REG SMITH CITATION:
Reg was inducted into Rotary Melbourne on the 21st May 2008 with the classification – Consultancy Corporate Governance. His Sponsor was Alistair Urquhart. Reg is a human resources and organisational development professional who over his career with major corporations, deployed his experience and analytical skills to provide strategic advice to clients requiring alignment between people and their business strategies.
In the 2020 Australia Day Honours, the Order of Australia (OAM) was conferred on Reg for his service to ‘Youth through Intercultural Programs’, recognising his tireless work as an Australian Board member of the American Field Service Volunteers (AFS) in the area of bi-lateral educational exchanges.
Since his induction Reg has been a member and Chair of a host of Committees including: Audit and Risk; Vocational Service; Alumni Connector; Rotary Connects; Corporate Members; Horizons; International Disaster Relief; Member Support; International Programs and for many years, Team Leader for the Club’s annual Vocational Service Award. Reg was Malvern Group Captain for a number of years and together with his wife Sue, have been stalwart Second Bite volunteers at Prahran Market and On-To-Conference co-Chairs for 2017 & 2018.
Over the last four years Reg has been instrumental in the annual wine fundraiser and last year was the driver of our very successful raffle to support our Australasian Centenary Pacific Island Immunisation Project, GECAF, Rotary-Give Every Child a Future. This year, he led the P95 facemask project for the bushfire response effort.
For all his efforts in 2018 Reg was the recipient of the Axle Award and the 2019 Forth Bridge Award.
At Board level, Reg has been; Director of Corporate Issues and Fund Raising for 2012-13; Director of Corporate Issues for 2013-14; Vice-President, Humanitarian Services for 2016-17 and to my benefit this year, Reg has served admirably as our Honorary Secretary and on the 30th June will become our President Elect 2021-22.
In March of this year came the COVID-19 Pandemic and Reg immediately rose to the challenge to spearhead continuous delivery of our weekly meetings via the virtual platforms. The outcome has anchored our member engagement and achieved wider reach. Today is our 12th regular meeting and there is no doubt that each week his host operational skills have become more and more sophisticated which has been an extraordinary support to myself and Jo Mavros.
Members have been consistent in saying that if you want something done, something done quickly which is perhaps a little tricky, Reg is the Rotarian for the job.
Now it is time to recognise the meritorious service that Reg has truly rendered to Rotary Melbourne in fellowship, administration and our Humanitarian project work delivery over the past 12 years. I wish to acknowledge today that Reg has his wife Sue with him at home and also his son Nick is online from Los Angeles with his daughter Jess in London to view our recording at a more sensible hour.
Reginal (Reg) Smith, for a sustained commitment to “Service Above Self” it gives me pleasure to name you on behalf of the Board and Members of the Rotary Club of Melbourne - a Paul Harris Fellow.
