Friends 0f the Manx Diabetes Centre

Edinburgh from where he graduated with a BSc in Pharmacy.

Mr Rodan has lead a colourful life having always maintained an interest in politics since university, and in 1979 stood as a candidate for the Scottish Liberal Party, in Moray and Nairn. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us, he was not elected.

At the time he was working as a pharmacist in Inverness . He then left Scotland and from 1980 to 1987 he took up a post as Pharmacy Manager in a Pharmacy in Bermuda .

From Bermuda he found his way to the Isle of Man and he and his family have been here ever since.

He took over the Pharmacy in Laxey which he owns, and has been running it ever since.

However his interest in politics had not diminished and he became a Laxey Commissioner and then Chairman of the Commissioners.

It was in May 1995 that he was first elected to the House of Keys, at a by-election following the resignation of Dr Mann who had been elevated to the Legislative Council.

He has since held his seat at all elections.

The Diabetic was curious as to why Mr. Rodan had decided to enter politics on the Island .

He emphasized that he had always been interested in politics and felt that as he was now living in the Isle of Man he should put something back into the community.

He had started with being a commissioner and this progressed his interest in following and analysing local issues and how Government influenced these local issues. This was a challenge he could not bypass.

When the opportunity arose he took it, and stood for Garff, the seat of the late Sir Charles Kerruish.

His first appointment to a government post was in 1995, when Mr. Rodan was appointed to serve as Member for the Department of Local Government and Environment. He was also Chairman of the Estates and Housing Division, and then in 1997 he was appointed Chairman of the Planning Committee until 1999 when he became Minister for Education.

We wanted to know how he thought his tenure of office as Minister of Education would go down in Manx history.

He explained that he felt whilst he was Minister of Education his main objective was to further develop the excellent standards of the Island 's Educational System. The external inspection of schools on the Island helped to improve and further these high standards, and he was pleased to have started Manx-medium primary education at St John's .

Not to mention the establishment of the Business School , which in reality is the first stage, he claimed, of a University for the Isle of Man.

This was all very well but the Diabetic wanted to know what qualifications he now felt he had to lead this very important and exacting Department of Health and Social Security.

Mr Rodan told us that he had always been interested in the work of Government, and not only working in the political forum of parliamentary democracy, but working across the political spectrum was a real political challenge.

Mr. Rodan believed that his professional background in health matters would prove helpful to progress the health services during his term as Minister for Health and Social Security.

It was important though, to carry on helping his constituents to resolve their