Tomorrow Mr Stevens will step down from his role as the Queenstown Trails Trust chairman, with a feeling of pride at what he had helped achieve.
''I can leave feeling good that we've developed something during the last five years, something really significant that will be a continuing asset to the community, that will stay here for generations to come.''
Mr Stevens, originally from Seattle, and his wife Susan, from Ohio, have been Gibbston residents since 1999. However, settling in the area was not initially part of their plan.
''We were living in Napa [Valley, California] and we decided we wanted to learn more about Australian wine.
''We set up a six-month journey to include five months in every major wine region in Australia and one month in New Zealand - primarily because we wanted to see the country.''
Having completed the Australian leg, the couple flew from Melbourne to Christchurch, then drove to Banks Peninsula, to be greeted with an ''amazing'' sunset, which left a lasting first impression that ''didn't quit''.
Eventually they made their way to Queenstown, and discovered Wakatipu had ''exactly what we were looking for in terms of a place to spend the rest of our lives''.
They bought land, built a home and about five years later became ''grateful citizens''.
It was that attitude that saw them quickly become part of the community, supporting events and helping wherever possible.
''We've always felt it's important ... to give back as much as possible.
''That's why we've got involved in things like this.
''We'll continue to find ways ... to give back.''
Mrs Stevens set about establishing the Gibbston River Trail, part of which involved liaising with the Queenstown Trails Trust, formerly the Wakatipu Trails Trust.
''She said that they were doing really good work, but they were also looking for a chairman.
''John Wilson [the former trust chairman] had been around six years and was ready to move on.
''I felt good about it ... I talked to Sir Eion Edgar, who was the patron at the time ... The rest is history,'' Mr Stevens said.
At that time, the trust had ''11 or 12 priorities'' and was investigating ''about 90 different projects'', none of which seemed to be progressing. The challenge was to ''get the governance right''.
''We put a real emphasis on focus - the No 1 priority was to focus on fundraising.
''We weren't going to get anywhere without funding, and we weren't going to get funding without projects.''
It was around that time Kaye Parker - a woman Mr Stevens described as the ''Energizer bunny'' and the ''heart and soul of the trust'' - was appointed as the trust's chief executive.
And then came Prime Minister John Key's proposal to construct cycle trails throughout New Zealand to stimulate employment.
''They wanted to create jobs quickly. They really did rush it through.
''The paperwork came down here and just sat around.
''Nobody had much enthusiasm for it [and] by the time we got hold of it ... we had a very short period of time to submit an application.''
Mrs Parker, however, went to work assisted by Mandy Kennedy, now the trust's marketing director, and within a few short months the application was lodged, accepted and the experience Mr Stevens described as a ''roller coaster'' began.
Looking back on the job he intended doing for only three years, he said there were three major highlights during his time steering the trust.
''The fact that we've been able to work really well as a trust and get results - the trust has raised $6 million, which is amazing in this climate.
''A lot of this was being done during the global financial crisis.''
The second major achievement was to secure easements to build the 110km Queenstown Trail - and opening it on time, he said.
Finally, the trust's announcement earlier this year it had bought the Motatapu was a way of broadening its funding base, ensuring financially it would be in a good place in the future.
Mr Stevens said following his last meeting in Queenstown tomorrow he would set about ''enjoying life'', focusing on the Grateful Citizens Society, which Mrs Stevens established.
''I think it's a good time to go.
''At this AGM, for the first time in about four years, instead of saying we've achieved a lot, but it's all a work in progress, this year I'm reporting achievement.''
