MEV CONNELL, was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland in 1936 and was educated in Scotland and England.
On completing secondary school, Mev was conscripted into the British Army, first serving with the Gordon Highlanders then as a volunteer with the Parachute Regiment where he saw active service in Cyprus and the Middle East, including the Suez invasion. After demobilization Mev completed his tertiary education, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Science (Botany and Zoology).
Mev’s first employer was the Infestation Control Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food where he became skilled as an applied entomologist specializing in insect pests of stored produce. He was seconded to the Tropical Stored Product Centre of the Overseas Development Division where he undertook several international projects.
He moved to Australia in 1967 after being recruited by the Australian Wheat Board being responsible at a national level for grain storage, and commodity hygiene. He subsequently become its Deputy General Manager. In 1984 Mev was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Grain Elevators Board and as a Director of the Australian Wheat Board. Mev retired from full-time employment in 1995 and provided specialist consulting services in Australia, Asia and the Middle East. He has retained close relationships with the Entomology Division of the CSIRO, and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service.
Mev is a Fellow of the Australian Grains Institute, which awarded him a Gold Service Medal; and the Miles Bourke Award by the Victorian affiliate. In 1995 Mev was awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM).
Mev met and married Brenda whilst working in the North of England and they have two daughters – Morag who lives and works in France, and Rowena, they have five grandchildren.
Mev has served with distinction in Melbourne Rotary and District 9800. Mev is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Melbourne (2005 – 2006) having been a member of the Club from 1987. He has served his club in many capacities as a Director and Group Captain.
At District level Mev served as Community Service Chair in 2007-2009 and then responded to a huge need as Chairman of the Rotary International District 9800 Bushfire Recovery Committee, which was established to coordinate the recovery effort after Black Saturday on 9th February 2009. This bushfire of enormous proportions killed 173 people, destroyed thousands of homes, and wrecked thousands of kilometres of farm fencing, virtually over-night and much within quite close reach of Melbourne.
Rotary rose to the challenge of assisting in the recovery effort. Because of its reputation and reach into the community, government, and the social services network, Rotary had a significant influence on planning and project execution. District 9800 coordinated the establishment of a Unified Rotary Districts of Victoria and Tasmania Bushfire Recovery Committee with Mev its Chairman.
Several million dollars were raised through donations to funds created by the Districts and these funds were leveraged in various ways to maximise benefits from their application to many recovery projects of diverse nature. More recently Mev coordinated District 9800’s response to the 2013 Tasmanian Bushfires.
In 2013 District 9800 named Mev a Paul Harris Fellow (Multiple Sapphire).
Mev was awarded Rotary’s highest individual honour: the “Service Above Self” award in 2009-10. Only District governors, immediate past district governors, RI Directors, and past RI Directors can nominate for this award, which is Rotary’s highest honour for individual Rotarians. Only 150 are made each year and awardees must have demonstrated exemplary humanitarian service, with an emphasis on personal volunteer efforts and active involvement in helping others through Rotary.
At the Club level, in addition to his work on the Board and as President for 2005-2006, Mev has been an active supporter of the DIK Store, a regular volunteer for the Around the Bay event, and a stalwart of the Lunch Committee (Dad’s Army’). He also instigated the Forth Bridge Award which is awarded annually to the leader of a team whose project or activity is judged to be the most outstanding contribution in that year.
We believe that Mev’s ongoing commitment to Rotary and the Community at large make him a worthy recipient of Honorary Life Membership.
