Kim Gillis says the highlight of his long and varied career was seeing the ship he helped commission in action on the Far South Coast assisting Australians displaced by the recent bushfires.
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The Moruya resident has spent around 40 years working in both public service and private enterprise, with a particular focus on maritime defence contracts and acquisitions - including being the project manager for the HMAS Adelaide.
HMAS Adelaide was stationed off Eden for the first half of January assisting other Australian Defence Force assets in the region during the ongoing bushfire crisis and recovery efforts.
The ship was one Mr Gillis had a big hand in bringing into service during the John Howard years, "from concept all the way through" he said.
"For me the highlight of my whole career was seeing the Adelaide off Eden," Mr Gillis said.
"Seeing the ship I spent eight years on, bringing it into service, doing that amazing role supporting Australians was just incredible."
For his "significant service to public administration and to defence projects, Mr Gillis is being inducted as a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australian Day Honours List.
"It's a novel thing about these awards that you are not nominated by a company or organisation, but by an individual who believes you have done something significant.
"It's an honour, but it reflects a lot on the teams I have worked with - the last job I had 6000 staff and over the years it has really been thousands of staff.
"To me this honour relates to what you do as a leader of a team of people and it's an honour that is shared by all of them as well."
His career also includes stints in Australian Customs, as vice-president of military projects with the Austal Group in Australia and the US, and vice-president and chief operating officer of Boeing Defence Australia.
While many of Mr Gillis's roles involved projects that have been developed to protect the country's borders and residents, this week he was focused more on protecting his own home.
The emergency bushfire that raged into Moruya on Thursday afternoon, January 23, "burnt literally right up to my doormat" he said..
"The National Parks and RFS crews did an amazing job.
"I've got a lovely car collection and they protected them while I was at the bowling club watching the firestorm rolling in."
Healthy love for his community
In other Australia Day Honours news, Surfside's Brad Rossiter has also been recognised for his immense efforts on behalf of the Eurobodalla community.
He is being presented with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) thanks to his tireless work promoting issues such as community health, organ donation and accessibility matters.
Mr Rossiter is a double leg amputee as a result of diabetes and kidney disease but hasn't let that slow him down.
In fact his OAM citation highlights that, over the last 10 years, he has hosted more than 600 community awareness and education events in Batemans Bay and surrounding districts.
Full citations below
AM - Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Kim Gillis, Moruya
For significant service to public administration, and to defence projects.
Department of Defence
Deputy Secretary, Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, Department of Defence, 2015-2018.
General Manager Systems, Defence Material Organisation, 2004-2010.
Program Manager, Australian LHD Program.
Austal Group
Vice-President, Military Projects, Armidale Class Patrol Boats and Littoral Combat Ship USN, 2000-2004.
Boeing Defence Australia
Vice-President and Managing Director, 2011-2014.
Chief Operating Officer, 2011.
Chief Operating Officer, International Operations and Compliance, 2010-2011.
International Centre for Complex Project Management
Board Member, 2009-2015.
Chair, Governance Committee, 2010-2015.
Member, Remuneration Committee, 2012-2015.
Founding Fellow.
Other
Founder and Sponsor, Executive Masters in Complex Project Management Program, Queensland University of Technology.
OAM - Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Bradley Rossiter, Surfside
For service to community of the Eurobodalla.
Community Health
Co-Chair and Co-founder, Eurobodalla Renal Support Group and Organ Donor Awareness, since 2007.
Eurobodalla Health Service, Southern New South Wales Local Health District
Chair, Eurobodalla Health Service Community Representative Committee, since 2013.
Member, Eurobodalla Health Service Community Representative Committee, 2011-2012.
Former Committee Member, Quality and Risk Management.
Eurobodalla Shire Council
Member, Disability Inclusion Advisory Committee, current.
Member of various Committees including: Batemans Bay's Orient and North Streets Upgrading Committee; Pathways Strategy Committee; Batemans Bay MacKay Park Precinct Development Committee; Corrigan's Inclusive Playground Committee and Batemans Bay Foreshore Committee.
Committee and advisory roles
Member, Consumer Council, Kidney Health Australia, since 2006.
Member, Advisory Committee, Donate Life ACT, current.
Member, Consumer Council, Clinical Excellence Commission, current.
Member, Renal Advisory Meeting (RAMs), Canberra Hospital, current.
Patron, Batemans Bay Hospital Auxiliary, current.
Member and Advocate, Diabetes NSW/ACT.
Member, Vision Australia.
Member, Physical Disability Council NSW.
Founder, Eurobodalla Shire Health Expo.
Awards and recognition includes:
Queen's Baton Bearer, 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2018.
Recipient, Operation Angel Award, Kidney Health Australia.
Recipient, Paul Harris Fellow, Batemans Bay Rotary Club, Rotary International, 2017.
Recipient, Eurobodalla Citizen of the Year, 2012.