David Wittner Mentoring Award – Reg N. Smith OAM
26 June 2024
The Rotary Club of Melbourne Mentoring Award recognises a Rotarian who has excelled as a mentor and advocate for Rotary honouring the memory of Past President David Wittner AM. The Board recognised David’s extraordinary commitment to Rotary spanning 54 years and his willingness to mentor many members, and indeed beyond in the community at large. The perpetual trophy of multi-faceted glass is a reminder of the breadth of character that was David Wittner.
In a year of celebrating the creating of hope through Rotary, the Wittner Mentoring Award is conferred on our club’s most engaged, optimistic advocate, a Rotarian of 16 years, and like, David Wittner, a strong connector and adviser of people and projects.
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 Annual Vocational Award. Reg was Malvern Group Captain for a number of years and together with his wife Sue, have been stalwart Second Bite volunteers and were On-To-Conference Co-Chairs for 2017 & 2018. He has served as a Director, Vice President, Club Secretary and was our 105th President.
Through his calm respectful reflective manner, he has been invaluable in providing multi layered advice relying on his professional analytical skills to identify individuals to assist in calculated and tactical operational growth opportunities for the club.
Reg has been my Mentor, advisor and perhaps “wartime conciliare”.
He understands the complexities of the Club and has mentored several presidents over the years as Club Secretary and as Past President and this year is taking on the Vice President role to assist a busy executive in President Catherine Baxter.
I am honoured on behalf of Rotary Melbourne to present Reg Smith with the Wittner Mentoring Award.
