Michel Fongue

KI Trustee

Michel Fongue of New Caledonia was elected to a three-year term on the Kiwanis International Board of Trustees during a special meeting held in lieu of the 2020 Kiwanis International convention.

Michel is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Mont-Dore in Noumea, South Province, New Caledonia, in the New Zealand-South Pacific District of Kiwanis. He was a member of the Kiwanis Children’s Fund Board of Trustees from 2002-05, is a current ambassador for the Kiwanis Children’s Fund Australia and New Zealand-South Pacific districts and was chair of the Asia Pacific District in 2002-03.

Invited to a Kiwanis event, Michel liked the way Kiwanians served others. He then participated in his first fundraising project, Christmas for Children, which led him to become a member in July 07th 1978.

Now a Kiwanis member of 42 years, Michel has served as club president, secretary and treasurer. His past roles include district governor, lieutenant governor, chairman and master trainer. Within Kiwanis, he has received numerous awards and honors, including the Diamond Level George F. Hixson Fellowship and Walter Zeller Fellowship. Michel also is a Hixson Ambassador and holds the John Griffen Award at the district level.

Michel helped open the first Kiwanis club in French Polynesia with friends from Tahiti (his born island) and has built clubs in New Caledonia. He hopes to continue to build new clubs in the Asia Pacific region of Kiwanis.

Michel holds a degree in computer science and was formerly an engineer with IBM. He now owns a sports and surfwear business. He is the current President of the Chinese Community Association and is the secretary of the Polynesian Committee for Solidarity in New Caledonia.

He is also deputy mayor of Noumea since may 2020.

Michel has two daughters (one is Kiwanian) and four grandchildren. His hobbies include soccer, mahjong, Sudoku, crosswords and music, including playing the ukulele.