Blown over backwards

Kevin Humphreys Daryl Elliott Green Derrick McManus - Resilience and Durability Brad Hauck Shan Raffel John Cawcutt AFSM Mark Potter Iain MacKenzie AFSM MLshipMgt(Policing) https://iessb.com.au

I recently arrived back from Israel where I had the great good fortune to meet some truly amazing people. Often it is the people in our lives that give pleasure, joy, purpose and meaning. On my return I was also reminded how lucky I am to have the friends, associates and fellow speakers that I do here in Australia.

If you were to see these people walking around at the local market for example, you would see them as ordinary people, simply going about their daily lives. ?Each has served and continues to contribute to their various communities in different ways. These people although ordinary, have experienced some of the most amazing and incredible events in their own lives, and mostly through the media, we have witnessed those events, their events, in many of our own lives. This then also makes them extraordinary, because of what they have done and what they have lived through.

I know with absolute certainty that each of them would say two things about what they have achieved. First, they were just doing their job. Second, that their achievement is only a part of a team’s achievement. Both statements are more often than not true. Accepting that however in no way minimises what these individuals have achieved and are therefore being recognised for. So, some recognitions and congratulations.

Lt Colonel Kevin Humphrey DSC (Ret) recently recognised and awarded the highest military service decoration, the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for distinguished command and leadership in the Australian honours Awards.?Serving in the Australian military for 20 years being deployed to East Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan and also in Papua New Guinea on humanitarian operations. At the age of 21 given the keys of a Blackhawk helicopter. Later in his career, while on deployment to Afghanistan, prepared his teams for numerous combat missions. Flying his Chinook helicopter, he extracted, multiple times under intense fire, over 60 coalition troops from within the hot zone.

Daryl Elliot Green and Derrick McManus recently recognised at the Australian Professional Speakers Association (PSA) Convention. As on duty Police Officers they have both survived being shot at, multiple times, at close range in separate incidents (in Queensland & South Australia), 16 bullet rounds between them. Daryl shot twice including one to the head, and Derrick with 14 shots into the body. Both having been awarded bravery medals and their stories being highlighted through various documentaries.

Brad Hauk, not only a speaker and cracker-jack web expert, but also a member and Fire Officer in Queensland’s Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade. I have watched and listened and learned from Brad over the years as he has been deployed numerous times both inter and intra state taking time away from work, family and his own recreation to assist others. Brad has recently been awarded the National Emergency Services Medal.

Shan Raffel AFSM a fellow firefighter and speaker. Shan too has received a bravery award, putting his life on the line while attempting to rescue a youth in an extremely dangerous situation. Although with many other awards Shan was recently inducted into the USA Hall of Fame for Legends and Leaders.

John Cawcutt AFSM, a fellow firefighter and currently Assistant Commissioner commanding Brisbane region of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES), and past Board member of the International Red Cross of Australia. John, in addition to many other awards received, has recently been appointed as the United Nations Co-Chair of the review team that establishes the Guidelines used by International Search & Rescue Teams deployed into the disaster hot spots around the world, e.g. recently in Turkey

Ian Mackenzie AFSM, Former firefighter and Deputy Commissioner of the QFES and former Inspector General of Emergency Management Queensland. Recently appointed as Chair of ?Natural Hazards Research Australia and also as a Professor of Practice in Disaster Management, Griffith University Queensland.

Mark Potter. Firefighter, Executive Manager, business owner, bushfire and fire safety consultant. Board Director and recently elected President of the Fire Protection Association (FPA) of Australia.

Each of these speakers is highly qualified to engage with, inspire and motivate audiences across the world covering a wide range of leadership and management issues as well as in their own specific areas of expertise. Great people helping other people be better at what they want to do. ?Congratulations and well-deserved recognition for each of the recipients.

Graeme D Thom AFSM https://iessb.com.au/#leadership #speakers #fireprevention #congratulations #management #conferences #conferencespeaker #emergencymanagement #disastermanagement