was contracted
to MTI so he now acts as Worldwide Service Manager to the group. Consequently his work takes
him widely overseas. For leisure he is a keen golfer. His home is in Penn, Wolverhampton, not
far from Penn Golf Club.

581 Susan (‘Sue’) D GOODBY (1952 - ) (Inducted 10.8.2015 as Rotarian
representative of corporate member Tesco Extra, Burnt Tree, Dudley.
Changed to Associate Member on her retirement in 2018.) Grocery and
General Merchandise Retailing. Tesco ‘Community Champion’ for Dudley
from c.2008, working to build relationships with people, charities,
schools, sports clubs and organisations in Dudley. She considers her
greatest achievement to be a charity abseil down the 100ft Fort Dunlop
Building, Birmingham. Born and raised in Dudley she now lives in Rowley
Regis.

582 Gurpal Kaur SANDHU (1967 - ) (Inducted 10.8.2015 as Associate member representing
corporate member Tesco Extra, Burnt Tree, Dudley. Became full Rotarian
member in 2018 on the retirement of Sue Goodby, member #581 then
reverted to Associate when replaced by Kerry Lowe, #587.) Grocery and
General Merchandise Retailing. Took over the role of ‘Community
Champion’ for Dudley but has subsequently been promoted to a
management role.

583 Stella Ann ALMOND (1953 - ) (Inducted 18.9.2017, still a member at 2022; previously a member
of West Bromwich club 2010 to 30.6.2017) Education. Primary school
teacher and now an agency supply teacher/support staff. She was brought
up in Liverpool but has been in the Black Country and Birmingham district
from 1974. She now lives in Coseley. She has a 1st Class honours degree
in Fashion and Textiles (1978) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education
- Art and Design (1993). Stella is a keen practitioner of Yoga and
Meditation and a committed vegetarian. She has been very involved in a
charity for the street children of Romania, visiting and working in NGO
Children's Homes since 1994 (although the Covid pandemic prevented this
in 2020 and 2021). She has also visited and worked on NGO projects in Nicaragua, the
Philippines and the Lebanon. She was a member of District 1060 International Service
Committee 2013-16.