Phil has been a member of the Rotary Club of Miranda since 1982 and has remained a very active member holding most board positions during that time. Phil was elected as President in 1987/88 where he got his first introduction to the wider world of Rotary International at a time when Rotary was undergoing major changes in membership growth, the rapid expansion of Probus in Australia and the establishment of the most remarkable program of all, PolioPlus. He was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow Award by his club in 2003.
Born in Sydney in January 1948, Phil attended Sydney Boys High School, a school where he has continued his association as President of the P&C, member of the School Council and Chairman of the Sydney High School Foundation Inc (1990/95).
At the same time Phil was involved in the international chemical and raw material manufacturing industry which allowed him to travel widely and attend Rotary meetings in many countries. After qualifying in industrial chemistry and marketing Phil remained involved in the chemical production and raw materials industries for over 41 years before retiring in Dec 2007. He has worked for both international companies and local producers.
From 1966 to 1974 Phil was an active member of the Citizen Military Forces (Royal Australian Infantry). He was awarded the Australian Defence Medal in 2007. In addition to his club duties he has been a District Governor’s Representative (1988/90), member of District 9750 International Student Exchange team (1989/1990), member of the District 9750 Training Team (2006/2007) and Assistant Governor from 2007 until 2009.
Phil has been married to Cheryl for 39 years. Cheryl is a senior teacher of Mathematics and School Compliance Manager at Danebank Anglican School for Girls. Although Cheryl is not a Rotarian she has remained extremely supportive of Phil and the activities of the Rotary Club of Miranda. Cheryl and Phil have two adult children Megan (34),(RYPEN) married to Bruce Laws and Jeremy (31), (RYLA) married to Natasha (RYLA). They have two delightful grandchildren, Allia Whyte and Max Laws who were both born in October 2007.
Contact:
DGN@rotaryd9750.org.au